From the Daily Herald:

Tollway chief resigns to work for contractor
By Marni Pyke and Joseph Ryan | Daily Herald Staff
Published: 9/25/2008 12:06 AM | Updated: 9/25/2008 11:36 AM
Illinois State Toll Highway Authority chief Brian McPartlin resigned today to take an executive post with a major tollway contractor.
McPartlin said he will take a job as vice president of McDonough Associates, an engineering and construction firm that won more than $30 million in tollway contracts in his two-year stint as agency director.
State ethics laws praised by Gov. Rod Blagojevich are supposed to bar so-called "revolving door" moves by state officials, where they land high-paying jobs for companies they once dolled out tax dollars to.
However, several officials under Blagojevich have been able to obtain waivers from the state ethics commission, which is mostly appointed by Blagojevich.
McPartlin said Thursday he received such a waiver and has agreed not to work on tollway projects while vice president at McDonough.
McPartlin said he saw no conflict of interest in leaving the tollway to take an executive position at a company that won large tollway contracts he oversaw.
McPartlin received a standing ovation at the tollway's board meeting after announcing his resignation. He praised his administration's work on expanding and rebuilding the system and bringing reform to the tollway.
He said he is leaving the $189,000 post because of personal and financial reasons, noting he has children entering college.
Tollway chief of staff Dawn Catuara was appointed interim director by the board, which is controlled by Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
In his two years at the tollway's top post, McPartlin has won both acclaim and criticism.
He oversaw the 12-mile expansion of I-355 between I-55 and I-80, a largely popular road extension that came as many non-tollway road projects dried up for lack of funding.
McPartlin also expanded the tollway's numerous rebuilding and widening projects across the system, which stretches from Rockford to the Indiana border. So far, the multiyear, multibillion-dollar plan has come in mostly on time and on budget.
"He's wonderful," said tollway board member and Naperville Mayor George Pradel. "He knows what's happening and he's the one that holds us all together."
Yet the tollway chief has butted heads with angry commuters, politicians and civic groups over problems with the system's toll enforcement program.
The tollway failed to send out toll violation notices for more than a year because of problems in switching contractors who operate the camera and computer systems.
The gaffe created a dramatic increase in scofflaws.
A Daily Herald investigative series revealed systemic problems with the agency's enforcement practices that left unwitting drivers with massive fines.
McPartlin came into the tollway as administration chief in 2003 after Gov. Rod Blagojevich took office. He replaced Jack Hartman as tollway director in late 2006.
McPartlin is a former aide to President Bill Clinton. He once ran for the Cook County Board and held a seat on the District 57 school board.
He is currently heading up the Elk Grove Township Democratic organization.