Thank you to all speakers and workshop presenters who were part of the November 19th and 20th conference, which was held at Northwestern University, in Evanston, Il.
All of the speakers are volunteers, who share their time and knowledge to help volunteer-based tutoring and/or mentoring programs grow. While most of these speakers and the conference focuses on Chicago, we encourage people from other cities to attend and share your ideas, while borrowing from what we're doing and applying it in your own community.
We see the conference as an energizer in an on-going process that continues
from year to year. Thus, we hope everyone who participates in the conference
will continue to share ideas and network, using
the
online forums of the Tutor/Mentor Connection.
You can also connect with conference participants by using the
attendee
list from this and past conferences.
If you would like to speak at a future conference, submit handouts or host
a display table, email
tutormentor2@earthlink.net
Keynote Speakers
Thursday, November 19, Morning Welcome Keynote Speaker
Jill Zimmerman, Vice-President, The Alford Group
www.alford.com
Jill Zimmerman has had over 20 years experience in the not-for-profit sector in the U.S. and abroad. She is an expert in fund development, including campaign planning and implementation, corporate and foundation giving. Experienced in organizational system development and staff management, she also has knowledge of program design, evaluation and implementation. She is a former Development Director for Alternatives, Inc., a former Program Consultant to UNICEF, Liberia, Africa, and now consults to a variety of clients in the human services, arts and culture, health, education and faith-based sectors. Jill has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Philosophy from the University of California at Santa Barbara and Master of Arts in Social Work from the University of Chicago.
Jill was a Volunteer Development Consultant for Student Sponsorship Programme in South Africa, an international Activities Committee Member for the National Association of Social Workers, a lecturer at Professional Development Program School of Social Service Administration, University of Chicago. She has led both organizational and department system changes through fundraising efforts. At Alternatives, Jill established development department structure and staffing, diversified funding base, increased individual giving by 200% and spearheaded the agency's first major capital campaign.
12:00 pm -
1:15pm - Lunchtime Keynote Speaker
Timothy Hogan, Partner/Creative Director,
The Royal Order of Experience Design
PDF of Presentation
Tim has been a member of the Chicago design community
since 1993, in which time he has created Web sites, corporate identity systems,
online and offline advertising, and a variety of interactive environments. As
partner/creative director at The Royal Order, Tim provides creative and
strategic guidance, as well as maintaining oversight of all visual design. The
Royal Order is a Chicago based cross-media design agency that works with some of
the world's most coveted brands, including Mozilla, Patagonia, Kohler, Crate &
Barrel, NEC and SubZero. His work has been recognized by award shows and
publications including the American Institute of Graphic Arts, Graphics,
Communication Arts, Strathmore, W3, Print Magazine and South by Southwest
Interactive.
Friday Nov. 20 - Welcome Keynote Speaker
Isaiah Brooms, Director of Admissions
at
Westwood College - Virginia Ballston Campus
Isaiah Brooms is a long time alumni of
The Cabrini Green Tutoring Program (Currently, Cabrini Connections). Formerly a
teacher in the Chicago Public School System, he relocated from Chicago to
recruit, coach and teach at a private school in Indiana, and is currently the
Director of Admissions for Westwood College located in Arlington, VA. Isaiah
spent his formative years living in Cabrini Green. However, at the age of
fourteen he was awarded an academic scholarship to attend a private boarding
school in Indiana. That experience changed the course of his life and set him on
the path to who he is today. He attributes all his success to God and to the
amazing mentors and coaches that invested the time and energy into helping him
become a healthy child and more importantly giving him the courage to dream big.
12:00 pm -
1:15pm - Lunchtime Keynote Speakers
Valdis Krebs, Founder and Chief Scientist, http://orgnet.com/
Valdis Krebs is the Founder, and Chief Scientist, at orgnet.com. Valdis is a
management consultant, researcher, trainer, author, and the developer of InFlow
software for social and organizational network analysis [SNA/ONA]. A much
more extensive biography of Valdis Krebs can be found at
http://orgnet.com/vkbio.html
Jean Russell, Founder of http://nurture.biz/
Jean Russell, founder of Nurture.biz, is a certified NLP Coach. Jean is
dedicated to restructuring institutions so as to bring out the best in humans.
