Around the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission

Monday, November 26, 2007 | 0

Shake-up at the Commission level. Two of the nine Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commissioners have changed.

Commissioner Susan Pigott, an employee representative, resigned from the Commission in June 2007. We welcomed her resignation. She was a staunch employee advocate to an excessive degree. She would ignore mountains of favorable employer
evidence and seek to change existing case law.

Business representative Ilonka Ulrich is also gone, having not been reappointed by the governor. The governor reappointed Commissioner David Gore, an employee representative and he also reappointed Chairman Dennis Ruth.

The new employee representative commissioner is Molly Mason. She is an attorney who holds a B.A. degree in American History and Literature from Harvard University and a law degree from Loyola University. She worked for many years as a petitioner’s attorney. She didn’t try many cases but she was an excellent writer and wrote many Commission and Appellate Court briefs.

She most recently worked as a staff attorney at the Commission since 2003. She will be a dedicated employee advocate.

Kevin Lamborn is the new employer representative commissioner, replacing Commissioner Ulrich. He holds a B.A. degree in Political Science and Criminal Justice from Valparaiso University and a law degree from John Marshall Law School. He most recently was employed at the law firm of Storino Ramello and Durkin, a firm which represents municipalities and
businesses in workers’ compensation matters.

With the new appointments, the Chairman reassigned the Commission panels. Effective September 2007, the Commission panels are assigned as follows:

• Panel A – Molly Mason, Paul Rink, Nancy Lindsay
• Panel B – Barbara Sherman, Yolaine Dauphin, Kevin Lamborn
• Panel C – David Gore, James DeMunno, Mario Basurto