Kristin Richards has spent 18 years in public carrier, main just about two dozen state companies and dealing for 2 governors and two state Senate presidents.
She’ll want to draw on all that have in her newest task, taking on the beleaguered Illinois Department of Employment Security in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic that has left greater than one million Illinoisans unemployed.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Thursday appointed Richards, leader of team of workers to state Senate President Don Harmon, to the high-pressure publish, pronouncing she is “keenly aware of the economic hardship too many are facing.”
In saying Richards’ appointment, Pritzker said “these are not normal times.”
“As Illinoisans have faced unimaginable hardship due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Department of Employment Security has processed a historic number of claims,” the governor mentioned in a commentary. “These are not normal times, and I remain committed to doing everything in my power to support our residents when they need it most.”
Richards replaces Thomas Chan, whom Pritzker mentioned led the dep. “during a period of unprecedented volume and need for the people of Illinois.”
Complaints had been consistent and secure right through the pandemic as the dep. processed greater than 1,361,036 claims for unemployment advantages from March 1 thru May 30. That’s just about 11.five occasions the collection of claims the dep. processed over the similar length ultimate yr.
“The unemployment claims process has been a source of hardship for all too many Illinois residents,” the governor mentioned in April. “Our state unemployment filing systems, which were built a decade ago for a much lower number of claims, simply haven’t kept pace. This was the painful truth that we discovered when unemployment began to spike.”
Since then, Pritzker has recruited retired staff from the Department of Employment Security to return again to paintings; boosted the dep.’s telephone device capability by means of 40% and prolonged day-to-day name heart hours; opened some other name heart with 200 staff’ and employed specialists to overtake and construct new platforms for the dep.. But many Illinoisans are nonetheless complaining to their elected officers that they are able to’t record claims, and in some instances, can’t succeed in a human on the division.
Richards has overseen just about two dozen state companies and 7 state budgets. Since 2016, she served as leader of team of workers to the state’s Senate presidents, maximum just lately Harmon, and prior to that his predecessor, North Side Democrat John Cullerton.
Richards additionally served as deputy leader of team of workers to former Gov. Rod Blagojevich from 2007 to 2009, serving because the coverage building lead on training and capital making plans. Richards started her profession in public carrier as a James H. Dunn Fellow within the governor’s Springfield administrative center.
Harmon known as Richards a “phenomenal chief of staff.”
“What most people don’t know is that since we adjourned, she has thrown herself into working on the unemployment system, personally handling casework for senators and providing a human, caring touch in helping people navigate the bureaucracy during this economic crisis,” the Oak Park Democrat mentioned in a commentary. “I have complete confidence in her ability to successfully take on these responsibilities and wish her the very best.”
Illinois Senate Majority Leader Kim Lightford, D-Maywood, known as Richards “a true public servant, an inspiration and a powerhouse of a woman.”
“Shine on Kristin!” Lightford mentioned.