Education
B.A. in Political Science and History, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1999
Career History
Chief of Staff, Office of Management and Budget
Executive Office of the President
2021 - 2021
Served as chief of staff to OMB Director Shalanda Young under President Biden; helped establish the Made in America division
Executive Director
Climate Jobs Illinois
2020 - 2021
Led coalition of 12 labor unions advocating for clean energy infrastructure and union jobs
Senior Advisor to the Governor
Office of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker
2019 - 2020
Advised on labor policy; led successful effort to raise Illinois minimum wage to $15 per hour
Transition Director
J.B. Pritzker Gubernatorial Campaign
2018 - 2019
Led exploratory committee and served as senior campaign advisor, then managed gubernatorial transition
National Political Director
United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW)
Spent seven years with UFCW fighting for better wages and safety protections for grocery workers and meatpackers
Union Organizer
Laborers International Union of North America / International Association of Fire Fighters
Started career in the labor movement organizing with construction laborers and firefighters
Committee Assignments
Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Technology Modernization
Key Policy Positions
Advocates for full SNAP funding, introduced legislation to remove eligibility barriers for family farms accessing USDA loan programs, and formed a bipartisan Agriculture Advisory Council
Secured $2.3 billion for veterans mental health care and $556 million for veterans caregivers; passed the Improving Veterans Experience Act through the House as part of the PRO Veterans Act of 2025
Champions raising the minimum wage, strengthening collective bargaining rights, and improving workplace safety protections based on her decade of labor organizing experience
Supports the 45Z Clean Fuels Production Credit for Illinois growers and producers; previously led Climate Jobs Illinois coalition connecting union labor with clean energy infrastructure
Advocated for $418 million in veteran homelessness prevention funding and $60.6 million for veteran suicide prevention outreach
Contact & Resources
Illinois(IL)
D
J.B. Pritzker
State Sovereignty, National Union
The Land of Lincoln is really two states: Chicago and everywhere else. With 17 House seats, Illinois politics revolve around the city's needs versus downstate's wants, with corruption scandals as the one thing that unites them all.
Capital
Springfield
Population
12.6M
2024 Turnout
62.6%
Senate Seats
2
House Seats
17
Electoral Votes
19
District
IL-13