Top Quinn aide named tollway's new director

A top aide to Gov. Pat Quinn is the Illinois tollway's latest leader, officials announced Thursday.

Kristi Lafleur, Quinn's deputy chief of staff for economic development and recovery, will start at the agency April 19. The tollway board still must vote on her appointment to the $180,000-a-year position.

"I've worked on economic and transportation issues throughout my career," Lafleur said. "I'm intrigued by this challenge and the opportunity to take the tollway into its next phase of growth and development."

Being the agency's first female executive director is "an important milestone," said Lafleur, 35.

Her priorities are pushing environmental practices, increasing transparency, collaborating with the state and transit agencies, and improving customer service.

Tollway users "are the ones that keep us going. I want to make their experience a positive one," she said.

Lafleur will face an agency in transition, trying to regain consumer confidence after a debacle with a backlog of late violation notices and to move on after being tainted by former Gov. Rod Blagojevich's corruption arrest, which involved tollway projects.

"It's important to fully understand what happened and put the right processes and procedures in place to avoid this in the future," Lafleur said.

The tollway also is trying to decide what new road projects to tackle. The toll authority will look at needs along with economic development and job creation potential when making those decisions, she said.

After Blagojevich's ouster, Quinn put his own stamp on the tollway board with key appointments including Chairman Paula Wolff.

"I spoke to him (Quinn) about my interest," Lafleur said. "He encouraged me and supported me, but made it clear this was ultimately the board's decision."

The agency's last chief, Jeff Dailey, exited after one month in late 2008. Before him, Brian McPartlin had the job and Michael King is the acting executive director.

Lafleur works with transportation and economic agencies for the state, including the tollway, and is supervising a high-speed rail steering committee. She also is responsible for organizing the distribution of economic stimulus funds.

Lafleur's understanding of the Illinois Department of Transportation, the tollway and economic development experience made her a natural choice, Wolff said.

Lafleur also ran her own consulting group and was chief of staff for the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. She has a degree in political science from DePaul University. Lafleur, who lives in Chicago, said she owns an I-PASS and is a tollway user.

Recently the tollway has been under scrutiny by GOP and Democrat lawmakers but Sen. Kirk Dillard, a Hinsdale Republican, said Lafleur's "background in economic development and transportation is well-suited for the tollway." And, "as a suburbanite I want the executive director of the tollway to have the governor's ear."

State Sen. Susan Garrett, a Lake Forest Democrat, said "she's on top of the issues and also is aware of past problems and seems determined to address those."

Other candidates were RTA executive Leanne Redden, Pace Chairman Richard Kwasneski, Oak Lawn Trustee Jerry Hurckes and former Massachusetts Turnpike Authority Chief Matthew J. Amorello, who led the controversial "Big Dig" tunnel project in Boston.