Wednesday, March 02, 2011
 
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Monken finally confirmed -- as new Emergency Management Agency director

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[March 02, 2011]  SPRINGFIELD -- Jonathon Monken is finally an official state employee.

HardwareThe Illinois Senate on Tuesday confirmed Monken, an Army veteran, as the state's Emergency Management Agency director.

Gov. Pat Quinn first appointed then-29-year-old Monken as the Illinois State Police's acting director in March 2009. Last month, an Illinois Senate committee almost ousted Monken from the job. He was never confirmed for that job because Senate lawmakers questioned his youth and lack of law enforcement experience.

The Senate must confirm the governor's appointments.

Later last month, Quinn appointed Monken to the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, which many lawmakers saw as a better place for the veteran who served in Iraq.

State Sen. David Luechtefeld, R-Okawville, a member of the Executive Appointments Committee in the Senate, said he thinks IEMA is a better fit for Monken.

"He's obviously, I think, a bright young guy. And I really had a lot of questions about him when he was appointed to head the state police with no background," Luechtefeld said. "He's now headed a department for a year and a half, so he does have some background now compared to what he had when he first started. I don't think this is as critical an appointment as state police would be, and I guess I'm just willing to give him a shot at it."

Monken said he is qualified to lead IEMA.

"I think the role of the Emergency Management Agency as we call it as 'everything from terrorists to tornadoes,' and really I think I've dealt with many adverse circumstances -- whether it's combat environment or law enforcement environment or public safety as it happens in the last two years," Monken said. "So I think those types of qualities, leadership attributes -- and really a lot of what happens at IEMA is really coalition-building. It's working with all levels of the government -- something I've had the opportunity to do extensively in the last two years, and it's something I'm very comfortable doing in the future."

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Monken said he plans on making no changes in how the IEMA is run.

"I think IEMA runs very efficiently. I think it was demonstrated very well in the blizzard that we had just a few weeks ago," he said.

"As far as the partners that take part in IEMA -- whether you're looking at the National Guard, which I'm still a member of, with the state police, which I just came from, and really the Illinois Terrorism Task Force that has responsibility for that, that I was previously an executive board member for. These are people that I've known, these are the people that I work with well, and I would just like to continue the tradition IEMA has, which is providing very well in these situations."

Quinn is pleased that the Senate swiftly confirmed Monken to head the IEMA, according to Annie Thompson, a spokeswoman for the governor.

[Illinois Statehouse News; By MARY J. CRISTOBAL]

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