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
Senior Operations Manager
Micaelan Valesky Gasperich
Manager, Data Science
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 Manager
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
Mariam Raheem
Applied Data Fellow
Krystal Rios
Sr. Manager of Community Engagement
Adela Perez Salvidar
Senior Community Engagement Coordinator
Sam Schneider
Senior Grants Manager
Sitoria Townsend
Digital Communications Manager
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
Anthony Garcia
At-Large Representative, Kids First Chicago Parent Advisory Board
Cornelia Grumman
Former Director of Education, Robert R. McCormick Foundation
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
Justin Weinstein
EVP, Chief Merchandising & Marketing Officer, Giant Eagle, Inc.
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
John W. Madigan
Retired Chairman & CEO, Tribune Company
Timothy R. Schwertfeger
Chairman & CEO Emeritus, Nuveen
Nancy S. Searle
Civic Leader
*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.