Announcement published by Leadership Greater Chicago
40 
civic-minded leaders from across sectors selected for region’s most prestigious civic leadership development program
Today, Leadership Greater Chicago (LGC) announced its 2019 Class of LGC Fellows. This select group of 40 accomplished and diverse individuals represents a cross-section of professionals from the corporate, nonprofit, government, and education sectors. They share the organization’s mission to effect transformative change in the community, and join a 35-year legacy of building and strengthening the pipeline of civic leaders who will lead the future of Chicago.
Over the course of the 10-month program, the 2019 LGC Fellows will be immersed in key socioeconomic issues facing our city and the region through full-day seminars, community site visits, discussion groups, conversations with subject matter experts, cultural events, and experiential learning opportunities.
“Our Fellows come from diverse backgrounds but share a common goal to create a better and more united Chicago for all who call it home,” said Maria Wynne, CEO of Leadership Greater Chicago. “We are grateful for the support of the many sponsors who nominated these outstanding individuals and believe in their ability to change the world. On behalf of the LGC Board of Directors, I congratulate our new Fellows and look forward to their positive impact on our region.”
In October 2017, LGC began accepting applications for its 2019 program. More than 100 people applied with the support of their employer. The highly competitive selection process to become an LGC Fellow – which includes a comprehensive written application and interview with graduates of the LGC Fellows Program – is based on a record of remarkable professional achievement early in their careers, evidence of leadership skills, the potential to influence positive change, and a commitment to the community.
As the region’s oldest and most prestigious leadership development program, LGC is known for the lasting impact and strong connections of its Fellows. Since 1983, the organization has gathered the expertise of the city and state’s most respected and influential leaders to tackle the most critical issues shaping our community today, and in the future. As LGC marks the 35th anniversary of its founding by The Chicago Community Trust, more than 1,100 leaders have come through its world-class leadership development program, and 85% of those Fellows still reside in Illinois.
A new class of LGC Fellows is selected each year, with the approval of the LGC Board of Directors. The application for the 2020 Program will open on October 1, 2018.
The 2019 LGC Fellows are:
- Daniel Anello – Chief Executive Officer, New Schools for Chicago
- Juana Ballesteros – Manager, Community Public Health Outreach, Illinois Department of Public Health
- Anthony Balthazor – Senior Vice President and Commercial Banking Team Leader, Huntington National Bank
- Meena Beyers – Director, Business Support, Nicor Gas
- Bluma Broner – Managing Director, CIBC
- Amanda Cage – Chief Program Officer, Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership
- Jonathan Casiano – Senior Vice President-Public Finance, PNC Bank
- Kirstin Chernawsky – Executive Director, Erie Neighborhood House
- Jennifer Ballard Croft – Chief of Staff and Chief Diversity Officer, Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office
- Abram Gamboa – Senior Director, CBRE
- Neha Gill – Executive Director, Apna Ghar (Our Home)
- Joseph Healy – Business Manager, LiUNA Local 1092
- Leah Hobson – Vice President of Finance, Northwestern Medicine
- Kristel Jensen – Vice President and Regional Manager, Fifth Third Bank
- Meredith Klein – Senior Communications Officer, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
- William Knightly – Executive Vice President of Finance and Global Treasurer, Cushman and Wakefield
- Linh Lawler – Director, Claims Customer Experience, Allstate
- Lisa Lesniak – Vice President of Public Affairs, Advocate Health Care
- Gerald Lewis – Managing Director, BMO Harris Bank
- Fred Long – Vice President of Development and Government Affairs, UCAN
- Nancy Maldonado – Shareholder, Miner, Barnhill & Galland, P.C.
- Geeta Malhotra – Partner, Sidley Austin LLP
- Dr. Suzet McKinney – Chief Executive Officer/Executive Director, Illinois Medical District
- Patricia Mota – President & Chief Executive Officer, Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement (HACE)
- Christopher Myers – Senior Manager, M&A Transaction Advisory Services, Ernst & Young
- Paige Ponder – Chief Executive Officer, One Million Degrees
- Jason Quiara – Senior Program Officer, The Joyce Foundation
- Shaz Rasul – Executive Director of Student Civic Engagement Initiatives, The University of Chicago Office of Civic Engagement
- Danya Rosen – Executive Director, Peer Health Exchange-Chicago
- Mamadou-Abou Sarr – Senior Vice President – Director of Product Development and Sustainable Investing, Northern Trust Asset Management
- Doug Schenkelberg – Executive Director, Chicago Coalition for the Homeless
- Priya Shah – Executive Director, Storycatchers Theatre
- Aneesh Sohoni – Executive Director, Teach For America — Chicago-Northwest Indiana
- Maya Solis – South Region Director, Chicago Park District
- Chris-Annmarie Spencer – Project Architect, Wheeler Kearns Architects
- Anne Sweeney – Managing Director, New Coast Foundation
- Mario Treto, Jr. – Assistant City Attorney, City of Evanston
- Andrew Van Wieren, MD – Chief Medical Officer/Medical Director, Esperanza Health Centers
- Solange-Marie Velazquez – Vice President, William Blair
- Charles Weikel – Deputy Director, Governor’s Office/Illinois Office of Management and Budget
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About Leadership Greater Chicago
Leadership Greater Chicago (LGC) is a premiere civic leadership development program. We convene, connect and mobilize the region’s most promising leaders around key socioeconomic issues through dynamic education and experiential activities. These diverse individuals represent the most prominent corporate, nonprofit, government and education organizations.
This year marks LGC’s 35th Anniversary of its founding by The Chicago Community Trust. Since 1985, we have developed more than 1,100 executive leaders through our signature Fellows Program – an intensive 10-month program that provides the foundation for a lifelong commitment to civic engagement. Additionally, LGC has invested an estimated $5 million to build capacity in the corporate, nonprofit, government and education sectors.
LGC creates connectivity among our Fellows to positively impact not only themselves but their employees, their constituents, their clients, their neighbors and their families. This connectivity is the backbone and strength of the LGC network, enabling leaders to reach out to each other across sectors based on the common goal of changing our region for the better.
The LGC Fellows are a distinguished group that includes former First Lady Michelle Obama, Managing Partner of Emerson Collective and former U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner, Chairman of Urban Partnership Bank David Vitale, General Partner of Henry Crown & Company Steve Crown, President and CEO of World Business Chicago Andy Zopp, City Treasurer Kurt Summers, President and CEO of ComEd Anne Pramaggiore, CEO of Ariel Investments John Rogers, Executive Vice President and Head of Corporate Social Responsibility and Global Diversity & Inclusion at Northern Trust Connie Lindsey, Chancellor of City Colleges of Chicago and MacArthur Genius Juan Salgado, President and Chief Executive Officer of Metropolitan Family Services Ric Estrada, Chief Executive Officer of American Red Cross of Chicago and Northern Illinois Celena Roldan, President and CEO of Cara Maria Kim, President of Metropolitan Planning Council MarySue Barrett, and President and CEO of Access Living Marca Bristo.
LGC is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. To learn more about the Leadership Greater Chicago Fellows Program, please click here.