Robin joined the Treasurer’s Office as chief of staff in January 2007 after serving four years as a state representative. Leveraging her experience in the Legislature and previous two decades in community development, she has focused on innovative initiatives and policies designed to create and retain jobs, curb ethical abuses, safely invest taxpayers' money, and protect the financial well-being of Illinois residents. Noting that Robin has overseen “the day-to-day functions of the office for the last four years,” the Peoria Journal Star says she “could step up without missing a beat.”

Robin as a Job Creator:
• Robin implemented Employ Illinois, a program that deposits state money into banks that promise to loan the money to businesses at reduced rates. The borrowers must be small business owners, childcare providers or commit to creating jobs. As a result, Employ Illinois has created hundreds of new jobs throughout the state.
• As a State Representative, she partnered with then-State Sen. Barack Obama, to pass legislation that created the Economic Development for a Growing Economy (EDGE) tax credit program that incentivized businesses to locate or expand operations in Illinois. The program is especially effective at encouraging small to medium sized businesses to create jobs in the state.
• Robin also sponsored legislation to increase the minimum wage, voted to require businesses that receive state economic assistance to meet their job creation promises, voted to safeguard unemployment insurance for workers who were locked out by their employers, and voted to allow public employees to establish unions based on card-check recognition.

Robin as a Financial Watchdog:
• During the financial market meltdown of 2008, Robin oversaw the deposit of almost $300 million into healthy Illinois financial institutions that did not receive federal bailout money, to help thaw the credit markets for consumers and increase the state's rate of return. Unlike some other states, Illinois weathered the market meltdown because of its conservative and diversified investment strategy.
• To address the nation's worst unfunded pension liability, she spearheaded the drafting of  legislation that will potentially save the state $16 billion dollars by accelerating paying down Illinois' pension debt through money generated by the unclaimed property division.
• In addition, Robin cut bloat and waste from the payroll by terminating unnecessary contracts, which saved the state more than $750,000 annually.

Robin as an Innovator:
• To generate more revenue for the state, Robin harnessed the power of eBay to auction off abandoned property while getting more unclaimed assets to the rightful owners and heirs.
• To reduce staff travel expense and to better serve residents across the state, Robin opened satellites offices without increasing the office budget or expending additional tax dollars.
• Robin recognized that for small businesses to strive and grow, they needed financial assistance to go green. She established the Green Energy program, which helped finance a new state-of-the-art health center on Chicago’s West Side.  This center will expand patient services in one of the city’s most populated and medically underserved communities.

Robin as a Consumer Advocate:
• To prevent young adults from piling up credit card debt, Robin cracked down on credit card companies by supporting legislation to curb deceptive tactics used to prey on college students.
• Providing the underserved an alternative to expensive check cashing stores, Robin started Bank On Illinois.  Bank On Illinois introduced low-income and immigrant families to low-cost or free checking accounts at banks and credit unions in their respective communities.
• During a time of record foreclosures, she implemented the Finally Home program, which helps homeowners refinance unaffordable, variable rate mortgages.

Robin as a Reformer:
• Robin helped efforts to end pay-to-play politics in Illinois   by enforcing the Treasurer’s executive order putting limits on lobbyist activities and prohibiting contributions from contractors, banks and office employees.
• Insisting on putting people ahead of politics, Robin has self imposed the restrictions outlined in the executive order on her political campaign.  
• To ensure that the Treasurer’s Office is more accountable to the people they serve, Robin made investment information easily accessible on the Treasurer's Office website.
• Under Robin’s leadership, she has made it a priority to achieve racial and gender parity so that the state’s employees reflect the composition of the state.
• Robin also extended health benefits to the same-sex partners of employees that had been denied by her predecessor despite every other constitutional office and state agency making those benefits available to their employees.