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 Officer
Jessica Cañas
Senior Community Engagement Manager
Daisy Carrera Rocha
Program Manager, Parent Leadership Fellowship
Zelianel Ferrer Costas
Program Manager
Melanie Flores-Fragoso, EdD
Senior Development Manager
Sabrina Garza
Senior Coordinator of Development and External Affairs
Micaelan V. Gasperich
Research Data Analyst
Garrette Horne
Director of Community Engagement
Ellie Immerman
Communications Manager
Emani Johnson
Community Engagement Manager, West Chicago
Asha Kuloor
Salesforce Associate
Lorenzo Logan
Community Engagement Coordinator, West Chicago
Teresa Maldonado
Community Engagement Coordinator, Northwest Chicago
Evelyn Merlos
Operations Associate
Kendall Moore-Fields
Policy Associate
Ana Mosqueda
Director of Operations
José D. Pacas, PhD
Chief of Data Science and Research
Cathy Paliga
Executive Assistant
Jasmin Pizano Luna
Policy Manager
Kristin Pollock
Chief of Development and External Affairs
Chris Poulos
Senior Manager of Program Evaluation
Krystal Rios
Early Childhood Engagement Manager
Adela Salvidar
Community Engagement Coordinator, Southwest Chicago
LeShonne W. Segura
Director of Development and External Affairs
Le'Keshia Smith
Community Engagement Coordinator, South Chicago
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
Program Director, Vivo Foundation
David Casper
Chairman, BMO Financial Group
Shirley M. Collado, PhD
President & CEO, College Track
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
Sam Ganga
Partner, Digital Strategy & Transformation, KPMG
Cornelia Grumman
Former Director of Education, Robert R. McCormick Foundation
Lilla Guevara
At-Large Representative - Kids First Chicago Parent Advisory Board
Darrel Hackett
U.S. CEO, BMO Financial Group
Philip L. Hildebrandt
Retired CEO, Segall Bryant & Hamill
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
Co-Founder of UChicago Consortium and Senior Research Associate, University of Chicago
Kelly R. Welsh
Former President, Civic Committee of The Commercial Club of Chicago
Melinda Young
Senior Portfolio Manager, Airbnb
Directors Emeritus
Patrick J. Canning
Vice Chairman, Cresset Capital
Lula Ford
Former Educator and Retired Member, Illinois State Board of Education
John W. Madigan
Retired Chairman & CEO, Tribune Company
Nancy S. Searle
Civic Leader
Timothy R. Schwertfeger
Chairman & CEO Emeritus, Nuveen Investments
Join Our Team
We are a team of dedicated individuals who believe that education is the key to a brighter future for all.