Illinois e-News Release

Elizabeth Sanders will continue to serve as a Member of the Illinois State Board of Investment.* Sanders has over 35 years of experience in the banking and investment management industry. Most recently, she spent 20 years as a Managing Director and Client Relationship Manager at UBS Asset Management, where she was responsible for client relationships with institutional investors until her retirement in 2016. She previously served for nearly five years as Chief Investment Officer of the Iowa Public Employees’ Retirement System. Sanders began her career in the institutional trust and asset management business at the Northern Trust Company and Harris Bank. She earned a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) professional designation, as well as a Bachelor of Science in psychology from St. Lawrence University and a Master of Business Administration in finance from DePaul University.

Melissa Neddermeyer will serve as a Director on the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority.* Melissa Neddermeyer is the Sole Practitioner and Owner of Neddermeyer Law Offices and has been a practicing attorney for nearly twenty years. She serves as Village President for the Village of Willow Springs, where she has significantly lowered the Village debt, increased services to residents and numbers of community events, enhanced infrastructures and road systems, and strengthened relationships with neighboring communities. Prior to being elected Village President, she served as Village Trustee. Committed to public service and collaboration, she is an active member of the Southwest Conference of Mayors and the West Central Municipal Conference. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from DePaul University and a Juris Doctor from Chicago Kent College of Law.

Mark Wright will serve as a Director on the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority.* Mark Wright is Founder, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Diverse Facility Solutions (DFS). Since January 2002, he has guided the company to new heights in facility management, janitorial services, project and construction management, and consulting. Under his leadership, DFS has emerged as a prominent player in the janitorial industry. Notably, DFS stands as a minority-owned and MBE certified corporation, proudly headquartered in Chicago while operating in multiple states. Prior to his tenure at DFS, Mark was the Director of Operations at Midway Airlines' Terminal Consortium (MATCO) from 2001 to 2003, and he played an instrumental role in the monumental $793 million-dollar Midway Airport Development Project the Naperville Planning and Zoning Commission, Naperville Development Partnership (NDP), SOS Children's Village, and the College of DuPage Foundation.

Greg Walkington will serve as a Member of the Quality Care Board.* Walkington is an accomplished Operations Manager with over 35 years of experience in non-profit leadership and program development, particularly as it relates to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Walkington’s experience ranges from direct, hands-on training in life skills enrichment programs to managing supports for over 400+ people with IDD across four divisions, four congregate work sites, and over 20 community-integrated living arrangements. Currently, he serves as the Family Transition Project Director for The Arc of Illinois. A father of an adult child who has physical and intellectual disabilities, Walkington personally understands the value of maximizing quality of life through community involvement for the people he serves by providing them with the necessary support structures to lead dignified and fulfilling lives.

Ben Veal will continue to serve as a Member of the Waukegan Port District Board.* Veal is the retired Chief Operations Officer and Sales Vice-President of Dynetics Engineering Corporation, where he led the international manufacturer of credit card mailing systems to profitability. Veal’s career includes prior positions with General Electric and Square D Company. He is an award-winning business consultant and product development engineer with patented products represented by fortune 500 companies like Rubbermaid. Veal is also an adjunct instructor at the College of Lake County. Veal has a Bachelor’s degree in Electronic Engineering from Southern University and a Master’s in Administration from Central Michigan University.