Communities in Schools of Chicago

Annual
Report
2022

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Chicago's public-school students and their families have endured unprecedented challenges since the start of the decade. A global pandemic, increased violence, mounting mental health issues, and rising economic insecurity have taken a significant toll on our schools and communities. According to recent federal and state data, years of steady academic progress have been erased.

More than ever before, the work of Communities In Schools (CIS) of Chicago is imperative to ensuring that students have access to the supports they need to overcome any systemic barriers to learning, unlock their potential, and achieve in school and life. We believe the way forward, for both our young people and our city, is grounded in leveraging positive relationships and investing in our students’ success.

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Letter To Our Supporters

During the 2021-22 academic year, CIS of Chicago focused on re-acclimating our students to in-person learning and supporting school partners, community partners, and families with navigating the return to the school building.

Through the dedication of our mission-driven team, the collaboration of our partners, and the generosity of our supporters, CIS of Chicago continued to form trusting relationships with students who needed extra help to stay on the path to graduation. Mia was one of the nearly 58,000 students who benefited from our organization’s work.

Mia had a tough start to her junior year of high school. Her dad had fallen ill, so Mia started working more to help her family out financially. This took focus away from her schoolwork. Mia no longer saw the purpose in trying to succeed at school. Eventually, Mia’s attendance and grades suffered, and so did her self-esteem.

Then, Mia met Stephanie, the CIS of Chicago Senior Student Supports Manager based at her Northwest Side school. Stephanie dug deeper and came to understand Mia as a whole person. She knew Mia was much more than her sporadic attendance and low grades suggested.

Stephanie, a seasoned clinician with a master’s degree in social work, learned about Mia’s family challenges, her struggles with self-esteem, and the support she needed for her mental health. Just as important, Stephanie uncovered Mia’s unique strengths that could help her regain her footing in school.

With the support of her parents and teachers, Mia started meeting weekly with Stephanie. They identified things Mia liked about herself, such as her intelligence and her mastery of baking. They also discussed coping skills Mia could use when she was feeling anxious, like deep breathing exercises and daily journaling.

To continue building Mia’s self-esteem, Stephanie connected her with a women’s empowerment group at school, where she could receive positive reinforcement from her peers and a steady stream of encouragement to continue setting personal goals.

Stephanie also supported Mia’s relationship with her family. Stephanie facilitated a discussion with Mia and her mother about healthy boundaries and realistic expectations for Mia working part-time. After an honest conversation with her mom, Mia realized that her family didn’t need her to work as many hours. This gave Mia time to focus more on her academic success. Her attendance and her grades soon rose.

With a new outlook in the classroom, Mia had the time and the peace of mind to think about life beyond eleventh grade. She began researching colleges and looking into opportunities to pursue a degree in Women’s Studies. With Stephanie’s encouragement, Mia even applied for the Posse Scholarship, which guarantees a full ride to college. Recently, she was named a finalist for that honor.

As Mia completes her senior year, applies to colleges, and waits to hear back on the Posse Scholarship opportunity, she continues to have Stephanie in her corner, cheering her on and boosting her confidence. Stephanie’s supportive work with Mia reflects how our entire team served Chicago’s K-12 students in the 2021-22 school year.

2021-22 was a uniquely challenging year for schools and young people. Our team of professionals were on the ground, witnessing emerging trends that alarmed educators across America – from an uptick of students displaying behavioral and mental health challenges to increased absence rates and massive learning loss. Many of these issues arose from or were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

With a daily presence inside schools, providing direct access to supports and services – and with the support of our dedicated community partners – our team addressed these issues head-on each day. We deepened our relationships with families and community organizations, and we expanded our support to more students and more schools.

Our work in the 2021-22 school year positively impacted the lives of 58,000 students. This year, we’re amplifying that impact significantly. By June of 2023, our team will positively impact 70,000 students at 200 Chicago public schools. That is the largest our school network has ever been and reflects our constant commitment to not only respond to the growing needs of students and communities, but also foster growth in the city we call home. When our young people succeed, the entire city of Chicago benefits.

Thank you for continuing to champion our mission and vision. We know our students and families need your support, now more than ever.

