Executive Director
Illinois Family Caregiver Coalition
Ms. Brennan serves as the Executive Director of the newly created statewide Illinois Family Caregiver Coalition. Her work experience spans over 30 years in Washington, DC, Chicago and Springfield, Illinois working in and around Capitol Hill in Washington DC and Illinois state government and a variety of national and state-level campaigns.
Previously, she worked in Washington, DC in a Senate office for former US Senator Alan J. Dixon from Illinois and later in the communications office at one of the largest healthcare associations in the country. She spent 8 years working in Washington DC for a variety of media consulting firms and with journalist Elizabeth Drew as a research assistant where she served as Ms. Drew’s research assistant for one of her books – Showdown: The Struggle Between the Gingrich Congress and the Clinton White House.
A native of the Chicagoland area, Amy returned to Illinois where she worked in and around the Illinois State Capitol for the past 22 years. She served as a Legislative Aide for the Speaker of the House. Next, she was hired by the Governor’s office as Legislative Director for the Illinois Department of Human Services.
Amy then created a small lobbying/consulting business, advocating for a variety of organizations including Big Brothers Big Sisters of Illinois, Loyola University’s Child Law Center, Citizens Utility Board and the Illinois Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics. She was then hired in the Chicago office of JP Morgan Chase as a Vice President, managing State & Local Government Affairs and covering 7 Midwest states and the municipalities located in all 7 states.
It was during this time Amy was honored to assist her mother navigate the last six months of a 16-year fight facing lung cancer. After taking a brief medical leave, she realized more needs to be done in Illinois to support family caregivers navigate this challenging time, including encouraging companies to support current and future employees as they balance responsibilities of work and unpaid family caregiving.
Most recently, Amy served in the Pritzker administration for the State of Illinois, heading up the legislative offices at the Department on Aging and at the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.
Ms. Brennan earned her undergraduate degree at Marquette University in Milwaukee and later a Master’s degree in Public Policy from University of Wisconsin-Madison. She lives on the far north side of the City of Chicago in the Lincoln Square neighborhood where she volunteers for various local organizations including many animal rescue groups.
