About the Office
The Governor’s Office of New Americans (GONA) oversees the State of Illinois’ immigrant integration initiatives. The Office works with State Agencies to ensure that agencies are culturally and linguistically competent when rendering services and providing information to Limited English Proficient (LEP) populations.
GONA is a partner with more than seventy community-based organizations serving LEP populations. Services rendered through these partnership include citizenship assistance, case management, English tutoring, and health services.
For more information please contact the Office Director Denise Martinez at Denise.Martinez@illinois.gov
About the Director
Governor Quinn appointed Denise Martinez to serve as Director of the Governor’s Office of New Americans in March 2010. Since serving as Director, Denise has established strategic collaborations with faith-based and non-profit institutions in order to further engage New Americans into the social and policy issues that impact their lives. She has supported an ambitious expansion plan for the State’s Illinois Welcoming Center(IWC), a “one-stop” facility that provides comprehensive case assessment to LEP populations. Denise was born and raised in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood and is the daughter of two Mexican immigrants. She leads the Governor’s Office of New Americans with respect and a great sense of duty to ensure the success and prosperity of immigrant families throughout the State of Illinois. Denise is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and is currently pursuing a Juris Doctorate at the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) Chicago-Kent College of Law.
Director Contact Information:
Denise.Martinez@illinois.gov
(312)814.6686
Internship Opportunities
If you are currently enrolled in a part-time or full-time undergraduate program, and are interested in serving as a research assistant with the GONA please email your resume and interest statement to Denise.Martinez@illinois.gov