State Universities Civil Service Advisory Committee Candidates

2024 Election State Universities Civil Service Advisory Committee

The State Universities Civil Service Advisory Committee is mandated by Section 36c of the State Universities Civil Service Act (110 ILCS 70/36c). The Committee meets at least quarterly at campuses throughout the state, welcoming civil service employees at the particular campus to attend.

Members of the committee are elected by civil service employees at each of the Universities and Agencies served. Committee members represent their constituents by functioning in an advisory capacity to the Merit Board on "All matters pertaining to the University System."

To be eligible for nomination and election to membership, a Civil Service employee must be a certified status employee at UIC or the Colleges of Medicine at Peoria or Rockford. Employees must have at least three years of consecutive Civil Service employment at UIC or at any other Illinois institution served by the State Universities Civil Service System.

 

Notice is hereby given of an election of one member from the University of Illinois Chicago to the State Universities Civil Service Advisory Committee to the Merit Board of the State Universities Civil Service System.

The election will be held via electronic ballot on Tuesday, October 15, 2024, from 12:00am until 11:59pm. Paper ballots will be available in the UIC HR Welcome Center, 715 S. Wood Street, Room 109 from 8:00am until 5:00pm on October 15th for those employees who are unable to vote electronically or wish to vote via paper ballot.

The position will fill a term of office beginning January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2028. More detailed voting information will be distributed to Civil Service employees prior to the date of the election.

Article II, Sec. IV, #9 By‐laws, State Universities Civil Service Advisory Committee: "Any Civil Service Employee, excluding temporary, provisional, student and extra help, at a place of employment, who is currently employed as of the date of the election, shall be granted the time to vote without loss of time or pay."

There are three candidates running for election. Detailed candidacy statements (written and submitted by the candidates) are listed below.

Questions regarding the election or eligibility can be directed to Susan Balmes-Young in UIC Human Resources at balmes@uic.edu.

Candidate: Kareda Carmichael Heading link

Candidate: Kareda Carmichael
Certified Medical Assistant

Outpatient Care Center (OCC)

Hi. My name is Kareda. I am the proud mother of an amazing daughter and 3 of the cutest fur babies you’ll ever meet. I have been an employee of the university for over 15 years. Over the years I have worked on different parts of the campus in a few different roles. I started out in 2006 working 900 hours, staffing around the hospital as needed. I then went on the east campus, where I worked at Central West Case management, for the next 4 years. I then moved to the hospital working in Medical Records for the next 4 years. After that I went on to the OCC’s float team. I currently work in the OCC as a Certified Medial Assistant for the last 7 years. I am excited about this opportunity. Being a part of the civil service committee would be an honor and a testament of the many titles, and classification I held over the years. To better serve my peers with understanding of classification, and what it means as well as what’s it for as a civil service employee.

Candidate: Jerisha “Jeri” S. Mack Heading link

Candidate: Jerisha “Jeri” S. Mack, MPH
Community Engagement Director

UIC Office of Community Engagement and Neighborhood Health Partnerships (OCEAN-HP)

Jerisha “Jeri” S. Mack, MPH is currently the Community Engagement Director of UIC Office of Community Engagement and Neighborhood Health Partnerships (OCEAN-HP) under the Office of the Vice Chancellor of Health Affairs. She gained employment at the University of Illinois Chicago in 2019. She earned her BA from Governor State University and her Master of Public Health (MPH) from Benedictine University. She is currently a participant in the 2024 cohort of UIC Professional Leadership Staff Academy (PSLA).  She is an innovative thinker with comprehensive experience in public and population health.

With over 20 years’ experience in community health and social services, she is results-oriented, and a focused leader known for her ability to engage all levels of the organization and create successful outcomes in complex and ambiguous environments. She has a strong commitment to ensuring equity and access in all environments. I am seeking to serve on the State Universities Civil Service Advisory Council as a committed member to support, address, and prioritize opportunities and challenges that are essential and critical to civil service employees. I intend to serve my fellow civil service employees and the State of Illinois by representing our voices and values to make informed decisions that will benefit and empower our service of work.

Candidate: Janine A. Sacco Heading link

Candidate: Janine A. Sacco, M.Ed.
Medical Education Program Coordinator

College of Medicine, Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP)

Thank you for considering me as a candidate for the State Universities Civil Service Advisory Committee. I am currently serving as a Medical Education Program Coordinator for the University of Illinois College of Medicine. This position provides me the opportunity to manage outreach projects, the admissions process, and educational programming for a dual degree (MD/PhD) program known as the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP). I have proudly worked in various roles at the University of Illinois Chicago for 19 years and I completed my master’s degree in Instructional Leadership from the UIC College of Education.

I am passionate about being involved with initiatives at UIC that benefit employees. I am a member of two committees within the University of Illinois College of Medicine which are the Staff Engagement and Wellness (SEW) committee and the Staff Leadership & Professional Development Subcommittee. On a personal note, I volunteered at the NASCAR Chicago Street Race this past July and during its inaugural year in 2023. I reside in East Lakeview and remain active within my neighborhood community.

Please consider me for the State Universities Civil Service Advisory Committee because I have direct experience working as a Civil Service employee at UIC for a substantial amount of service years. I understand the resources and advocacy that employees need to be successful. I have been an advocate for other Civil Service employees, especially those who are part of SEIU 73 and will strive to fulfill all of the requirements and commitments of the State Universities Civil Service Advisory Committee.