Jane Mentzinger, Chief Executive Officer
Mark Brady, Board Chair

Learn more about Mia’s story and read a message from our CEO and board chair

Honoring Tenacity in 2021-22

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“CIS’ school-based team prioritized re-engagement during the 2021-22 school year. We welcomed our students back to the school building and helped them develop a strong sense of community with their peers, their teachers, and other caring adults so they could focus on their learning. We partnered with families and school leaders to ensure that students had everything they needed to succeed. And we continued to support our students with setting goals and creating plans to achieve their goals through innovative services and outreach.”

– Shipra Panicker, Senior Director of Integrated Student Supports

Intensive Support

We provided students with individual and group guidance, in collaboration with schools’ behavioral health teams, through our Intensive Program. Services addressed barriers to healthy youth development.

CIS of Chicago’s Intensive Program embeds a master’s level clinician at 30 public schools across the city to support students who need extra help with their attendance, behavior, grades, and social-emotional learning skills.

Student Supports Managers develop positive relationships with students, and together with their teachers and families, they provide the support that young people need to stay on the path to graduation. Each Student Supports Manager builds a caseload of 45 students, and they work with these students to set goals and create strategies for students to unlock their potential.

Some of our students set goals around arriving to school on time. Some students set goals around resolving conflicts peacefully or raising their grades. Others need support on improving their self-confidence or managing anxiety or anger. No matter the need, CIS’ team of Student Supports Managers is there to empower students to succeed.

The 2021-22 school year brought another layer of challenges to Chicago students as they readjusted to in-person learning. Many students faced increased mental and behavioral health challenges after a year and a half of isolation. Feelings of stress were palpable in the classroom for both students and teachers, but Student Supports Managers surrounded schools with a community of support.

They continued providing students with direct services, and they amplified CIS’ support of teachers and families, who have also faced significant challenges during the pandemic. In addition to meeting with students individually and in groups, Student Supports Managers connected the whole school with resources, provided by our network of community partners. That way, entire classrooms and grade levels benefitted from needed supports.  

In 2021-22, Student Supports Managers served 1,364 targeted students with counseling, guidance, and social-emotional skill-building. Of the students who received this type of ongoing assistance, 99 percent either graduated or were promoted to the next grade. Fewer than 1 percent dropped out. In addition, 88 percent of these students met their personalized behavior goals, and 82 percent met their personalized academic goals.

CIS of Chicago also continued its Freshmen Rising initiative, which pairs ninth graders with a dedicated Freshmen Rising Coordinator. Freshmen Rising uses the University of Chicago Urban Education Institute’s Success Bound curriculum, whose research shows that if students are on track in their ninth-grade year, their odds of graduating improve significantly.

In 2021-22, CIS’ Freshmen Rising Coordinator provided 50 students with monthly check-ins, a weekly student group, structured lessons around social-emotional learning, and resources for their support systems.

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“Relationships, a core value of CIS of Chicago, are foundational to our work. It is not enough to have access. We must also build relationships that support our students, school communities, and community partners so that access is just the beginning, paving the way for the greatest possible impact. We have to lean on each other and recognize that no one person achieves alone. It is in community, together and through our relationships, that we find success.”

– Robin Koelsch, Senior Director of Partnerships

School Partnerships

We served as a trusted partner for nearly a third of Chicago public schools through our Partnership Program.

The Partnership Program connects the supports of a vast network of community partners to 200 Chicago public schools.

CIS’ School Partnership Team works with school leaders and counselors to understand the types of supports their students need. Once the priorities of each school are identified, they coordinate with CIS’ Community Partnership Team to link support initiatives and resources directly with the school.

Priorities range from anti-bullying to social science and civic engagement, and in 2021-22, the Partnership Team’s work was more important than ever. School communities, students, and families experienced increased levels of stress and anxiety with the return to in-person learning, and this amplified the need for support from community organizations. CIS’ Partnership Team members were agile and responsive. We helped schools address the cultural and environmental influences that drove student performance.