She has worked with grassroots co-ops and traditional corporations alike,
helping them understand how communicating, fundraising, and publishing can be
redesigned to embrace human values like warmth, clarity, and faith in others’
potential and good will. Learn more about Jean at
http://nurture.biz/about/jean-russell/
Workshop and Panel Participants
Lovette Ajayi, Community Media Workshop's Marketing Coordinator and resident
Twitterati.
http://www.newstips.org
Kathy Anderson, Executive Director,
Wicker Park Learning Center
http://www.wickerparklearningcenter.com/
Kathy Anderson founded Wicker Park
Learning Center in 1989. Prior to that she taught special education students
for four years. At the time Anderson began the Wicker Park Learning Center in
the Wicker Park community of Chicago there were no tutoring centers in that area
Sylvan and Huntington were the only centers that existed and they were very
costly, far too expensive for the families in the Wicker Park area. The were
also located in the suburbs and too far for the families to get to. The Wicker
Park Learning Center started out at 1309 N. Ashland, the basement of the Centrum
Hall building. It eventually moved to other locations in Wicker Park and in
other neighborhoods. The Center currently works closely with Chicago Public
Schools and has three sites at 3300 N. Whipple, 3259 N. Elston (Brands), and
6330 S. Stoney Island (Southside YMCA). Anderson also tutors students at local
libraries near their homes and hopes to offer services at other Chicago
neighborhoods in the upcoming school year.
Ethan Austin, Co-Founder and Second Banana,
GiveForward, http://www.giveforward.org
Ethan graduated from Emory University in 2004 with a B.A.
in political science and holds a J.D. from American University, Washington
College of Law where he was member of the Law Review. When he is not at
GiveForward, Ethan can typically be found scouring the aisles of Trader Joe's
for something deliciously microwavable or training for marathons in his banana
costume. He volunteers for Imerman Angels, a cancer-support organization and
also serves on the steering committee for Climate Cycle, a Chicago-based
environmental non-profit that helps put solar panels on Chicago public schools.
See how Cabrini Connections is raising
money on this site.
http://www.cabriniconnections.net/cabrinitmc
Daniel F. Bassill, President, Founder, Tutor/Mentor Connection
Dan Bassill has spent more than 30 years, mostly as a volunteer, leading
organizations that connect workplace volunteers with youth living in
inner-city neighborhoods like Chicago's Cabrini-Green. He and six other
volunteers formed Cabrini Connections in 1992 and the Tutor/Mentor Connection
(T/MC) in 1993. Through the TMC, and the Internet, Bassill leads a global
learning strategy intended to draw needed resources to all volunteer-based
tutor/mentor programs, including Cabrini Connections, in Chicago and other major
cities. Bassill was a Commissioner on the Serve Illinois
Commission on
Volunteering and Community Service from 2001 - 2009.
Visit
http://www.tutormentorconnection.org ;
http://www.cabriniconnections.net and
http://tutormentor.blogspot.com
Christy Beigh-Byrne, Director of Mentor and Volunteer Services, Chicago Youth Centers
Christy Beighe-Byrne, M.A., is the Director of Mentor and Volunteer Services at Chicago Youth Centers. She oversees the direction of two mentoring programs: Mentoring Children of Prisoners (a community based mentoring program for children ages 4-17 years old who have an incarcerated parent) and a school based mentoring program for children in 4th-6th grades who need a mentor for social and academic skill development). Additionally, Christy places corporate groups for Day of Caring Events. Previously, Christy was the Manager of Customer Relations and Enrollment and Matching (Community Based) at Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago, where she oversaw the direction of the Customer Relations and Enrollment and Matching teams in the Community Based Program. Christy holds a Masters in Social Service Administration from the University of Chicago. Before graduate school, Christy was an active AmeriCorps Member at Leadership Education Athletics in Partnership in Connecticut where she assisted over 500 children and families to Bridge the Digital Divide by running the LEAP Computer Learning Centers across the state of Connecticut.
Samantha Boddapati, AmeriCorps VISTA, CPS Educational Support for Students Living in Temporary LIving Situations
Samanta was born and raised in Naperville, Il. She is a recent graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago, and plans to pursue her graduate studies and career in psychology. She is currently working as an Americorps VISTA for the Students in Temporary Living Situations department in CPS. As part of her VISTA term, she is the Volunteer Coordinator for the Chicago HOPES Tutoring program as well as a Program Coordinator for two shelters. She feels the best part of the job is helping make a difference in the lives of the youth!
