Malcolm Weems, Director Central Management Services

Malcolm E. Weems
Director, Central Management Services
State of Illinois

Office Phone: 312-714-2648 –Email: [email protected]

Appointed as Director for the Illinois Department of Central Management Services (CMS) in June 2011, Malcolm E. Weems brings more than a decade of experience in government and public service – with a specialization in fiscal and operations management. Weems began his career in public administration in 2000, after receiving his BA from St. Ambrose University in 1995. As a finance manager for the Chicago Park District, Weems negotiated terms for and developed a $90 million contractor budget, and oversaw major revenue-generating contracts, including Soldier Field, Chicago’s lakefront harbors, parking garages and concession areas.

In 2005, Weems joined CMS as the strategic sourcing manager before becoming the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Procurement. At CMS, he supervised the Bureau of Strategic Sourcing and the State’s procurement portfolio managers with a combined spend of $10 billion.

Weems was appointed Associate Director of the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget (GOMB) in 2007. At GOMB, Weems oversaw all State procurement over $1 million, directly managed more than $5 billion and helped prepare the State’s $54 billion annual budget. Weems managed the State’s public safety, transportation, economic development, government services and implemented significant operational changes, including upgrades to the Illinois State Police (ISP) and CMS. Weems also identified underused State revenues and developed statewide initiatives in order to prevent a reduction in services.

Weems became Chief of Staff (COS) of GOMB in 2009, where he carried out Governor Quinn’s initiatives such as strategic planning and addressing budget gaps. Under Weems’ leadership, GOMB produced the largest capital plan in Illinois’ history and developed the vendor assistance program to ease financial pressure on State vendors.

Under Weems’ leadership CMS has surpassed $40M in lease cost reductions and 1.6M square feet of leased space elimination ($13.6M in 2011) since Governor Quinn took office. CMS eliminated a backlog under the Business Enterprise Program (BEP) certification process and organized a Business Diversity Summit to inform diverse businesses, legislators and other agencies on available state services and on how to do business with the state. The agency launched a Mobile Assessment Center to provide offsite employment testing in remote locations and moved the workers’ compensation medical billing process for state plan members to an online process, among other accomplishments. Weems also hosted students from the Urban College Prep Academy — the only all-African-American, all-male charter high school in Chicago — to provide them with an in-depth look at state government operations. He proudly serves as a member of the Governor’s Anti-Violence Commission. Weems continues to advance the agency’s core mission of helping state agencies better serve Illinois residents efficiently and effectively.

In the past year Weems has served as guest speaker at the Chicago Urban League and Government Partnership for Economic Development (GPED); nextCONNECTION Business and Exchange Forum, “Myths, Truths, Challenges and Opportunities; Hispanic American Construction Industry Association (HACIA); the Illinois Black Chamber of Commerce; CAP’s Professional Youth Work Certification Graduation; and Seyfarth Shaw LLP Government Contractors Business Forum (“GCBF”). He served as keynote speaker at the City Club of Chicago Public Policy Luncheon on March 22, 2012.