Bill McMahon brings a wealth of experience to UAct and is an active member of REAP. Bill is a 17-year veteran in workforce and economic development. He spent ten years as an Assistant Commissioner for Workforce Development for the City of Chicago, where he focused on saving and strengthening Illinois’ manufacturing base. He helped found the Chicago Manufacturing Renaissance Council, an ambitious public/private partnership which reformed the city college system, set up the first manufacturing high school – Austin Polytech – and created ManufacturingWorks – the first manufacturing One Stop in the Midwest. Bill has also served on the board of the Independent Voters of Illinois/Independent Precinct Organization in Chicago and was recently Executive Director of Local First Springfield – a +300 member alliance of local, independent businesses, non-profits and individual citizens who came together to build vitality in the Springfield economy by emphasizing the importance of patronizing local, independent businesses.