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Our Leaders

Our Board of Directors and leadership team work together to ensure that Communities In Schools of Chicago cements its position as the most wide-ranging nonprofit empowering Chicago’s public-school students to graduate from high school prepared for success.

Jane Mentzinger

Chief Executive Officer

Since 2001, Jane has served as the Chief Executive Officer of CIS of Chicago, guiding the organization in developing strategies and tactics to create sustainable partnerships with schools and community organizations.

She is responsible for raising and managing our annual budget, as well as managing the CIS team of professionals who build relationships with Chicago Public Schools and community organizations, both key partners for our organization. Jane also works with the Board of Directors to develop and implement long-range organizational goals and fundraising strategies.

Overall, Jane sets our organizational vision for identifying, connecting, and sustaining high-quality and much-needed services in schools to create better futures for Chicago’s public-school students.

Jane has a strong background in nonprofit management, previously serving as Senior Vice President at Common Cause, a DC-based nonpartisan grassroots organization dedicated to building a strong democracy. She is a graduate of Princeton University.

Mark brady

Board Chair

Mark Brady was named Board Chair in 2021. He is a retired partner of William Blair & Company.

Mark joined William Blair in 1991 and was named partner in 1996. He successfully completed over 150 acquisition and financing transactions with companies domiciled in over 20 different countries. Mark also served on William Blair’s Fairness Opinion Committee.

Read Crain’s Chicago Business’s Q&A with Mark Brady: William Blair’s Banner Year and watch Mark in roundtable discussions with The Deal on the cross-border deal-making environment and how to make sure deals close.

Mark was awarded the 2012 Mergers and Acquisitions Magazine: Dealmaker of the Year and 2008 Investment Dealers’ Digest: Mid-Market Banker of the Year.

In addition to CIS of Chicago, Mark also serves as a Board Member of Mercy Home.

Mark has an MBA from the University of Chicago and a BA from Northwestern University in Economics.

Our Board of Directors

Name Company / Organization
Dr. Sherron J. Bibbie Retired, Chicago Public Schools
Don Bielinski SMB Interim Management LLC
Craig A. Bondy GTCR LLC
Mark Brady | Board Chair Retired Partner, Investment Banking, William Blair & Company
Michelle Brown | Board Treasurer Encore
Mary Capasso PPM America, Inc.
Lan Nguyen Chaplin, Ph.D. Northwestern University
Janel Daley Protera
Miranda Davis Ascension
Jonathan Guryan Northwestern University
Ryan D. Harris Kirkland & Ellis LLP
John M. Hawn Retired, YUM! Brands, Inc.
Ralph Leslie Pew Charitable Trusts
Bradley H. Meyers Grosvenor Capital Management, L.P.
Brian Moncrief | Board Secretary Ares Management Corporation
Jim Parsons Retired, The Brinson Foundation
Jim Welch | Board Vice Chairman Nexgen Packaging LLC

Our Leadership Council

The Leadership Council at CIS of Chicago builds our organization’s presence as a leader in Chicago’s nonprofit sector and supports brand-building activities and resource needs. The Leadership Council also provides feedback on how to position CIS of Chicago with companies, foundations, and community groups to help us reach our annual goals.

Name Company / Organization
Ellen Carnahan Machrie Enterprises LLC
Jodi Caro Ulta Beauty
Ada Dolph Seyfarth
Alex Feld The Pritzker Organization
Helon Hammond United Airlines
Dinaz Mansuri The Mayer and Morris Kaplan Family Foundation
Brian Moncrief* Ares Management Corporation
Evan Palenschat Proskauer Rose LLP
Jim Parsons* Retired, The Brinson Foundation
Paige Ponder Idea Jar, LLC
David Schuppan Vistria Group
Natalie Tessler Nonprofit and For-Profit Independent Strategy Consultant
Elizabeth Vaughan Gallagher
Carmen Vega NBCU Local Chicago
Jim Welch* Nexgen Packaging LLC

*CIS of Chicago Board of Directors

Our mission is to surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life.

Follow the latest CIS news and learn more about our impact on Chicago’s young people!

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