October 23, 2025

City Club event description:

Rahm I. Emanuel most recently served as the United States Ambassador to Japan. As Ambassador, Emanuel helped deepen the U.S.-Japan alliance, including support for Japan’s increased defense spending and expanded military cooperation. He promoted Japan’s leadership in Indo-Pacific key security initiatives and participated in the historic trilateral summit at Camp David that reaffirmed that cooperation between the United States, Japan, and the Republic of Korea. 

Previously, Emanuel was the 55th Mayor of the City of Chicago, a position he held until May 2019. During that time, he made the critical choices necessary to secure Chicago’s future as a global capital. As Mayor, Emanuel added four years to a student’s education. He increased the school day by 75 minutes and added more than 200 hours to the school year, marking the largest single increase in educational time by any city and taking Chicago from having the least educational time of any large school district in the country to being on par with its peers. He implemented universal pre-kindergarten and full-day kindergarten for every Chicago child, and made Chicago the first city in America to provide free community college. The Mayor’s comprehensive public safety strategy focused on expanded prevention programs for at-risk youth, smarter policing strategies, and empowering parents and communities to reduce violence. The Ambassador made it a priority to bring global companies to the city, helping Chicago to lead the U.S. in corporate relocations and foreign direct investment for seven consecutive years. His administration invested in infrastructure, public transportation, open space, and cultural attractions. From the $8.5 billion O’Hare International Airport modernization program that is cementing Chicago’s status as a global leader in travel, tourism, and trade to the development of the iconic 1.25-mile Chicago Riverwalk, the City’s investments are creating thousands of good-paying jobs and making Chicago a better place to live, work, and play. Prior to becoming Mayor, from November 2008 until October 2010, Emanuel served as President Barack Obama’s Chief of Staff. In addition to being the President’s top advisor, Emanuel helped the Obama administration secure the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and the landmark Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Before serving as Chief of Staff, Emanuel was elected four times as a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois’s 5th Congressional District (2002-2008). As Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, Emanuel helped pass legislation to raise the minimum wage and authored the Great Lakes Restoration Act. From 1993 to 1998, Ambassador Emanuel was a key member of President Bill Clinton’s administration, rising to serve as Senior Advisor to the President for Policy and Politics.

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During this time, Emanuel served as a legislative liaison to Congress and spearheaded efforts to pass several of President Clinton’s signature achievements, most notably the Federal Assault Weapons Ban, the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, and the historic Balanced Budget Act, which created the Children’s Health Insurance Program that expanded health care coverage to 10 million children. Emanuel also worked closely with President Joseph R. Biden Jr., then a U.S. Senator, to shepherd the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 through Congress. Emanuel graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in 1981 and received a Master’s Degree in Speech and Communication from Northwestern University in 1985. He is married to Amy Rule, and they have three children.

October 15, 2025

City Club event description:

Should nonprofits and foundations rethink randomized controlled trials and other kinds of evaluation methods to better support Chicago’s communities? This conversation will explore how current approaches to evaluating social service organizations can both illuminate progress and unintentionally undermine the missions they aim to support. Join us for a discussion about what works, what doesn’t, and how philanthropy and the nonprofit sector can move forward toward meaningful, equitable metrics.

This event is part of an ongoing series cohosted by the University of Chicago Crown Family School and the City Club of Chicago, which convenes philanthropic, corporate, and civic leaders to examine critical issues shaping Chicago’s diverse communities.

Jennifer Mosley researches the role of nonprofit organizations as political actors, particularly how human service organizations, community-based nonprofits, and philanthropic foundations advocate for or implement policy change affecting underrepresented populations. She focuses on the relationship between advocacy and democratic representation, and how developments in public administration and nonprofit management—such as collaborative governance, contracting, and evaluation—affect policy outcomes and the roles of nonprofits. Her forthcoming 2025 book with Nicole Marwell, Mismeasuring Impact: How Randomized Controlled Trials Threaten the Nonprofit Sector, examines how the elevation of RCTs as the “gold standard” for nonprofit effectiveness may reduce responsiveness and innovation, potentially weakening the sector in the long run.

Nicole Marwell studies urban governance, focusing on the intersections of nonprofit organizations, government bureaucracies, communities, and politics. Drawing on sociology, organization studies, ethnic studies, political science, and public administration, she examines how organizations mediate key urban processes such as economic production, public goods distribution, community formation, and democratic representation. Using qualitative, quantitative, and historical methods, she investigates how shifts in inter-organizational relations influence urban cohesion, inequality, and exclusion.

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Daniel Ash is President of the Field Foundation, a private independent foundation that supports community power building in Chicago through strategic investments in civic infrastructure, the cultural sector, local news outlets, and organizers. The Foundation distributes more than $11 million annually to nonprofits, focusing on the city’s South and West Sides. Before becoming President in 2022, Daniel served as Associate Vice President of Community Impact at The Chicago Community Trust.

Liz Dozier is the founder and CEO of Chicago Beyond, a national philanthropic organization committed to addressing systemic inequity by backing solutions led by those closest to the issues. Since 2016, Chicago Beyond has invested over $65 million across justice, health, and other areas, empowering grassroots leaders and influencing systems-level reform. Under Liz’s leadership, the organization has reimagined philanthropy by prioritizing human connection and collective abundance over traditional hierarchies. Current initiatives focus on maternal health, Holistic Safety in corrections, and other innovative approaches to reducing systemic inequities.

October 1, 2025

City Club event description:

In January 2019, Kimberly A. Lightford made history when she became the first
Black woman to serve as Illinois’ Senate Majority Leader. This 104th General Assembly marks 26 years of her continued dedication to her career of championing her passion for education and youth development. As the youngest person elected to the Illinois Senate in 1998, Lightford emerged as a leading voice in Illinois on education issues that increase access to an excellent education for every child in Illinois.

