Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn appointed Northwestern professor Jerome Stermer as his chief of staff Monday.
“The state of Illinois is facing a really serious financial challenge, and we’re reeling from a crisis of confidence and a crisis of trust,” Stermer said Tuesday evening. “In the midst of this we have an opportunity to work with the federal government with the economic recovery plan, and it is our hope that we can get the Land of Lincoln back on track.”
The SESP adjunct professor said he is honored and energized by the appointment, which presents a complex challenge and the opportunity to increase job opportunities, make family-friendly budgets and “restore trust in government.”
Stermer, 65, is the former president of Voices for Illinois Children, an organization that works with families, communities and policymakers on education and child health care issues.
Previous chiefs of staff have usually been appointed from within the government. Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, for instance, appointed John Harris (Weinberg ’84) who served as the budget director for Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley.
But with a background in social service, Stermer will be a new kind of chief of staff, said Gaylord Gieseke, interim president of Voices for Illinois Children.
“We’re thrilled to have the governor make the statement that he’s committed to putting children first by putting a known leader in the state that exhibits those qualities,” she said.
Stermer said the announcement was unexpected, but one of the reasons Gov. Quinn asked him to join his team was to form an approach to policy that focuses on kids.
“I think it was not only surprising to me but to many people in the community,” he said. “I may not be a traditional chief of staff, but I’m committed to getting things done by bringing in great ideas and the commitment of the people of Illinois.”
As president of Voices for Illinois Children since 1987, Stermer has helped pass legislation that created a voluntary universal preschool system in Illinois, worked to create a state-level earned income tax credit to support working families and led efforts to expand healthcare for children in Illinois, Gieseke said.
“He cares passionately about working families struggling to make ends meet,” she said. “He understands that Illinois needs to achieve a certain level of economic security in order to fully realize that vision.”
Stermer, a former Peace Corps volunteer, has served in leadership roles in the Governor’s Task Force on Human Services Reform and the A+ Illinois campaign, which is working to improve funding and quality of public education for Illinois children. He also chairs the board of Voices for America’s Children and is a board member of the United Way of Illinois and the Illinois Children’s Healthcare Foundation.
As chief of staff, Stermer said he will focus on maintaining government values, a topic which he explores in his Introduction to Social Policy course at NU.
“The government needs to be efficient, it needs to be effective, it needs to be transparent, it needs to preserve individual freedom and it needs to be highly ethical,” he said.
Stermer has had to step aside from teaching Social Policy 201 this quarter and said he will miss working with students.
Professor Marvin Cohen, who founded Voices for Illinois Children with Stermer and will take over Stermer’s class for the remainder of the quarter, said Stermer has left “enormous shoes to fill.”
“This is a wonderful opportunity for Illinois and the university, and these students are extremely lucky to have had exposure to Jerry before he left,” Cohen said.
Sean Collins Walsh contributed reporting.