Jennifer Bricker, Associate Director,
Community Tutoring Program
http://www.familymatters.org
Jennifer Bricker grew up in the San
Francisco Bay Area. Planning from an early age to work in education, she went
on to receive her BA in Liberal Studies (with an emphasis in Social Science)
from Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, CA and then returned to school to get her
Elementary Teaching credential.
In February of 2005, Jennifer traveled to Northern Chile with WorldTeach, a not-for-profit organization focused on sending volunteer teachers to developing nations around the World. She spent 10 months teaching English in a large public school, living with a local family, and experiencing Chilean culture. Upon completion, Jennifer was recruited by the National Field Director to spend three months working with a team to coordinate and run the orientation for the 2006 volunteers. During this time she realized how much she loved making a difference in the lives of children and inspiring and equipping others to do the same.
Since moving to Chicago, Jennifer has found a way to connect her love of cultures with her love of her neighborhood by getting involved with the refugee community. She spends time with people from all parts of the world on a regular basis, and is currently working on a grant-funded book project for newly immigrated refugees.
As life becomes more and more full, Jennifer loves seeing sectors of her life overlap as she lives out her passion for people and education at Family Matters.
Elizabeth Condon,
Leap Learning Systems
Elizabeth Condon has
six years of development and communication experience and currently manages the
fundraising and outreach efforts of Leap Learning Systems. Ms. Condon has
experienced success collaborating with staff, program partners, and donors to
provide programming to students and teachers throughout the city. She is an
active member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and the
Development Leadership Consortium. Ms. Condon holds a B.A. in English Literature
from St. Norbert College.
Alex Cornwell, Associate Director,
Chicago Lights Tutoring and Summer Day at Fourth Presbyterian Church
http://www.chicagolights.org
Alex Cornwell is the Associate Director of the Chicago Lights Tutoring and
Summer Day programs at Fourth Presbyterian Church. She earned a Bachelor of
Science Degree in Psychology from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.
Ms. Cornwell began her career working one-on-one with at-risk youth as a
mentoring specialist for teenage boys and teenage mothers at Maryville Academy.
Currently, she utilizes her experience and skills to build and maintain positive
and healthy relationships between students and volunteer tutors and create a
caring and successful learning environment at Tutoring and Summer Day.
Bill Curry, Chief Operating Officer,
Breakthrough Urban Ministries,
http://breakthrough.org
Since 2000, Mr. Curry has held several
positions of increasing responsibility at Breakthrough, a social services
nonprofit in East Garfield Park. He is currently responsible for program
operations, fund development, administration and strategic direction.
Previously, he held multiple leadership roles at Middletown Christian High
School. Mr. Curry founded the Lighthouse Christian Fellowship in East Garfield
Park, and serves as an elder at River City Community Church and Volunteer
Basketball Coach at Homan Square Community Center. He is a board member of the
Garfield Park Preparatory Academy that is sponsored by The Chicago School of
Professional Psychology; Bill is a current Fellow in the Leadership Greater
Chicago fellowship program.
Eric Davis, Founder of the
Global Citizen Experience
http://www.globalcitizenshipexperience.com/
Eric Davis applies his strategic skills to
organizations in two capacities, as an internal executive director and as an
external strategic coach. He specializes in guiding organizations and programs
through the stages of start-up, turn-around, and transition management.
Eric has successfully founded Camp of Dreams and
Educational Endeavors. He
also served as Executive Director of the Illinois Education Foundation and
interim E.D. of Daniel Murphy Scholarship Fund.
Joshua Fulcher, Erie Neighborhood House
Joshua Fulcher earned his Masters in Education through the University of
Notre Dame and taught for four years in parochial and charter schools. He has
been the Education Programs Coordinator at Erie House for over two years and
coordinates the TEAM Mentoring program for over 200 students and mentors. Erie
Neighborhood House has served the immigrant community of Chicago for over 140
years. The Youth Department houses the TEAM program which recently celebrated
its 25 year anniversary. The program boasts a 100% High School graduation rate
and a 98% college placement rate.
Sandra Garest, Executive Coach and Senior Dream Manager, Floyd Consulting,
www.floydconsulting.com
Sandra specializes in executive/life coaching, human resources consulting and
leadership development. She is focused on helping people produce extraordinary
results in their lives, careers and organizations. She has experience guiding
clients on their journey to finding and pursuing their passions and removing
barriers that stand between them achieving their full potential. Sandra is an
influential coach who is passionate about encouraging people to identify and
achieve their goals and enhance their quality of life. Her professional
background includes 15 years experience in human resources, training and
coaching. She holds a Bachelors degree in HR management and business
administration from ISU.
