New director of state aging agency has Will County connection

Mary Killough, board secretary at Senior Services of Will County, has been named director of the Illinois Department of Aging.

Gov. JB Pritzker announced Killough’s appointment Tuesday.

“Her years of experience serving seniors perfectly positions her to bring aging into its next era and advance the goal of ensuring aging Illinoisans and their caregivers have the resources they need to thrive,” Pritzker said in a news release announcing the appointment.

Killough served as deputy director of the Illinois Department of Aging from 2011 to 2015.

She is vice president of operations and government relations for AccentCare, a national organization providing services with six offices in the Chicago area, including one in Joliet.

Killough is an attorney with more than 30 years of experience serving seniors in Illinois, according to the release.

“This population deserves access to compassionate caretaking, comprehensive health care and the opportunity for maximum independence, and I’m confident that I can work with [the Illinois Department on Aging] and stakeholders to ensure this community is prioritized and receives quality care,” Killough said in the release.

Former Director Paula Basta retired at the end of 2023. The position is being filled by an interim director until Killough assumes the position in March pending state Senate confirmation.

Before joining AccentCare, Killough was chief development officer for Gareda Homecare in Calumet City. She also has served as deputy director for Home and Community Services at the Illinois Department on Aging.

She was an assistant state’s attorney for Cook County.

Killough has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and a law degree from the University of Notre Dame.