News Local/State

Quinn Names Ryan Croke As New Chief Of Staff

By Brian Mackey with additional reporting by The Associated Press
 

Governor Pat Quinn announced a new chief of staff Friday. Ryan Croke replaces Jack Lavin, who has been Quinn's right-hand man since 2010.

The Quinn administration says Lavin is leaving for a job in the private sector.

In a statement, Quinn thanked Lavin for his service and says Croke is a  "strong leader with the right vision and energy to manage the operations of state government."

Croke has been a deputy chief of staff since 2009, working on public safety and economic development issues. He is co-chairman of the Employment for People with Disabilities Task Force.

Croke has a bachelor's and master's degrees in communications from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He was raised in Wheeling and resides in Springfield.