Gregory Girsch, Alumni and Sponsor Relations,
LINK Unlimited
Greg Girsch currently serves as the Sponsor & Alumni Relations
Manager for LINK Unlimited, Chicago’s premier scholarship and mentoring
organization. Since 1966, LINK Unlimited has provided educational college
preparatory opportunities for economically disadvantaged African American high
school youth. In so doing, it integrates spiritual principles, service
initiatives, and mentoring relationships to foster academic success, personal
development and interracial understanding. To-date, LINK Unlimited has helped
more than 1,550 underprivileged youth meet their academic potential.
Among his many duties at LINK, Greg focuses on recruiting and
retaining sponsors, making sure the relationship between the student and sponsor
is mutually beneficial, and involving LINK alums in the program. Greg has
worked at LINK since 2004 after jobs in accounting and sales. He is a 2000
graduate of DePaul University with a B.A. in Marketing.
Megan Godfrey, Moji
Megan played golf at the University of Illinois and then played professionally
for two years after she graduated. She worked with a lot of volunteer programs
with my involvement in the Student Athlete Advisory Committee at Illinois. Megan
also worked part time as a tutor for Oxford Learning in Arizona throughout her
professional golf career. Megan now works at Moji.
Sarah Hardin, Director of Higher Education and Scholarship, Chicago Youth Programs, Inc.
Liz Livingston Howard, Northwestern Center for Non-Profit
Management
http://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/research/nonprofit/index.htm
Liz Livingston Howard is a graduate of Northwestern University and holds an MBA degree from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern. She is the Associate Director of the Kellogg School's Center for Nonprofit Management and a Lecturer in the Social Enterprise Program. The Center for Nonprofit Management provides short executive education programs that bring the expertise of the Kellogg School faculty along with nonprofit practitioners to the nonprofit sector. In two and half day programs, the Center delivers outstanding academic programs to support the needs of nonprofit leaders in leadership, fundraising, marketing, performance measurement and board governance.
Stacy Jackson, Director, Chicago
Lights at Fourth Presbyterian Tutoring and Summer Day
Stacy Jackson L.C.S.W. is the Associate Executive Director of Chicago Lights and
the Director of the Chicago Lights Tutoring program. She earned a Bachelor’s
degree in Communications from Loyola University of Chicago and a Master’s degree
from the University of Chicago’s School of Social Service Administration. During
her thirteen years with Chicago Lights Tutoring, Ms. Jackson has supervised and
coached job training personnel, as well as, directly facilitating the program,
designing curriculum, and placing youth in internships.
LaMarr Johnson, Outreach Specialist, Illinois Department of Employee Security, http://ilworkinfo.comLa Marr is employed in the Economic Information & Analysis Division as a Public Service Administrator for nineteen years in the following capacities: Statistical Research Specialist III, Occupational Wage Program Manager, Regional Liaison & currently Labor Market Outreach Specialist. Responsibilities include providing customer service, conducting presentations and training workshops, staff exhibits and dissemination of Labor Market Information (LMI) and Career Information while monitoring IDES One Source website toll free information hotline. Prior to IDES, La Marr worked as Accountant at Continental Bank and Lecturer for City Colleges of Chicago. La Marr has a BS in Finance from Northern Illinois University.
Kurt Kittner, Former University of
Illinois and NFL Quarterback
Kurt Kittner (born in Schaumburg, Illinois) is member of the
Tutor/Mentor
Connection Board of Directors, and an advocate for volunteer-based
tutoring/mentoring. Kittner most recently played quarterback for the
Chicago Bears. Prior to playing professional football, he was a record-setting
quarterback for the University of Illinois, leading them to the 2001 Big Ten
Championship. Kittner currently resides in Chicago. He works for Jones Lang
LaSalle, Americas. In July 2007, Kittner was named the color
analyst for University of Illinois football radio broadcasts, replacing
long-time analyst Jim Grabowski.
See Kurt's campaign to recruit Illinois alumni to donate funds to Cabrini
Connections.
http://www.giveforward.org/illinialumsgive/
Abby Kritzler, Dream Leaders Director, Dreams for Kids
Abby was thrilled to join the Dreams for Kids team in 2008 as the Dream Leaders Coordinator. She was raised in Chicago’s north suburbs but left to attend Boston College where she received her degree in Sociology and Human Development with a minor in Faith, Peace, and Justice. While in high school and college, Abby was blessed with the opportunities to participate in service trips in Mexico, Guatemala, Tanzania, and the outback of Australia, heightening her awareness and passion for global issues. Then while in Boston, Abby became heavily involved in working with inner-city teenagers through the Roxbury Youth Programs, of which she later became the Program Coordinator. Abby was continuously inspired by her students’ strong spirits as they tirelessly overcame struggles to affect social change.
