Commissioners

C. Richard Costes joined the Commission on Equity and Inclusion in October 2022 and has served the State of Illinois since then. He has spent the last decade fighting for accessibility for disabled communities in the nonprofit sector.

A devoted advocate for marginalized groups, Richard joined CEI after working for two years at Communication Service for the Deaf, a constellation of companies that provide products, programs, and services designed to create opportunities for deaf people to succeed.  Before that, he worked for six years at the Association for Corporate Growth, the premier global community for middle-market M&A dealmakers and business leaders focused on driving growth.  He has also spent nearly a decade as an accessibility consultant for various arts organizations nationwide, speaking on panels and providing organizational feedback to make their companies more inclusive to people with disabilities and people of color.

Richard graduated from Kent State University with a Bachelor of Arts. He currently serves on the board of the National Theatre of the Deaf and is a member of Disability LEAD and the 3Arts Artist Council.

Benjamin Salentine is honored to be appointed by Governor Pritzker to serve on the Illinois Commission on Equity and Inclusion. Most recently, Salentine served as Associate Director of Health Sciences at UI Health. He was selected to serve on the Chancellor’s Committee on the Status of People with Disabilities, Anti-Racism and Equity Committee, Culture and Heritage Month Committee, BEST Community Advisory Committee, Equity and Screening Tool Workgroup and Social Determinants of Health Collaborative.

Salentine has worked diligently toward increasing social justice, while contributing to further education and awareness through several mediums. He participated in a radio interview on National Public Radio – WBEZ Chicago Reset, reflecting upon the legacy of the ADA. Salentine has contributed to publications regarding disability and healthcare, while also participating in several panel speaking engagements. He was also featured in 2023 Crain’s Notable Leaders in Health Care.

Salentine earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology from Silver Lake College, as well as a Master of Science Degree in Community Health from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) and a Master of Science Degree in Rehabilitation from UIUC. He also recently earned a Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Disability Studies from the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC). 

Ovelia Smith-Barton came to the Commission on Equity and Inclusion as a Commissioner in November 2023 and was confirmed by the Senate in November 2024. 

Prior to her service with CEI, she dedicated 25 years serving as a Master Trainer with the State of Illinois where she worked for the Illinois Departments of Human Services and Human Rights.  She received training certifications from the National Curriculum & Training Institute, Real Colors, BCON LIFO International, Prairie Crossing Institute, American Heart Association and American Lung Association.

Prior to her employment with the State, Ovelia was employed by Transactive Corporation as the Client Program Manager and Retail Training Coordinator.  Within these roles she collaborated with the Illinois Department of Human Services in the successful implementation of the Illinois Link Program. Ovelia has served on the Board of Directors with the Springfield Urban League and Sojourn Shelter and Services.  She was also a statewide team member with Illinois Imagines (ICASA), working to improve services for women with disabilities who had been victims of sexual violence.

Ovelia is a graduate of the University of Illinois Springfield with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Health Services Administration.

Van Austin has over 19 years of experience in procurement, project management, operations management, and continuous process improvement.  Prior to joining CEI, he was the Agency Procurement Officer (APO) for the Illinois Department of Innovation and Technology, managing their procurement operations that supports 36 client agencies and over $1B dollars in direct spend and hundreds of millions of in-direct spend annually.  He was appointed by the Governor to the State Procurement Taskforce.  Van served as the APO for IL DCFS, leading their COVID-19 procurement and distribution operations response.  Notably, Van worked with the Fair Practices in Contracting Task Force and African American Fair Contracting Commission, led the solicitation team to create a comprehensive child welfare information system, and was honored with a “procurement innovation” award from DoIT Secretary, Ron Guerrier.

Van served as a Policy Advisor and Procurement Compliance Monitor for the Chief Procurement Officer for the Capital Development Board.  Working extensively on administrative rules, policy and procedures, and procurement related legislation.  Previously Van spent 9 years in the mining industry in various procurement roles before departing as an Asset Manager. 

Van holds a B.A. degree in Economics, with a minor in Business Administration, from the University of Illinois. He resides in Springfield, with his wife, Blair.