CHICAGO – New Gov. Pat Quinn has a well-worn image as a political outsider, so when it came to picking his new chief of staff he didn’t tap a big-time wheeler-dealer as his right-hand man.

Quinn on Monday chose longtime friend and children’s advocate Jerry Stermer, who was president of Voices for Illinois Children for 22 years before joining Quinn’s administration.

“It’s important that the Land of Lincoln, our state government, have individuals of the highest integrity and sensitivity to the needs of people who are raising kids and who are working on jobs and hoping to keep their jobs and living from check to check every month,” Quinn said in introducing Stermer.

But some Republican lawmakers already questioned whether Stermer was the right pick for the job with the state in the midst of a financial meltdown.

“I like and respect Jerry Stermer’s tremendous advocacy on behalf of Illinois children. As a former chief of staff to Gov. Edgar, I was a little surprised considering the state’s fiscal condition that Gov. Quinn picked a perpetual advocate of additional spending rather than a managerial type,” said Republican state Sen. Kirk Dillard.

A look at two top staff appointments by Gov. Pat Quinn:

Jerry Stermer

Job: Chief of staff

Most recent job: President of the advocacy group Voices for Illinois Children since 1987

Residence: Elmhurst

Family: Wife, two children

Age: 65

Ted Chung

Job: General counsel

Most recent job: Partner at the Chicago law firm since 2007.

Residence: Highland Park

Family: Wife, two children

Age: 42