For example, when Ruggles Elementary School on the South Side was seeking career awareness and STEM programming, CIS’ School Partnership Team connected multiple classes with the Shedd Aquarium’s live-virtual program. The experience was so well-received that Ruggles Elementary scheduled an in-person field trip for students.

When Nixon Elementary School on the Northwest Side needed extra resources for their ballet folklórico dance group, CIS linked them with Ensemble Español. The partner generously donated practice skirts to the dancers. And when New Sullivan Elementary School on the Southeast Side was seeking COVID-19 vaccine information and support for families, CIS brought in partners like the Vaccine Brigade and Loop Medical to answer questions and provide immunizations.

In 2021-22, CIS of Chicago linked 200 community partners to Chicago public schools. These connections served nearly 58,000 students and addressed a range of priorities, including arts and culture, behavioral and mental health, college and career readiness, fundamental needs, and health and wellness. They also had a positive impact on students’ reading and math (as documented by a 2015 gold-standard evaluation of the Partnership Program and recently cited by the White House in a new initiative, the National Partnership for Student Success).*

In addition to helping schools access important supports, CIS’ School Partnership Team trained school partners on best practices and provided opportunities for collaboration. In 2021-22, CIS hosted trainings on anti-bias, stress management, and self-care. CIS’ support of school partners solidified our organization’s role as a trusted partner during a year that many educators described as the most challenging of their careers.

*Results of this evaluation were re-verified in a replication study conducted by the Education Lab at the University of Chicago Urban Labs in 2020.

VIEW THE LIST OF CIS OF CHICAGO SCHOOL PARTNERS: 2022-23
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Community Partnerships

We connected community partner resources and programs with schools who needed them the most.

Once CIS’s School Partnership Team collaborates with schools to define their priorities, CIS of Chicago’s Community Partnership Team meets those needs by connecting resources available through our more than 200 community partners. This work not only helps students’ academic needs; their social, emotional, mental, and physical health benefit, too.

In 2021-22, the Community Partnership Team linked more than 1,500 support programs and other essential resources to schools, serving Chicago students, teachers, and families. Supports aligned with five focus areas: arts and culture; behavioral and mental health; college and career readiness; fundamental needs; and health and wellness.

The Partnership Team also furnished nearly 8,500 students and families with fundamental needs items, including back-to-school supplies, beauty and hygiene products, winter coats, and emergency fund relief. This provided needed assistance to families, many of whom were still facing economic burdens exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

For community partners, collaborating with CIS of Chicago comes with direct access to students, tailored support, help with amplifying programs and navigating schools, professional development, and even networking. With all of these benefits, CIS of Chicago’s team decided to ask community organizations which aspect of the partnership resonated most with them.

Some partners, like SparkShop and Adler Planetarium, said that CIS allows them to connect with more schools in the city. Others, like Common Sense Education, said that CIS fosters positive relationships with students and families. The Writers Theatre, for example, said that CIS provides “guided access to schools who need programming the most and are actively looking for what we offer.”

CIS also offers professional development and networking opportunities. The University of Illinois Chicago said, “We wouldn’t be able to execute our middle school programming without them! CIS provides us with the guidance, support, and school connections to bring our ideas to the classroom to support students.”

In 2021-22, CIS’ Community Partnership Team trained 144 community partners on a variety of topics, including how to navigate field trips with the return of in-person learning and how to make program activities relevant and authentic.

VIEW THE LIST OF CIS OF CHICAGO COMMUNITY PARTNERS: 2021-22
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When Xochitl was in sixth grade, she had a hard time not letting her emotions drive her actions. She started meeting regularly with Juanita, a CIS of Chicago Student Supports Manager based at her Southwest Side school. Together, they discussed ways to respond to conflict without fighting. Juanita helped build Xochitl’s sense of self-worth and helped her connect with positive online outlets, especially when she was dealing with the loss of her godfather.

Xochitl graduated from eighth grade in 2021 – passing all her classes and having only missed one day of school that year. She admitted to Juanita that she was finally starting to love herself, and Juanita couldn’t be happier. She has always recognized Xochitl’s amazing potential, caring heart, and natural leadership abilities and is excited about what the future holds for her.

