Illinois Governor Pat Quinn named Jerry Stermer, a longtime adjunct instructor in the School of Education and Social Policy, his chief of staff on February 9. Stermer, who was president of Voices for Illinois Children for 22 years, says one of the key factors in his decision was a commitment to future generations."Today we are facing the most complex set of problems in our state's history," says Stermer. "Tens of thousands of our fellow citizens have recently lost their jobs, and the uncertainty of what might happen next is the dominant story in virturally every household in Illinois. The state's fiscal crisis and the embarrassment of political meltdown and betrayal of trust, like handfuls of salt in deep wounds, have more than exacerbated our collective pain."
"One of the most important reasons I accepted Governor Quinn's challenge to take on this new role is his commitment to our children and future generations, which can be summed up with the simple phrase 'children first.' As we address the three parts of the agenda that he has laid out — launching the jobs program, tackling the state's fiscal crisis and restoring trust and confidence in government, we need to keep a clear eye on our responsibilities to future generations of Illinoisans," Stermer asserts.
Voices for Illinois Children is a child welfare organization that works with families, communities and policymakers to improve the lives of children. Under Stermer's tenure as president, the nonprofit supported major health-care initiatives for children, obtained an expansion of early childhood programs and helped to establish programs for mental health in the state.
Stermer has held leadership positions with a number of government and private groups concerned with policy reform. He has been a member of the executive committee of the Illinois Early Learning Council and chaired the Illinois Child Support Advisory Committee. He has also served on the boards of the Illinois Children's Healthcare Foundation, Voices for America's Children, the United Way of Illinois, the Governor's Task Force on Human Services Reform and the 21st Century Commission of the City of Chicago.
He has received numerous awards for his work with Voices for Illinois Children, including awards from groups such as the Illinois Humane Society's, the Chicago Center for Cultural Connections and the Children's Home and Aid Society.
Earlier in his career, Stermer served in state government in roles related to child and family policy. He was at the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services from 1973 to 1979 and was executive director of the Legislative Advisory Committee on Public Aid from 1979 to 1985. He was the supervisor of government affairs for the Legal Assistance Foundation of Chicago from 1985 to 1987 and a Peace Corps volunteer from 1968 to 1970. He holds a master's degree in political science from the University of Illinois.
As an instructor at SESP, Stermer taught Introduction to Social Policy for seven years. He brought to SESP students his policy understandings based on his long career in government and his many years serving as a child advocate through Voices for Illinois Children and other organizations.
Read more in a Daily Northwestern article.
Last Modified: 11/19/09