Gov. Pritzker Announces Five Appointments to the Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board

Building on a strong team of diverse experts in their fields, Governor JB Pritzker announced the following appointments in his administration:

LAW ENFORCEMENT TRAINING AND STANDARDS BOARD

 
Ghida Neukirch will serve on the Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board. Neukirch is a municipal leader and community advocate with more than 27 years of experience in local government management. She is the first female City Manager for the City of Highland Park. As a first-generation proud American, having moved to the United States from Beirut, Lebanon in 1976, she is dedicated to promoting inclusivity and fairness for all.  As City Manager, Neukirch directs the operations for the City, responsible for the management of a $90 MM budget and nearly 280 employees. She has balanced 8 consecutive budgets and has ensured that the City maintains a Aaa bond rating, the highest bond rating available and a testament to sound financial planning and management. Under Neukirch's tenure the City's three public safety departments have been re-accredited, she oversaw the reconstruction of the City's $35 MM water plant and negotiated and coordinated the consolidation of fire and emergency medical services between the City of Highland Park and Highwood.

Elvia Williams will serve on the Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board. Chief Williams joined law enforcement in 1987.  She was hired by the Newport News, Virginia Police Department where she rose to the rank of lieutenant.  In 2000, she took a position with the Eugene Oregon Police Department as a Captain.  She left Eugene in 2006 to take a position with the Village of Maywood Police Department as the Police Chief.  During her tenure with Maywood she was able to improve relations between the police department and residents by enhancing the police department's community policing and outreach programs.  She spent a short time working for the International Association of Chiefs of Police before being selected as the Police Chief of the Village of Richton Park in 2010, where she currently serves.  Chief Williams was named 2015 Police Chief of the Year by the Illinois State Crime Commission and Police Athletic League; is a past president of the South Suburban Association of Chiefs of Police, and currently serves on the board of SSACOP, South Suburban Major Crimes Task Force, and NEMRT.  She is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, Oregon Executive Development Institute and PERF's Senior Management Institute for Police.  Chief Williams earned a M.A. Degree from Hampton University and currently serves as an adjunct instructor for Governors State University.

LaDon Reynolds will serve on the Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board. Chief Reynolds joined the Oak Park Police Department in 1994.  After graduating from the Chicago Police Training Academy Metro Class as a patrol officer, he rose steadily through the ranks to serve as a detective, sergeant and commander. He was promoted to Deputy Police Chief in September 2017 after serving as detective commander, managing the Investigations Division. He also served as both Acting Chief and Interim Chief prior to being sworn as Chief of Police in January 2019. He is a graduate of the 260th Session of the FBI National Academy, the Senior Management Institute for Police, the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board Executive Institute and the Community Leadership Program at Dominican University's Brennan School of Business. Chief Reynolds is an instructor for Western Illinois University's School and Campus Security Training Program, a collaborative effort of the Illinois Terrorism Task Force, the Illinois State Board of Education and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency. He also is a trainer in the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board Executive Institute's Effective Police Supervision program where he specializes in Diversity Awareness and Community Policing. Chief Reynolds additionally serves as an Adjunct Professor in the Criminal Justice Administration program at Triton College, teaching Community Relations and Police Administration. He is the Chairman of the Law Enforcement Executive Board for the Chicago FBI Regional Crime Forensics Laboratory and a former board member of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Metro Suburban Chapter (NAMI).  He holds a Master of Science degree in Education and Bachelor of Science degree in Administration of Justice from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.

Ricardo Pagán will serve on the Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board. Pagán has been in law enforcement for approximately 38 years. He started as a patrolman for the Lorain Police Department (LPD), Lorain, Ohio.  He was subsequently promoted to Detective in the Major Crimes Unit.  After working for LPD for approximately 9 years, he was hired by the FBI as a Special Agent and was assigned to the Chicago Division.  There Pagán worked a variety of criminal violations and was  promoted through the ranks until he retired as an Assistant Special Agent in Charge of Violent Crime in the Chicago Division. In January of 2015, he joined the McHenry County Sheriff's Office as the Chief of Operations and currently serves as Undersheriff.