Innovation and Agility

The 2021-22 school year brought opportunities – students reunited with teachers, young people surrounded by their peers, and CIS school-based staff back in the classroom, providing direct services. But challenges from COVID-19 remained, in addition to heightened stress from other issues like community violence and economic insecurity, making the need for CIS of Chicago’s work greater than ever.

CIS team members deftly responded to the needs of students, families, schools, and community partners. They tested new ideas and piloted new approaches for service delivery to carry out CIS of Chicago’s mission of surrounding students with a community of support.

Here are just a few examples of our team’s innovation and responsiveness during 2021-22.

  • In December 2021, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued an advisory outlining the pandemic’s negative impact on youth mental health and calling for a coordinated response to the crisis from not just families, but also educators, health care organizations, media and tech companies, governments, and community organizations, like CIS of Chicago.
    • CIS’s Chief Operations Officer and Clinical Director, Dr. Judith Allen, led efforts to continue providing Youth Mental Health First Aid training. In 2021-22, Dr. Allen, along with four other members of our Youth Mental Health First Aid team, trained more than 500 teachers, administrators, partners, and other adults across the city on how to recognize and respond to young people experiencing mental health challenges.
  • CIS’ Intensive Team helped students readjust to the classroom by helping them build connection with their peers and school communities. In addition to providing one-on-one support, Student Supports Managers:
  • CIS’ Partnership Team stayed flexible to the unique needs of school partners and community partners. As schools navigated the return to in-person learning last fall, the team:
    • Shared tailored community resources with schools through Spirit Week.
    • Listened to the priorities of schools and found ways to create connections with community organizations like the Shedd Aquarium, which offered live-virtual programs that kept students engaged.
    • Leaned into one of the organization’s core values, relationships, and developed new partnerships with groups including Enlace, Esperanza Health Center, and Vaccine Brigade, while also fostering existing ones. Positive relationships allowed the Partnership Team to connect intentional services directly to students and families. 
    • Celebrated partners and their support of students in a school year unlike any other with an end-of-year appreciation event.
  • CIS’ Development Team cultivated new and exciting resource channels. They hosted an in-person annual event, which engaged more than 200 CIS supporters at the historic Old Post Office and highlighted the importance of CIS’ work.
  • CIS’ Operations Team developed innovative policies and practices, including the launch of a cybersecurity policy ensuring that staff members had the appropriate procedures in place to protect student, supporter, and staff data.
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By The Numbers (2021-22)

0

students benefited from connected programs and services

0

students and families received essential needs items like school supplies, hygiene products, and direct cash assistance

0

programs and services were connected to students

0

school partners

0

community partners

0

Intensive Program sites

0

case-managed students

0 %

of case-managed students graduated or were promoted

< 0 %

of case-managed students dropped out

Fiscal Year 2022 Revenue was $9.3 Million

69%
Individuals
15%
Foundations
5%
Corporations
8%
Government and Schools
3%
Special Events

Financial Summary

Audited Financials

Recognizing Our Students and Partners

CIS of Chicago celebrates young people and the caring adults in their lives with two annual awards: the Al Ward Spirit of Giving Award and the Carnahan Family Tenacity Awards.

Recognizing Our Students and Partners

The Al Ward Spirit of Giving Award

This award recognizes a community partner and a school partner who have consistently gone above and beyond to positively impact students. It honors Alfred G. Ward, a founding board director who spent 15 years enriching our organization. The 2021 Spirit of Giving Awards were presented to:

Community Partner Category: Shedd Aquarium

The Shedd Aquarium has been a CIS of Chicago community partner for 18 years. When they were impacted by the COVID-19 shut-down, their Learning Programs Team launched a virtual program for students to learn about dolphin communication. This highly successful and interactive program led to more programs specifically for CIS of Chicago’s school partners.

Since 2019-20, the Shedd Aquarium served 90 partner schools, and in the 2021-22 school year, they served schools through virtual programs, in-person field trips, and an in-person surprise animal encounter. According to CIS’ Partnership Team, principals and teachers value the Shedd’s program because it provides fun and interactive activities that broaden students’ horizons.

