A Short History
I was born in the Netherlands, and my family immigrated to Illinois when I was 2. My parents provided an example of hard work and personal courage, and my country of origin gave me an example of tolerance and intellectual openness. I spent my youth in central Illinois, including my college experience at the University of Illinois (BA, Philosophy 77, MA Labor Relations, 84). In 1985, I commenced my career with the Illinois Labor Relations Board. I arrived shortly after the creation of the agency, and enjoyed the ability to be a part of its development. At the Board, I was a neutral in the sense of not being aligned with employers, unions or employees; however, I had an affirmative obligation to apply interpretation of the statute to a myriad of situations. My experience was enhanced by the opportunity to work in both the Springfield and Chicago offices; each providing a unique context to the collective bargaining process. After a brief flirtation with retirement, I'm looking forward to a return to the field of employee relations and a career working to resolve disputes
