Illinois e-News Release

Jaqueline Collins will serve as a Member of the Human Rights Commission.* Senator Jacqueline Collins has been an advocate for over thirty years. Most recently, she served the 16th District in Springfield as a State Senator, where she was a member of the Governor’s Racial Profiling Task Force, a Chairperson of the Criminal Law, Financial, Transportation Committee, and Assistant Majority Leader. Prior to her time in Springfield, Senator Collins was an Emmy Award finalist for CBS-TV as a videotape news editor. She has been awarded the Outstanding Public Service Award by the Greater Auburn Gresham Development Corporation in 2022 and the Rev. Dr. Martin L. King Jr. and President Lydon B. Johnson Faith and Politics Awards in 2014. Senator Collins received a Bachelor of Arts from Northwestern University, Master of Science from Spertus College, and a Master’s degrees in Public Administration and Theological Studies from Harvard University. She is pursuing a Juris Doctorate from Loyola University.

Giridhar Burra will serve as a Member of the Workers’ Compensation Medical Fee Advisory Board.* Dr. Giridhar Burra has dedicated his career to providing high quality medical care. He currently serves as the President of Hinsdale Orthopedics, a division of the Illinois Bone and Joint Institute (IBJI). On average, Dr. Burra handles nearly 500 surgeries a year, specializing on shoulder injuries. He also actively oversees resident and community education on injury prevention and workplace injuries, especially among firefighters and police offers. Dr. Burra is President of the Salt Creek Surgery Center, where he implemented cost control ownership methods. He served as medical staff for the Chicago White Sox and is a Board Member with the IBJI. Dr. Burra is affiliated with American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and Arthroscopy Association of North America. He received a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery from Kurnool Medical College, and a Master of Surgery in Orthopedics from University of Health Sciences, both located in Andhra Pradesh, India.

Melinda Spitzer Johnston will continue to serve as a Member of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum Board of Trustees.* Spitzer Johnston is currently the Digital Media Assets Manager at Encyclopedia Britannica. She spent eight years prior at her namesake firm, Armstrong-Johnston LLC, where she served as a principal partner, archivist, historian, and curator. She has also served as the Curator of Visual and Digital Resources for Harvard Law School Library’s Historical and Special Collections Division, and worked in a variety of roles with the Chicago History Museum including Research Coordinator, Project Archivist, and Curator. In addition, she served on the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency Board of Trustees and as a member of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum study panel. Spitzer Johnston received a Master of Arts in American History from DePaul University and a Bachelor of Arts in American History from Northwestern University. She became a certified archivist in 2018.

Sherman Wright will continue to serve as a Member of the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority.* Sherman Wright is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of TEN35, a marketing agency specializing in transforming brands through culture. His work and thought leadership have created award-winning campaigns for global brands including the Coca-Cola Company, Nike, Disney, MillerCoors, Verizon, Nissan, and NBC Universal. His accomplishments have been recognized by the New York Times, Inc., Advertising Age, Adweek, Black Enterprise, the Chicago Tribune and Crain’s Chicago Business. Wright is an inductee of the Chicago Area Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame, alumni of Crain’s Chicago Business’ 40 under 40, and has been recognized by Texas A&M's Aggie 100 for leading one of the fastest growing Aggie-owned businesses. He is active in his community and is a board member with OneGoal, Lurie Children’s Hospital, Francis W. Parker School, and Emerald South Economic Development Collaborative.

Davida Fanniel will serve as a Member of the Mid-Illinois Medical District.* Davida Fanniel has been a dedicated state government employee for over twenty years, and has experience working with several state agencies. She currently serves as Public Service Administrator for the Department of Human Services, where she oversees the volunteer generation fund for AmeriCorps to ensure funds are being used responsibly. Fanniel also worked with the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Equal Opportunity as a Compliance Officer, where she ensured workforce innovation officers were accessible to all who needed their assistance. She has been a girls basketball coach at Springfield Public School for District 186 since 2012, and is also a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Fanniel received a Bachelor of Science from Edward Waters University.

Camille Dorris will serve as a Member of the Illinois Affordable Housing Advisory Commission.* Camille Dorris has twenty-five years of experience working and advocating for disabled and unhoused residents of downstate Illinois. She currently serves as the Executive Director of Southern Illinois Coalition for the Homeless, where she is responsible for executing strategic planning, fiscal management, and raising overall awareness. Prior, she served as the Assistant Grants Administrator, teaching job seeking and retention skills and assisting with the management of state and federal grants. Dorris was awarded the Community Champion Award, which recognizes community leaders who have made a difference by advancing mental health and substance use disorder services. She received an Associate of Arts degree from John A. Logan College, and a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Social Work from Southern Illinois University.

Jason Quiara will continue to serve as a Member of the Chicago State University Board of Trustees.* Quiara is currently the Chief Strategy and Partnerships Officer for ConnectED, where he conducts high-level market analyses of the education sector and assists in developing growth strategies to better serve clients. Previously, he served as the Senior Program Officer with the Joyce Foundation, where he developed investment strategies that totaled approximately $35 million for education organizations. Quiara also has experience in education policy, having served as the Senior Policy Manager for Jobs for the Future and the Director of Policy and Research for the New England Board of Higher Education. Quiara received a Bachelor of Arts from Boston College, Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago, and a Master of Education, Policy, and Management from Harvard University.

Chynna Hampton will serve as a Member of the Energy Workforce Advisory Council.* Hampton currently serves as the Equity Director for Climate Jobs Illinois, leading the strategic planning development and implementation of the Climate Works Pre-apprenticeship program. Hampton brings an astute and hands-on understanding of workforce development initiatives, having previously served as the Director of Workforce Development for HIRE360 and as Senior Project Manager of Workforce Initiatives for the Chicago Transit Authority. She’s also held positions with YouthBuild and the United State Environmental Protection Agency. Committed to her community, Hampton serves on the Illinois Economic Policy Institute Board of Directors, is the Board President for the City College of Chicago-Harold Washington College Alumni Board, and is the Board Secretary of Project Gentlemen. Hampton received an Associate of Arts degree from Richard J. Daley College, a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Illinois Chicago, and a Master of Public Administration from Walden University.

* Appointments pending confirmation by the Illinois Senate.