Leader Lightford has served on the Senate Education Committee for 26 years as either a sitting member, vice chairman, or chairman. She passed notable education reform legislation recognized as a national model. This legislation led to the establishment of more rigorous methods for evaluating teachers and tracking student progress. Leader Lightford started the state’s universal preschool for all program, established no-bullying zones on school playgrounds, and reformed disciplinary practices that were disproportionately affecting at-risk and minority students in 2016. In 2000, Leader Lightford ensured that students had access to breakfast at school by requiring the State Board of Education to establish the School Breakfast Incentive Program. In 2001, Leader Lightford increased the MAP grant for both full-time and part-time undergraduate students, providing aid to underprivileged students. Leader Lightford also helped to re-enroll high school dropouts by establishing the Illinois Hope and Opportunity Pathways through Education Program in 2009. In 2023, Leader Lightford passed legislation to ensure every student in the state has access to full-day kindergarten and implemented proposals brought forth by the Whole Child Task Force to ensure we continue to meet the needs of every child’s development. In late 2023, Senate Bill 2243, known as the State Literacy Plan, was signed into law. This law aims to guarantee that all students receive high-quality reading education. By implementing a comprehensive literacy plan, Illinois reaffirms its commitment to closing the achievement gap and providing every child with the essential tools they need to succeed. In 2024, Leader Lightford also sponsored Senate Bill 1, which aimed to establish the Department of Early Childhood in Illinois, consolidating the administration of early childhood education and care programs and services.

Former U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan hailed the senator’s landmark education reform law, Senate Bill 7, as “a national model” that aimed to boost student performance through accountability for schools, administrators, and teachers. The legislation, approved in 2011, was the most significant education reform in 30 years, with the hope of ensuring every child in Illinois public schools has a quality teacher. Leader Lightford also sponsored Senate Bill 100, which was created to address the issue of Black students being expelled disproportionately more than their peers. Effective in 2016, the bill established a set of criteria that mandates all other appropriate interventions have been exhausted and that out-of-school suspensions lasting longer than three days, expulsions, and disciplinary removals to alternative schools are reserved for situations where a student’s presence poses a safety threat or substantial disruption to the learning environment.

In 2017, a measure aimed at reducing teen suicide and the stigma of mental health issues was signed into law. Leader Lightford led the effort that requires social and emotional screenings for children as a part of their school entry examinations to promote life-altering early detection. And, after finding that cursive was becoming lost in younger generations, Leader Lightford brought back a requirement for students to receive cursive writing instruction in elementary school. Understanding the critical role recreation centers play in communities, Leader Lightford secured nearly $3 million for the project, which was named the Lightford Recreation Center on Dec. 1, 2018, by the Maywood Park District upon its completion. In 2021, Lightford spearheaded the first state-funded network in the nation, establishing the statewide Phillip Jackson Freedom Schools program.

Prioritizing workers, Lightford passed her first piece of legislation in 1999, which provides worker protection and transitional assistance for individuals targeted for layoff. Her support for minority businesses has also led to several legislative changes, starting with another 1999 proposal extending the date of the Business Enterprise Program for Minorities, Females, and Persons with Disabilities Act. Leader Lightford was the lead sponsor in passing legislation that established Illinois’ Equal Pay Act in 2003. Leader Lightford strengthened the act in 2010 by allowing women who have been discriminated against more time to file an action against an employer. In 2018, Lightford passed the African American Equal Pay Act to help combat the wage gap for African Americans. In 2005, 2010, and again in 2019, Leader Lightford fought to reform the Payday Loan industry and is responsible for raising the minimum wage in Illinois three times, including a 2019 measure that gradually increases it to $15 per hour by 2025. In 2023, Leader Lightford sponsored legislation that guarantees paid leave for all Illinois workers, regardless of the size of their business. Effective in 2024, the law requires employers to offer paid time off based on hours worked, without requiring a reason for absences, as long as notice is provided according to reasonable standards. The minimum wage increased to $15, becoming effective on January 1, 2025, to support workers in making ends meet and reflects our commitment to economic justice, ensuring that all full-time workers earn a living wage.

Leader Lightford served as the Joint Chairman of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus from January 2015 to January 2021. While serving as Joint Chairman, her vision was developed, and she led the effort in crafting the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus’ four-pillar agenda to eliminate systemic racism in Illinois. The passing of this historic legislation created a more equitable Illinois. Criminal Justice Reform, Violence Reduction and Police Accountability, II. Education and Workforce Development (Lightford wants this pillar to indicate she carried this bill), III. Economic Access, Equity, and Opportunity, and IV. Health Care and Human Services. Leader Lightford passed HB2170, School Code Seal of Biliteracy, which created the Education and Workforce Development Pillar.” Leader Lightford continued to strengthen Black history in Illinois by establishing June 19th as a state holiday for Juneteenth National Freedom Day in 2022 and by declaring February 28th as Black Women’s History Day in 2023.

Since 1998, Leader Lightford has represented the 4th Senate District, which includes more than a dozen suburban communities in western Cook County and the Austin community area on Chicago’s West Side. Leader Lightford is committed to community pride. Lightford created the Uplift Our Future youth programs: the KAL Saturday University offers free supplemental services in reading, math, and writing for middle school students, an annual college fair, a back-to-school event, and mentoring for 8th-grade students. She also hosts an annual Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Hall of Fame Award Celebration, We Adore Our Women Breast Cancer Awareness, and We Love Our Men Prostate Awareness Events.

As a life-long resident of her district, Leader Lightford was born in Chicago, raised in Maywood, and resides in Westchester. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Public Communications from Western Illinois University and a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Illinois at Springfield. She is a Hunt-Kean Leadership Fellow and Erikson Institute Fellow. She gained extensive management experience working at the Illinois Department of Central Management Services, the Illinois Department of Corrections, and the Illinois Secretary of State.

Leader Lightford serves on five statewide Taskforces and Commissions dedicated to improving education, ending poverty, and enhancing the quality of life for Illinois. During the 104th Illinois General Assembly, Leader Lightford serves on the following Committees: Assignments (Chairman), Education, Health and Human Services, Child Welfare, Higher Education, and Executive Committee.

Lightford is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and The Chicago Network. She is on the Board of Directors for Loretto Hospital, Proviso-Leyden Council for Community Action, Inc., The West Cook County Youth Club, Sustaining Our World, and The State Legislative Leaders Foundation.

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Linda Xóchitl Tortolero is the President & CEO of the Latino Policy Forum. Formerly the President & CEO of Mujeres Latinas en Accion (Mujeres), she is a longtime advocate for the Latino community, dedicating much of her professional career to fundraising, building strategic relationships, and organizational and program management in the nonprofit sector. 

As President and CEO of Mujeres, the nation’s longest-standing Latina organization, Linda was responsible for carrying out an ambitious programmatic and advocacy strategy to address the immediate needs of Latinas and their families. 

