RYAN NAMES WOOD, GOLD TO HEAD WOMEN'S COMMISSION

CHICAGO -- In the first executive order of his administration, Governor George Ryan today reinstated the Governor's Commission on the Status of Women in Illinois and appointed his lieutenant governor and a woman Chicago lawyer to chair it.

Ryan said Executive Order No. 1 makes good on his pledge to continue the work of the Commission, which expired Dec. 31, 1998. The order also expands the group's membership from 20 to 25 and requires it to produce an annual report each December.

"I want this Commission that I'm creating today to take an active hand in destroying any barriers to equality that exist in Illinois," Ryan said. "I will look to this group to be my partner in solving the problems and putting its recommendations into action by working with the General Assembly, government agencies, the business community and other organizations."

Ryan also named a new leadership team for the Commission. Lt. Gov. Corinne Wood will serve as honorary chair, while Judy Gold, a partner in Chicago law firm Altheimer & Gray, will be chair.

A total of 24 members were named to the group, including 11 who served on the original Commission created last year by Gov. Jim Edgar. The Commission also will have five ex-officio members, including Hazel Loucks, deputy governor for education; Kathy Selcke, deputy governor for programs and policy; Bridget Lamont, policy director; staff coordinator Ellen Solomon; and a member of the Conference of Women Legislators, to be named at a later date.

Ryan said he expects the group to focus on improving economic opportunity for women, the key need identified in the report submitted last December by the original Commission.

Ryan and Wood have pledged to pursue several initiatives to promote equity for women, including:

* Increasing funding for education and job training programs to help women move successfully into well-paid fields that are now dominated by men.

* Improving the business climate for women-owned businesses, especially by expanding the number of government contracts awarded to women-owned firms and by improving access to credit.

* Expanding a tax credit for businesses that offer child care programs, increasing state funding for after-school care programs and supporting child care services for the poor.

* Creating an "Illinois Workforce Advantage" -- programs and initiatives that will give Illinois a competitive edge by addressing the needs of working families through "family-friendly" policies, such as "flex-time," expanded work-at-home opportunities and family leave.