Title: Chief of Staff for Deputy Governor
Employer: State of Illinois
Age: 32
From Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s constitutional amendment proposal to move to a progressive income tax to consolidating the state’s public safety pension assets, Cameron Mock leaped head first into roles that are helping shape the administration’s strategy to stabilize state finances.
Cameron joined the state in February 2019 as chief of staff and senior fiscal advisor to Deputy Governor Dan Hynes after four years with the Chicago Public Schools in various fiscal and policy roles. He was tapped immediately to work on the new governor’s proposal to move to a progressive income tax structure that will appear on the November ballot. He then served on the consolidation task force that led to legislation in 2019 to combining more than 650 local funds into a single firefighters’ fund and single police fund.
On state borrowing, Cameron says his primary role is helping promote recent state gains under Pritzker amid a backdrop of the state’s longstanding pensions and rating challenges.
“Telling this story is paramount to spurring investment in the state and assuring those looking to invest in Illinois’ bonds that it is a safe investment,” Cameron said.
“Unequivocally he is one of the most intelligent and capable public finance professionals I have met. He has great promise to be a leader in government finance and or the municipal bond industry,” public finance veteran Mike Belsky said in the nominating form.
After graduate school, Cameron began his career working at the Michigan Senate Fiscal Agency. Former Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn’s administration recruited him in 2013. The governor lost his re-election campaign to the Republican candidate, Bruce Rauner.
Early on in the pandemic, Cameron was hired to assist the Department of Public Health and Emergency Management in setting up testing sites. He then oversaw the state’s COVID epi-curve modeling efforts that uses data and top research institutions to forecast the virus’ progression.
Outside of work, Cameron prefers the outdoors — whether it’s snowboarding, for which he makes annual trips to Whistler Blackcomb in British Columbia, or golfing, which he took up as a toddler and has yet to hit a hole-in-one. Sailing is a more recent hobby.
If one catches a glimpse of Cameron on the golf course, it might just be his twin, Brandon, who enjoys many of the same hobbies and lives close by in Chicago. The pandemic has put a temporary dent in Cameron’s wedding plans with fiancé Brittany who had been set to wed this September. The two are hoping to tie the knot next year.
