Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Natalie Phelps Finnie, a former Downstate legislator, as the new director of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced appointments today, including Natalie Phelps Finnie as director of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. She is a former Downstate legislator, who briefly served as deputy director of the IDNR, beginning in August, 2021.

Here is the germane portion of Gov. Pritzker’s announcment:

Illinois Department of Natural Resources

Natalie Finnie will serve as Director of the Department of Natural Resources.* Finnie has served as Deputy Director of DNR since August of 2021 where she oversaw the Office of Land Management, Legislative Department, Office of Oil & Gas Management, and Office of Mines and Mineral. Prior to this, she was the State Representative of the 118th District from 2017 to 2019. She has experience as an Advanced Practice Nurse and Family Nurse Practitioner. Finnie received her Associate of Science and Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the University of Southern Indiana. She received her Master of Science in Nursing at Vanderbilt University.

A fuller account of Phelps Finnie’s background is on the IDNR’s “Meet the Director” page.