DK Hirner named chief of staff

Lt. Governor-elect Sheila Simon has selected Deirdre "DK" Hirner to serve as her chief of staff. Most recently a candidate for Congress in Illinois' 18th district, Hirner has served as the deputy chief of staff for former Missouri Governor Bob Holden.  She served former Governor Mel Carnahan, also of Missouri, as his policy director, and was both policy director and chief of staff for him during his tenure as the state's Lt. Governor.  Hirner was the executive director of the Illinois Environmental Regulatory Group in Springfield just prior to her congressional bid. She holds both a law degree and a Ph.D. 

Citing Hirner's experience at the highest levels of state government, Lt. Governor-elect Simon offered, "I am pleased to have DK as a member of my team.  We will be ready to hit the ground running the morning following the inaugural activities."

Also joining Ms. Simon's staff is Chad Hoosier who will help manage the transition to the Office of Lt. Governor.  Hoosier most recently served as Simon's political director during the campaign.  Prior to that, he worked for State Rep.Eddie Lee Jackson's campaign in East St. Louis during this year's primary election. Hoosier and Hirner will be working with the Lt. Governor-elect to round out the team during the coming weeks.

Lt. Governor-elect Simon looks forward to her continued partnership with Governor Quinn to meet the needs voiced by the people during their successful campaign to lead Illinois.  Most notably, Ms. Simon will serve as the Quinn administration's education point person. In addition to fulfilling the statutory obligations of her office, Lt. Governor-elect Simon's priorities include providing a portal to state government so Illinois citizens can more readily connect to and understand government programs and services, and completing a comprehensive review of the status of the state's domestic violence statutes and programs.

Lt. Governor-elect  Simon stated, "I am so pleased to have DK and Chad join me.  I know they share my commitment to the people of Illinois and to building a brighter future for all Illinoisans."