Jay Rowell

Jay Rowell is the Executive Director of Chicago-based HIRE360, a unique partnership between developers, general contractors, the hospitality industry, and trade unions to connect underrepresented populations to opportunities. Rowell previously served as the Deputy Treasurer for Illinois, where he oversaw the state’s $31 billion portfolio. In that role, he helped to dramatically increase the number of minority- and women-owned firms that manage the State’s investments and re-envisioned the Illinois 529 College Savings programs, earning Morningstar’s highest ratings. Before joining the Illinois State Treasurer’s office, Rowell was the Director of the Illinois Department of Employment Security, where he helped to improve the process of connecting people with available jobs, created a no-cost HR recruiting program and launched a new job board to better match job seekers’ skill sets with the needs of potential employers. Rowell earned his law degree from Loyola University Chicago School of Law and a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Communication at American University.