About INCS

Magdalena brings a background in marketing and financial services to her role as executive assistant to the INCS president. Magdalena is a product of Chicago Public Schools and a first-generation college student who strongly believes in the need for high-quality schools in Illinois for all children.

Magdalena began her career at LaSalle National Bank, where she marketed retail and international financial products and services before joining the Education & Marketing Services department at the Chicago Board of Trade. Magdalena experienced an epiphany when she later joined ShoreBank in Chicago, where she realized a triple-bottom line of profitability, community development impact, and conservation could be part of an organization’s mission. Magdalena transitioned to the non-profit sector when she joined the Ounce of Prevention Fund’s work to promote effective investment in high-quality early learning experiences, and subsequently spent time supporting the leadership team of a private school for young women. Magdalena has been with INCS since 2015.

Magdalena holds a M.B.A. in international business from DePaul University, and a B.S. in marketing from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Andrew is an advocate, serving as President of the Illinois Network of Charter Schools (INCS), a statewide advocacy and charter school support organization serving 145 charter campuses in Illinois that collectively educate more than 60,000 public school students. During his time at INCS, the number of charter schools in Illinois has doubled and the organization has dramatically expanded its electoral capacity to engage in political races across Illinois. INCS has been lead sponsor on several major policy wins, including a new charter funding formula that guarantees equal operational funding to Illinois charter students; a law extending the permissible charter renewal term to ten years for high-performing charter schools; and a provision that tripled the funding available in the state revolving loan program. The funding win alone led to an annual funding increase of $120 million for charter school students. Prior to joining INCS, Andrew was the Associate State Superintendent for the State of Georgia.  In that role, Andrew helped craft Georgia’s winning Race to the Top application and worked with legislative leadership to author multiple bills enacted into law. Andrew also worked as a civil rights litigator in Atlanta for many years after beginning his career as a high school teacher.

Jodie Cantrell is the Chief of Public Affairs at the Illinois Network of Charter Schools where she leads the statewide charter organization’s government affairs, advocacy, data, and communications teams. She has over a decade of experience in the charter community, building strategy and executing successful campaigns and initiatives in communications, media relations, advocacy, family and community engagement, growth, district policy, and legislative affairs. Prior to her return to Chicago in 2020, Jodie served as the Director of Local Advocacy with KIPP Foundation following her three years as KIPP Colorado Schools Director of External Affairs.

Jodie received her Master’s degree in public policy at the University of Chicago and her Bachelor’s degree in journalism at Indiana University. She was a founding board member of Transform Education Now (TEN), a parent organizing and advocacy nonprofit in Denver, and she was a Community Impact Denver fellow with the Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation.

Walter comes to INCS with a passion for helping people and communities to self-actualize by working to build mutually beneficial relationships. As a native Chicagoan and Chicago Public Schools alumnus, he is keenly aware of the importance of developing human potential. Throughout his professional life, he has expressed that passion in both the for-profit and nonprofit settings. Walter began his career in sales/sales leadership with a global pharmaceutical company, during which time he built relationships with healthcare professionals in order to improve patient care.  He also won numerous awards in recognition of his sales, strategic planning and relationship management skills.  

After an 18+ year career in pharmaceuticals, Walter transitioned into nonprofit development and worked primarily in the higher education and healthcare domains. He quickly established a track record of cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding donors who have the capacity to make gifts of significant institutional impact. In addition to soliciting major/principal and planned gifts, he has also been involved in capital campaigns and has worked with Board Members/Trustees on solicitations. In addition, he has led development teams in the implementation of strategic fundraising initiatives, written grants, and overseen fundraising events and peer-to-peer fundraising appeals. 

Walter is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and received his Bachelor of Science degree in International Relations. He subsequently served in the U.S. Army as an Infantry Officer. Walter is a proud and grateful father of five and grandfather of seven. He currently resides in Chicago and enjoys spending his free time with family and friends. 

