Staff & Board
Our team combines strong data analytics, experience in public education and policy, and community engagement expertise to connect the “grass-tops” with the grassroots, ensuring parent and community voices are heard at the highest levels of decision-making about the direction of Chicago’s PK-12 schools.
Staff
Daniel Anello
Chief Executive Director
Jessica Cañas
Chief of Community Engagement
Daisy Carrera
Manager, Community Engagement (PLT)
Melanie Christion
Community Engagement Coordinator, Northwest Side
Nayda De La Rosa
Associate Director of Organizing & Community Partnerships
Vanessa Espinoza
Bilingual Communication Specialist
Zelianel Ferrer Costas
Operations Manager
Micaelan Valesky Gasperich
Data Scientist
Emani Johnson
Manager of Community Engagement- Task Forces
Nicholas Jones
Associate Director of Programs & School Partnerships
Asha Kuloor
Salesforce Administrator
Teresa Maldonado
Manager of Community Engagement (PLF)
Maria Maynez
Bilingual Community Engagement Coordinator
Evelyn Merlos
Senior Coordinator, Development & External Affairs
Kendall Moore-Fields
Policy Associate
Ana Mosqueda
Director of Operations
Victory Nwabufo
Community Engagement Coordinator, South Chicago
Cathy Paliga
Executive Assistant
Tierra Pearson
Westside Community Engagement Coordinator
Jasmin Pizano Luna
Senior Policy Manager
Kristin Pollock
Chief Operating Officer
Krystal Rios
Sr. Manager of Community Engagement
Adela Perez Salvidar
Community Engagement Coordinator, Southwest Chicago
Sam Schneider
Senior Grants Manager
LeShonne W. Segura
Senior Director of Development and External Affairs
Hal Woods
Chief of Policy
Board of Directors
Laura Thonn | CHAIR
Office Managing Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Daniel Anello
Chief Executive Officer, Kids First Chicago
Mara Botman
Executive Director, Vivo Foundation
Shirley M. Collado, PhD
President & CEO, College Track
Cassandra Di Prizio
Director, Social Impact & Marketing, Boston Consulting Group
Derek Douglas
President, Civic Committee of The Commercial Club of Chicago
Shayne Evans
Founder & Managing Partner, The Academy Group
Thomas J. Formolo
Partner, New Harbor Capital LLC
Cornelia Grumman
Former Director of Education, Robert R. McCormick Foundation
Lilia Guevara
At-Large Representative - Kids First Chicago Parent Advisory Board
Darrel Hackett
President & CEO, BMO Bank
Caleb Herod
Director of Income & Assets, The Chicago Community Trust
Philip L. Hildebrandt
Retired CEO, Segall Bryant & Hamill
Travis C. Hunter, Jr.
Office Managing Partner, KPMG
LeeAndra Khan
Executive Director, EPIC Academy
Maria Owens
Founding Partner, Owens & Robinson Law At-Large Representative, Kids First Chicago Parent Advisory Board
Nichole Pinkard
Associate Professor, Learning Sciences Northwestern University
Penny Bender Sebring, PhD
Co-Founder of UChicago Consortium and Senior Research Associate, University of Chicago
Robert Venable
President & CEO, Miami Corporation Management
Kelly R. Welsh
Former President, Civic Committee of The Commercial Club of Chicago
Directors Emeritus
Patrick J. Canning
Vice Chairman, Cresset Capital
David Casper
Chairman, BMO Financial Group
Lula Ford
Former Educator and Retired Member, Illinois State Board of Education
Donald G. Lubin*
Partner, Dentons US LLP
John W. Madigan
Retired Chairman & CEO, Tribune Company
John W. Rowe*
Chairman Emeritus, Exelon Corporation
Nancy S. Searle
Civic Leader
Timothy R. Schwertfeger
Chairman & CEO Emeritus, Nuveen
Harrison I. Steans*
Chairman of the Executive Committee, Financial Investments Corporation
*IN MEMORIAM
Board leaders who have passed but left an indelible mark on Chicago public education.
Join Our Team
We are a team of dedicated individuals who believe that education is the key to a brighter future for all.