CHICAGO - Today, Governor JB Pritzker appointed Jim Montgomery to lead the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), effective Aug. 31 and pending Senate approval. Montgomery brings decades of experience in conservation, public administration, and law enforcement, including previously serving as Commissioner and Director of Administration and Finance of the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation.
“The Illinois Department of Natural Resources protects the natural treasures of Illinois and makes them available to the public to experience and enjoy what our state has to offer,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “I am proud to appoint Jim Montgomery to lead our state’s efforts to protect and promote our natural, recreational, and cultural resources. Jim is an exceptionally qualified candidate to lead Illinois’ conservation work, as he brings a deep wealth of experience in public leadership and operations.”
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“As a native central Illinoisan with a lifelong passion for conservation and outdoor recreation, I’m thrilled to accept Governor Pritzker’s invitation to lead the Illinois Department of Natural Resources,” Montgomery said. “I look forward to working with staff, constituents, the governor, lawmakers, and other stakeholders to ensure IDNR continues to be the best natural resources agency in the nation.”
Montgomery joins IDNR after serving as the first Executive Director of the Illinois Prisoner Review Board (PRB). Previously, he also served as Director of Administrative Services and Special Projects Advisor at the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department in Massachusetts. Montgomery was also the Northeast/Midwest Vice President of Client Services for Intermedix Corporation, the largest emergency services and healthcare revenue cycle management and technology services company in the nation. He has experience in procurement, administration, and finance from his time with the Boston Public Health Commission.
Montgomery began his career in Illinois working for the offices of several elected officials. He was also elected to serve two terms as Mayor of Taylorville, Illinois, from 1997-2005, where he became the youngest mayor in the history of that city and one of the youngest in the State of Illinois. He earned a Bachelor of Arts from Millikin University and a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University.
