Maria Pappas
118 North Clark, Suite 212
Chicago, Illinois 60602
(312) 603-6202

 

Employment

1998 – Present   Cook County Treasurer – Chicago
1990 – 1998      Cook County Commissioner – Chicago
1982 – Present   Private Practice, Attorney-at-Law – Chicago
1972 – Present   Private Practice, Individual and Group Therapy – Chicago

Previous Employment

Ministry of Justice – Athens, Greece
Greek Society for Adlerian Studies – Athens, Greece
Dreikurs Institute Staff – Tel Aviv, Israel
International Adlerian Summer School – Zurich, Switzerland
Greek Society of Psychology, Summer School Staff – Athens, Greece
Society of Individual Psychology, University of Essex – England
Professor of Psychology and Counseling, Governors State University – Park Forest, Illinois
Society of Individual Psychology – Austria
Adlerian Psychology Center – Holland
Community Professor, DePaul University – Chicago, Illinois
Teaching Assistant, Loyola University – Athens, Greece
Teaching Assistant, West Virginia University – Morgantown, West Virginia

Education

1982 Juris Doctor, I.I.T. Chicago-Kent College of Law– Chicago, Illinois
1976 Ph.D., Counseling and Psychology, Loyola University of Chicago – Chicago, Illinois
1972 M.A., Guidance and Counseling, West Virginia University – Morgantown, WV
1972 Certification, International Adlerian Summer School – West Liberty, West Virginia
1970 B.A., Sociology, West Liberty State College – West Liberty, West Virginia

Professional Organizations

Current
American Hellenic Institute, Incorporated · Aspen Institute, Society of Fellows · Chicago Bar Association · Chicago Network · Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce · Economic Club of Chicago · Government Finance Officers Association · Greater North Michigan Avenue Association · Hellenic Bar Association of Illinois · Illinois County Treasurer’s Association · Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy · League of Women Voters · National Association of Female Executives · Symi Symposium, Member

Past
AIDS Foundation of Chicago, Member – Board of Trustees · American Society of Adlerian Psychology, Executive Secretary · ASAP Task Force on Minorities · Chicago Women in Government Relations · City Club of Chicago · Day-One Safari, Board of Directors · Hellenic Communications · Horizon Health Care, Board of Directors · Individual Psychologist, Associate Editor  International Film Festival, Member – Board of Directors · Most Notable Americans, 1976-1977 · St. Mary of Nazareth Hospital Center - Chicago, Member – Board of Trustees · Who’s Who in American Women

Achievements and Awards

Greater North Michigan Avenue Association – Eleven Years of Continuous Membership
Greek American Restaurant Association – Recognition of Excellence
Benito Juarez Community Academy Students – Appreciation
Bosnian & Herzegovinian American Community – Support of Women’s Rights
City Club of Chicago – Civic Contributions
South Suburban Coordinated Democrats – Innovator of the Year
West Liberty State College Alumni Association – Wall of Fame Inductee
Chicago Defender Charities, Special Recognition – Youth Group
West Central Association – Thanks and Appreciation
Chicago Principal for a Day, Charles N. Holden Elementary School
Hellenic Bar Association of IL, Hellenic American Dental Society and Greek Women’s University Club
- Distinguished and Dedicated Service
International Hispanic Latino Mental Health Week
United Hellenic American Congress – Greek-American Statesperson Award
Greek-American Community Services – Heritage Award
Pan Arcadian Federation of America – Arcadian of the Year 1998
International Christian Fellowship for Mission, Chicago – Recognition of Dedication
Illinois Committee for Honest Government – 10th Annual Distinguished Service Award

Activities/Hobbies

Participate and train for athletic events ranging from 5K runs to triathlons. Recent participant in: Chicago Triathlon, Heartland Aids Ride 2002, Avon Breast Cancer Walk, and Face of America 2002- Bike from Ground Zero to the Pentagon.

Consulting

Chicago Council on Medicine and Religion • Daniel Williams Hill Elementary School • Depot • Family Education • Association of Chicago • Jewish Vocational Services • Joliet School District • Latin School • Mormon Society of Salt Lake City, Utah • Morraine Valley Community College • National Teachers College • Northbrook School District • Ohio Valley Homemakers Association • St. Thomas Apostle Elementary School • Stone Baptist Church • True Temple of Solomon

ACCOMPLISHMENTS as Cook County Treasurer: 1998 to Present

1. Taxpayer Convenience – Property Payments
   • Three alternative methods of paying Cook County property taxes:
     • Currently, 376 Chase Branches, including 69 Dominick's locations, accept Cook County property tax payments. These 376 Chase locations collected over 3.5 million payments. Nearly 6.5 million property tax payments have been made at bank branch locations including those made at the previous branch provider.
     • Online Payments – over 945,000 property tax payments made online.
     • Community Banking Program – 222 bank branches participated in the last installment.
    
2. Website - cookcountytreasurer.com
   • Nearly 21 million (over 312,000 per month) visitors have used this state-of-the-art system since February 2004 to:
     • check payment status, search for a refund and check 3-year exemption history
     • download forms, applications and brochures
        
3. Automated Phone System (312.443.5100) - English - Spanish - Polish
   • Over 2.7 million (over 37,000 per month) calls received since the implementation of the Automated Phone System (August 2003) to:
     • check payment status and search for a refund
     • receive important frequently updated information on the property tax system
        
4. E-Mail System - Customer Relationship Management System
   • Nearly 88,000 e-mails answered through this system by 30-40 employees in the Office who have been trained on the system, Customer Service and various research systems.
      
