Illinois e-News Release

Nina Harris will serve as the Chair of the Illinois Commission on Equity and Inclusion.* Harris was first appointed to the Commission in October 2022. Previously, she worked at the Illinois Department of Innovation and Technology where she served as the Chief Administrative Officer. She also worked with the Springfield Urban League for nearly 30 years, including as President and CEO from 2004-2021. She is a member of the Memorial Health Board of Directors, the Illinois Black Advocacy Initiative, and the National Urban League Academy of Fellows. In 2017, Harris received the Affiliate Champion Award for her DEI leadership in job development from the National Urban League. She earned a Bachelor of Arts from Sangamon State University and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Illinois in Springfield.

Eddie Arroyo will serve as a Member of the Illinois Racing Board.* Eddie Arroyo has dedicated his career of over fifty years to every aspect of racing. He has experience as a jockey, general manager of a racetrack, and a steward for various racing entities including the Illinois Racing Board. Arroyo also served as assistant to the President and Chairman at Arlington Park Race Course, where he mastered the ins and outs of the business. Previously, he worked at the DuPage County Fairgrounds, and with the Minnesota and Louisiana Racing Commissions. Arroyo has been awarded the National Pete Peterson award for outstanding regulator of racing and was inducted into the Chicago Sports Hall of Fame in 1980. He received degrees from Wright Jr. College, Loop Jr. College and the College of DuPage.

Joseph Gagliardo will continue to serve as a Judge on the Court of Claims.* Joseph Gagliardo has a forty-year career providing high quality legal counsel. He has served on the Court of Claims since 2017, and serves as Of Counsel at Laner Muchin, Ltd. In this role, he is responsible for providing legal services for private and public sector clients in the state and federal courts. Gagliardo also has experience as the First Deputy Corporation Counsel for the City of Chicago, where he counseled the City’s forty departments in all aspects of municipal law for ten years. He has been recognized by his peers numerous times, including: Chicago magazine, Top 10 Attorneys Illinois Super Lawyers, Intercontinental Finance magazine Top 500 lawyers in the world, and Chicago-Litigation, Labor & Employment Lawyer of the Year. Gagliardo received a Bachelor of Science in Commerce from DePaul University and a Juris Doctorate from the John Marshall Law School.

Rob Karr will continue to serve as a Member on the Workers’ Compensation Advisory Board.* Karr currently serves as President and CEO of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association. He was previously the Vice President of Government and Member Relations for the Association, and a Manager of Government Affairs for the Illinois Manufacturers Association. Karr is a member of the Employment Security Advisory Board. He earned a Bachelor of Science from Illinois State University.

Memuna Lee will serve as a Member of the Clean Energy Jobs and Justice Fund. * Memuna Lee brings valuable experience in grant writing and contract negotiation to the board. She currently serves as the sourcing consultant at COUNTRY Financial, where she negotiations contacts and manages sourcing and supplier diversity. Previously, she was the Fund Development and Community Engagement Manager at Mid-Central Community Action, where she developed governmental relationships and managed public and private grants. Lee is the Chapter President of Jack and Jill of America, and a member of her local NAACAP Chapter. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Saint Mary’s College of California.

Stacey Brown will serve as Member on the Labor Advisory Board.* Stacey Brown has over twenty-five years of labor and employee relations experience. She currently serves as the Chief Human Resources Officer for First Hospitality, where she provides human resource leadership in business partnership to enable substantial growth. Previously, she was the Chief Human Resources Officer - Americas Region for DB Schenker. She also has experience as Vice-President of Human Resources and Labor and Employee Relations for Walgreens. Brown is on the Board of Directors for Aspire of Chicago and is on the Advisory Board for the University of Dayton School of Law and Ball State University. She received a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Ball State University and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Dayton, School of Law.