- Published: Wednesday, January 13, 2021 04:47 PM
SPRINGFIELD – Cristina Pacione-Zayas was sworn in to her first full term as state senator for the 20th Illinois Senate District Wednesday, taking the oath of office just weeks after her appointment to succeed former Senator Iris Martinez. After an all-day, all-night legislative session voting on major reforms that stretched well into the early morning hours Wednesday, Pacione-Zayas was undaunted by the tasks ahead of her in Springfield.
“I hope the ambitious and transformative agenda I’ve been honored to participate in this past week will set the tone for what’s ahead in my first full term in office,” Pacione-Zayas said. “We face historic challenges at every level in the 20th Senate District. We need to bring about transformative and systemic change so we can all thrive.”
Best known as a tireless advocate for education reform and the Puerto Rican community, Pacione-Zayas was born and raised in Logan Square and has a track record for effectively collaborating and supporting policy leading to positive outcomes for children, families and communities. Her previous service spans Chicago Public Schools, community-based and advocacy organizations, and the Illinois State Board of Education, along with serving on transition teams for Gov. JB Pritzker and Mayor Lori Lightfoot. She holds a Ph.D. in educational policy studies from UIUC and currently serves as a consultant for Erikson Institute, a graduate school focused on child development.
Among her agenda items for her first term will be forming five policy roundtables, which she said she hopes will draw experts and community members to meet regularly for the purpose of helping her craft legislation in the areas of education, health, housing, small business and the workforce, and public safety.
“The best policy comes from cooperation between our communities and those who dedicate themselves to studying innovative solutions. I will be reaching out to the 20th District in the coming days to invite those who are interested in helping me craft legislation to apply for these roundtables,” Pacione-Zayas said.
The 20th Illinois Senate District includes parts of Chicago Wards 1, 26, 30, 31, 32, 33, 35, 36, 38, 39 and 45, and Northeastern Illinois University’s El Centro campus.