5. Budget – Fiscal Responsibility
   • Submitted annual budgets for the #060 County Treasurer Budget below the previous year, for nine consecutive budgets beginning in FY2002 with a 1.1% reduction, followed by reductions of 1.9%, 3.5%, 3.2%, 6.8%, 8.3%, 34.8% and 7.2%. Beginning in FY2008 reduction was due primarily to shifting the burden from the Corporate, taxpayer-funded #060 budget to the #534 County Treasurer - Automation Fund, which is funded through fees collected by the Treasurer's Office.
      
6. Reduction in Staff
   • Reduced staff by 129 positions, a decrease of 52%. (FY1998 – 250 positions to FY2010  – 121 positions). This reduction occurred through automation, attrition, reduction in staff and closing five satellite offices.  Note: Upon taking office, recruited and hired specialized professional-level employees.
      
7. Web-based Systems for Third Parties
   • Nearly 8.0 million payments totaling nearly $19 billion have been made using the Third-Party Agent (TPA) Program since the implementation of the system in September 2003.
   • Subsequent Tax Electronic Payment System (STEPS) allows Annual Tax Buyers to pay subsequent property taxes online through an ACH debit.  72,181 property tax payments have been made since the system was implemented on December 17, 2007.
   • Real-Time TPA System (RTS) allows banks, mortgage, and title companies to pay general property taxes online through an ACH debit and receive an instant receipt. Nearly 124,000 general property tax payments have been made since the system was implemented on February 4, 2008.
   • Designed Online Taxing Agency Extranet, which provides an informational site for communication with taxing agencies. Streamlined the processing of statements by elimination of mailing reports (approximately 2,000-4,000 weekly). 
   • Implemented an Automated Tax Sale to replce the traditional outcry auction.  Previously the sale would take one month, now takes four days.
      
8. Taxpayer Outreach Program
   • Created the Treasurer’s Outreach Program and Services (TOPS) to inform taxpayers about the Cook County property-tax system. The Office is represented at approximately 325 events per quarter.
      
9. Automation/Information Technology - FY2009 Projects
   • PIN Research Enhancements (in-house information research tool) - augment system with multiple sources of property tax information in one place, eliminating need for multiple screens open at one time.
   • Web site for Proposed Debt Disclosure Ordinance - house audited financial statements from taxing districts with ability for taxpayers to view information.
   • "Self-Serve" Computers for quick, easy access to payment and refund information.
   • Automate tax bill testing program.
   • Real Estate Tax Information Portal - efforts continue to add all available PIN-based information to portal and automate reconcilement of portal with MIS (mainframe).
   • Web site Infrastructure Upgrade - install redundant database and Web servers to improve speed and reliability of Website.
   • Replace 50 PCs - to improve employee productivity and reduce support costs.
   • Upgrade Email Servers - to improve email reliability and remote email features.
   • Port VB 6 programs to .NET - move custom software to Microsoft-supported technology.
   • Third-Party Agent (TPA) System Enhancements.
   • Upgrade Account and Cashiering Servers - to omprove reliability and performance.
   • Upgrade storage system - to increase storage capacity and performance..
   • Move computer servers to County server room on 7th floor - to improve reliability and security of IT infrastructure.
      
10. Taxpayer Information - Brochures
    • Several informational brochures are currently available in English and 21 languages: Albanian, Arabic, Assyrian, Bulgarian, Chinese, Croatian, Czech, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Lithuanian, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovakian, Spanish, Ukrainian and Urdu. These brochures are available by contacting the Treasurer’s Office or can be downloaded at cookcountytreasurer.com. 

All data through August 31, 2009, unless otherwise stated.

 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS as Cook County Commissioner: 1990 to 1998

• Initiated and successfully fought for ethics and human rights ordinances.
   
• Successfully introduced ordinance requiring at least one public hearing on any measure to increase county debt. Public notice by newspaper publication must be given in advance of such hearing.
   
• Introduced ordinance calling for property tax abatement of $32 million.
   
• Established through Board Resolution, the Citizen’s Advisory Sub-Committee on Law Enforcement, comprised of members of the legal, academic, social and public policy-making communities. This panel contributed numerous hours examining the county’s fragmented criminal justice database, jail construction and operations, and other aspects of the criminal justice system both in the county and statewide.
   
• Co-authored a 30-page study on teenage pregnancy, outlining a wide-ranging program to combat this serious matter.
   
• Introduced numerous measures designed to instill fiscal reform. These measures included ordinances demanding truth-in-budgeting, fixed sum construction contracts on projects involving new structures that preclude expensive change orders, an end to no-bid legal and bond issue contracts, and periodic status reporting by outside consultants.
   
• Introduced an ordinance imposing a fine on any person who willingly falsifies residency or other information in order to gain free access to county health care services.
   
• Introduced the electronic home monitoring user fee ordinance, and successfully pushed for the enabling state law to have these criminal defendants pay at least a portion of their incarceration costs.
   

For a more extensive biography of Treasurer Maria Pappas, click here.