With almost three years to go
before Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday, a newly
appointed panel of noted professionals and community
leaders has been assigned to plan the party.
The Illinois Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission
will oversee the planning process for the February 2009
commemoration and submit annual reports to the governor
and the General Assembly. The appointees will work with
the commission assigned to plan the national
celebration.
Wednesday's appointments to the state panel came on
the first anniversary of the opening of the Abraham
Lincoln Presidential Museum, which has attracted about
600,000 visitors.
The museum will showcase hundreds of historical
items, including letters, first wives' gowns and White
House furniture, from May 13 through Oct. 29. "Mrs.
President: From Martha to Laura," will show the lives of
the country's first ladies.
The 40 members of the state's bicentennial commission
include heads of historical agencies and organizations,
university professors, a Chicago television anchorwoman
and tourism promoters. The commission also will include
33 public officials by virtue of their leadership
positions: all the U.S. representatives and senators
from Illinois, state government's constitutional
officers, the state's four legislative leaders and
Richard Daley and Tim Davlin, mayors of Chicago and
Springfield, respectively.
The other newly appointed members of the Illinois
Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission are:
David Bahlman, executive director of the
Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois.
Terry Barnhart, faculty member of
Eastern Illinois University's history department.
Jerry Blakemore, general counsel for
Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.
Edward Carroll, history professor at
Heartland Community College.
Rodney Davis, co-director of the Lincoln
Studies Center at Knox College.
Richard Hart, Abraham Lincoln
Association.
John Hoffmann, Illinois Historical
Survey at the University of Illinois.
Richard Jasculca, chairman and CEO of
Jasculca, Terman and Associates.
Gary Johnson, president of the Chicago
History Museum.
Ron Keller, curator at the Lincoln
College Museum.
Marilyn Kushak, chairwoman of the
Springfield Readiness Committee.
Shirley Madigan, chairwoman of the
Illinois Arts Council.
Allison Payne, anchorwoman for Chicago's
WGN-TV.
Graham Peck, assistant history professor
at St. Xavier University.
Shirley Portwood, history professor at
Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville.
Jerry Roper, president and CEO of
Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce.
James Sanders, superintendent of the
Lincoln Home National Historic Site.
Nicky Stratton, director of Looking for
Lincoln.
Axel Steuer, president of Illinois
College.
Cherryl Thomas, president of Ardmore
Associates.
Kristina Valaitis, executive director of
the Illinois Humanities Council.
Andy Van Meter, chairman of the Sangamon
County Board.
Douglas Wilson, co-director of the
Lincoln Studies Center at Knox College.
Terri Jackson, diversity director at the
University of Illinois at Springfield.
Sundiata Cha-Jua, director of
African-American Studies at the University of Illinois
at Urbana-Champaign.
Julie Cellini, chairwoman of the
Illinois Historic Preservation Agency Board of Trustees.
Pamela Daniels, trustee member of the
Illinois Historic Preservation Agency.
Douglas Donenfeld, IHPA trustee.
Edward Genson, IHPA trustee.
Laurie Hoffman, IHPA trustee.
Elizabeth Smith, IHPA trustee.
Roger Taylor, IHPA trustee and president
of Knox College.
Thomas Schwartz, acting executive
director and state historian of the Abraham Lincoln
Presidential Library and Museum.
Robert Coomer, director of IHPA.
Paula Cross, superintendent of Historic
Sites and IHPA.
Julie Dirksen, director of guest
services at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and
Museum.
Phil Funkenbusch, program director for
the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.
Susan Mogerman, chief operating officer
for the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Foundation.
Richard Norton Smith, executive director
of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Foundation.
Jan Kostner, director of the Illinois
Bureau of Tourism.
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