West Central Reporter

Experienced civic employee Brittany Ladd recently agreed to become assistant director of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, appointed by Gov. Bruce Rauner and replacing Andria Winters, who accepted a position with Intersect Illinois.

 

Ladd, who earned a bachelor’s degree in history and political science from Northwestern University, is the Department of Commerce’s chief operations officer, responsible for day-to-day management with an emphasis on customer service and the values of efficiency and transparency.

 

Additionally, she manages the department’s budget and provides strategic direction. Previously she worked as a management consultant with Accenture, a professional services firm in Chicago specializing in digital technology and operations. She contributed her expertise while at Accenture to bring about transformation for numerous corporations as well as government agencies.

 

Early on in her career, Ladd served as an associate security operations analyst for Systems Planning and Analysis (SPA) located in Washington, D.C.

 

Ladd’s public sector background includes having worked in the governor’s office and on the presidential campaigns for both Mitt Romney and John McCain. She also worked for Rauner prior to his taking office. Her specialties include change management, customer relationship handling, knowledge management, political and crisis communications, public relations and media tactics, and government relations strategy.

                                                                                                                                                     

Formerly known as The Illinois Business and Economic Development Corp., Intersect Illinois strives to increase the state’s competitiveness for job creation and investment.