Tollway board chairwoman steps down after a year due to health issues
Illinois tollway board Chairwoman Dorothy Abreu is stepping down, officials said Monday, citing health issues.
Abreu, a banking executive from Chicago, was recruited by Gov. J.B. Pritzker to lead the board last February after friction between the former chairman and former executive director.
Pritzker's office announced the move, wishing Abreu and her family well "as she leaves to focus on her health challenges."
"I appreciate Dorothy's service and dedication to both the tollway and the people of Illinois," Pritzker said in a statement. "Her work has undoubtedly improved our infrastructure, and she is leaving the tollway in a strong financial and operational position."
"The past 11 months leading the Illinois tollway have been a tremendous journey for me," Abreu said in a statement. "As I promised on Day 1, I have conducted my affairs with integrity and strived to provide transparency with all stakeholders. I am grateful for the opportunity to have helped oversee the tollway and the more than 1,200 dedicated employees that make it great."
Tollway Vice Chairman Jim Connolly, an executive with the Laborers' International Union of North America, will take over as acting chairman until a replacement is found for Abreu.
The $1.5 billion agency has seen much executive suite churn in the past several years.
"We need some consistent leadership at the tollway," said state Sen. Laura Murphy of Des Plaines, who has pushed for reforms at the agency. "The good news is this time around, the board seems to have a lot of consistency and the ability to get things done.
"I think it's a good board that's cohesive and works together and understands the role of the tollway is to make sure we have safer roads."
Abreu's resignation leaves seven out of nine directors on the board; ex officio members are the governor and Illinois transportation secretary.
After questions of patronage at the agency rose under Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, Pritzker's administration cleaned house with a new leadership team in 2019.
However, former Chairman Will Evans left the agency in February 2022 amid a power struggle with former Executive Director Jose Alvarez, who departed in March 2022, that drew state Senate scrutiny. Abreu was chosen to be a stabilizing force.
Senior engineer and deputy chief of program implementation Lanyea Griffin was named interim executive director in March 2022 and hailed as one of the "best and brightest" at the agency, but she exited in August 2022.