Devon Lovell, Director, Community
Tutoring Program
http://www.familymatters.org
Devon Lovell studied secondary education
at Northwestern University with a concentration in Speech Education and
English. After graduation she taught high school English, theater and
humanities in a magnet school for the performing arts in suburban Washington,
D.C. Following a move to Illinois she taught for the next six years in a rural
consolidated school district. In 2000, Devon came back to Chicago and joined
Family Matters as the Tutoring Coordinator.
Her work with struggling readers in Community Tutoring led Devon to explore the techniques that were proven most effective with dyslexic students. Devon pursued training in multi-sensory, Orton-Gillingham based teaching methods including the Barton System, Wilson and Phonics First. These methods are now integrated into Community Tutoring in the Individualized Reading Program (IRead). Devon has also received training in special education law and advocacy from Wrightslaw. She is a member of the Learning Disabilities Association and the International Dyslexia Association. She is active in Tutor Mentor Connection, a Chicago-based national tutoring and mentoring organization.
Devon lives outside of Chicago with her husband, Rhys and their two children, Carys and Will.
Rose Mabwa,
Mercy Housing
Heidi Massey, Networker, NonProfit
Ingenuity,
http://npoingenuity.blogspot.com
Heidi Massey has been a nonprofit
professional since finishing graduate school in the '80's. She has been a
master networker since birth! However, social media has allowed her to take
networking to an entirely new level, connecting and collaborating with like
minded individuals throughout the world.
Scott McFarland, Serve Illinois
Commission
http://www.serve.illinois.gov
Scott
grew up in the Quad Cities Area of Illinois. He earned his Bachelors of Arts in
History with a Teacher’s Certification from Western Illinois University in 2006,
and his Masters of Public Administration from the University of Illinois at
Springfield in 2008. For the past three years, he has served as the Graduate
Public Service Intern at the Serve Illinois Commission, and now fills the role
of Resource & Information Manager.
An Eagle Scout, Scott takes great joy from camping, community service, and teaching. He also has six years of governmental experience from the National Archives in Washington DC, Senator Obama’s Moline Office, and at the Department of Human Services. As a full time staff member at the Serve Illinois Commission, he hopes to continue living by his motto, “better yourself by serving others.”
Allison McKenna,
Coordinator of Specialized Services, Lifelink
Foster Care and Latino Family Services
Alison
McKenna, MSW, LCSW, is the Clinical and Program Coordinator for Lifelink Foster
Care’s Specialized Program. In her role at Lifelink, Ms. McKenna provides
clinical consultation, training, and support to Case Workers, Supervisors,
Mentors, Interns and Respite Providers. During the last two years at Lifelink
Alison has developed and oversees a therapeutic Mentoring Program, has developed
an MSW Internship program and provides clinical supervision though individual
and group work for Case Workers, Interns and Mentors.
Deborah McNelis, Braininsights,
www.braininsightsonline.com
With a BS. Degree in Early Childhood
Education and a masters degree in Adult
Education, Deborah is an award winning author, professional speaker, and
educator. Of all the work she has done Deborah is most overjoyed with the
development of Braininsights due to the opportunity to have an even
greater impact on the awareness of the importance of the early years. Her
goal through this company is for everyone to gain an understanding of brain
development, its impact and the ways we can all make a difference.
Steven Miller, Branch
Manager, Classic Mortgage Solutions, Inc.
Steven Miller is owner of several successful Southside real estate-based
businesses averaging $6 million per year in revenue. Born in Chicago, he was
raised in Palos Heights, Il. In 1988 he graduated from the University of
Illinois and created Legacy Home Mortgage, Inc. He is a member of the Cabrini
Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection Board of Directors and Olympia Fields
Country Club.
Jenne Myers, Executive Director, Working in the Schools
http://www.witsinchicago.org
Jenne Myers has served as Executive Director of WITS since
September 2006. As the organizations primary fundraiser, she focuses on
increasing strategic partnerships and streamlining program development, in
addition to managing WITS one million dollar budget and diligent staff of ten.
