“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.