Under her leadership, Mujeres strengthened and expanded its mission of empowering Latinas via culturally competent services and advocacy on key issues such as gender-based violence, women’s health and economic security, immigration, and reproductive justice. She was instrumental in the development and execution of ¡Actívate!, a community data-driven strategy for Mujeres’ policy work that was pivotal in securing a historic increase of $12 million for sexual assault and rape crisis centers in the Illinois FY25 budget. 

Through fundraising and strategy, Linda led the organization’s annual budget growth to nearly $6.5 million and over 60 employees, the expansion of its second office in North Riverside, and the opening of its third office in Brighton Park with partner Esperanza Health Centers, a Federally Qualified Health Center. During her seven-year tenure, Mujeres became a national Culturally Specific Sexual Assault Center under the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act program of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and today provides training and technical assistance to Latine communities and organizations across the U.S. 

Linda holds a B.A. from Brown University and J.D. from Northwestern Pritzker School of Law and serves on the Women’s Advisory Council of the Mayor’s Office for the City of Chicago and on the Board of the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice. Linda is the proud daughter of Mexican immigrants.

Julie Morita, MD, is President & CEO of The Joyce Foundation, overseeing the charitable distribution of $65 million annually from assets of $1.3 billion. The Joyce Foundation funds policy and other strategies designed to advance racial equity and economic mobility for the next generation in the Great Lakes region.

Before joining The Joyce Foundation, Julie was executive vice president of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), overseeing programs addressing systemic barriers to racial and health equity.

Prior to her role at RWJF, Julie helped lead the Chicago Department of Public Health for nearly two decades, first as a medical director, then as chief medical officer. In 2015, she was appointed commissioner. In that role, she oversaw the public health needs of nearly 3 million residents in the nation’s third largest cityJulie has also served as an advisor to the White House, U.S. Health and Human Services, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 

A Chicago native, Julie earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and her medical degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine.

Dr. Steven Isoye was appointed Chair of the Illinois State Board of Education by Governor JB Pritzker in 2022, with a term through January 2027. He serves as the Central States Region Director and Board member for the National Association of State Boards of Education, and is a delegate for the Education Commission of the States.

A retired educator with 37 years of service in Illinois high schools, Dr. Isoye served as science teacher, department chair, curriculum leader, principal, and superintendent. Most recently, he served from 2016-2022 as superintendent of Niles Township High School District 219, where he oversaw curricular and program innovations, facility upgrades, and major improvements to the district’s technology infrastructure. He previously served as superintendent of Oak Park and River Forest High School District 200 from 2010 to 2016. He earned his Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from Northern Illinois University in 2011.

Dr. Isoye has served on numerous committees throughout his career. Most notably, having served on the Board of Trustees for the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (1998–2021), ISBE’s State Assessment Review Committee, ISBE’s Performance Evaluation Advisory Council, and NASBE’s Principal Collaborative of the States. 

His recognitions include Illinois High School Principal of the Year (2010), Illinois Teacher of the Year (1998), and the Milken Educator Award (1997).

September 30, 2025

City Club event description

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September 23, 2025

City Club event description:

Sheriff Tom Dart has dedicated his career to challenging injustice, fighting the violence plaguing our communities, and bringing new, thoughtful approaches to public service.

After serving as a prosecutor and an Illinois state legislator, Sheriff Dart was elected by the people of Cook County, and has brought his reformative vision, and his commitment to action, to his role as sheriff. Sheriff Dart has rewritten the book on what a sheriff can accomplish, looking inside and outside of the conventions of law enforcement for nuanced and thoughtful solutions to help people.

Sheriff Dart’s skills in management, accountability, and forward-thinking leadership was critical in the success of the Cook County Jail being released from almost 40 years of oversight by the U.S. Department of Justice’s federal consent decree, making it the only large jail to ever complete such a task.

Sheriff Dart has been a leader in reforming the criminal justice system and transforming correctional settings into more humane, trauma-informed environments. Sheriff Dart has developed a framework to identify and engage all persons detained in his custody with in-custody service plans and discharge plans tailored to each person’s unique needs and goals.

Sheriff Dart has instituted extensive programming at the Cook County Jail, seeking to give individuals in custody skills that help to stop the revolving door of incarceration. The Sheriff has sought out creative programming within the jail in the areas of art, chess, construction, cooking, gardening, parenting, and literacy, all of which help foster social and emotional growth for individuals in custody while they await trial.

In addition, after collecting data which showed that much of the population in Cook County Jail needed mental health treatment, Sheriff Dart worked, and continues to work, with Cermak Health Services to provide individuals in custody with mental health treatment plans. Sheriff Dart has implemented Trauma-Informed Training for his staff as a tool to engage with the men and women detained in the Cook County Jail as well as their family members who come to visit at the jail.

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For people outside of the jail, Sheriff Dart created the Cook County Sheriff’s Office’s Community Resource Center (the CRC), which seeks to help fill the large void that was left when mental health facilities around Chicagoland closed by connecting those in need of mental health treatment in the county to available providers. The CRC assists residents of Cook County with finding housing, job opportunities, and other medical care as well.

Sheriff Dart also formed the Cook County Sheriff’s Office’s Treatment Response Team (the TRT) to provide support and assistance (available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week) for those in the community struggling with substance abuse issues. Offering treatment to those who suffer from mental illness has reduced the jail’s population, including reducing recidivism rates.

Sheriff Dart continually has prioritized reducing violence in Chicago, creating programs that build community and connection between law enforcement personnel and the people they serve. At the jail, the Sheriff’s Anti-Violence Effort (SAVE) program provides intensive therapy and life-skills training for those men between the ages of 18 to 24 years old who are incarcerated from neighborhoods with the most violence in the city. Outside of the jail, the Sheriff’s Chicago Initiatives program uses a community policing model, which works to remove guns from the street while reconnecting law enforcement with communities. Led by Sheriff Dart, Sheriff’s Officers regularly create community events that provide health care and offer other necessities so that the people who live in these underserved communities can have some of their needs met.

Under Sheriff Dart’s administration, the Cook County Sheriff’s Office and Cermak Health Services received the 2021 Achievement Award from the National Association of Counties for their collaborative and forward-thinking efforts to control the spread of COVID-19 in Cook County Jail. Sheriff Dart also has received the Community Service Award of the Year from the National Alliance on Mental Illness Southwest for his efforts at providing necessary mental health services for individuals in custody.

Sheriff Dart has been named one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World by TIME Magazine, and a Public Official of the Year by Governing Magazine. He and his wife, Patricia, live on Chicago’s South Side and are the proud parents of five children.

