Rauner appoints Holder to ESBR
<span>In a Thursday news release, Gov. Bruce Rauner announced that he had appointed Randolph County accountant Carolyn Holder to the Employment Security Board of Review.</span>
<span>Holder - who is the wife of Randolph County Commissioner David M. Holder and works in her husband's tax preparation office in Baldwin - is also the chairwoman of the Randolph County Soil and Water Board and serves as a trustee on the Baldwin Community Fire Protection District.</span>
<span>"I feel very honored to be selected to serve the State of Illinois and I look forward to working with the rest of the board," Holder said. "I think it's a great opportunity that I'm being presented with."</span>
<span>Holder is also an enrolled agent with the Internal Revenue Service and holds a bachelor's degree in accounting from Southern Illinois University and a MBA from Fontbonne College.</span>
<span>In addition, she is a mutual manager at Township Mutual Insurance Company in Sparta.</span>
<span>"Holder's experience as an accountant and elected official will provide an excellent perspective to the board," Rauner said in the release.</span>
<span>Holder told the Herald Tribune she had applied for the position and received a phone call from the governor's office on Feb. 4.</span>
<span>"I received a call from (Director of Research) Ed Murphy from the governor's office on the 4th asking me a couple of questions and if I was still interested and I was," Holder said.</span>
<span>According to appointments.illinois.gov, the ESBR "considers appeals of department decisions on claims for benefits under (the) Unemployment Insurance Act and various federal programs related to unemployment insurance administered by the department, except claims involving labor disputes."</span>
<span>Appointments are for two years, beginning with the third Monday of odd-numbered years, and until a successor is appointed and qualified. Five board members are appointed by the governor with consent of the Senate.</span>
<span>Compensation is $15,000 per year.</span>
<span>"(The board) does reviews of people who have put in for unemployment benefits and had been denied," Holder said. "There's a review process and that's where the board comes in."</span>
<span>Also Thursday, Rauner announced appointments to the State Banking Board of Illinois, Capital Development Board and Employment Security Advisory Board.</span>
<span>"At this time, I'm waiting to hear back from Ed Murphy," Holder said. "After they finished processing my paperwork, he said he'd contact me.</span>
<span>"I'm not sure when the actual work with the board will start. I'm just looking forward to the opportunity to serve the state."</span>