Governor Pat Quinn today announced that former U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald was appointed to the board of trustees of two of Illinois’ top universities, the University of Illinois and Northern Illinois University. Governor Quinn also announced several other appointments the two universities.
Patrick Fitzgerald is the former United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, until he resigned his position last June 30th. At the time Patrick Fitzgerald was called a “transformational U.S. attorney” by former Illinois United States Senator Peter Fitzgerald.
Patrick Fitzgerald changed many lives as a transformational U.S. attorney, having successfully prosecuted two Illinois governors. George Ryan and Rod Blagojevich are both serving time in federal prison.
In addition to the former Illinois governors, Patrick Fitzgerald and the United States Attorney's office also prosecuted former Chicago Sun Times owner Conrad Black. And David Radler the CEO of the Chicago Sun Times (Hollinger Publishing). Several aides to Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley in the Hired Truck Program and Chicago detective and alleged torturer Jon Burge were also prosecuted. He was tapped as a special prosecutor to investigate the disclosure of CIA operative Valerie Plame's identity. Eventually he won the conviction against Libby, although President George W. Bush later commuted his sentence.
He also prosecuted former Chicago City Clerk James Laski for corruption. He investigated and prosecuted bribery charges in Chicago’s Zoning and Building Departments. And he also prosecuted Tony Rezko. The list does go on.
Patrick Fitzgerald prosecuted Democrats and Republicans with equal fervor. He also prosecuted major political figures and minor political figures with the same fervor. To Patrick Fitzgerald, corruption saw no class distinction.
Fitzgerald's work prosecuting governmental corruption has protected the public interest. The governor also re-appointed several members to both the University of Illinois and Northern Illinois University boards of trustees. Today’s announcement is part of the governor’s commitment to strengthen higher education in Illinois.
“Patrick Fitzgerald has served the people of Illinois well and he will be an outstanding member of our outstanding leadership team at Illinois’ flagship university,” Governor Quinn said. “Today’s appointees are talented, accomplished individuals who believe in the power of education. Together, they will help guide our universities to continued excellence.”
Fitzgerald served as United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. Fitzgerald has received numerous honors for his more than 20 years in public service including the Justice John Paul Stevens Award from the Chicago Bar Association. He was previously named “Lawyer of the Year” by The National Law Journal. A graduate of Amherst College, he holds a J.D. from Harvard Law School and currently works as partner in the Chicago office of the Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher and Flom law firm.
Governor Quinn re-appointed Dr. Timothy N. Koritz and James Montgomery to the University of Illinois Board of Trustees. Koritz is a United States Air Force Veteran and serves as staff anesthesiologist at Rockford Memorial Hospital. Koritz was previously appointed to the board in 2009. Montgomery is a long-time Chicago attorney and has served on the board since 2007. Both are University of Illinois alumni.
The governor also announced three reappointments to the Northern Illinois University Board of Trustees: businessman Robert Boey, who has served on the board since 1996; Dr. John Butler, a Chicago-area business consultant who is a NIU alumnus and has served on the board since 2007; and Wheeler Coleman, vice president and chief technology officer at Heath Care Service Corporation and former vice-president of the NIU Alumni Association, who was previously appointed by Governor Quinn in 2011.
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John is the author of an award-winning book, the 2010 Winner of the USA National Best Book award for African American studies, published by The Elevator Group Mr. and Mrs. Grassroots: How Barack Obama, Two Bookstore Owners, and 300 Volunteers did it. Also available an eBook on Amazon. John is also a member of the Society of Midland Authors and is a book reviewer of political books for the New York Journal of Books
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