NASCA Press Release: State of Illinois Announced as 2026 Innovation in State Government: Customer Service and Experience Award Recipient

For Immediate Release
October 9, 2026

Contact: Elizabeth Whitehouse, Executive Director, executivedirector@nasca.org

NASCA Announces State of Illinois Personnel Academy as 2026 Innovation in State Government: Customer Service and Experience Award Recipient

Springfield, IL —The National Association of State Chief Administrators is proud to announce the Illinois Department of Central Management Services (CMS) Personnel Academy as the 2026 NASCA Innovation in State Government: Customer Service and Experience Award recipient.

The CMS Personnel Academy is designed to serve Human Resources staff in State of Illinois agencies. The Academy provides a standardized, continuous learning program designed to meet the evolving needs of state agencies by ensuring HR staff receive consistent, high-quality training and support. The Academy offers ongoing instruction on a rotating basis in the core areas of Hiring, Transactions, Recruitment, Employee Experience, Classification, and Compliance, with curriculum informed by the challenges and needs identified by HR leaders across CMS.

“The Personnel Academy is an important investment in the people who support Illinois’ workforce every day,” said Raven A. DeVaughn, Director of CMS. “By bringing HR professionals together around shared knowledge, practical tools, and a common commitment to service, we are building stronger connections across state government and creating a foundation for continuous improvement. We are grateful to NASCA for recognizing the team’s work and the value this program brings to agencies across Illinois.”

The program includes foundational training for employees who are new to Human Resources, as well as advanced workshops for experienced HR professionals, leaders, and staff seeking targeted refreshers on policies, procedures, and best practices. By supporting employees throughout every stage of their careers, the Academy enhances the customer experience for state agencies by increasing access to knowledgeable HR professionals, improving consistency in service delivery, strengthening technical expertise, and providing practical tools that help agencies better support their workforce.

“For HR professionals, having the opportunity to learn directly from peers who are navigating the same challenges can make a real difference,” said Bobby Tucker, Deputy Director of Statewide Personnel at CMS. “The Personnel Academy brings that experience into one place, giving practitioners a chance to exchange ideas, learn from what is working in other agencies, and take practical solutions back to their teams. That kind of collaboration strengthens the HR community across Illinois and ultimately helps us better serve the employees of state government.”

The Personnel Academy was built through a collaborative, practitioner-led approach that leveraged the expertise of leaders from different HR functions. HR leaders directly identified recurring service challenges across the State and helped design targeted training and practical tools to support success on the front lines. This laid the groundwork for HR leaders to share practices instead of operating independently. 

One former participant says that an Employee Experience training “was exceptional, and the best thing I have ever seen come out of CMS in my 17+ years with the State of Illinois. It gave vision, insight, and created an open environment to collaborate with everyone in the room. If you were a part of this session, you know how truly unique and special this was. I think a lot of us left this session feeling hopeful.”

NASCA celebrates their selection, and we look forward to their continued work advancing excellence in state government operations. 

Founded in 1976, NASCA is the nation’s only nonpartisan, nonprofit organization serving chief administrative officers or CAOs. NASCA provides a forum for state chief administrative officers to exchange information and learn new ideas from each other and private sector partners. NASCA engages states in transforming government operations through shared knowledge, operational excellence, and thought leadership.

For more information on NASCA, please visit NASCA.org.