Illinois e-News Release

For Immediate Release:

October 23, 2025

Contact: Chris Slaby

CHICAGO – As part of its commitment to ensuring consumer protections through effective regulation and professional licensing, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) today successfully concluded hosting the 2025 Midwest Occupational Licensing Summit (MOLS). The day-and-a-half event brought together licensing regulators from Illinois and five other Midwest states to collaborate and share ideas on the topics and challenges professional licensing faces. The theme of the third annual summit was “License. Lead. Serve.,” which highlights the role of regulators to protect the public, support our communities, and balance oversight and fairness.

“Hosting this year’s MOLS event reflects Illinois’ ongoing commitment to fostering innovation while upholding the highest standards of safety and professionalism,” said IDFPR Secretary Mario Treto, Jr. “Bringing together leaders from across the Midwest enables us to share ideas and best practices in professional licensing, ensuring we’re best serving the individuals seeking licensure in each of our states.”

This year’s summit featured discussions on how regulatory agencies can best engage with stakeholders, industry groups, and associations, along with how partnerships between local, state, and national institutions can lead to better healthcare outcomes for the Midwest and the rest of the country. Secretary Treto also led a session with key members of the Illinois General Assembly on healthcare licensing, the challenges it currently faces, and possible future opportunities to improve those processes. Secretary Treto also hosted a fireside chat with Deputy Governor Grace Hou, who reflected on the challenges and opportunities facing state agencies today in an open and thoughtful conversation. 

Panelists in roundtable discussions included State Representative Bob Morgan; State Representative Dr. William E. Hauter; State Senator Suzy Gloiwak Hilton; Dr. Bobby Mukkamala, President of the American Medical Association; Dr. Eric Mikiatis, CEO of Cook County Health; Jessica Hickok, CEO of the Association of Real Estate License Law Officials; Jordan Powell, Senior Vice President of the Illinois Health and Hospital Association; David Porter, Senior Vice President of the Illinois State Medical Society; and representatives from the National Association of Realtors. IDFPR staff also led discussions on advancing social equity within the cannabis industry and efforts to expand pathways for entry and reentry into the workforce, as well as collaboration with law enforcement and partnership with the Illinois Department of Corrections to support these initiatives. Today marks the conclusion of the third annual summit, which was previously hosted in Wisconsin in 2023 and Michigan in 2024. 

“Collaboration like this with our neighboring states is important because the challenges facing licensed professionals and regulators do not recognize borders, and neither do the solutions,” said Dan Hereth, Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services. “So, having collaborative and constructive conversations about how we can address shared challenges can only benefit our individual states.”

“Michigan has been proud to support the Midwest Occupational Licensing Summit from its early stages, and we are excited to see the momentum continue this year in Illinois,” said Marlon I. Brown, Director of the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA). “It’s always encouraging when states come together to tackle shared challenges and explore innovative solutions. Whether we’re addressing healthcare, cannabis, or workforce needs, collaboration across state lines helps us protect the public while supporting licensed professionals and businesses.”

About IDFPR: The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) serves as the State of Illinois’ head regulatory agency that ensures professional licensees meet the legislative and regulatory requirements enacted to protect consumers in Illinois. Currently, IDFPR licenses more than 1.2 million professionals across 120 industries. More about IDFPR’s recent accomplishments can be found on the Department’s new Hub webpage.