Three CMS Employees Earn NASCA 20 Under 40 Awards

CHICAGO - The Illinois Department of Central Management (CMS) is proud to announce three members of the agency have received 20 Under 40 Awards from the National Association of State Chief Administrators (NASCA). Chief of Staff Patrick Nolan, Deputy Chief of Staff Steven Booth, and Statewide Recruitment Manager Brittany Clark each received the award today at NASCA's 2025 Annual Leadership Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. This distinguished award acknowledges 20 exceptional individuals from across the nation for their significant impact in state government.

"I am incredibly proud to see Patrick, Steven, and Brittany recognized on the national stage for their outstanding leadership, ingenuity, and dedication to public service," said Raven A. DeVaughn, Director of CMS. "Each of these dynamic servant-leaders personify our mission and vision at CMS, and this honor from NASCA is a testament to the deeply meaningful impact these rising stars are making at the State of Illinois. These leaders are living proof, the future of Illinois is in capable, human-centered hands."

Rising from Analytics Manager to Senior Policy Advisor to Chief of Staff, Patrick Nolan has been an integral member of CMS since 2019. Nolan oversees a broad range of agency operations with a keen eye toward a data-informed, efficient, people-first approach to government. Nolan's leadership provides essential guidance in key areas including human resources, project management, and information strategy. Nolan has served as an executive over a number of critical initiatives including building the agency's inaugural data analytics team, statewide compensation study, and executing the agency's strategic plan.

"Patrick's contributions have been transformative for our agency. CMS has experienced a number of successes in the last two-and-a-half years, and Patrick's brilliance is behind so much of our success as an agency," said DeVaughn.

Since joining CMS in 2019 as a Legislative Liaison, Steven Booth has played a pivotal role in major strategic initiatives. Now Deputy Chief of Staff, Booth has helped lead legislative efforts to reform the State's personnel code, helping cut hiring times by nearly 60% and enabling historic staffing growth. A true student of both policy and practice, Steven has helped advise and/or execute on critical initiatives within the Bureau of Property Management, Diversity & Inclusion, and Administrative Hearings.

"Steve has been a driving force within the State of Illinois, and he's made an extraordinary impact at CMS," said Patrick Nolan. "I am grateful to have him on my team. His advancement of the mission of CMS—a more efficient government—and for the people who work here make him a deserving recipient of this award."

Becoming Illinois' first Statewide Recruitment Manager in 2024, Brittany Clark has set a high standard of excellence and brings unmatched energy to this groundbreaking role. Clark's team supports job seekers and State employees looking to start or build their careers at one of five Statewide Career Services Centers. Furthermore, she has personally led numerous Statewide events, bringing dozens of State agencies together to maximize benefits to job seekers as well as to the State. Her leadership has built new and important relationships and sourcing opportunities and driven unprecedented outreach efforts, including participation in hundreds of recruitment events and campus engagements.

"Brittany's passion for matching the right person with the right role and bringing private sector innovation to the public sector has not only connected countless individuals to careers in State government, but she has also transformed recruitment operations—connecting agency recruiters to resources, best practices, and one another, while supporting the CMS recruitment team to meet job seekers where they are," said Sarah Kerley, CMS Chief Administrative Officer. "Brittany is a standout leader and a standout pick for this award. I am excited to see where her leadership takes this team and the State as a whole."

These recognitions follow CMS receiving NASCA's Excellence Through Collaboration Award with Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) in 2024. The award recognizes the partnership between a state and a company to implement a program, project, or service that positively impacts the state.