Pritzker announces appointments of five to University of Illinois board of trustees

Pritzker appoints 5 to U of Illinois board of trustees

Civic Federation on Wednesday proposed a five-year financial plan of recommendations for the state one week before Gov. J.B. Pritzker is expected to present his first budget proposal on Feb. 20. | James Foster/For the Sun-Times

Democratic Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has appointed five people to the nine-member University of Illinois board of trustees.

Pritzker announced the appointments Thursday morning ahead of a board meeting in Chicago. The appointments include former Democratic state Rep. Naomi Jakobsson, attorney Kareem Dale, private equity CEO Donald Edwards, human services agency CEO Ricardo Estrada and attorney Patricia Brown Holmes.

Democrats Holmes and Estrada served on the board from 2011 to 2017. Edwards is a Democrat appointed by former Gov. Bruce Rauner but he hadn’t been confirmed yet. Dale worked in former President Barack Obama’s administration.

Under Illinois law the governor appoints trustees to staggered six-year terms with the advice and consent of the Illinois Senate. No more than five trustees can be from the same political party.

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