If you are interested in getting involved on a committee, contact the appropriate staff liaison. All committees report to the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, meet at the call of the Chair and may have requirements for participation.

Drug-Free Workplace Committee

• Chairman
  Timothy Egan
  Director, NAH Corporate Health
  
• Staff Liaison
  Todd Berens
  Phone: (312) 494-6730
  E-mail: tberens@chicagolandchamber.org
  
• Objective
  Provide Illinois businesses with services to support a healthy, safe and profitable workplace through education, resource awareness and assistance for maintaining drug free workplaces, and providing actionable information about drug free workplace technology and trends.
  

Education Workforce Quality Committee

• Chair
  Manuel Sanchez
  Managing Partner, Sanchez, Daniels & Hoffman
  
• Vice-Chair
  John Rico
  CEO, Rico Enterprises, Inc.
  
• College Access Network Subcommittee Chair
  Jerry Fuller
  Executive Director, Associated Colleges of Illinois
  
• Vice-Chair
  J.T. Allen
  President, myFootpath, LLC
  
• Staff Liaison
  Peggy Luce
  Phone: (312) 494-6745
  E-mail: pluce@chicagolandchamber.org
  
• Objective
  Provide members with a public policy & legislative agenda, services to support business-education partnerships, services to expand the educated workforce talent pool and actionable information to help members increase the number of highly qualified educated candidates in the regional workforce.
  

Employment Law Committee

• Chair
  Gerald Skoning
  Senior Partner, Seyfarth Shaw
  
• Staff Liaison
  Michael Mini
  Phone: (312) 494-6787
  E-mail: mmini@chicagolandchamber.org
  
• Objective
  To review and educate Chamber members and develop policy positions on key legal, legislative and regulatory proposals affecting employers and their relationship to their employees.
  
• Action Plans
  
  • Support the General Assembly's agreed bill process for all Illinois labor-management issues.
  • Develop affordable health insurance available to all businesses.
  • Support efforts of the Illinois Coalition for Jobs, Growth & Prosperity.
• How To Get Involved
  Must be active member of the Chamber; contact staff liaison to get more information.
  

Environmental Committee

• Chair
  Bill Abolt
  Shaw Environmental & Infrastructure
  
• Staff Liaison
  Michael Mini
  Phone: (312) 494-6787
  E-mail: mmini@chicagolandchamber.org
  
• Objective
  To promote a pro-active legislative agenda and committee programming to our Chamber members that supports socially and economically balanced environmental regulations and encourage the development and business use of environmental services and technologies.
  
• Action Plans / Key Issues
  Partners for Clean Air - The Chicagoland Chamber has been promoting Partners for Clean Air, a coalition of businesses, industries, local governments and non-profit organizations committed to improving air quality through voluntary actions. Coalition members encourage their employees to reduce pollution on Ozone Action Days by conserving energy as well as limiting driving, refueling, and use of certain pollution-causing products.
  Market-driven pollution prevention and reduction - e.g. Climate Exchange - The Climate Exchange is a pilot program for trading greenhouse gas emissions. The Exchange hopes to establish an international market for the trading and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
  

Government Relations Committee

• Chair
  Harry Seigle
  The Elgin Company
  
• Vice-Chair
  Barbara Stewart
  JP Morgan Chase
  
• Staff Liaisons
  Michael Mini
  Phone: (312) 494-6787
  E-mail: mmini@chicagolandchamber.org
  
• Objectives
  
  • Develop positions on issues not developed by other committees.
  • Assist other Chamber committees in developing and implementing political strategies surrounding their issues.
• Action Plans
  
  • Identify and select a limited number of priority issues upon which to concentrate Chamber resources.
  • Sponsor an "Illinois Business Summit" in Springfield and meet with the leadership of the Illinois General Assembly to convey our Chicagoland Business Agenda priorities.

Political Action Committee

• Chair
  Robert Christie
  Northwestern Memorial Hospital
  
• Vice-Chair
  James Hill
  Hill Taylor, LLC
  
• Staff Liaisons
  Michael Mini
  Phone: (312) 494-6787
  E-mail: mmini@chicagolandchamber.org
  
• Objective
  To support pro-business candidates at the local, county and state levels of government.
  
• Action Plans
  
  • Financially support pro-business candidates.
    
  • Endorse candidates who meet Chamber criteria.
    
  • Notify Chamber members of supported candidates.
    
