Anthony Pascente most recently served as Acting Director and Chief of Staff for Illinois Department of Central Management Services (CMS). Anthony was appointed as the Acting Director by Governor Pritzker to lead the State’s administrative services agency where he oversaw the nearly $7 billion annual budget and more than 800 employees. The agency is responsible for the State’s human resources, benefits for employees and retirees, facilities and fleet management, procurement, labor relations, and media services. He authored and implemented CMS’s first ever multi-year strategic plan and co-authored their first ever diversity, equity, and inclusion initiative.

Prior to joining CMS, Anthony served as the Deputy Chief Operating Officer for the City of Chicago in the Office of Mayor Rahm Emanuel. In that role, he oversaw the City’s physical infrastructure departments including Streets & Sanitation, Transportation, Water Management, Fleet and Facility Management, Buildings, Emergency Management & Communications, and Cultural Affairs and Special Events. He was responsible for the City’s capital planning program, oversaw an average of 350 projects per year with a construction value of $15B, and led the departments during one of the largest infrastructure investments in Chicago history.

He joined the Office of the Mayor after serving two years as Deputy Commissioner with the City’s Fleet and Facility Management (2FM) department where he managed the fiscal, procurement, and information technology operations. Regarded as a budgetary and contract management expert, Anthony prepared, executed, and managed the department’s annual operating budget and procured more than $500M of goods and services while exceeding the City’s Minority and Women Owned Business participation goals.

Prior to 2FM, he served as a Budget and Business Analyst at Arcadis U.S., a global design, engineering and management consulting company. He served as a Budget and Business Analyst for the Department of Water Management’s Capital Improvement Program. Prior to joining Arcadis, he served in other capacities within the City of Chicago, including roles in the Department General Services, Department of Transportation, and the Office of the Mayor.

Anthony is a lifelong Chicagoan who earned his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Loyola University (Chicago), and his MBA from Roosevelt University, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude. He also holds certificates in Project Management from UC Berkeley, Public Performance Management from Rutgers University, Contract Management from George Washington University, and Municipal Finance from University of Chicago. He is currently a member of the Economic Club of Chicago, Civic Federation, and City Club of Chicago.