Illinois e-News Release

Building on a strong team of diverse experts in their fields, Governor JB Pritzker announced the following appointments in his administration

John Freitag will serve as a Member of the Energy Workforce Advisory Council.* Freitag is a founding member and the Executive Director of the Geothermal Alliance of Illinois (GAIO). He is a 32-year veteran of the electric utility industry, having retired from the Illinois Electric Cooperatives in 2017. He has served on a number of boards and commissions, and is currently a member of the Board of Trustees at the Lincoln Academy of Illinois. Freitag received his degree from the University of Wisconsin.

Garth Walker will serve as a Member of the Illinois Board of Higher Education.* Walker is a Healthcare executive and academic board certified emergency physician with state, federal, and private sector experience. He is a recognized healthcare and public health thought leader, committed to addressing social and economic drivers to healthcare access including education and employment. Walker is an assistant professor at RUSH and the senior Medical Director for RUSH Health, where he is responsible for driving innovative reimbursement models in value-based care. He also plays a strategic role in RUSH’s population health mission. Previously, Walker served as the Deputy Director for the Illinois Department of Public Health. He was then appointed by President Biden to serve as a White House fellow with the Department of Health and Human Services at the Office of the Surgeon General under Dr. Vivek Murthy. Walker's academic accomplishments include first-author peer-reviewed scientific articles focused on social determinants of health, firearm injury, and health equity. Committed to civic leadership, he is a board member for mHUB Chicago, Thresholds, and the Chicago Urban League. Walker is an alumni of the Urban League IMPACT program and the Leadership Greater Chicago, a member of Chicago's Economic Club, and a term member for the Council on Foreign Relations. He received a bachelor of science from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, a doctor of medicine from the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, and a master of public health from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

Staci Mayall will continue to serve as a Member of the Secure Choice Savings Board.* Mayall is the Treasurer of Fulton County, where she acts as a custodian of county accounts and investments. She was initially appointed to the role in 2015 and was subsequently elected in 2016, 2018, and 2022. Prior to serving in this role, she was the Fulton County Chief Deputy Treasurer, and a Lender at Citizens Equity First Credit Union. Mayall serves as President of the Illinois County Treasurer’s Association and Associate Membership Committee Chair. She is the recipient of the Zone 2 Treasurer of the Year Award in 2019, 2022, and 2023. She is an alumna of the Edgar Fellows Program, hosted by the University of Illinois System’s Institute of Government and Public Affairs. Mayall received an associate of science degree from Spoon River College and a bachelor of science in psychology from Western Illinois University.