SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Central Management Services (CMS) has received the National Association of State Chief Administrators (NASCA) Innovation in State Government: Customer Service and Experience Award for the CMS Personnel Academy, a statewide initiative designed to strengthen human resources services across Illinois state government.
The award recognizes the Personnel Academy’s innovative approach to creating consistent, accessible and continuous professional development for human resources professionals across State agencies. By establishing a unified training model, CMS is helping agencies build stronger HR capabilities, share best practices, and deliver more consistent service to employees throughout the State of Illinois.
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“The Personnel Academy represents what is possible when we identify a statewide challenge and bring people together to build a practical, sustainable solution,” said Raven A. DeVaughn, CMS Director. “This national recognition reflects the dedication of our Personnel Academy team and the HR professionals across Illinois who continue to share knowledge, strengthen their skills, and work together to improve the employee experience. We are proud to help agencies deliver more consistent and effective HR services across state government.”
Before the Personnel Academy, training for new agency HR staff varied from agency to agency and often depended on the availability and capacity of individual supervisors. The Academy was created to address that gap by providing a standardized foundation for HR professionals while also offering advanced learning opportunities for experienced practitioners and leaders.
Since its launch, the Personnel Academy has delivered substantial statewide impact:
- 26 state agencies have participated in the Academy’s unified training model.
- 387 participants have graduated from foundational training designed to build core HR knowledge, skills and tools.
- 78 training sessions have been delivered, totaling 295 hours of professional development.
“The Personnel Academy was created because we recognized that the quality of a new HR professional’s training experience should not depend on which agency they joined or how much time a supervisor had available to train them,” said Bobby Tucker, Deputy Director of Statewide Personnel at CMS. “The Academy gives every agency access to the same foundational knowledge, tools, and resources, while creating opportunities for HR professionals to learn from one another. This award validates the importance of that shared approach and the work our team is doing to strengthen HR across the state.”
This latest NASCA award continues CMS' record of national recognition for innovative state government operations. In recent years, CMS has been recognized for:
2026
- 20 Under 40 Awards to Deputy Director Cynthia Johnson and Chicago North Loop Facilities Manager Jomy Jacob
2025
- Innovation in State Government Award – Transformation Category – Hiring Process Reform
- Distinguished Deputy Award – Aundra Williams, CMS Assistant Director
- Government Operations Champion Award – CoreyAnne Gulkewicz, CMS Chief Strategy Officer
- 20 Under 40 Awards to former CMS Chief of Staff Patrick Nolan, Deputy Chief of Staff Steven Booth, and Statewide Recruitment Manager Brittany Clark
2024
- National Ray Walton Leadership Award to Raven A. DeVaughn, CMS Director
- Excellence through Collaboration Award for partnership between Illinois CMS and Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL)
2023
- Excellence Through Collaboration Award for partnership between Illinois CMS and Aetna
- Customer Service and Experience Award for Illinois State Agency Surplus Program
2021
- Innovation in State Government Workspace Optimization Initiatives Award for Chicago Real Estate Portfolio Optimization
2020
- National Ray Walton Leadership Award to Janel L. Forde, former CMS Director
