July 18--Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner has appointed a key African-American campaign supporter to serve on the Illinois Tollway board.
Corey Brooks, pastor at New Beginnings Church of Chicago, was named to the $31,426-per-year post Friday. The appointment, which goes to the Illinois Senate for confirmation, runs through May 1, 2019.
Brooks is best known as the "rooftop pastor" because he once said he slept for three months atop a shuttered hotel to protest violence.
He replaces Aurora Mayor Tom Weisner, a Democrat, on the nine-member board. The governor controls the tollway authority and names its members, but no more than five can be from one political party. The board sets policy for the operation, maintenance and construction of the tollway, which is in the midst of a $12.1 billion expansion plan.
Brooks was among several black clergy members to endorse Rauner last year as he tried to make inroads with African-American voters. Rauner also was endorsed by the Rev. James Meeks of Salem Baptist Church of Chicago, whom new governor appointed chairman of the Illinois State Board of Education.
Brooks is the third Chicagoan on the Tollway's board. The others are Democrats James Banks, a banker who has served since 1993, and James Sweeney, a union leader appointed by former Gov. Pat Quinn.
Other Rauner appointees to the board hail from suburbs served by the Tollway, including Elk Grove Village, Northfield and Lake Barrington.
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