Kikanza Harris has spent more than 20 years dedicated to children, their families and building stronger communities, through her work with several Chicago area nonprofits. Her passion to see kids succeed despite societal inequities was ignited while working as an after-school program instructor with teens across the city, helping them find their voice, explore future careers, discover their talents, and prepare for life.

Since then, Kikanza’s experience has spanned from community engagement to program management to fundraising and public relations. She was the first woman of color to serve at the helm of a 100-year-old institution’s signature fundraising events and played a key role in the organization’s cultural shift to prioritize DEI, as well as community-centered programming and partnerships as their Director of Education and Engagement. In this role, she led various collaborations to create broader awareness about issues related to reproductive health equity in Black and Hispanic communities and produced programming to educate families about the complexities of race in America.

Her work builds off foundational knowledge she gained in nonprofit marketing, where she helped amplify the need for early childhood education, elevate parents’ voice, and highlight the importance of economic empowerment through a variety of communication channels.

Alongside her work with community-based organizations, Kikanza is a volunteer for Impact Grants Chicago and Chicago Women in Philanthropy serving on the Racial Equity/Social Justice, and Girls committees.

Kikanza holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication from Illinois State University.

Allison Jack has been working in education since she was a teacher in Compton, California, in the second year of Teach For America. She taught for seven years in Compton and in Chicago Public Schools. She has 30 years of experience in policy, advocacy, and education improvement in Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York. At INCS, Allison is senior director of charter growth and support, where she manages support for the state’s 137 charter schools, as well as providing support to charter developers. Previously, she ran a $15M Teacher Incentive Fund grant for New Leaders, which resulted in awarding more than $7M to almost 1,800 charter educators. She supported many of the original charter schools in Chicago, including Urban Prep, and co-founded Namaste Charter School. She held advocacy and policy roles in the CPS Office of New Schools under former CEO Arne Duncan and in the governor’s office. Allison is a proud Banana Slug from UC Santa Cruz and a graduate of the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy.

Ja’Neane Minor joins the Illinois Network of Charter Schools as the new Government Affairs Director, bringing 16 years of combined experience in government relations, stakeholder engagement, and campaigns and elections. Ja’Neane is passionate about ensuring that all students have access to high-quality education that prepares them for success. She has worked diligently with state and local entities to advocate for comprehensive and equitable policies that align with the public interest.

Ja’Neane has served in government affairs roles with several mission-driven education policy and advocacy organizations, where she built and maintained strong relationships with key policymakers, legislators, and coalition partners to ensure alignment with organizational goals.

In 2017, Ja’Neane led the organization and implementation of the Annual Legislative Conference for the National Black Caucus of State Legislators. This event brought together Black legislators, advocates, policy experts, corporate executives, and community leaders to discuss and champion solutions to the nation’s most pressing issues affecting Black Americans and other marginalized communities.

In her previous role as Chief of Staff at the Illinois Board of Higher Education, Ja’Neane led the implementation of A Thriving Illinois, the state’s Higher Education Strategic Plan.

Ja’Neane holds a BA in Political Science from Indiana University–Indianapolis, where she also completed graduate coursework in the same discipline.

Outside of work, Ja’Neane enjoys traveling, immersing herself in local cultures and communities, and spending quality time with her grandchildren.

Nancy is the Senior Manager of Finance & Operations at the Illinois Network of Charter Schools.  She is a Chicago native, raised in the Lower West Side neighborhood of Pilsen.  Prior to joining INCS, she worked at Gary Comer College Prep, a Noble School, where she organized, managed, and implemented all standardized testing.  Additionally, Nancy also worked on the college team at Gary Comer where she provided guidance and resources to navigate the college search and application process. Nancy holds an Associate of Arts from Harold Washington College. In her free time, Nancy enjoys traveling, trying new restaurants, and going to sporting events.

Jessica Phillips is the Senior Manager of Communications at the Illinois Network of Charter Schools. As part of the External Affairs team, Jessica leads the organization’s media and advocacy communications strategies.