  • Involve Chamber members in political campaigns.
    
  • Research candidates and campaigns in the Chicagoland region.
    
• How To Get Involved
  Must contribute to the Chamber PAC and be appointed by the PAC Board of Directors.
  

Taxation Committee

• Chair
  James Kane
  Verity Metis Partners, LLC
  
• Staff Liaisons
  Michael Mini
  Phone: (312) 494-6787
  E-mail: mmini@chicagolandchamber.org
  
• Objectives
  
  • Create a more competitive tax and regulatory climate in the Chicagoland area in order to attract and retain employers and jobs.
    
  • Initiate and support legislative proposals that will benefit business.
    
• Action Plans
  
  • Support general structural reform of property tax system.
    
  • Support modification of Cook County's property tax classification provisions to reduce commercial and industrial tax assessment levels.
    
  • Oppose any legislation that would limit Cook County taxpayers' rights before the state Property Tax Appeal Board.
    
  • Support elimination of the lease and head taxes in City of Chicago.
    
  • Monitor state legislation affecting Chicagoland business. (see link)
    
• How To Get Involved
  Must be active member of the Chamber; contact staff liaison to get more information.
  

Technology Growth Committee

• Co-Chair
  Arvin Talwar
  Managing Principal & CEO, Catalyst Consulting Group, Inc.
  
• Co-Chair
  Michael Porter
  General Manager – Midwest Area, Microsoft Corporation
  
• Staff Liaison
  Scott Issen
  Phone: (312) 494-6734
  E-mail: scott@chicagolandec.org
  
• Objectives
  Oversee technology-related issues on behalf of members. Committee members monitor and respond to technology policies and legislation, promote educational programs and projects, provide technology thought leadership and serve as a liaison between the membership and the technology community.
  
• Action Plans/Key Issues
  The committee is aimed at Chamber members who are technology professionals or are interested in learning and helping in that area.
  
• How To Get Involved
  Members can get involved by attending meetings and joining one of the following subcommittees:
  
  • Infrastructure - The sub-committee will leverage Chamber resources and contacts to improve the organization's technology infrastructure.
    
  • Outreach - This work group will identify the region's important technology players and develop a strategy to integrate them into the Chamber's technology efforts.
    
  • Policy - This sub-committee continually reviews and monitors legislative developments related to technology and will update the Chamber's set of guiding principles to assist with our lobbying efforts.
    
  • Program Development - This sub-committee will identify and coordinate opportunities to educate Chamber members about technology.
    
• Membership
  Committee membership is for Chamber members only; non-members can attend one meeting with permission of Chairmen and/or Staff Liaison.
  

Transportation Infrastructure Committee

• Chair
  Bernard Ford, Sr.
  McDonough & Associates
  
• Staff Liaison
  Bill Bornhoff
  Phone: (312) 494-6704
  E-mail: bornhoff1@comcast.net
  
• Objective
  To promote a pro-active legislative agenda and committee programming that maintains the Chicago region as the transportation crossroads of the nation while encouraging increased efficiency, cost-effectiveness and self-sufficiency in all forms of public transportation. To promote transportation as an economic tool.
  
• Action Plans
  
  • Support the efforts of Business Leaders for Transportation (BLT), a regional coalition of employers led by the Chicagoland Chamber, the Metropolitan Planning Council and Chicago Metropolis 2020.
    
  • To educate the business community about the importance of the region's transportation infrastructure to our economy.
    
  • Work to add aviation capacity in the region.
    
  • Address freight and intermodal congestion in the region.
    
  • Seek additional funding for rapid transit systems throughout the region.
    
• How To Get Involved
  Must be active member of the Chamber; contact staff liaison to get more information.
  

Workplace Excellence Committee

• Chair
  Mark Schmitz
  Market Vice President for Right Management
  
• Staff Liaison
  Todd Berens
  Phone: (312) 494-6730
  E-mail: tberens@chicagolandchamber.org
  
• Objective
  To identify, promote and honor the use of people practices that create workplace excellence as a key to achieving a competitive business advantage in Chicagoland. Workplace excellence includes the development and implementation of people practices that positively impact culture and the environment of a company, maximizing the engagement and performance of employees, leading to successful business results. The Right Workplace Award recognizes and honors organizations in the Chicagoland area that improve their competitive advantage by designing and implementing people practices which create workplace excellence.