Board Info

Lara Shayne was appointed to the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board by Governor Bruce Rauner in September 2016.

Ms. Shayne has been a labor and employment attorney since 1996, and has worked in all labor and employment practice areas, including negotiating and implementing collective bargaining agreements with numerous public employee unions, and handling grievance arbitrations and IELRB litigation. She began her legal career as an Assistant Corporation Counsel for the Labor/Employment Division of the City of Chicago Department of Law. In 2002, she left the City to join the labor practice group of the Board of Education of the City of Chicago's Law Department. In 2012, Ms. Shayne was selected to help run the Board of Education's Labor Relations unit, where she remained until her appointment to the IELRB.

Ms. Shayne received her BA from the University of Michigan and her J.D. from Chicago-Kent College of Law, where she was a member of Moot Court.

Ms. Shayne is married with two children. She resides in Chicago

Steve Grossman was appointed to the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board on March 1, 2021 by Governor JB Pritzker.

Prior to his appointment, Mr. Grossman spent 27 years as a high school teacher of social studies, serving for much of that time in union leadership. He taught in the Chicago Public Schools from 1991 through 1995 – three years at Whitney M. Young Magnet High School, and one year at Mather High School – before moving on to Niles West High School for the next 23 years. It was at District 219 where Mr. Grossman became actively involved with his union, joining the executive board of the Niles Township Federation of Teachers in 1997 and serving at all levels of leadership, including a four-year stint as president, until his retirement from teaching in 2018. During that time, Mr. Grossman also joined the executive board of the North Suburban Teachers Union, IFT-AFT Local 1274, and served as its president from 2010 until his appointment to the IELRB. And since 2010, he has served on the Executive Board of the Illinois Federation of Teachers as one of 40 elected Vice Presidents.

In 2017 Mr. Grossman joined the faculty DePaul University’s Labor Education Center where he served on a part-time basis as Assistant Director (2017-19), instructor, and advisory committee member (2017-2021). At the LEC, Mr. Grossman taught courses in Arbitration, Collective Bargaining, and Introduction to Union Leadership. He also led its high school summer school program and brought its collective bargaining role play to dozens of area high schools.

Mr. Grossman lives in Chicago with his wife, Food Stylist Mary Valentin, and nearby his two adult children.

Chad Hays served for 4 terms in the Illinois House of Representatives and was Assistant Minority Leader from 2013-2018. He was the Minority Spokesperson for the Higher Education Committee, Executive Committee and Community College Access Committee and on the Legislative Ethics Commission, among a myriad of leadership responsibilities.

Chad Hays served as the Chief Executive Officer of Crosspoint Human Services in Danville, IL from 2018-2021. Crosspoint works with the Developmentally Disabled and individuals diagnosed with Mental Illness. Crosspoint also operates the Domestic Violence and Transitional Housing Shelters and Early Childhood programs in Vermilion County.

Prior to serving in the IL General Assembly Chad was Vice President and Executive Director of Development and Mission Services at Provena United Samaritans Medical Center in Danville.

His healthcare administration background also includes being the Clinic Manager at the Family Medical Center/Paris Community Hospital as well as Director of Development at the Danville Polyclinic.

A Vermilion County native, Chad served as Mayor of his hometown of Catlin for 8 years where he balanced 8 consecutive budgets. He was named Catlin’s Citizen of the Year in 2005.

Chad is a graduate of Danville Area Community College, where he was named the Distinguished Alumni in 2014, and Southern Illinois University.

Chad and his wife Ruth reside in Danville, Illinois They have three grown sons and four grandchildren.

Michelle Ishmael was appointed to the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board by Governor JB Pritzker in March 2021.

For the past 30 years, Ms. Ishmael has combined her skills and knowledge of the legislative and political process with her passion for public education to improve the lives of educators and students. She has worked as a lobbyist for the Illinois Education Association (IEA), in various roles in Illinois State government, and for an education non-profit.

While with the IEA, Ms. Ishmael was the lead lobbyist for the Senate Education and Labor Committees. She analyzed and drafted legislation, provided testimony in committees, and developed position papers resulting in the advancement of many major public education policies. She successfully collaborated with local unions, school districts, policy makers, and coalitions to improve and protect employee rights and benefits, increase school funding and address education reform issues.

Ms. Ishmael created a nationally recognized grassroots organizing program that trained educators to be effectively engaged in policy advocacy and political action. Her work as a champion of education was recognized by being elected to serve multiple terms as the Vice-President and Secretary of the National Association of Legislative and Political Specialists in Education (NALPSE).

Ms. Ishmael resides in Springfield.

In 1987, the IELRB created an advisory committee comprised of employee and employer representatives to offer feedback to the Board, as well as suggestions for improvements in agency procedures and rules updates and/or changes. Meetings of the Advisory Committee are usually held twice a year. If you wish further information on the Advisory Committee or would like to be considered for membership on the committee, please contact Executive Director Victor Blackwell.