Prior to joining INCS, Jessica worked at POLITICO creating branded content for Fortune 500 clients. She previously worked at a public affairs agency where she helped non-profits and associations to make sure their messages were heard on Capitol Hill.

Jessica holds a B.A. in Public Relations & Strategic Communication and Psychology from American University in Washington, D.C.

Yesica Rufino is a dedicated advocate for creating and supporting student-focused learning environments that empower communities to thrive. At the heart of her educational mission is an unwavering commitment to student civil rights. Every child, regardless of their background, deserves access to a high-quality education in a safe, nurturing environment free from discrimination and injustice. Protecting our students’ civil rights is not just a legal duty—it is a moral calling.

Before joining INCS as Director of Charter School Growth and Support, Yesica made significant strides as Chief Governance Officer for the Chicago International Charter School Network. In this capacity, she led the charge on charter governance, student adjudication, and parent support systems across a K-12 portfolio of 13 schools. During her 20-year career in public education, Yesica has successfully incubated 24 charter schools, both as a District Authorizer and a charter school leader.

A proud graduate of Loyola University Chicago, Yesica has also lent her expertise to the Illinois Advisory Council on Bilingual Education for the Illinois State Superintendent. Her unwavering dedication to educational excellence and equity has driven positive change and fostered opportunities for students to succeed across the Chicago charter school landscape.

With a background in operations and a deep understanding of the charter school system, Annasha currently serves as the Operations Coordinator here at INCS. A proud graduate of the University of Chicago Woodlawn Campus Charter School, Annasha brings both conceptual knowledge and firsthand experience to the role. Annasha is passionate about connecting with students and families, as she believes in getting to the root of challenges to better create meaningful change in the nonprofit sector.

Annasha holds a Bachelor of Science from Eastern Illinois University and is always eager to dive into subjects ranging from biomedical sciences to neurology, but her true passion lies in fostering authentic connections and making a positive impact on the community. Focusing her work on spearheading social justice and STEAM-driven activities, Annasha enjoys pushing her commitment to educational growth and community advocacy as a whole.

Joyanna is passionate about advancing educational equity for underserved students, systemic educational reform, and parent and community advocacy. As the oldest of eight children, Joyanna’s parents instilled in her the importance of servant leadership and a commitment to serving the least among us.

Before moving to Chicagoland, Joyanna most recently served as the DC Regional Director with Rocketship Public Schools. Recognizing the transformative power of education, at Rocketship, Joyanna focused on growth and expansion of high performing public schools in Washington, DC. Before transitioning to Rocketship, she worked at the DC State Board of Education where she was appointed as the Ombudsman for Public Education in February 2014. As the Education Ombudsman, Joyanna helped parents and students resolve school complaints individually and collectively, transforming problems into solutions to promote systemic progress for all DC public school students. Joyanna’s office impacted the most vulnerable students and families, becoming a national model for Education Ombudsman work and channeling family voice into a vision for change across the District of Columbia. Working in the education sector for nearly 15 years, Joyanna also worked as the Director of Finance and Operations at an all-girls public charter school in Ward 8. Joyanna has spoken at local and national conferences and her expertise has been sought out by federal and local policy-making bodies in family engagement, governance, school discipline, and special education.

Joyanna received an A.B. from Brown University and a Juris Doctor from The George Washington University Law School.

Lori joins INCS after more than a decade of serving in various roles at Leadership for Educational Equity (LEE), a national nonprofit fighting to end the injustice of inequity in education through building a movement of civic leaders. Most recently she served as Senior Advisor, supporting new partnerships and special projects for the Office of the Executive Director. As the Vice President of the Regional Impact team at LEE, Lori led a diverse team of Directors in 21 regions across the country working to support LEE members to change laws and policies to be more equitable. As a Senior Director on the Regional Impact team at LEE, Lori worked with the Chicago, DC and Texas Directors to increase impact and engagement. As the founding Director of LEE Chicago, Lori launched a diverse movement of leaders to grow civic leadership for children to ensure that every child can attend a great school.

