Jason Horwitz

As the Senior Economic Advisor for the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Jason Horwitz oversees several offices within the Department and is responsible for development and execution of the Governor’s economic and workforce development strategy for the State. Mr. Horwitz brings over a decade of leadership experience in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, with expertise in public policy, public finance, and economics. As Deputy Director of the Policy Development, Planning and Research bureau for DCEO from 2019 to 2023, he led the agency’s policy and research efforts. During those four years, DCEO put in place a 5-year economic plan and implemented dozens of initiatives included in that plan; provided over $700 million in relief to support small businesses and entrepreneurs during the COVID pandemic; and deployed innovative new capital grant programs that support infrastructure, commercial development, and job training as part of the $45 billion Rebuild Illinois capital plan. Mr. Horwitz came to DCEO from Anderson Economic Group, where he led the economic consulting firm’s public policy practice as the Director of Public Policy and Economic Analysis. He holds a Master of Public Policy from the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy and a Bachelor of Arts with Honors in Physics and Philosophy from Swarthmore College.