Michael Cabonargi

Michael Cabonargi serves as Regional Director of the Great Lakes Region (Region V) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), responsible for Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota and 34 indigenous tribal nations.

HHS is with you on your journey through life – from child care to Medicare. HHS is the second largest federal department behind the U.S. Department of Defense, including agencies such as the U.S. Public Health Service, CDC, FDA and NIH. As Regional Director, Mike ensures the Department maintains close contact with state, local, and tribal partners and addresses the needs of communities and individuals served through HHS programs and policies.

Mike brings to HHS a demonstrated track record of public service, stakeholder engagement, coalition building and program review and improvement. He most recently served as the Chair and Commissioner of the Cook County Board of Review, the nation's largest property taxation appeals court. Prior to that, Mike was an award-winning senior attorney with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, where he investigated and litigated a wide variety of cases, including insider trading, offering fraud and pyramid/Ponzi schemes. Previously, Mike served an aide to U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Paul Simon (D-IL).

Mike was named a fellow with Leadership Greater Chicago, which brings together leaders from a variety of fields to study some of Chicago’s most urgent challenges in education, race relations, health care, crime and economic development. Mike’s extensive board service includes the Illinois Governor-Elect’s Budget and Innovation Transition Committee, Illinois Comptroller's Ethics Commission, University of Illinois College of Law Alumni Board, Loyola Academy Bar Association, North Suburban Bar Association, Milan Committee of Chicago’s Sister Cities Program, the Board of the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans, the District 39 Educational Foundation and the Federal Executive Board of Chicago.