Before joining LEE, Lori was a staff attorney at the ACLU of Illinois, where she worked to protect children’s rights in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems, including protecting their right to an education. Lori started at the ACLU as an Equal Justice Works fellow working to ensure that children in foster care have access to an adequate and stable education and receive appropriate mental health services. Before that, Lori was an elementary school teacher in Los Angeles public schools. Her teaching experience was the impetus for her to attend law school so she could become a more effective advocate for children and work for equity in public schools. Lori received her law degree from The Ohio State University and her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia. She lives in Chicago with her husband, Joe, and her children, Ava, Peter and Paulie.

David Weinberg is chair of the INCS Board of Directors and one of two founders of the organization. He has been associated with the charter school movement for 20 years in Illinois, and served as a founding board member of the Noble Network of Charter School, a member network of INCS.

Other not-for-profit organizations David is (or has been) associated with include Marwen, Chicago Public Education Fund, New Leaders for New Schools, NFTE, Business Advisory Council at UIC, CUB, and the Relations Foundation. -David worked at Fel-Pro for 35 years before it was sold in 2000, and taught for three years at the MBA program at University of Illinois at Chicago, where he lectured extensively about Fel-Pro’s award-winning culture.

David is a professional photographer and has had numerous exhibits in art museums and galleries. His website is www.d-weinberg.com.

David earned a bachelor of science degree in business at Roosevelt University.

William D. “Will” Burns is the Executive Vice President of National Advocacy and the Executive Director of the Charter School Action Fund at the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. Before joining the Alliance, Will oversaw government relations and public affairs for Airbnb where he managed the company’s public policy efforts in several midwestern, mid-Atlantic, and southern states.

Will was elected to two terms in the Chicago City Council. He was first elected to the Council in 2011 after being elected two terms in the Illinois House of Representatives.

Prior to his election to the House in 2008, he served as deputy chief of staff and senior advisor to the Illinois Senate President.

Before working for the Senate President, Burns was the vice president of program and field offices for the Chicago Urban League. He spearheaded the League’s voting rights/redistricting efforts, managed its day-to-day programmatic activities, and coordinated the League’s public policy initiatives.

Burns was the education and tax policy manager for the Metropolitan Planning Council, where he organized a statewide education funding reform coalition and directed its legislative and communications campaign.

Burns attended the University of Chicago where he earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

David Chizewer is a co-founder of INCS, and a founder and past board president of the Chicago International Charter School—one of the nation’s largest charter schools. David was a member of Barack Obama’s Education Policy Group and, in May 2005, argued a seminal charter school case before the Illinois Supreme Court.

David is principal at Goldberg Kohn’s Litigation Group. He serves as lead counsel to one of the principal defendants in the multi‐district class action litigation, Re Ocwen Federal Bank Mortgage Servicing Litigation. David also represents more than 200 third‐party defendants in the multi‐district litigation captioned, In Re Ameriquest. David has been featured in the National Law Journal’s list of top 10 U.S. litigators. He was named “Trial Lawyer of the Year” by the Public Justice Foundation and “Lawyer of the Year” by the Taxpayers Against Fraud Education Fund.

David earned a juris doctorate degree from the University of Chicago and a bachelor’s degree in economics, magna cum laude, from Pomona College. He was elected a member of Phi Beta Kappa.

Darryl Cobb is President of the Charter School Growth Fund (CSGF), where he is responsible for managing strategic investments in charter school networks.

Prior to joining CSGF in 2010, Darryl was the CEO of a turnaround charter school in Chicago. He previously served as chief learning officer at the KIPP Foundation, where he led a portfolio of learning programs, including principal and teacher-leader development. Before KIPP, Darryl worked as a management consultant at Accenture and Diamond Cluster.

