Guest
Illinois State Comptroller, Office of the Illinois Comptroller
Brings deep expertise in government fiscal management, public-sector data transparency, and technology-driven governance—having led Illinois back from the nation's worst fiscal crisis.
In this episode, host Khullani Abdullahi speaks with Susana Mendoza, Illinois State Comptroller. They discuss using data and transparency to bring Illinois back from a historic fiscal crisis, what AI means for government and the workforce, and why good governance and a builder's mindset matter for Chicago's future.
Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza inherited a $16.7 billion bill backlog, a near-junk credit rating, and a rainy-day fund with $48,000. Nine years later: ten credit upgrades and a payment cycle cut from 210 days to 13. She joins AI in Chicago to discuss what fiscal-crisis management teaches us about the AI transition ahead.