Illinois e-News Release

Michelle Gibson will continue to serve as Member of the Illinois Pollution Control Board. Gibson was first appointed to serve on the Illinois Pollution Control Board in 2021. Previously, she was the Supervisor of the Boone County Health Department, a Solid Waste and Recycling Specialist for DeKalb County, and a Field Trip Coordinator for the Field Trip Factory. She also worked as an Environmental Services Resource Manager at Veioal North America, LLC where she managed recycling vendors for large auto manufacturers to ensure waste was properly recycled. Gibson is a registered Environmental Health Specialist and Registered Sanitarian, a License Environmental Health Practitioner, and a Licensed Lead Abatement Assessor. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Health from Illinois State University in 2004.

Natasha Robinson will serve as a Member of the Illinois Torture Inquiry Relief Commission. Robinson is the Creator and Curator of Legaleaze Please!, an online digital platform improving legal language comprehension. Previously, she was an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Department of Government, Law, and Justice at Roosevelt University from 2018-2022. Natasha has also worked as an Adjunct Professor at the City Colleges of Chicago, a Pre-Law Teacher in the Chicago Public School system, and as an Assistant Public Defender in the Cook County Public Defender’s office. Robinson earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Iowa, a Masters of Arts in English from Chicago State University, and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Wisconsin Law School.

Demoya Gordon will serve as a Member of the Human Rights Commission.* Gordon will move to the Commission from her current role as the Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action (EEO/AA) Officer at the Illinois Department of Central Management Services where she oversees and implements EEO/AA and disability and language policies. Previously, she served as Supervising Attorney in the Law Enforcement Bureau at the New York City Commission on Human Rights. Demoya has also held attorney positions at Lambda Legal and at private law firms. Gordon earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Macalester College and a Juris Doctorate from the University of California, Berkeley.

Cleric Richard Costes will serve as a Member of the Commission on Equity and Inclusion.* Costes will move to the Commission from his current role as Board Administrator for the Communication Service for the Deaf, Inc. He previously worked as Manager of Chapter and Membership Services for the Association for Corporate Growth, the Executive Director of the Oakland Center for the Arts in Youngstown, OH, and as a freelance accessibility consultant and advocate. Costes serves a member of Disability Lead, the National Theatre of the Deaf, and 3Arts Artist Council. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Studies from Kent State University.

Renysha Brown will serve as the Accountability Director at the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs.* Brown is the first to serve in the newly created Accountability Director at the Department. She is coming from the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) where she has served as a Division Chief since 2019. Renysha has also previously served as a Bureau Chief at the Illinois Department of Human Services, and Chief of Staff at the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs. Brown is a combat veteran of two conflicts, has commanded the largest battalion in the Illinois Army National Guard, and is a Veteran of the United States Army and Illinois Army National Guard. She earned Bachelor of Science in Fashion Merchandising from Western Illinois University and a Master of Arts in Procurement and Acquisitions Management from Webster University.

Michelle McClendon will continue to serve on the Illinois International Port District Board.* McClendon was first appointed to the Board in 2021. She serves as the Project Executive for Gilbane Building Company where she is responsible for the overall direction, completion and financial outcomes of simultaneous complex construction projects. Previously, she worked for Leopardo Companies, Inc, beginning as a Project Assistant and rising through the ranks as a Senior Project Manager. McClendon serves on the Board of Directors for the Illinois Green Alliance and has been selected as a Committee Member for the City of Chicago’s city-wide planning initiative, We Will Chicago. McClendon received her Master of Business Administration from the University of Illinois - Chicago and her Bachelor of Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.