A lifelong dream of Dr. Carol L. Adams, who has served as secretary to the Illinois Department of Human Services since 2003, appointed by former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, is about to become a reality. Earlier this week Gov. Pat Quinn named Adams as Illinois R
A lifelong dream of Dr. Carol L. Adams, who has served as secretary to the Illinois Department of Human Services since 2003, appointed by former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, is about to become a reality. Earlier this week Gov. Pat Quinn named Adams as Illinois Representative to Africa within the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity’s Office of Trade and Investment based out of Johannesburg, South Africa. Adams said the appointment “is a culmination of my lifelong work and dedication to the development and advancement of Africa and to enhance Illinois’ presence in the global community.” She will replace former Illinois Rep. Monica Faith Stewart, who was selected by former Gov. George Ryan when the trade office initially opened in 2000. Adams’ new position becomes effective Jan. 1 and she will live in Johannesburg. Until then, she will serve as Senior Advisor to the Governor. OTI provides a variety of programs designed to help Illinois companies locate distribution channels for their products and services in foreign markets. Currently, Illinois is Africa’s third largest export state in the U.S. after Texas and Louisiana; and 539, 300 Illinois jobs are supported by exports. “There’s no one in the history of Illinois who has ever been appointed to this kind of position with the kind of prestige of Dr. Adams,” Quinn said. “She’s been an educator for many years, a renowned educator who has a real specialty of connecting to Africa.” In her new position, Adams says she will seek to increase business opportunities, foreign investment and tourism between Illinois and Africa. “I’ll also be reaching out to universities so that we can establish communications. Some Illinois universities already have programs, but I’ll be looking to expand that so that there are student exchanges and faculty exchanges,” Adams said. “Also some of the important technology and information that we have we will be able to share with the continent of Africa.” The state already has profitable trade relations with Africa, Quinn says, but adds there is much more than goods that can be exchanged. One of the goals, he says, is to establish an Africa Policy Institute to have the countries of Africa see Illinois as a special place in the U.S. where they can connect. “We already have a number of African citizens who are living in Illinois and going to school here, and we want to greatly expand on that.” Adams earned her bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Fisk University and a master’s in Sociology from Boston University. She did her doctorate work in Sociology at the University of Chicago and completed her dissertation at The Union Graduate School. Copyright 2009 Chicago Defender
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