September 22, 2025

City Club event description:

Chicago faces a persistent shortage of both market-rate and affordable housing. This panel brings together private developers with local and national experience to explore strategies that have worked in cities like New York, Los Angeles, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and Washington D.C. We’ll discuss tools used to scale housing, lessons from other regions, and how to overcome barriers unique to Chicago.

Attorney, Leon Walker, CEO of DL3 Realty Advisors, works closely with municipalities, anchor institutions, and Fortune 500 companies to execute projects that are sensitive to a neighborhood’s character while creating economic opportunities for local businesses and residents. DL3’s projects are more than just brick and mortar— they are designed to provide a stimulus that ultimately lifts economic prospects and the quality of life in urban communities. 

DL3 recently celebrated 25 years in business, and in the past five years, DL3’s projects have created over 3,000 jobs on Chicago’s South Side, and the firm is actively pursuing projects that will create over 10,000 new jobs in Chicago’s neighborhoods by the end of the decade. 

DL3 is executing transformative investments at several key transit nodes on the South Side by developing new, luxury affordable, mixed-use anchor housing under the “Thrive” brand that offers both market rate and affordable options for residents. Thrive Exchange and Thrive Englewood are designed to increase walkability and attract additional capital to the surrounding community. 

DL3 is the first Black owned private development firm to successfully win and close a City of Chicago 9% low- income housing tax credit award. Recently, DL3 partnered with Riverside and AmTrust RE to convert a portion of the Field Building on LaSalle Street into approximately 400 apartments and 90,000 SF commercial space as part of the City of Chicago’s LaSalle Street Investment Initiative. 

Prior to taking on the leadership of DL3, Leon worked in corporate real estate services at Jones Lang LaSalle, and in real estate capital markets at Citicorp Securities. He is a graduate of the University of Chicago Law School, Booth School of Business, and received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business. Leon is civically engaged and currently serves on the boards of World Business Chicago and University of Michigan Weiser Center for Real Estate, among many others. He is a frequent speaker and student of historic architecture and lives with his wife, Rian, and their two children in a prominent office-to-residential conversion in downtown Chicago.

Matt Fiascone, president of The Habitat Company, has led a full range of real estate development and investment activities for more than 35 years. Since joining The Habitat Company in 2011, Matt has been instrumental in strategizing, executing and managing capital events including development joint ventures, recapitalization of existing ventures and acquisitions. Matt has also established new relationships for both debt and equity, as well as strategic partnerships. 

As President, he leads the day-to-day activities of the company across its business lines and the integration of the strategic vision and cherished culture of Habitat. Under his leadership the company has enhanced its 50+ year history of being a leading provider of housing for residents across the income spectrum while continuously enhancing the experience of its team members, partners and residents. The company has grown both through acquisition of properties and development. 

Previously, Matt served as senior vice president for Inland Real Estate Development Corporation, where he originated and implemented real estate transactions involving assets valued at over $1 billion and negotiated and managed equity joint ventures. 

Matt serves as Chairman of the Board of SolvTrust Financial—the holding company of PanAmerican Bank, and a member of the Bradley University Business and Engineering Advisory Council. He is also a member of the National Multifamily Housing Council Board of Directors. Previously he served as Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Inland Bank and Trust; as an original member of the Advisory Board for PSP Investments’ Downsview Development in Toronto, Ontario and as a member of the Board of Directors of The Illinois Energy Conservation Authority NFP. Matt has been a frequent speaker and panelist for industry events. In addition, he is a licensed real estate broker in Illinois, Florida, Wisconsin and Missouri. 

Matt has a bachelor’s degree in business and economics from Bradley University.

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Sarah Wick is a longtime advocate for affordable housing and currently leads the affordable housing development business at Related Midwest. In her role, Wick has played a pivotal role in preserving and building over 10,000 affordable residences across Chicago and the Midwest. Since joining Related, she has overseen more than $1 billion in investments that create or modernize safe, welcoming, affordable communities that families are proud to call home.

Wick has led several significant projects for Related Midwest, including the transformation of Lathrop, a multiyear, multiphase redevelopment that is revitalizing a historic riverfront site into a vibrant mixed-use, mixed-income community. Under her leadership, Related has delivered 488 units of mixed income rental housing, along with a renovated park and riverwalk. Wick is currently leading the next phase of redevelopment, which includes the renovation of seven historic buildings and construction of a new residential building, bringing an additional 309 mixed-income units to the community. 

In 2021, Wick led Affordable Illinois, an advocacy effort to enact state legislation that offers a reduction in real estate taxes for property owners who provide a set-aside of affordable housing. The change in state legislation has paved the way for the creation of numerous affordable housing units, including 60 at The Row Fulton Market, a 300-unit rental tower Related Midwest completed in 2023 as the first major project in Chicago to utilize the incentive. 

Wick is an active member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI), a current board member of the ULI Advisory Council, a former board member of the ULI Chicago Women’s Leadership Initiative, and a past protégé of the ULI Chicago Mentorship Program. Wick has also received a ULI Young Visionary Award, along with a ULI Women’s Leadership Initiative Achievement Award Scholarship. She was named to Crain’s Chicago Business’ 2019 class of 40 Under 40, honoring proven leaders with substantial business and civic contributions. 

Wick holds a master’s degree in regional and urban planning from the Pratt Institute and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. 

A seasoned professional in community development, real estate, finance, and government with over 30 years of experience, Doig serves as president of CNI.

Prior to leading CNI, Doig worked in a variety of capacities within the administration of Mayor Richard M. Daley, including General Superintendent and CEO of the Chicago Park District and First Deputy in the Department of Planning and Development and initially in the City’s Department of Housing.   

As Park District Superintendent, Doig oversaw a $350 million operating budget and a staff of over 3,000. Under his leadership the Park District’s bond rating improved and the District issued its first revenue bonds. Serving in Planning and Development Doig managed its neighborhood division which operates city programs to spur economic development and job growth in neighborhoods throughout the city. 

In over thirty years of living and working in the city of Chicago, David Doig has become an expert on how cities and neighborhoods work.

September 11, 2025

City Club event description:

Join us for a compelling conversation between Lee Bey—architecture critic, author, and photographer; Mark Sexton – architect and Chicago Architecture Biennial Board Member; and Florencia Rodríguez, Artistic Director of the 2025 Chicago Architecture Biennial. Together, they’ll explore the urgent questions shaping the spaces we inhabit, the role of architecture and design in addressing societal challenges, and the curatorial vision guiding this year’s Biennial. Whether you’re an architect, policymaker, or simply passionate about the future of urban life, this discussion will offer fresh insight at the intersection of design, community, and change.

