Chicago mayor rounds out finance team with comptroller appointment

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson tapped state banking regulator Chasse Rehwinkel to fill the city comptroller’s position, a choice that completes his picks for the city’s top fiscal posts.

The comptroller manages the collection or disbursement of city revenues and all funds required to be in the custody of the city treasurer.  The chief financial officer, budget director, and comptroller lead management of city finances.

“I am confident that he will provide effective, transparent leadership and responsible management of city revenues,” Johnson said in a statement. “His extensive experience in government finance will help create a stronger economic future for all Chicagoans and communities.”   

Rehwinkel most recently held the position of director of banking for the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. He previously worked as the chief economist and director of the bond division for state Comptroller Susana Mendoza. In that position, he worked on state liquidity, public budgeting, debt issuance, and access to capital.

Rehwinkel served as the comptroller’s advisor on interfund borrowing, short-term lending, bond issuance and other fiscal issues. He also counseled the comptroller on several boards and commissions, including the Illinois State Board of Investment, State Employees’ Retirement System, and Illinois Secure Choice. He previously held several positions in the state treasurer’s office and holds a Master of Public Policy from the University of Chicago.

Johnson previously named veteran financial advisory and banking professional Jill Jaworski as his CFO and former Cook County budget director Annette Guzman as budget director.

While Johnson had asked most of former Mayor Lori Lighftoot’s cabinet members to stay on at least temporarily her finance team — CFO Jennie Huang Bennett, Budget Director Susie Park, and Comptroller Reshma Soni — had told him they were ready to move on after Lightfoot lost her re-election bid.