Amid major shakeups in Gov. Bruce Rauner's office, his new chief of staff issued a memo to employees Tuesday outlining four "critical areas" of focus.
Kristina Rasmussen, who previously served as president and chief operating officer of the Illinois Policy Institute, was appointed to the role Monday, replacing Rauner's advisor of more than three years, Rich Goldberg.
The move signals a new, more conservative direction on the heels of the critical budget veto override and ahead of Rauner's re-election efforts.
The full memo reads as follows:
Good morning, everyone!
Thank you for welcoming me to the team yesterday. I’m honored to join you as we position Illinois to become the most prosperous, compassionate, and free state in the nation.
As we discussed, there are four critical areas I’d like you to focus on in the coming month.
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1. Please share with me your best ideas for transforming Illinois through better public policy and improved operations by Friday at 3:00 p.m. I follow the approach of Completed Staff Work; this will give you guidance on how to present your ideas.
2. We’re going to share incredible stories of the men, women, and children who deserve a revitalized Illinois. More information will follow, but here’s a good overview of where we are headed.
3. I’m looking for your excellence. How can you approach an aspect of your work in a new and better way today?
4. Mutual respect paired with radical candor will make this an even greater place to work.
I would like to announce two staff members joining us today:
- Michael Lucci as Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy (Chicago)
- Laurel Patrick, Director of Communications (Chicago)
Tomorrow we’ll welcome Jean Hutton as my Special Assistant.
My commitment to you is to share an updated organizational chart soon so you have clarity on where changes are happening.
Again, thank you for the warm welcome
~KR
