Cozen O'Connor Public Strategies
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About
Darren Collier
Darren concentrates his practice on the state of Illinois and federal government relations, with a specific focus on lobbying the Illinois General Assembly in Springfield, Ill. With decades of experience in Illinois state government and in the private sector, he helps clients navigate a wide variety of public policy issues.
Prior to joining the Cozen O’Connor, Darren worked as the executive director of government affairs for the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME). Prior to his time at CME, he spent nine years assisting clients with government relations and lobbying at two AmLaw 100 law firms. He developed and managed a diverse client roster of Fortune 100 companies and assisted clients at both the state and federal level.
Prior to his time in the private sector, Darren served as the deputy general counsel and director of legislative affairs for the Illinois Housing Development Authority. He also served as an executive assistant and policy aide for former Illinois Attorney General Jim Ryan.
Darren earned his bachelor's degree from Indiana University and his law degree from Capital University Law and Graduate Center.
Sydney Corryn Holman
Sydney has experience managing a team of liaisons across 27 state agencies. She has coordinated Illinois Department of Public Health briefings for legislators and provided intel and support for agency policy development and legislative strategy. Sydney has also reviewed and analyzed legislation for implementational, budgetary, and political impact. She has prepared agencies for stakeholder meetings and General Assembly Illinois public hearings, trained new employees on office protocol and government process, and provided legislative and operations perspectives on various subject matters across human services, criminal justice, transportation, insurance, and revenue.
Sydney most recently worked with J.B. Pritzker, the governor of Illinois, as deputy director of legislative affairs and house liaison of legislative affairs. While working for the governor of Illinois, she lobbied the governor’s aggressive agenda on pensions and business reform, gaming initiatives, higher education issues, and health care accessibility. She also managed several issues pertaining to college accessibility, K-12 education protocol, health care affordability, and business enterprise programs related to procurement. She has also served as the legislative coordinator for state legislative affairs for the Office of the President – Cook County Board in Chicago and as a research and appropriations analyst for the Office of the Speaker, Illinois House of Representatives.
Sydney earned her bachelor’s degree from Columbia College Chicago.