Darryl earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Virginia and a master’s degree in business administration from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Darryl is a Pahara-Aspen fellow and Broad resident and, in addition to the INCS Board of Directors, serves on the board of the Surge Institute and the Black Alliance for Educational Options.

Blondean joined Matteson School District 162 as superintendent in 2002. In this role, Blondean spearheaded the launch of Southland College Prep Charter High School in 2010. Since then, 100 percent of the school’s three graduating classes have been accepted to four-year higher education institutions. Prior to her current role, Blondean served as assistant principal, principal, district superintendent, deputy chief education officer, and chief of schools and regions of the Chicago Public School system. In 2009, one of the district’s seven elementary schools, Arcadia, was named a National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education.

Blondean earned bachelor, master and doctorate degrees in education from Loyola University Chicago. She holds a doctor of humane letters from Governors State University.

Geoff Deigan is executive director of Prairie Crossing Charter School, an environmentally centered public school in Grayslake, Ill.. He previously served as chair of the school’s board of directors. 

Geoff founded WRD in 1997. Well-versed in sustainable development, Geoff has led a variety of large-scale environmental projects, job training programs, and community-engagement initiatives focused on environmental best practices. His extensive board experience includes service in land conservation organizations, public libraries, nonprofits, and charter schools. He has spoken at numerous national conferences on environmental education, sustainable land use, green infrastructure and more. Geoff is co-founder and chair for the Institute for Environmental Education, a 501c3 nonprofit that provides development for organizations who want to integrate environmental education into their schools and communities.

Geoff attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Ill.

Ebonie Durham is a third-generation Chicagoan, proudly raised on the west side of Chicago in the Garfield Park community. As a graduate of Chicago Public Schools (CPS), she attended Melody Elementary (PreK-6), Kenwood Academy (7-8), and Whitney Young Magnet High School (9-12), experiences that have deeply shaped her commitment to education and community.

In 2022, Ebonie began her tenure as Executive Director of Great Lakes Academy Inc., where she steers operational and financial strategies for a charter elementary school serving the South Shore and South Chicago neighborhoods of Chicago. Her leadership has been pivotal in achieving a successful three-year charter renewal, enhancing student enrichment programs, and increasing the percentage of students securing offers to selective enrollment schools by 17%.

Before her role at Great Lakes Academy, Ebonie spent eleven years at Noble Network of Charter Schools, where she held various leadership positions, including founding administrator for Noble’s 10th campus, Johnson College Prep. She led initiatives in student admissions, network operations, and campus administration.

Ebonie holds a master’s degree in Education Leadership and Administration from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her professional journey is marked by several prestigious recognitions, including being named a McNair Scholar, a Presidential Management Fellow, and a Pahara Fellow as part of the Aspen Global Leaders Network.

She previously served on the national board of the Diverse Charter Schools Coalition and is a proud member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated. Outside of her professional commitments, Ebonie enjoys traveling, volunteering for causes that impact women and children, and spending quality time with her family.

Ebonie’s dedication to equity and social justice is deeply rooted in her experiences as a first-generation college graduate. She is passionate about empowering children through diverse education, believing in its power to create better futures for themselves and their communities.

Jim Durkin is an attorney in Croke Fairchild’s Public Finance and Government Affairs & Regulatory Law practice groups.

Jim advises local governments on economic development and public finance matters. He is also an experienced commercial litigator and conducts internal investigations for private and public entities.

Jim previously served as an assistant Illinois attorney general and as an assistant Cook County state’s attorney, serving as a felony trial prosecutor and as a special prosecutor in the Narcotics Bureau. In 2002, he was the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate for the state of Illinois. From 2013 to 2023, he was the minority leader in the Illinois House of Representatives. In December 2008, Jim served as the ranking Republican for the Illinois House of Representatives Impeachment Committee regarding Governor Blagojevich. In 2012, Jim served as Illinois House of Representatives manager for the removal of Rep. Derrick Smith from the Illinois House of Representatives, following Smith’s federal bribery indictment.

