This week Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner announced the appointment of NAFUSA member Rodger Heaton as Public Safety Director and Homeland Security Advisor.

Heaton has 30 years of legal experience, including spending more than four years as the U.S. Attorney for the Central District of Illinois (2005-2009), appointed by President George W. Bush. Most recently, he was a partner at Hinshaw & Culbertson. He also spent two years as a partner at Kirkland & Ellis.

Until joining the administration, Heaton was an Administrative Law Judge with the U.S. Office of Disability Adjudication and Review. He presided over federal administrative hearings of disability claims under the Social Security Act.

Heaton earned his law degree from Indiana University and holds a bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.