School Partner Category: Samantha Uribe, Haugan Elementary School

Ms. Samantha Uribe has been the CIS Site Coordinator at Haugan on the Northwest Side for seven years, and during her tenure, she has consistently worked with CIS of Chicago to meet the needs of her students and school community. Because of Ms. Uribe’s efforts, Haugan year after year is serving 95 to 100 percent of their student population via connections made through the CIS partnership.

According to CIS’ Partnership Team, Ms. Uribe is an excellent advocate for her students, and her enthusiasm each school year is inspiring.

The Carnahan Family Tenacity Awards

These awards honor one student from each of CIS of Chicago’s Intensive Program schools who has overcome significant obstacles to improve their school performance and stay on the path to graduation.

Each Tenacity Award recipient faces unique challenges, from issues with self-esteem to struggles with attendance or even conflicts with peers. But with the help of their CIS Student Supports Manager, they work to set and meet their goals. 2022 Tenacity Award recipients were celebrated with an in-person ceremony and received a “tenacious” T-shirt, a certificate, a VISA gift card, and a letter honoring their achievement.

In 2022, the Carnahan Family Tenacity Awards were presented to:

  • Roberto, Acero – Brighton Park Elementary School
  • Tamia, Distinctive Schools: Art in Motion
  • Melissa, Lázaro Cárdenas Elementary School
  • Royshawn, Catalyst Circle Rock Charter School
  • Monica, Chávez Multicultural Academic Center
  • Brian, CICS Ralph Ellison High School
  • Xaiden, CICS West Belden Elementary School
  • Roneisha, Michele Clark Academic Prep Magnet High School
  • Amy, Henry Clay Elementary School
  • Bernie, Darwin Elementary School
  • Breanna, James R. Doolittle, Jr. Elementary School
  • Natalie, John F. Eberhart Elementary School
  • Nani, Farragut Career Academy High School
  • Jayleen, Frank W. Gunsaulus Scholastic Academy
  • Erika, Stephen K. Hayt Elementary School
  • Antwan, Helen M. Hefferan Elementary School
  • William, Gurdon S. Hubbard High School
  • Kevin, John L. Marsh Elementary School
  • Tony, Stephen Tyng Mather High School
  • Jessie, Arnold Mireles Academy
  • Erika, William P. Nixon Elementary School
  • Destiny, Noble Schools – DRW College Prep
  • Casandra, Phoenix STEM Military Academy
  • Abel, Pilsen Community Academy
  • Marcell, A. Philip Randolph Elementary School
  • Jocelyn, Maria Saucedo Scholastic Academy
  • Christopher, Jacqueline B. Vaughn Occupational High School
  • Nina, George Washington High School
  • Tilia, Daniel Webster Elementary School
  • Jameer, Oliver S. Westcott Elementary School
  • Misaela, YCCS – Association House High School

Since 2014, CIS of Chicago has presented almost 150 students with a Tenacity Award.

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“At the Finnegan Family Foundation, we are committed to supporting the well-being of Chicago's youth. We have long believed that promoting equitable education opportunities is a great way to do that. The approach that CIS takes, which provides resources that wouldn't otherwise be available in the Chicago public schools they support, is one that resonates with us. We are glad CIS is working diligently to make sure that our young people have what they need to stay in school and succeed in life.” – Katherine Finnegan, President, Finnegan Family Foundation

– Katherine Finnegan, President, Finnegan Family Foundation

“When we see the news, we are struck by what a difficult time kids have been through in the last few years. It’s been even more difficult for the students that CIS serves. We are proud to be longtime supporters of the work that CIS does to support our young people.”

– Bon and Holly French

Investors in Our Work

CIS supporters remained unwavering in their support of Chicago students as schools reopened in 2021-22. They attended in-person school visits and witnessed CIS’s work in action. They opened their corporate offices to students for mentoring and career development sessions. They engaged in supply drives to ensure that students and families had the materials they needed to succeed. They participated in quarterly Investor Calls and stayed informed about issues affecting schools and communities. And they attended our Annual Event honoring student tenacity.