Jim has been active in Illinois state politics for more than 25 years, having served as state representative in the Illinois House of Representatives first for the 44th District and the 82nd District. He was also the Illinois chair for the late Sen. John McCain’s presidential campaigns in 2000 and 2008.

Amongst his many accomplishments, Jim passed a first of its kind law in the United States, which bans the use of deception during interrogations of juvenile defendants. Jim negotiated the final form of this law with the Northwestern University Center on Wrongful Convictions and the University of Illinois Innocence Project. Jim’s efforts were reflected in his receiving the 2021 Defender of the Innocent Award.

Jim was also able to negotiate insurance coverage for continuous glucose monitors and lifting the cap on blood sugar test strip for low-income Medicaid residents. This process took place outside of the legislative arena through negotiations with the Illinois Department of Health and Human Services.

In 2021, Jim worked in a bi-partisan manner to negotiate and pass Governor J.B. Pritzker’s first budget and the largest public works program in Illinois history.

Jim serves on various boards for Misericordia-Heart of Mercy Home, Giant Steps School for Autism, and JDRF Illinois. He is a member of the 100 Club of Chicago, which supports the families of fallen first responders. He is also a former member of the John Marshall Law School Board of Trustees and the Chicago Bar Association Board of Managers.

Jim Frank has served as CEO of Wheels since 1974 and company president for 40 years. In addition to serving on INCS’ Board of Trustees, Jim serves as chair of Intrinsic Schools, a charter school network.

Jim is vice chair of the University of Chicago Hospitals’ Board of Trustees, a member of the University of Chicago’s Board of Trustees, and chair of the Field Museum of Chicago’s finance committee. Jim also serves on the Board of Overseers at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.

Jim has been a keynote speaker at numerous industry events, including the Automotive News World Congress. He served as president, board member and chair of the American Automobile Leasing Association (AALA). During his time as chair of AALA’s Federal Legislative Committee, Jim participated in numerous successful industry efforts aimed at helping shape regulatory and legislative issues affecting fleets, and delivered frequent testimonies at the House Ways and Means Committee, Federal Trade Commission and Department of the Treasury.

Jim earned a bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College and master’s degree in business administration from Stanford University.

Steve Hajdukovic is audit partner in KPMG’s Chicago office, specializing in serving consumer and industrial products companies.

Steve has provided professional audit services to several large multinational groups in accordance with SEC, U.S. GAAP, and IFRS requirements. His audit experience includes leasing, accounts receivable securitizations, acquisition, divestitures, public debt and equity offerings, and private placements. At KPMG, Steve is the partner in charge of campus recruiting for the Midwest Area, the practice leader for more than 150 partners and employees in the consumer and industrial line of business, and the middle market channel leader for the Chicago office. Along with serving on the INCS Board of Directors’ Audit Committee, Steve serves on the Accountancy Executive Advisory Council of Northern Illinois University.

In his free time, Steve is a coach in youth travel baseball. Steve attended Northern Illinois University.

Timothy Hughes is the founder and president of Princeton Technical Services Inc. (PTS), one of Chicago’s fastest growing construction management and material testing firms. In under four years, PTS has grown to a staff of 50 employees and serves an extensive portfolio of high-profile state agencies, including: the Illinois Department of Transportation; the Illinois Tollway; Chicago Public Schools; the Chicago Department of Aviation; the Chicago Department of Transportation, and the Cook County Department of Transportations and Highways. Accredited with MBE/DBE/ACDBE distinctions, Princeton Technical Services is the only certified African-American owned material testing firm in the state of Illinois.

Prior to founding PTS, Timothy was Executive Director for Exelon/ Commonwealth Edison, managing the Fortune 100 company’s $1.5 billion real estate and facilities asset portfolio, overseeing a staff of more than 100 employees across the state. He previously worked for Hewitt, Ernst & Young, and Cap Gemini consulting firms, where he guided mid- to large-cap corporate clients on their complex capital projects.

