Lester: Veteran diplomat was inspired by suburban iconoclast mom
Long before he filled his passport with stamps from other countries or dreamed of zooming through a special customs line, Jonathan Moore watched his mother Betty Ann Moore blaze trails around the suburbs as a former Lake County Democratic chairman and Liberty Township supervisor.
"Because of her work, I got very interested in public service as a teenager," Moore said. "I decided I wanted to work for the State Department."
Moore, an ambassador who heads the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina, reflected on his 27 years as a diplomat with me this week while he was home visiting his parents in Libertyville before heading to meetings in Washington, D.C., and then back to Bosnia.
A bit of his dizzying resume: Since 1990, Moore has worked at U.S. embassies in Yugoslavia and Lithuania and as deputy chief of mission at American embassies in Namibia and Belarus. He also was deputy director for Russian affairs at the State Department.
He speaks eight languages: Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian, Danish, German, Lithuanian and Russian, in addition to English.
"You have to love travel to do this," Moore laughed.
'Midwestern sensibilities' abroad
These days, he's in charge of 320 people who oversee the peace process following the 1992-1995 Bosnian War, which includes ensuring judges and prosecutors are fighting corruption and prosecuting war crimes, preventing segregation at schools, promoting free media, countering violent extremism and advocating for human rights.
"It's a very special feeling and a very special opportunity to get to share your perspectives and your knowledge," he says. "I was raised with Midwestern sensibilities and I'm glad when I can apply them around the world."
It all comes at a time when U.S.-Russia relations and the Middle East are in flux.
"Because of world events, terrorist attacks in Turkey and all of the things going on, a heightened level of interest in what's going on in the U.S. ... the world is going through some pretty intense changes," Moore says.
COD gets a Warhol
The College of DuPage has received one of pop artist Andy Warhol's final works as a gift from Helge and Dolores Frank of Downers Grove. "Vesuvius," a color screen print, was finished in 1985 and is estimated to be valued at $35,000. The couple also donated "La Reine des Ephémères," a color etching and aquatint by Spanish painter and sculptor Joan Miro, valued at $28,000, and "Imola Three II," a color woodcut by American minimalist painter Frank Stella. The works will be maintained as part of the nearly 720 works currently in the College of DuPage permanent collection at the Cleve Carney Art Gallery.
Illinois House leadership
Illinois House GOP Leader Jim Durkin's 2017 leadership team includes several suburban representatives.
State Rep. Patti Bellock of Hinsdale is deputy leader, a role that comes with a $19,760 stipend. State Rep. Michael McAuliffe of Chicago is assistant minority leader, which comes with an $18,066 stipend. Lawmakers make a base salary of $67,836.
House Democrats will make appointments in the coming weeks. Lawmakers head back to Springfield next week for Gov. Bruce Rauner's "state of the State" address.
Sneak peek
Illinois Manufacturing Association President Greg Baise gave me a sneak peek of the comments he plans to make at the Choose DuPage meeting Wednesday in Naperville. He'll note that while Illinois lost 1,700 manufacturing jobs in the last seven years, Michigan created 171,300 and Indiana created 83,700. Baise says he plans to take his "Illinois Wake Up Call" talk statewide to try to change Illinois' business climate.
Drones abounding
Take a look at a 360-degree campus panorama of Mundelein Seminary, which was completed by Drone Media Chicago. If you click and drag on the Facebook link https://www.facebook.com/groups/42155578070/permalink/10154535213743071/, you'll see the late Cardinal George Mundelein's vision for the campus, which is designed in the shape of a Roman Cross. At the head of the upright of the cross (and on the highest ground) is the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception. The Feehan Memorial Library and Administration Building are on either side, while the foot of the cross is the boathouse and the lake.