Lingle Heads to Illinois for 4 Years to Fix Democrat mess even Worse than Hawaii
SA: Former Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle says taking a high-level job with the new governor of Illinois does not mean she intends to revive her political career on the mainland.
In fact, Lingle said not only is she not planning to run for office again, but her position as senior adviser to Gov. Bruce Rauner is only temporary. Her commitment is for one term only, she said, and after that she's planning to return to Hawaii.
"I will not run for office in Hawaii or anywhere else," she declared Friday.
Lingle will be part of Rauner's "Turnaround Team," a trio of outsiders with experience in budgeting and management who are expected to help the political novice and first Republican governor in Illinois in a dozen years to improve the state's dismal economic outlook. Also on the team is a state budget expert who has worked with Republican governors in four states and a former chief operating officer under two Georgia governors.
Lingle, who is in California teaching a semester-long political science seminar at California State University, Northridge, said she wasn't looking to take on a new job until a friend sent her a text two weeks ago asking whether she might consider an opportunity in Rauner's administration....
While the 61-year-old Lingle said she's not interested in running for office again, she said she still wants to "make a difference" in Hawaii. She helped with Republican Charles Djou's unsuccessful campaign for Congress last year, and she's offered support to Hawaii Republican Party Chairwoman Pat Saiki. She said she's still hopeful Hawaii will see a stronger two-party system.
read ... Cleaning up after Democrats
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Rauner announces “Turnaround Team”
Stellar team to help turn Illinois around
News Release from Office of Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner, January 22, 2015
CHICAGO – Following a presentation at the University of Chicago, where he laid out a number of structural issues facing Illinois, Governor Bruce Rauner today announced his Turnaround Team, a group of extremely talented individuals who have deep experience in management, budgets, and streamlining bureaucracies.
“Our current trajectory is unsustainable as a state,” said Gov. Rauner. “I’ve long promised to bring superstars from both inside Illinois and out to help turn our state around and I know Donna, Trey and Linda are the perfect trio to do just that.”
Donna Arduin, CFO
Donna Arduin has established a reputation for bringing government spending under control through long-term policy planning and fiscally responsible budgeting. She is a veteran of state budget management and tax reform and as budget director, led toward responsibility the budgets of Michigan, under Governor Engler; New York, under Governor Pataki; Florida under Governor Bush; and California, under Governor Schwarzenegger. A graduate of Duke University, Arduin graduated magna cum laude with honors in economics and public policy. Prior to her career in the public sector, she worked as an analyst in New York and Tokyo in the private financial markets for Morgan Stanley and Long-Term Credit Bank of Japan.
Trey Childress, Deputy Governor
Trey Childress served as the COO for the State of Georgia under two governors. He was responsible for leadership and supervision of Georgia’s 50 state departments, agencies, and boards and commissions while leading government transformation initiatives. Prior to that, he served as the Director of the Governor’s Office of Planning & Budget, and was responsible for the State’s $32 billion budget, annual capital outlay portfolio of $1 billion and state business planning during the unprecedented revenue losses of the Great Recession. Childress previously served as Senior Adviser and Director of Policy for the Office of the Governor with the successful passage of more than 30 signature policy initiatives in education, health care, transportation, taxation and natural resources. He began his career in public service working with the former Georgia Information Technology Policy Council, the Georgia Technology Authority and the Office of Planning & Budget. During his service, Georgia was recognized as one of the best managed states in the country by Governing Magazine. Childress earned a master’s degree in public policy and bachelor’s degrees in industrial and systems engineering and international affairs from the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta.
Linda Lingle, Senior Adviser
Linda Lingle was the first woman elected governor of Hawaii, serving two terms from 2002-2010. Gov. Lingle oversaw a $10 billion annual budget and made state government more transparent, responsive and accountable. Prior to her role as governor, she served as the Mayor of Maui County for eight years, and was a member of the Maui County Council for ten years prior to that. Gov. Lingle began her career as the founder, editor and owner of the Moloka’i Free Press. She earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from California State University, Northridge. She is a native of St. Louis, Mo.
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Chicago Sun-Times: Gov. Rauner names Hawaii's former 'superstar governor' Linda Lingle as Illinois COO
NBC: Rauner Picks Former Hawaii Governor as COO
Gov. Bruce Rauner is tapping former Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle to serve in his administration.
A spokesman for Rauner confirmed Thursday that Lingle will be the Republican governor's chief operating officer. The announcement comes during a preview of the State of the State address Rauner gave at the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business.
Rauner describes the 61-year-old Lingle as a "superstar" former governor who served eight years in office....