CIS supporters gave their time, talent, and financial support to the organization so that students could reengage with their learning, stay on the path to graduation, and find continued success in school and life. Because of their engagement and dedication to our mission, our team was able to continue providing support to tens of thousands of young people.

In late 2021, CIS of Chicago received a major $4 million gift from MacKenzie Scott’s charitable fund. This gift, from one of the country’s leading philanthropists, further validates CIS of Chicago’s work and its commitment to educational equity. It also helps build a foundation for sustaining our work, responding to current needs, and growing for continued impact.

Leaders in Learning Donors (2021-22)

Leaders in Learning Donors 2021-22

$50,000+

AbbVie 
Anonymous 
Craig and Elliana Bondy
Mark and Jamie Brady 
Capital One 
Ellen Carnahan 
Crown Family Philanthropies 
Foglia Family Foundation 
Foundation for Human Development 
Ryan and Casey Harris 
Bart Holaday 
I.A. O'Shaughnessy Foundation 
Jackson National Community Fund 
Kemper Educational & Charitable Fund 
Lefkofsky Family Foundation 
Michael Reese Health Trust 
Northwestern University Dance Marathon 
Nygren Family Charitable Fund 
Panda Cares, the philanthropic arm of Panda Express 
Paul M. Angell Family Foundation 
Polk Bros. Foundation 
The Reva and David Logan Foundation 
MacKenzie Scott 
Vivo Foundation 

$20,000-49,999 

Adtalem Global Education Foundation 
Anonymous (2) 
BMO Harris 
The Brinson Foundation 
Capital Group 
Chicago Beyond 
Kevin and Joan Evanich 
Therese and Jim Fauerbach 
Finnegan Family Foundation 
Kirkland & Ellis 
Brian and Cindy Moncrief 
Peoples Gas Community Fund 
David and Kate Schuppan 
The Shippy Foundation 
Steans Family Foundation 
Thrive - Together for Students 
Topfer Family Foundation 
Ulta Beauty, Inc. 
Joan W. Ward 
Jim and Catherine Ann Welch 
W.P. & H.B. White Foundation 
University of Chicago Medical Center

$10,000-19,999 

Adams Street Partners, L.P. 
AIT Worldwide 
Anonymous (2) 
Ares Management 
Regina and Luke Bakalar 
Bank of America Charitable Foundation 
Don and Laura Bielinski 
Andrew and Shaun Block 
Michelle Renee Brown 
Albert Cotugno and Debi Levine 
Deloitte 
Michelle and John Engler 
Eugene & Sallyann Fama 
Bon and Holly French 
GCM Grosvenor 
Golder Family Foundation 
Richard M. Gunst 
John and Margaret Hawn 
Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP 
William McIntosh 
Nexgen Packaging 
Scott and Rachel Pasquini 
Elder Family Foundation  
Elizabeth Price and Lou Yicese 
The Pritzker Organization 
Proskauer Rose 
Protera 
Ropes & Gray LLP 
Robin P. Selati and Jill Selati 
The Siragusa Family Foundation 
William Blair & Company, LLC 

$5,000-9,999 

Alvarez and Marsal 
Amundsen Davis 
Aon Foundation 
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. 
Anonymous 
Mr. Jon Ballis 
Edith Chen and Greg Miller 
CIBC Bank 
Data Intensity 
Kent and Elizabeth Dauten 
Enova 
Ernst & Young LLP 
John Ettelson 
Mike and Eleanor Evangelides 
Bob and Rose Fealy 
Barbara and Todd Ford 
Leonard A. Gail and Robin M. Steans 
Nick and Kari Galassi 
Goldman, Sachs & Co. 
Jim and Carol Hansen 
Nicole Adele Hayek 
Hinsdale Junior Woman's Club 
Tom Holmberg 
Dorothy and Jack Jiganti 
Candice M. Johnson 
John Kos 
Nordstrom Cares 
NTT 
Valli Perera 
Protiviti 
Mrs. Barbara Scott 
Matt and Julie Simon 
Marc and Samantha Strongin 
Vibha Foundation 
Barbara West 
Edward and MaryAnn Wood 

$2,500-4,999 

Anonymous 
Brian and Heiji Black 
Janet and Tony Castelluccio 
The Chicago Community Trust 
Janel Daley and Charlie Gruber 
Jeff and April Diehl 
Steve and Alison Dry 
Alex and Katie Feld 
Mr. Andrew and Dr. Jenny Friedman
Austin Hurley 
Jeff and Carol Kearney 
Jack Maguire 
Dan McLaughlin 
Jay Pollitt 
Janet Syverson 
Gintaras and Gloria Vaisnys 
Art Warner 
WEC Energy Group 

 $1,000-2,499 

Jeannie Affelder and Jeff Weissglass 
Anonymous (8) 
Jill and Ted Beattie 
Mary Beth Berkes 
Dr. Sherron J. Bibbie 
Suzanne and Michael Burns 
Patty Callahan 
Judy Chernick 
Brad and Katie Cohen 
Bill and Kim Colwyn 
Michael Connally 
Marie Devlin 
Cameron Docter 
Dan and Nicole Drexler 
Cathy and Steve Ellenbogen 
Alfred Estberg 
Sue and Tom Gates 
Phillip Gerber 
Donna & Jack Greenberg 
Mark and Michelle Grossmann 
Jonathan and Rebecca Guryan 
Torrence and Kimberly Hinton 
Matt and Marnie Joy 
Glenn and Christine Kelly 
Cameron and Julia Koffman 
Kovler Family Foundation 
Ervin and Louise LeCoque 
Mike Maloney 
Alvin Marley 
Rocco and Roxanne Martino 
Megan McCleary 
Jeff Michael 
Mike Naimo 
Gregg and Jodi Newmark 
Jim and Sharon O'Sullivan 
Colleen and Stephen Padnos 
Jim Parsons 
Robert R. McCormick Foundation 
Rockefeller Capital Management 
Ronald and Ruthellyn Musil Family Fund within the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region 
Dan Rosenbloom 
Ellen Rudnick and Paul Earle 
Steve & Gale Smith 
Rita Spitz and David Blears 
Van and Stephanie Stapleton 
Jason Sunderson 
Jill Tanz 
Michael Timmers 
Kay Torshen 
Brian and Julie Tyler 
Vienna Beef 
Audrey Wessman 
Mr. and Mrs. Robert A. Westropp Jr. 
Jamie Woodward

View

Board of Directors (2021-22)

CIS of Chicago’s Board of Directors works directly with our leadership team to ensure that the organization cements its position as the leading nonprofit empowering the city’s young people to graduate prepared for continued success and fulfillment. We share our gratitude to the following board members for their service during the 2021-22 academic year, their leadership, and their dedication to our mission.

NAME POSITION ORGANIZATION
Mark Brady (Board Chair) Managing Director, Investment Banking William Blair & Company, LLC
Jim Welch (Board Vice Chair) Co-CEO Nexgen Packaging LLC
Michelle Brown (Board Treasurer) CEO Eighth & Quincy
Brian Moncrief (Board Secretary) Managing Director, Credit Group Ares Management Corporation
Dr. Sherron J. Bibbie Retired Principal Chicago Public Schools
Don Bielinski Managing Partner SMB Interim Management LLC
Craig A. Bondy Managing Director GTCR LLC
Jodi Caro General Counsel, Chief Risk & Compliance Officer Ulta Beauty
Lan Nguyen Chaplin, Ph.D. Professor, Medill School Northwestern University
Barbara M. Ford Partner Phoenix Strategic Advisors
John M. Greening Associate Professor, Medill School Northwestern University
Jonathan Guryan Lawyer Taylor Professor of Education and Social Policy Northwestern University
Brian Good Private Investor and ESG Advisory
Ryan D. Harris Partner Kirkland & Ellis LLP
John M. Hawn Retired – Former Director of Operations YUM! Brands, Inc.
Torrence L. Hinton President Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas
Alain LeCoque Principal, Chicago Colliers International Group Inc.
Ralph Leslie EVP, CFO, & COO The Pew Charitable Trusts
Bradley H. Meyers Managing Director GCM Grosvenor
Valli Perera Retired Partner Deloitte
David Schuppan Senior Partner Vistria Group

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