JANUARY 2022 – CURRENT

OPERATIONS COUNSEL, COOK COUNTY HEALTH

  • Advise Human Resources and management on managing employees, collective bargaining agreement and policy interpretations, strategizing on operational initiatives involving workforce members

  • Point person for Cook County Labor and for fourteen Unions for all collective bargaining negotiations, hearings and disputes on behalf of CCH

  • Supervise team of eight individuals

  • Represent CCH and serves as hearing officer in grievance and disciplinary hearings

  • Testify on behalf of CCH in arbitrations

  • Lead ADA interactive process meetings

  • Liaison to Assistant State’s Attorney and outside counsel on employment litigation matters.

 

July 2010 – January 2022

Investigator V, Cook County Office of the Inspector General

  • Lead, plan and direct investigations involving misconduct, mismanagement, waste, fraud and compliance for an office overseeing all Cook County and Metropolitan Water Reclamation District employees and contractors.

  • Supervise employees including directing investigations and reviewing reports   

  • Management duties including hiring, case triage, budget, employee reviews, disciplinary proceedings

  • Prepare final investigative reports issuing operational, policy and disciplinary recommendations

  • Gather evidence by interviewing witnesses, document requests and review, service of subpoenas

  • Testify in administrative and criminal hearings

  • Perform joint investigations with local and federal law enforcement on criminal investigations

 

November 2007-July 2010 (Cook county)

December 2009 – July 2010 (Cook County Forest Preserve District)

Investigating Attorney, Shakman Compliance Administrators for Cook county and Forest Preserve District

  • Investigated allegations of systemic political patronage employment practices in Cook County and the Forest Preserve District

  • Interviewed witnesses, reviewed documentation and prepared investigation reports summarizing findings and recommendations for unlawful political discrimination complaints

 

 

August 2008-July 2010 (Law Office of Ruth Major, Chicago, IL)

June 2007-August 2008 (Penny Nathan Kahan & Associates, Chicago, IL)

Contract Attorney

  • Practiced law for these litigation and defense employment law firms

  • Appeared in court for statuses and motions

  • Issued and answered discovery

  • Interviewed, deposed and prepared witnesses

  • Conducted legal research and drafted motions, pleadings and briefs

  • Reviewed and organized documents for production and relevance

  • Interviewed potential clients to determine potential causes of action

 

December 2001-May 2005

Associate attorney, Arnold & Kadjan

  • Conducted litigation and arbitrations in Labor, Employment and Commercial law

  • Issued and answered discovery

  • Appeared daily in state and federal courts

  • Drafted summary judgment motions, motions for temporary restraining orders and briefs

  • Deposed witnesses and prepared witnesses for depositions and trial testimony

  • Participated in mediations and settlement conferences

  • Communicated with clients regarding inquiries, litigation status, settlement offers and recommendations

  • Filed unfair labor practice charges

  • Prepared witnesses and assisted in drafting position statements at the National Labor Relations Board

  • Represented the Illinois Department of Labor in debarment hearings

  • Researched complex legal issues for this Labor-Side Labor and Employment Law Firm

 

EDUCATION

     

MAY 2000

JURIS DOCTOR, Chicago Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology

Certificate in Labor and Employment Law

 

JUNE 1996

BACHELORS OF ARTS, SOCIOLOGY/ANTHROPOLOGY, SPANISH MINOR,

Earlham College

Study Abroad Program in Bogota, Colombia (1994)

     

LICENSES, CERTIFICATIONS AND TRAINING

 

·         Active Attorney in the State of Illinois, 11/2000

·         Association Inspectors General Investigator Certification, 2/2013

·         ACFE Certified, 3/2019

·         Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, Glynco, Georgia

o   Basic Incident Response to Digital Evidence, September 2018

o   Financial Crime, February 2017

o   Procurement Fraud, June 2016

·         John E. Reid Advanced Certification in Interviewing and Interrogation, 11/2010