Timothy has received the Modern-Day Technology Black Engineer of the Year Award, the Pathfinder Award from Minority Supplier Development Council, named to Who’s Who in Black Chicago, and was appointed by Mayor Rahm Emanuel to serve on the Chicago Community Land Trust Board of Directors.

Bart Kocha is a strategy and organization expert with more than 25 years of industry and consulting experience.

Bart was a senior partner with A.T. Kearney, where he was responsible for the organization and transformation global service practice and led A.T. Kearney into several new market areas. Bart served on the global and North American leadership teams for A.T. Kearney and represented the firm on the EDS Leadership team. Today, Bart’s clients extend to Africa, Asia, Europe and North America, spanning several industries with a recent focus on financial services and healthcare. Along with serving on the INCS Board of Directors, Bart works with the Walton Family Foundation on school reform within the charter school sector.

Bart earned a master’s degree in business administration from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor’s degree in business from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

On November 3, 2020, Iris Y. Martinez made history when elected as the first Latina Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, the largest of 24 judicial circuits in Illinois as well as one of the largest unified court systems in the world.

Since Iris took office on December 1, 2020, she centered efforts on the statutory duties and responsibilities of the Office, while supporting her mission to update and increase the use of technology, transform operations, and increase transparency. All done while providing proper Covd-19 safeguards at all our locations for our employees and constituents.

Iris Martinez worked with the Illinois General Assembly to protect the identities of child and adult sex crime victims. In 2021, led by Iris Y. Martinez, legislation was signed into law requiring anyone wanting to access restricted information related to the identities of child or adult sex crime victims to petition the court to obtain access to those documents.

Martinez’s time in elective office began on January 8, 2003, when she was sworn in as the first Latina elected to the Illinois State Senate, representing the people of the 20th Legislative District. She made history once again by serving as Assistant Majority Leader from 2007-2008, a position never before held by a Latina. Martinez was named Majority Caucus Whip in 2013 and became Assistant Majority Leader again in 2018.

As a state senator, Iris Martinez advocated for affordable housing, expanding health care access, and improving care for seniors and differently abled populations. A strong champion for Illinois’ children, Martinez worked on initiatives to keep children safe and annually hosted a Family Wellness and Back to School Fair, where hundreds of children received health screenings, dental checkups, immunizations and backpacks filled with school supplies.

A tireless advocate for programs designed to improve the quality of education for youth in Illinois, Iris Martinez fought for the Grow Your Own Teacher initiative, an effort that placed 1,000 teachers in low-income, hard-to-staff Illinois public schools by offering forgivable student loans to paraprofessionals, parents and other community leaders who wish to become teachers. She also supported the Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois Program, which places highly qualified teachers in the state’s hard-to-staff schools.

Martinez’s involvement with the Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus, including previously serving as a Co-Chair, expanded her work on initiatives of importance to minority communities. She championed a law allowing people who are not comfortable speaking or understanding English, as well as those who have trouble hearing, to get assistance from an interpreter in the courtroom. Another law she spearheaded ensured that all health care facilities treating Medicaid patients in managed care plans must develop and implement language services.

She has also served President of the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators, and the 4th Congressional District State Central Committeewoman for the Democratic Party of Illinois, the City of Chicago’s 33rd Ward Democratic Committeeperson, and Chairwoman of the Hispanic Caucus for the Democratic National Committee.

Martinez is one of the founding members of the Illinois Unidos, a consortium of over 200 Latino elected and appointed officials, together with health professionals and representatives of community-based organizations. The initiative aims to present one united voice in stopping the spread of COVID-19.

In December 2025, Martinez retired to enjoy time with her family.

Iris Martinez was born and raised in Chicago’s West Town community. She resides in the city’s Albany Park neighborhood and has a daughter, Jacklyn Nicole.