Four new policy units formed; economic team announced

Press Release from the office of Governor Bruce Rauner

A new team of experts has been assembled in the Rauner-Sanguinetti Administration to focus on issue areas key to state policy development.

The new policy teams – in economics, health and social services, criminal justice, and infrastructure and regulation – will integrate their efforts to serve the offices of Gov. Bruce Rauner and Lt. Gov. Evelyn Sanguinetti. Comprised of experts from government, the private sector and nonprofits, their work will be under the direction of Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Michael Lucci.

“We’ve attracted a group of talented, experienced policy professionals and public servants,” Lucci said. “They share a passion for making Illinois a state where hard-working families can achieve their dreams, in part because government policy has helped facilitate economic opportunity and societal fairness.”

The first of four units to be announced is the one focused on state economics. It will play a central role in creating the vision and policy framework for balanced budgets, sustainable finances and a pro-growth environment for job creation.

Hans Zigmund, who becomes the governor’s economic policy director, will lead the group and work with agencies and other stakeholders inside and outside of state government that focus on economic policy.

Before joining the Governor’s Office, Zigmund was chief economist at the Department of Revenue. He previously held positions as associate director at the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget (GOMB) and staff economist at Revenue.

His team will be responsible for tax policy analysis, balanced budget initiatives, public pension reform and regulatory relief in areas such as workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance, and occupational licensure. The team also will recommend initiatives in tax increment finance reforms, property tax relief and tax credit evaluation.

The economic policy group members are:

Mischa Fisher, economist and economic policy adviser: Previously, Fisher was a Congressional legislative director in Washington, D.C., overseeing financial services, technology, science and infrastructure policy. He is responsible for economic policy areas including energy and economic regulatory policy.

Charlie Weikel, policy adviser: Before joining the governor’s office, Weikel served as a management consultant, focusing on corporate strategy and operations. Weikel covers pension and fiscal municipal policy on Gov. Rauner’s economics team. Weikel also works on agency-level operations in the Governor’s Office, covering a variety of operations topics, ranging from operational improvements to performance contracts.

Kristy Stephenson, policy adviser: Before joining Gov. Rauner’s team, Stephenson served as the downstate director for the Illinois comptroller. She has served as the treasurer of the city of Metropolis since 2004, and she was a founding appointee to the Massac Metropolis Port District. Stephenson will represent the Governor’s Office policy team in southern Illinois, focusing on municipal fiscal issues and on opportunities for economic growth in downstate Illinois.

Brian Costin, deputy chief of staff and policy director to Lt. Governor Sanguinetti: Costin was the lead policy staffer on the Local Government Consolidation and Unfunded Mandates Task Force in 2015, and he currently serves as the lead policy staffer on the Military Economic Development Committee and the Joint Rivers Coordinating Council. Previously, Costin worked at the Illinois Policy Institute as a local government transparency and anti-corruption expert, and he worked in government relations at the Heartland Institute. As policy adviser to Gov. Rauner, Costin will focus on tax increment financing, local government, lottery, disaster and anticorruption policy matters.

Joshua Altman, Dunn Fellow: Altman is a 2017 graduate of Yale University who was an investment banking summer analyst with Goldman Sachs. Altman will assist the economic team in research and policy development.

SHANGHAI –  Gov. Bruce Rauner arrived in Shanghai, China, for the next stop in his first international trade mission of his administration. The Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) greeted the governor and the team of Illinois delegates working to build stronger business, cultural and educational relationships with its Asian partners.

“China and the United States enjoy a long-term friendship,” CPAFFC President Xu Kuangdi said. “I highly appreciate your decision of choosing China as one of your destinations at your first foreign visit as the Governor of Illinois. We must strengthen our friendship through more exchanges and cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, education, etc., to benefit our two peoples, and people of the world. Welcome to China!”

The CPAFFC is a national organization engaged in people-to-people diplomacy of China.

The governor also engaged in trade discussions with the vice chairman of Shanghai 12th Committee to discuss trade relations between China and Illinois. That was followed by an official reception at the Intercontinental Hotel in Shanghai.

The governor expressed the need for additional business opportunities, and he said the best way would be to expand trade, investment and economic relationships.

“I’m honored to be here because of the special friendship between China and Illinois,” Gov. Rauner said. “We have 400 Illinois companies in China creating thousands of jobs, and China has 60 companies headquartered in Illinois, including Wanxiang, Decatur’s Fuyao Glass and Bank of China in Chicago. We shouldn’t stop there. I’m personally committed to expanding this economic relationship to benefit the people of Shanghai and Illinois.”

The meeting began with a discussion of Shanghai’s financial position and economic strength in the world economy with the hope of building a more balanced export exchange, as well as growing from an industrial to a more innovative society. The governor and vice chairman expressed the importance of exchanging ideas and developing an ecosystem of innovation and entrepreneurship and a pipeline of the next generation of global leaders.