Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias releases comprehensive Transition Team report

Report serves as a road map to modernize the office, transform operations, and upgrade services

Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias today released his Transition Team’s report that will serve as a blueprint for modernizing the office, transforming operations and expanding services to best serve the people of Illinois.

“This transition team report is detailed, aspirational and doable,” said Secretary Giannoulias.

“It’s clear we have a lot of work ahead of us, but I’m excited to dig in and make the Secretary of State’s office the gold standard when it comes to customer service, innovation and ethics. The work starts now!”

Giannoulias thanked his Transition Team chairs: former Congresswoman Cheri Bustos, of Moline, who represented the 17th Congressional District; Stephanie Neely, of Chicago, Managing Director at J.P. Morgan Asset Management North America Institutional Central and Canada; Martin Cabrera, of Chicago, the CEO/Founder of Cabrera Capital Markets and Cabrera Capital Partners; and Ed Smith, of Carbondale, who serves as CEO/President of Ullico and is a former leader of the Laborers International Union (LiUNA).

Alexi Giannoulias, former Illinois state treasurer and candidate for Illinois Secretary of State

He also applauded the time and effort made by the 124 individuals who served on nine separate transition sub-committees and the more than 800 Illinoisans who submitted ideas and suggestions online through his RevUpIllinois.com website. Some of the key highlights in the report include:

Improving Driver Services Facilities

Making Illinois Driver Services facilities among the most customer-centric and accessible in the country. This includes implementing an aggressive modernization plan, using technology to overhaul and improve customer service and reduce wait times. This plan will allow for expansion of the “Skip the Line” appointment program at facilities to improve the customer experience. Expansion of efforts to improve road safety and reduce fatal crashes is also a priority – with a focus on the pursuit of stricter laws, increased public awareness and better collaboration among government agencies, including law enforcement, driver’s education and traffic safety organizations.

Ethics and Office Policies

Restoring the public trust and redefining public service in Illinois. This includes positioning the office as a leader in ethics reform by strengthening lobbyist registration guidelines, increasing transparency, expanding disclosure requirements and modernizing the lobbyist registration database to make it more accessible.

Library Enhancements

Championing access to diverse and inclusive information by equitably distributing library resources, activating more collaborative partnerships and supporting freedom of thought. This includes narrowing the digital divide through improved accessibility of e-books and online education resources. In addition, strengthening the collaborations between the three library systems: the Illinois Library Association, Reaching Across Illinois Library System and the Illinois Heartland Library System.

Securities Division

Protecting Illinoisans, especially the most vulnerable, from constantly evolving threats deployed by fraudsters and scammers. This includes launching fraud prevention and detection education campaigns, publicizing fraud and scam enforcement successes to deter future acts of fraud, enhancing employee recruiting and retention, and streamlining investigator training to improve efficiencies and promote effective skills.

Voter Rights and Registration

Becoming the national model for voter access, engagement and turnout. This includes increasing voter participation through the expansion of equitable access, driving voter registration in settings where people are less likely to be registered to vote, and proactively informing constituents about voting locations and election dates.

Technology Enhancements

Leveraging technology to improve services and make transactions as quick and easy as possible for customers and employees through simplified, mostly digital experiences. This includes introducing modern technologies to streamline core services through upgraded software tools and new, creative methods of delivery. These improvements will allow for the establishment of a digital driver’s license and digital ID, an electronic car title system that digitizes the issuance of car titles, making the process faster and more convenient, and a mobile app to conduct transactions with the office easily and quickly.

Business Services

Making Illinois an entrepreneurial- and business-minded state with accessible support for all residents. This includes providing educational and informational seminars to business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs so they can better understand incorporation, filings and services; digitizing and automating paperwork requirements to reduce the burden on businesses; and improving staff efficiency by partnering with other Secretary of State departments to reinforce business services support.

Organ and Tissue Donation

Working to find a match for every Illinoisan who needs a donor by increasing the registry, particularly among communities that are more likely to need a donor match. This includes streamlining and automating the process to simplify registration, increasing donor registration points to expand the diverse donor network, and training office staff on organ and tissue donation so they can effectively share that knowledge with the public.

Environmental Initiatives

Using the office’s platform to drive innovation and adoption of environmentally friendly practices across the state and becoming one of the most sustainable offices in the country. This includes reducing the office’s environmental footprint by driving efficiencies and reducing waste officewide and leveraging Secretary of State facilities to educate the public about environmental initiatives to help influence behavior changes.

A copy of the full Secretary of State Transition Team report can be found by visiting

https://www.ilsos.gov/news/2023/january/230117d1-transition.pdf.

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Ray Hanania is an award-winning opinion columnist, author & former Chicago City Hall reporter (1977-1992). A veteran who served during the Vietnam War and the recipient of four SPJ Peter Lisagor Awards for column writing, Hanania writes weekly opinion columns on mainstream American & Chicagoland topics for the Southwest News-Herald, Des Plaines Valley News, the Regional News, The Reporter Newspapers, and Suburban Chicagoland.

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