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 […]

May 24, 2021 Workforce equity: Corporate Chicago can lead the way – Manika Turnbull, Tina Sanders, Marie Trzupek Lynch Racial inequality has rightly taken center stage over the past year as the pandemic exacerbated disproportionate impacts on communities of color that suffered greater illness and death but also job loss. As we work to rebuild […]

April 15, 2021 Congressman Mike Quigley – 5th District, Illinois – U.S. House of Representatives Congressman Mike Quigley Mike Quigley was elected to Congress to represent Illinois’ 5th District after serving his community for more than thirty years. He previously served as a Cook County Commissioner and began his career through community service in the […]

April 8, 2021 Congresswoman Robin Kelly – 2nd District, Illinois – U.S. House of Representatives Congresswoman Robin Kelly Congresswoman Robin Kelly has dedicated her career to public service as an advocate for Illinois families. Since being elected to serve the 2nd Congressional District in 2013, she has worked to expand economic opportunity, community wellness, and […]

March 23, 2021 Chancellor Michael Amiridis – University of Illinois Chicago Chancellor Michael Amiridis Michael Amiridis is Chancellor of the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), the largest and only public research university in Chicago with a budget of over $3.5 billion. UIC’s 14,000 employees serve approximately 33,500 students in sixteen colleges, including one of the […]

March 16, 2021 Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch – Illinois House of Representatives Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch Emanuel “Chris” Welch has been a State Representative from the 7th District of Illinois since 2013. He was elected Speaker of the House in January 2021 after serving on several key committees, including chairman of the Executive Committee; and […]

March 2, 2021 Fritz Kaegi – Assessor – Cook County Fritz Kaegi Fritz Kaegi is the Cook County Assessor. Prior to beginning his career in Cook County government, Fritz spent more than 20 years valuing assets as a mutual fund portfolio manager and analyst. In his 13 years at Columbia Wanger Asset Management, Fritz served […]

January 6, 2021 Jamie Rhee – Commissioner – Chicago Department of Aviation Jamie Rhee Chicago Department of Aviation Commissioner Jamie L. Rhee knows the aviation industry inside and out. After beginning her career in customer service at O’Hare International Airport in the 1990’s as a foreign language assistant, her 26 years in public service have […]

December 9, 2020 Timothy Killeen – President – University of Illinois System President Timothy Killeen Timothy L. Killeen is the 20th president of the University of Illinois System, with universities in Urbana-Champaign, Chicago and Springfield. He took office in May 2015, and received a new contract in 2020 that will extend his term through June […]

November 18, 2020 Toni Preckwinkle, President, Cook County Board – Budgeting for Equity President Toni Preckwinkle Toni Preckwinkle is the 35th president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, an office she has held since 2010. A dedicated and effective public servant, President Preckwinkle has worked tirelessly and collaboratively to reshape County government through increased […]