The sixth edition of the Chicago Architecture Biennial, SHIFT: Architecture in Times of Radical Change, opens September 19, 2025 and continues through February 28, 2026.

Lee Bey is architecture critic for the Chicago Sun-Times and ABC7 News Chicago, where he covers everything from the newest buildings to the latest preservation battle — and the complex political, social and racial forces that shape the city’s places and spaces.

He was also a member of the Sun-Times editorial board for six years where he wrote editorials on city governance, neighborhood development, politics and urban planning.

 Bey is the author of the much-praised book Southern Exposure: The Overlooked Architecture of Chicago’s South Side (Northwestern University Press, 2019), which showcases his architectural photography and social commentary. 

In addition, he was also the host of Building Blocks: The Architecture of Chicago’s South Side, a documentary based on his book, which aired on WTTW in 2023 and earned a Midwest Emmy nomination. 

Bey is an in-demand speaker and media commentator on the subjects of architecture, urban planning, Chicago history and late 20th century Black history and culture.

He is also a respected architecture photographer who has shot assignments for many of the city’s top architectural firms. His photography has been featured in publications such as the New York Times, as well as international design magazines such as Germany’s Bauwelt and Modulor.

Bey is an adjunct professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology College of Architecture.

He is the recipient of the 2021 Julius Shulman Institute Excellence in Photography Award, and the 2019 Distinguished Service Award by the Chicago chapter of the American Institute of Architects.

Bey lives in an 1893 rowhouse in Chicago’s historic Pullman neighborhood. He is currently working on a book that documents the architecture of Chicago’s West Side.

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Florencia Rodriguez is founding principal of -NESS, an international cultural platform for architecture. As an editor, writer, and educator, she creates and leads initiatives related to architecture and design that span publishing, exhibitions, and consultancy, and her work is grounded in the belief that architecture is a vital cultural practice. Rodriguez is also Associate Professor at the University of Illinois Chicago School of Architecture (UIC/SoArch), where she was Director between 2022 and 2025. Before coming to UlC, Rodriguez was a lecturer in architecture at the Harvard Graduate School of Design.

In 2010, in Buenos Aires, Rodriguez founded PLOT, a publication focused on global architecture and contemporary discourse. She directed it until 2017, when she co-founded -NESS with Pablo Gerson. From that platform, she has edited books and organized events committed to the dissemination of new narratives, the exploration of alternative forms of design criticism, and discussions about the contemporary role of design.

In 2013, Rodriguez was awarded the Loeb Fellowship at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, where she researched new modes of criticism and the architecture of the Americas. In collaboration with Gerson, Rodriguez created Monte in 2015, an independent space in Buenos Aires, where she curated and promoted an active public program on architecture and related design disciplines. She has lectured, curated exhibitions, served as a juror and organized international symposia in institutions such as the CCEBA (Centro Cultural del España en Buenos Aires), the Harvard Graduate School of Design, the University of Illinois Chicago, and the Torcuato Di Tella University, among others.

Rodriguez has received awards for her editorial work and published several articles in books and specialized media such as Domus, Oris, summa+, Arquine, A+U and Uncube. In 2020, together with Mark Lee, she guest-edited America, the 48th issue of the Harvard Design Magazine. Her most recent book, MCHAP 2 Territory & Expeditions was published in 2022, by IITAC, Actar, and -NESS. Rodriguez is currently editing the book Machado Silvetti / Drawings 1975-1999, to be published by Harvard Design Press, and working on a collection of her writings to be published by Park Books.

Mark is a co-managing partner of Krueck Sexton Partners. Beyond design leadership, chief among his responsibilities is developing and fostering strong relationships with the firm’s clients, collaborators, and the broader community. Whether speaking of the firm’s work on a federal building in the Southeast, an embassy in Africa, or an educational institution a few miles from the firm’s office, Mark points out that successful design does not emerge of its own accord: it is a function of trust that evolves out of engaged and open dialogue with clients and partners throughout the process. 

An impassioned and tenacious problem-solver, Mark sees challenges and obstacles as critical to innovative solutions. The Crown Fountain, in Chicago’s Millennium Park, showcases his passion for material and structural innovation, as well as his ability to transform fragile concepts into powerful experiences. Leading the team that designed the tower’s glass blocks and the structure that supports them, he seamlessly integrated the materials, LED, and water technology to create a welcoming and inspiring space for all to enjoy.

A Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, Mark graduated from the College of Architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology in 1980. He has recently joined the Board of Trustees at IIT and continues his college support, serving on the Board of Advisors Co-Chair for the IIT College of Architecture. He is a member of the GSA Design Excellence Program, National Registry of Peer Professionals, the Chicago Architecture Biennial board. He is an Adjunct Lecturer of Northwestern University, teaching in the Architectural Engineering and Design program at the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science.

​Chicagoan of the Year in 2005, Mark has received recognition for his work over the past four decades.

Mark lectures at diverse venues worldwide, including universities, cultural institutions, conferences, and symposia. He actively seeks out opportunities to engage with the public through open lectures, walk-throughs, and tours, sharing with a wider audience his love of design and his appreciation for both the material and craft of contemporary architecture.

September 9, 2025

City Club event description:

Immigration is shaping Chicago in profound ways — from the arrival of new migrant populations to the evolving role of city and state policies. This panel offers a timely, fact-based look at immigration as it’s unfolding locally and nationally. Rather than proposing solutions, the discussion will focus on sharing real-time insights, experiences, and the tangible effects on individuals, neighborhoods, and systems across Chicagoland. The goal: to foster understanding through informed dialogue that can help drive solutions as City Club continues to convene key stakeholders and decision makers.

Martin Cabrera is the Founder and CEO of Cabrera Capital Markets, a global investment bank and institutional brokerage firm, and a real estate development and investment firm. 

Martin has more than thirty years of experience in the financial services industry. Martin founded Cabrera Capital in 2001 in Chicago, and since then the firm has grown to become a global financial enterprise with 8 offices nationwide and dedicated trading personnel resources in London. Cabrera Capital has issued over $2.3 trillion in debt and equities for municipalities and corporations domestically and internationally. The firm’s taxable fixed income and global equities trading desks transact over $2.2 billion in securities daily. In 2013, the firm added an expansive real estate development and investment side that provides advisory services including development, acquisition, and management. 

Martin serves as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees at St. Ignatius College Prep, and is on the board of World Business Chicago, INTESECT Illinois, and Homeboy Industries among others. He has been featured in news publications that include CNBC, Crain’s Chicago Business, Bloomberg, Yahoo Finance, and Axios. 

Martin earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Northern Illinois University and studied at the London School of Economics.

Dagmara Avelar serves as State Representative for Illinois’ 85th District, a community she has proudly called home since emigrating from Quito, Ecuador at the age of 12. A graduate of Bolingbrook High School and Northeastern Illinois University, Rep. Avelar is completing her Master’s in Urban Planning and Policy at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

A formerly undocumented DREAMer who became a U.S. citizen in 2016, Rep. Avelar has dedicated over a decade to advocating for working families, immigrants, and historically underserved communities. Before her election in 2020, she was Director of Programs at the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, where she led the state’s largest naturalization initiative, partnering with 59 community organizations to expand citizenship access and language equity.

In Springfield, Rep. Avelar serves on the Speaker of the House’s leadership team as Assistant Majority Leader, helping to guide legislative priorities for the Democratic Caucus. She has championed legislation to protect drinking water, expand affordable healthcare, combat the opioid crisis, and invest in affordable housing. She has also secured over $100 million in state funding for education, infrastructure, social services, small businesses, and workforce development in her district.

A lifelong community organizer, Rep. Avelar’s commitment to civic engagement began as a teenager mobilizing disenfranchised voters in the southwest suburbs. She continues to bring that grassroots perspective to her work on key legislative committees and boards, including the Restore, Reinvest, Renew (R3) Board and the Task Force on Foster Youth Transitioning Out of Care.

Guided by her lived experience and deep roots in her community, Rep. Avelar is a tireless advocate for equity, economic opportunity, and a government that works for all.

City Club video

Raul I. Raymundo, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of The Resurrection Project has long understood the challenges and strengths of working-class and immigrant families. Mr. Raymundo earned a bachelor’s degree from Carleton College ‘88, Northfield, MN. He returned to the neighborhood where he grew up and co-founded The Resurrection Project (TRP) with seed capital of $30,000 from six Chicago-area parishes in 1990. 

Since its inception, TRP has leveraged this capital into more $847 million in community investment positively impacting thousands of individuals in the region. Guided by his leadership, TRP seamlessly blends asset building, community organizing, direct service, and advocacy to build healthier and more engaged communities. TRP is one of the region’s most creative and effective social impact organizations, working across every area of community life. TRP has built over 800 affordable housing units and created generational wealth for more than 158 first-time buyers from historically marginalized groups. It has developed several community assets such as immigration legal clinics, early childhood centers, senior satellite centers, community resource centers, and a charter school serving thousands of families. 

Beyond TRP, Raymundo engages in additional civic and professional engagement, serving on the board of trustees for his alma mater, Carleton College, and several local and national boards, including Self-Help Credit Union with its multi-state operations, and as a co-founder and board member of American Business Immigrant Coalition (ABIC) with its national policy impact. He is also the most recent former Chair of the National Association of Latino Asset Builders (NALCAB), and a board member of START EARLY, Illinois Justice Project, and UnidosUS, in addition to serving on the leadership team for United Power for Action and Justice. In 2024, Raymundo was inducted into the Order of Lincoln, Illinois’ highest civilian award. 

Raymundo’s financial acumen and leadership were instrumental in helping many to avoid foreclosure during the failure of a financial institution. He remains active on several bank community advisory boards, including BMO, CIBC Bank, and Huntington Bank. 

Mr. Raymundo, his wife MariaLuisa and their son and two daughters are lifelong residents of the Pilsen neighborhood.

September 8, 2025

City Club event description:

Join the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and The Joint Affinity Group representing philanthropy in Chicago (Chicago African Americans in Philanthropy, Chicago Latines in Philanthropy, and Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy) for an afternoon of honest conversation and community connection. As polarization deepens and efforts toward diversity, equity, and inclusion face new challenges, we’ll explore how racial healing can help bridge divides and foster solidarity.

Kayce Ataiyero, Chief External Affairs Officer of the Joyce Foundation and La June Montgomery Tabron, author (How We Heal: A Journey Toward Truth, Racial Healing, and Community Transformation from the Inside Out) and president and CEO of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, will discuss what it takes to lead with empathy, build trust, and create space for collective healing.

La June Montgomery Tabron is the president and CEO of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF) in Battle Creek, Michigan, one of the largest private foundations in the United States. As president and CEO, Tabron leads the Kellogg Foundation in its work to support thriving children, working families and equitable communities.

Before becoming the first African American president and CEO to lead the foundation, she served in various positions throughout the Kellogg Foundation after joining the organization as the controller in 1987. Most recently, she was the executive vice president of operations and treasurer, overseeing all financial plans, policies and relationships within the financial community and WKKF’s Technology, Human Resources and Administration, Finance, Program Services and Quality & Organizational Effectiveness functions. In this role, she was pivotal in connecting and integrating WKKF’s leadership committees: the Executive Council, Program Leadership Council, Talent Board and Organizational Advisory Team, ensuring unified execution of the organization’s mission and strategic framework across all programmatic and priority place areas. She also led WKKF’s place-based grantmaking in Mississippi and New Orleans since 2011, launching a significant effort to help set young males of color on the path to success in 2013.

For more than two decades, Tabron has played an active leadership role in the Kellogg Foundation’s racial equity, diversity and inclusion work – both internally through its work with its board and staff, and externally through its work with grantees, partners and vendors. In 2025, she authored How We Heal and Our Differences Make Us Stronger, books that reflect her lifelong commitment to healing, connection, and community transformation. How We Heal explores how truth-telling and healing can bridge divides and strengthen communities, while Our Differences Make Us Stronger, a children’s book, highlights the importance of empathy and belonging.

Other earlier positions at WKKF included: chief operating officer and treasurer; senior vice president/chief financial officer and treasurer; vice president – finance and treasurer; and assistant vice president for finance and assistant treasurer. Prior to joining WKKF, she wasban auditor for Plante & Moran CPAs.

As a community and civic leader, Tabron is a member of the Kalamazoo Chapter of the Links, Incorporated. She also serves on the boards of Battle Creek Community Health Partners, Bronson Healthcare Group, Kellanova, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), and the Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America- College Retirement Equities Fund (TIAA). Tabron is also the chair of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation Trust.

Tabron holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor and a master’s degree in business administration from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University. She received honorary doctorates from Elms College, Grand Valley State University, Ithaca College, Marygrove College and Union Institute & University. She is a certified public accountant. She is also a graduate of the inaugural class of the Council on Foundations’ Career Pathways Program.

An international thought leader, Tabron has spoken at the Aspen Ideas Festival, the Clinton Global Initiative, the ESSENCE Festival of Culture, the Milken Institute Global Conference and the University of Oxford.

In 2020, Tabron was named the recipient of the Bynum Tudor Fellowship at Kellogg College in Oxford, England. The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies awarded Tabron the Louis E. Martin Great American Award, the organization’s highest honor, in 2022. In 2023, Inside Philanthropy included Tabron on its list of the 50 Most Powerful Women in U.S. Philanthropy, the New York Times named her a Groundbreaker at its annual Dealbook Summit and, in March 2024, Worth Magazine named her to its list of 100 Groundbreaking Women. In 2025, Tabron was named one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People in philanthropy.

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF), founded in 1930 as an independent, private foundation by breakfast cereal innovator and entrepreneur Will Keith Kellogg, is among the largest philanthropic foundations in the United States. Guided by the belief that all children should have an equal opportunity to thrive, WKKF works with communities to create conditions for vulnerable children so they can realize their full potential in school, work and life.

The Kellogg Foundation is based in Battle Creek, Michigan, and works throughout the United States and internationally, as well as with sovereign tribes. Special attention is paid to priority places where there are high concentrations of poverty and where children face significant barriers to success. WKKF priority places in the U.S. are in Michigan,Mississippi, New Mexico and New Orleans; and internationally, are in Mexico and Haiti.

City Club video

Kayce Ataiyero is the Chief External Affairs Officer at the Joyce Foundation, where she oversees the Foundation’s strategic communications, the Journalism Program and the Lend A Hand community grants fund. She is also a member of the Foundation’s leadership team.

Kayce has extensive experience in communications, journalism and politics. Prior to joining the Foundation in 2018, she served as director of external affairs for the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, where she led communications and community engagement. She has also led communications for U.S. Congresswoman Robin Kelly, the Illinois Governor’s Office and the Illinois State Treasurer’s Office.

As an award-winning journalist, Kayce previously worked as a staff writer for the Chicago Tribune, The Raleigh News and Observer, Philadelphia Inquirer and Washington Post.

Kayce has a degree in journalism from the University of Maryland College Park. She is board chair of Media Impact Funders, a national organization that advances the work of a broad range of funders committed to supporting media in the public interest. She also serves on the board of Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, an organization committed to the unfinished business of our nation’s civil rights movement.

She is a Leadership Greater Chicago Daniel Burnham Fellow, was named a Top 10 Empowering Women Leaders to Follow by CIO Views Magazine, a Chicago Titan 100, one of the Top 50 Women Leaders of Illinois by Women We Admire, a Notable Black Leader and Executive by Crain’s Chicago Business and one of Chicago’s most influential Black leaders by The Chicago Tribune. She is a member of the Economic Club of Chicago. She also at one time was general manager of the Chicago Steam, a minor-league basketball team.

September 2, 2025

City Club event description:

Join the Cancer Center Directors of the member hospitals of the Chicago Breast Cancer Research Consortium—a groundbreaking collaboration between University of Chicago Medicine, Lurie Cancer Center at Northwestern Medicine, and Rush MD Anderson Cancer Center—for a powerful conversation on how Chicago is redefining breast cancer research. Convened and funded by the Lynn Sage Breast Cancer Foundation, this first-of-its-kind partnership is bringing innovative, community-based clinical trials to patients across the region. Learn how this model is advancing equity, accelerating scientific breakthroughs, and putting lifesaving treatment within reach for more Chicagoans.

Speakers

Amina Ahmed MD
Amina Ahmed, MD, is the director of the RUSH MD Anderson Cancer Center. In this role, she continues to build on the success of the highly respected RUSH cancer program and help shape the future of the cancer service line as an integrated effort across the RUSH system. The RUSH MD Anderson Cancer Center will provide patients in the region with access to cancer treatments that are among the most advanced in the nation.

Dr. Ahmed was named interim director of the Cancer Center in 2021 and has been director of the cancer service line at RUSH University Medical Center since 2020. In her new role, Dr. Ahmed oversees all cancer-related efforts at RUSH, crossing over 20 departments, divisions and sections; inpatient and outpatient areas; professional clinical activities and the colleges of RUSH University. She leads RUSH in its commitment to stay abreast of the rapid evolution of cancer care to offer the most advanced care possible for patients and their families.

Dr. Ahmed has already distinguished herself as an advocate for the RUSH tradition of multidisciplinary cancer care, launching several programs to help patients with cancer navigate the complexities of their disease. These include a cancer survivorship program that brings together services from primary care, oncology and supportive oncology for patients who have a cancer diagnosis and their caregivers. She is also developing a geriatric oncology program, in collaboration with colleagues in geriatric medicine, to improve care and outcomes for older patients with cancer. Working closely with cancer leaders across RUSH, she has been a champion for safety and quality improvements, clinical innovation and a strengthened research infrastructure. Dr. Ahmed also has worked diligently to grow RUSH market presence in gynecologic oncology, expanding services to several communities in the greater Chicago area.

A board-certified specialist in obstetrics and gynecology, Dr. Ahmed received her MD degree from RUSH Medical College. She completed her residency in obstetrics and gynecology and a fellowship in gynecologic oncology at the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics. She joined the faculty in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at RUSH University Medical Center in 2015. From 2016 through 2020, she served as division chief for gynecologic oncology. Before coming to RUSH, she held clinical and faculty roles at Lutheran General Hospital, Rosalind Franklin University and the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics. Recognized nationally for her expertise in gynecologic oncology, she has authored book chapters and articles for peer-reviewed journals in her field, with a special focus on gynecological cancer in women over the age of 65.

Kirstin Chernawsky
Kirstin Chernawsky is an accomplished nonprofit and civic leader, currently serving as the Executive Director of the Lynn Sage Breast Cancer Foundation—one of the nation’s leading organizations dedicated to eradicating breast cancer through research and education. A breast cancer survivor herself, Chernawsky brings both lived experience and professional expertise to the role, guiding the Foundation’s investments in early-career scientists, groundbreaking clinical trials, and collaborative research initiatives.

Under her leadership, the Foundation is building on nearly 40 years of impact—having raised over $50 million to advance breast cancer prevention, detection, and treatment. Chernawsky is driving a strategic evolution of the organization, strengthening internal systems, and overseeing initiatives like the Chicago Breast Cancer Research Consortium, the Lynn Sage Breast Cancer Symposium, and a growing portfolio of grants, fellowships, and scholar awards. She is spearheading efforts to grow the Foundation’s annual funding and cement its position as a catalyst for transformative science and equitable care.

Prior to joining Lynn Sage, Chernawsky held senior roles at the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS), where she oversaw a $13 billion budget and led programs spanning early childhood, mental health, and recovery services. As Assistant Secretary of Programs, she guided strategic alignment across six divisions to strengthen the state’s social safety net. She also served as the inaugural Director of the Division of Early Childhood, leading the design of Smart Start Illinois—a $400 million initiative to improve child care workforce compensation—and managed over $2.9 billion in combined state and federal funding. In response to the humanitarian crisis at the Texas border, she coordinated Illinois’ New Arrivals strategy, helping to welcome over 40,000 asylum seekers and integrate services through the statewide One System Initiative.

Before her state government service, Chernawsky was Executive Director of Erie Neighborhood House, where she expanded services for immigrant and low-income families, including early childhood education, school age programming, mental health services, adult education, workforce development, and legal services.

Under her leadership, Erie House grew from a $7.5 million to $12 million organization and received several notable awards, including the UnidosUS Midwest Affiliate of the Year award, Chicago Run’s Go the Distance award, and The Chicago School of Professional Psychology’s Chicago Social Impact Leaders award. Chernawsky was personally recognized with the Executive Service Corps’ Executive Director of the Year award, the Axelson Center for Nonprofit Management’s 20 Years & 20 Leaders award, and was named one of Crain’s Business Chicago’s 40 Under 40.

Chernawsky holds a B.A. in Sociology and M.S. in Public Service Management from DePaul University, as well as certificates in Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management from Harvard Business School and Human-Centered Design from +Acumen.

In addition to her professional roles, Chernawsky actively volunteers with numerous organizations. She has served on the Executive Committee of the American Public Human Services Association’s National Association of State Child Care Administrators, as Board Treasurer for the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant & Refugee Rights, and as Chair of the Board Development Committee for Susan G. Komen Chicago.

Her extensive experience and dedication to public service continue to drive her contributions to the nonprofit sector and her commitment to social impact.

City Club video

Kunle Odunsi, MD, PhD
Dr. Kunle Odunsi is a gynecologic oncologist who specializes in the treatment of ovarian cancer. As the director of University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Dean for Oncology of the University’s Biological Sciences Division, Dr. Odunsi oversees all programmatic aspects of cancer at the University of Chicago including the three primary missions of research, patient care, and education. He sets the strategic direction of UCCCC, which emphasizes basic, translational, and clinical research efforts; collaborative cancer discovery and care; outreach to and engagement of the catchment area; and expansion of development opportunities for early career and promising cancer researchers. Dr. Odunsi also continues to treat patients and mentor physicians in the clinic.

As a nationally recognized expert in immunotherapy and vaccine therapy for cancer, Dr. Odunsi’s research focuses on understanding the mechanisms of immune recognition and tolerance in ovarian cancer and translating these findings to immunotherapy clinical trials. He pioneered the development of antigen-specific vaccine therapy and “next generation” adoptive T-cell immunotherapies to prolong remission rates in women with ovarian cancer. His research in tumor immunology and immunotherapy focuses on mechanisms of immune recognition in human ovarian cancer and the pre-clinical and clinical development of tumor antigen-targeted therapies. Currently he is co-principal investigator on the Roswell Park–University of Chicago Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) in ovarian cancer.

Dr. Odunsi has received many honors and awards for his work, including election to the National Academy of Medicine in 2018 and the Rosalind Franklin Excellence in Ovarian Cancer Research Award in 2019. He has authored or co-authored more than 360 publications and contributed to several books and book chapters. His work has been funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Defense, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Cancer Research Institute, and the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation Alliance, among others. He serves or has served on 10 editorial boards and multiple NIH study sections and held numerous visiting professorships and guest lectureships. He also holds leadership positions in several national organizations, such as co-chair of the NCI Cancer Moonshot Immuno-Oncology Translational Network and chairperson-elect of the American Association for Cancer Research’s Cancer Immunology Working Group.

Leonidas Platanias, MD, PhD
Leonidas C. Platanias, MD, PhD, is Director of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University and the Jesse, Sara, Andrew, Abigail, Benjamin and Elizabeth Lurie Professor of Oncology in the Departments of Medicine and Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics. He also serves as associate vice president for Cancer Programs in Northwestern’s Office for Research. Prior to his appointment as Director in 2014, Dr. Platanias served as the cancer center’s first Deputy Director from 2002 to 2013.

He earned his medical degree and PhD from the University of Patras Medical School in Greece, and began his research career at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD. He completed a residency in internal medicine at the State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center, and a fellowship in hematology-oncology at the University of Chicago Hospitals.

Dr. Platanias’s research focuses on cytokine signaling pathways in malignant cells and developing therapies that that target those pathways. He has published more than 370 papers, and his work has been continuously funded by the NCI for almost 30 years. He is the recipient of R01, U54, T32, and P30 awards from the NCI, and VA I01 Merit Review support.

Among his many career honors, Dr. Platanias received the Seymour and Vivian Milstein Award for Excellence in Inteferon and Cytokine Research. A member of various scientific societies, he served as President of the International Society of Interferon and Cytokine Research and in other national leadership positions. He is an associate editor and editorial board member for several scientific journals, serves on the NCI’s Subcommittee A for Cancer Centers, and has been a chair or member of many review panels, study sections, and site visit teams for the NIH, Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Department of Defense.

Since Dr. Platanias became Director in 2014, the Lurie Cancer Center has experienced dynamic growth in NCI funding, publications, and the number of patients enrolled in early-phase clinical trials, as well as the recruitment of more than 140 new faculty members. Under his leadership, the Lurie Cancer Center received the highest rating in its history from the NCI, an overall exceptional with a near-perfect impact score of 12, on the competitive renewal of its Cancer Center Support Grant in 2018.

Dr. Platanias has been a member of the Association of American Cancer Institutes’ (AACI) Board of Directors since 2018. He co-chairs the AACI’s Conflict of Interest Task Force and has served on the association’s Annual Meeting program committee. Dr. Platanias is also an elected member of the Association of American Physicians.