West Cook News

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said this week that Brian Hamer has been appointed her new chief of staff.

Preckwinkle said she was grateful that Hamer had agreed to join the team and hailed Hamer’s “substantial management experience, his thorough understanding of finance, his passion for public service and his collaborative approach” that would go well with the administration’s approach.

Hamer has extensive experience in the public sector, serving as director of the Illinois Department of Revenue from 2003-2015, the longest-serving revenue director in the history of Illinois.

As director of that department, Hamer was responsible for the collection and distribution of taxes worth $40 billion each year. Under his leadership, the collection of delinquent taxes reached an all-time high. Hamer transformed the way business was conducted in the department.

Hamer said he was pleased to join the Preckwinkle administration and said it would give him the opportunity to contribute to the ongoing transformation of Cook County's government.

“Public service is all about helping people, and President Preckwinkle’s emphasis on public health, public safety and criminal justice reform, and economic development are the kinds of policy priorities which do exactly that,” Hamer said.