North Cook News

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker's office has announced the promotion of Bria Scudder to the position of deputy governor for Public Safety, Infrastructure, Environment and Energy.

Scudder will replace Christian Mitchell, who Pritzker said would be stepping down from his post on Jan. 27, effective in March. Scudder previously worked in the governor’s office as first assistant to Mitchell. The announcement of her promotion was issued March 27, and Scudder is slated to take on her new role April 10, WAND reported.

“Bria Scudder has already shown her dedication to public service and the people of Illinois through her hard work earlier in my administration, and I’m thrilled to welcome her back to continue that work as deputy governor,” Pritzker said in a statement announcing Scudder's promotion. “Her portfolio includes some of the most important issues currently facing our state, and I’m looking forward to working with her to continue making Illinois stronger.”

Scudder currently serves as director of State Government Affairs for the Midwest region at AbbVie, a pharmaceutical company headquartered in North Chicago. In her role with the company, she has managed or overseen state and local issues in 12 states. She previously served under Mitchell in the governor's office as first assistant deputy governor, WAND reported.

“I’d like to thank Governor Pritzker for his leadership and trusting me with such an important role,” Scudder said in a statement. “I’m looking forward to serving the people of Illinois and making strides towards safer communities, maintaining a world-class transportation system, and meeting our clean energy goals.”

Scudder also served as the senior government and community liaison at the Illinois Attorney General’s office. She worked as a staff member for the Illinois House of Representatives and managed several statehouse campaigns. She is a graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia.