Directors & Volunteers

Directors

Mayor Lori Lightfoot
Mayor, City of Chicago
Honorary Chair
Robin M. Hulshizer
Latham & Watkins LLP
Co-Chair
Dr. Judith Allen
Communities in Schools
Co-Chair

Partner

Communities in Schools

Executive Panel & Distinguished Readers

Sean Berkowitz
Former Assistant U.S. Attorney, Partner, Latham & Watkins LLP
Steven Covey
Former General Counsel & Senior Vice President, Navistar, Inc.
Hon. Judge Robert M. Dow
Jr. U.S.D.C. for the Northern District of Illinois
Zachary Fardon
Former U.S. Attorney, Northern District of Illinois
Collins T. Fitzpatrick
Circuit Executive, U.S. Court of Appeals For The Seventh Circuit
Sal Guccione
Former Assistant Superintendent, Office of the Catholic Schools
Terri Foster
Founder, Chicago Charity Challenge
Hon. Judge Charles P. Kocoras
U.S.D.C for the Northern District of Illinois
Sara Gilley Krivoshia
Principal, Cornerstone Research
Harry Lennix
Director, Stage and Screen Actor
Warren Lupel
Special Counsel, Much Shelist, P.C.
Yolanda Magallanes
Development Director, Organizing For Action
Sarah Marino
Director of Accreditation, Medical Assisting Education Review Board
Bethany McLean
Contributing Editor, Vanity Fair
Darryl McPherson
U.S. Marshal, U.S. Department of Justice, Northern District of Illinois
John Pont
Associate Coach, University of Chicago Maroons
Judah Rodgon
Senior Counsel, Wells Fargo
Paul Rutherford
Vice Chairman, Cook County Crime Stoppers
Eric Schiller
Partner and Lecturer, Dentons and Northwestern University School Of Law
Julie Schrager
Legal Writing Coach, Schiff Hardin LLP
Helene Shapo
Professor, Northwestern University School Of Law
Tom Tuohy
President, Founder, Dreams for Kids
Jesse White
Secretary of State and State Librarian, State of Illinois
Zee Williams
Chief, Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office Child Support Enforcement Division
David Cherry
Director, All Stars Project of Chicago
RJ Collins
Singer, Contestant on “The Voice”
Richard J. Durbin
U.S. Senator
Hon. Judge Rebecca R. Pallmeyer
U.S.D.C Northern District of Illinois
Cleopatra Cowley-Pendelton
Co-Founder of Hadiya’s Promise
Jessica Roberts
Assistant Professor, School of Interactive Computing, Georgia Institute of Technology
Hon. Judge Mary Rowland
U.S.D.C Northern District of Illinois
Julissa Santoy
Executive Assistant to Congressman Luis Guitierrez
Deb Steiner
Executive V.P., General Counsel, CCO, RR Donnelly & Sons Co.
Heidi Stevens
Columnist, Chicago Tribune
Pamela Pepper
Chief United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
David Brown
Chicago Police Superintendent
Ron Guerrier
Global Chief Information Officer, HP
Dr. Donell Barnett
Deputy Director of Mental Health Operations, State of Illinois
Leif Elsmo
Executive Director of External Affairs, University of Chicago School of Medicine
Andrea Saenz
COO, The Chicago Community Trust
Kareem Wells
Recording Artist, Songwriter, Producer, Founder of K.W.O.E Group
Heidi Kuehl
Seventh Circuit Librarian, US Court of Appeals
Desiree Hanford
Asst. Professor, Dir. of Academic Integrity & Appeals, Medill School of Journalism, Northwestern University
Lyle Berkowitz, MD
CEO, KeyCare
Eleanor Cabrere
General Counsel & Senior Vice President, Navistar, Inc.
Hon. Judith Fitzgerald
Retired Judge
Brad Karkula
Assistant Vice President, Associate Banker, Citibank N.A.
Laurence H. Levine
Partner, Laurence H. Levine Law Offices
Sean Nelson
CEO & President, Youth for Understanding USA
Cary Perlman
Retired Partner, Latham & Watkins LLP
Rey Saldana
CEO, Communities in Schools National Office
Eric K. Schuller II
Senior Vice-President, Business Manager, Citi Private Bank
Kaitlin Verber
Legal Operations Counsel, The Obama Foundation

Our Readers & Event Volunteers

We Are Indebted To Our Many Wonderful Volunteers. This event could not have happened but for their time and talent, assisting in so many ways, planning the awards event, preparing letters to students and teachers, reaching out to local businesses and most importantly, reading all of those wonderful essays! We gratefully acknowledge their invaluable contributions.