Sol Flores & Alex Sims (#VoteHerIn, Episode 76)

Special #MakeHerstory edition of #VoteHerIn, a collaboration of Two Broads Talking Politics & author Rebecca Sive

With Illinois Deputy Gov Sol A. Flores and strategist Alex Sims.

Sol Flores serves as deputy governor in Illinois Governor JB Pritzker’s administration overseeing Health and Human Services since February 2019. As Deputy Governor, she helped oversee the administration’s response to COVID-19, including housing relief and vaccination efforts. Additionally, Flores spearheads the administration’s efforts around poverty alleviation, hunger relief, expanding healthcare access to all, and strengthening the state’s safety nets for its most vulnerable residents. She was the founding executive director of La Casa Norte, a non-profit organization established in 2002 that has served more than 30,000 youth and families confronting homelessness. Flores built La Casa Norte from two employees to a multi-million-dollar organization delivering inspiration, hope, and critical services. She is a tireless advocate, having served on numerous working groups, commissions, and nonprofit boards. Flores was raised by a single mother who came to Chicago from Puerto Rico, who was recognized as a national Champion of Change by President Barack Obama.

Alexandra (Alex) P. Sims believes that one's birthplace and economic status shouldn't negatively affect one's life journey, and her career has taught her that real change is brought about when there is synergy, empathy, and aligned purposes among all public affairs sectors: business, government, philanthropy, and grassroots organizing. Alex came to Chicago from metro Detroit to attend Northwestern University. Awarded the prestigious CORO Fellowship, Alex was assigned by the CORO program to serve in the St. Louis, Missouri area. Motivated by President Barack Obama’s education and social policies, Alex was appointed to head his 2012 Presidential campaign for the St. Louis region. Following Obama’s victory, Alex continued as a State Coordinator with Organizing for Action (OFA), relocating to Chicago. It was in Chicago there that she founded Every Vote Counts, where she directed the registration of over 120,000 voters in 4 four months - the largest voter registration campaign in the country that year. While Senior Advisor to the City of Chicago Treasurer, she launched an aggressive and strategic agenda of financial equity and access. Now, founder and CEO of APS and Associates, she counsels numerous clients, including The Obama Foundation and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker.

Both Sol and Alex are graduates of the women in public leadership initiative created by Rebecca Sive for the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy.