March 23, 2022 Israel Rocha Jr. – Cook County Health – Chief Executive Officer Israel Rocha Jr. Israel Rocha Jr. joined Cook County Health (CCH) as Chief Executive Officer in December of 2020. CCH has a storied 185 year legacy of caring for all patients, regardless of income, insurance or immigration status. Today it includes […]

March 10, 2020 Jens Ludwig – Pritzker Director, University of Chicago Crime Lab – Gun Violence in Chicago (and what could have been) Jens Ludwig Jens Ludwig is the Edwin A. & Betty L. Bergman Distinguished Service Professor at the University of Chicago, the Pritzker Director of the University of Chicago Crime Lab, and co-director […]

March 2, 2022 President Toni Preckwinkle – Cook County Board of Commissioners President Toni Preckwinkle Toni Preckwinkle is the 35th president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, an office she has held since 2010. She is the first Black woman to be elected to the office. A dedicated and effective public servant, President Preckwinkle […]

February 23, 2022 Commissioner Jamie Rhee – Chicago Department of Aviation Jamie Rhee Chicago Department of Aviation Commissioner Jamie L. Rhee is a leader in the aviation community, overseeing operations at both O’Hare and Midway International Airports – among the largest and most complex airport systems in the world. At the same time, Rhee maintains […]

November 2, 2021 Jennie Huang Bennett – Chief Financial Officer – City of Chicago Jennie Huang Bennett Jennie Huang Bennett serves as the City of Chicago’s Chief Financial Officer. Previously the Chief Financial Officer for Chicago Public Schools (CPS), Ms. Bennett has extensive experience in managing financial turnarounds, driving cost efficiencies, managing large complex capital […]

October 19, 2021 Arne Duncan – Managing Partner – Emerson Collective Arne Duncan As managing partner at Emerson Collective, an organization dedicated to removing barriers so people can live to their full potential, former U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan is on a mission to improve the lives of young adults in Chicago. Through partnerships […]

October 13, 2021 Karen Freeman-Wilson – President and CEO – Chicago Urban League Karen Freeman-Wilson Karen Freeman-Wilson began serving as President and CEO of the Chicago Urban League in January 2020. She brings a passion for equity and social justice to the organization, which works to advance economic, educational and social progress for African Americans […]

September 27, 2021 Superintendent David Brown – Chicago Police Department Superintendent David Brown David O. Brown joined the Chicago Police Department in April 2020, becoming CPD’s 63rd Superintendent. He brings more than 30 years of law enforcement experience to Chicago and is nationally recognized for his expertise in public safety, community policing and reform. Since […]

September 14, 2021 Chancellor Robert J. Jones – University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Chancellor Robert J. Jones Robert J. Jones is the 10th chancellor of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He previously served as president of the University of Albany, State University of New York following a 34-year career as a faculty member and senior administrator […]

July 28, 2021 John Palfrey – President – John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation John Palfrey John Palfrey is President of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, one of the nation’s largest philanthropies with assets of approximately $7 billion, and offices in Chicago, New Delhi, and Abuja, Nigeria. Palfrey is a well-respected […]