Illinois e-News Release

Anibal Taboas will continue to serve on the Board of Trustees of Governors State University.* Taboas has served on the GSU board since 2012, chairing the Academic Affairs Committee. He is also an executive consultant to industry, educational, and governmental agencies with a focus on strategic leadership and risk management. Taboas previously served as president and CEO of Aspira Inc. of Illinois, a non-profit dedicated to leadership development. He also worked at Argonne National Laboratory as a principal mechanical engineer and at the U.S. Department of Energy as an Assistant Manager for Programs and Projects. He received a Master of Science in Nuclear & Mechanical Engineering from Northwestern University, a Master of Science in Physics from Indiana State University, and a Bachelor's in Physics and Theology from the University of Dayton.

William Ryan will serve as a Member of the Energy Workforce Advisory Council.* Dr. William Ryan has over thirty years of experience in energy engineering, and currently serves as the Director of the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) Department of Engineering Energy Master’s Program. At UIC, he spearheaded the development of their Master of Energy Engineering Program. Dr. Ryan also teaches courses on Power Generation, HVAC, High Efficiency Buildings, and Renewable Emerging Power Generation. Prior to his twenty-three years of teaching, he was the Residential and Commercial Space Conditioning Program Leader for GRI, where he was responsible annually for $15 million related to product development in gas cooling and heating research for several manufacturers. Dr. Ryan has received awards from UIC’s College of Engineering and was a Fellow for the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers. He received a Bachelor of Science and Masters of Science in Mechanical Engineering, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin, and a Doctorate of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering from Illinois Institute of Technology.

Vernis Barrier-Likes will serve as a Member on the Energy Workforce Advisory Council.* Vernis Barrier-Likes has over twenty years of experience in workforce planning and development. She currently serves as the Development Director for Kenwood Oakland Community Organization (KOCO) where she partners with the Illinois Department of Human Services, Division of Family and Community Services, and the NBA Foundation to fundraise a total of $1.5 million for disconnected Black youth on the South Side of Chicago. Prior to her time at KOCO, Barrier-Likes worked at Lutheran Child and Family Services as their Grant Manager. She assisted in securing funds from the First Non-Profit Foundation to have the University of Chicago conduct an external evaluation of the Regenerations Program, which is a workforce readiness program for youth who are involved in the child welfare and criminal justice system. Barrier-Likes was elected to the Steering and Communications Committee for the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition (ICJC) and Climate Table. Barrier-Likes received a Bachelor of Arts from Wichita State University, a Paralegal Certification from Fairleigh Dickinson University, and a Master of Science from Spertus Institute.

Joanna Webb-Gauvin will serve on the Illinois Employment Security Advisory Board.* Gauvin is the Legislative Director for AFSCME Council 31, which is the statewide public service union representing more than 75,000 active and 25,000 retired Illinois state, university, and local government workers. Since December 2006, Gauvin has directed the legislative activities for the statewide council and its 285 local unions as well as supervised its retirees’ program. She previously spent 7 years as the Director of Retiree Programs for AFSCME Retirees Chapter 31. Gauvin graduated from Western Illinois University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science.

* Appointments pending confirmation by the Illinois Senate.