Jenne recently completed coursework for the UBS Nonprofit Leadership Program at
Northwestern University's School of Continuing Studies. A graduate of Michigan
State University, Jenne's prior endeavors includes serving as the Assistant to
the Chair of the Chicago Cultural Center Foundation, and for the City of
Chicago, Advance to the Mayor.
David Neils, Founder and Director, International Telementor Program,
http://www.telementor.org
David Neils created ITP in 1995 while working at HP as a software engineer. To
date this award winning program has served over 42,000 youth throughout ten
countries.
As he grew up in northwest Montana, David Neils, the founder and director of the
ITP, was fortunate to have a neighbor who encouraged him on a weekly basis. One
morning, when David was six years old, he walked over to Mr. Clawson's garage to
see what he was building. Mr. Clawson was always inventing something. That day,
he was working on a contraption to clean up oil spills in the ocean. David was
impressed. Mr. Clawson showed David how his device worked, talking to him as an
equal. He then asked David to critique his design and offer suggestions for
improvement. This genius was asking a six year old for improvements on an
invention that would clean up oil spills! That simple gift of encouragement from
Mr. Clawson changed David's life forever. David realized that his own thoughts
about the world had value. He was on cloud nine for days and felt he could
pursue anything and be successful.
David sought to use this same approach of genuine encouragement by launching the International Telementor Program in 1995. The program is now hosted by the Colorado Nonprofit Development Center (CNDC).
Joel Newman, Program Director -
Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Mississippi Valley
http://www.bbbsmv.org/
Joel Newman is currently serving as Program Director for Big Brothers Big
Sisters of the Mississippi Valley. In this position, he is in charge of all
matching and enrollment within a five-county territory reaching from the
Mississippi River to LaSalle County. Newman holds a Bachelors degree in
Education from Western Illinois
University and spent several years teaching in numerous school districts in the
Quad Cities Area. From 2006 2008, Newman served as a volunteer in the
AmeriCorps program conducted by the Corporation for National and Community
Service. Assigned to the Quad Cities Chapter of Big Brothers Big Sisters, Newman
introduced youth mentoring services into two new counties in the region. In 2007
2008, he served as the president of Illinois LeaderCorps, overseeing the
activities of volunteers in twenty-two service programs throughout the state.
El Da'
Sheon Nix, Administrative Coordinator,
Cabrini Connections Tutor/Mentor Program
EL Da’Sheon Nix is a former football player and a 2004 graduate of
Northwestern University who majored in Human Development and Psychological
Services and has a Bachelor’s in education and social policy. Due to a career
ending knee injury, Nix’s football career ended prematurely. Following
graduation from Northwestern, Nix worked for two years as the Lead Mental Health
professional at the Rice Child and Family Center which is a residential
treatment facility in Evanston, Ill. that provides services for adolescents with
mental and behavioral disorders. Nix then began working as a Youth
Development Worker at the Youth Organization Umbrella in Evanston, Ill. A
little over a year later Nix was offered and accepted the Director of Social
Services position at the Evanston Community Defender Office where he provided
individual and group counseling services to Evanston adolescents and their
families. In Nix’s new role as the administrative coordinator he is in
charge of coordinating the Cabrini Connections program and continuing to connect
the Cabrini Green youth to the necessary resources in an effort to prepare them
for successful careers in the future. Read El Da'Sheon's blog at
http://cabriniblog.blogspot.com
Annette Phillips, Outreach Representative, Illinois Student Assistance Commission
Annette Phillips is an Outreach Representative at the
Illinois Student Assistance Commission -- the financial aid agency in the State
of Illinois that administers grant, scholarship, loan and 529 prepaid tuition
programs. She is a part of a team that is committed to raising awareness among
students and parents about the process of planning for, applying to, and paying
for college. Annette works extensively on the West side of Chicago to develop
networks of concerned citizens and community leaders in support of college
access initiatives that engage first-generation and low-income student
populations. She often serves as guest speaker at financial aid events.
Currently, she is making appearances on CAN-TV to promote KnowHow2GOIllinois.
Bart Phillips, Chairman of the Board, Community Building
Tutors
http://www.cbtutors.org
Bart is currently the President of the Board of Community
Building Tutors. He has been closely involved in the identification,
establishment, and continued operations of the different tutoring sites and has
a long history of volunteering and tutoring in the community. Professionally,
Bart is a consultant providing a research and analytic service to hospitals and
healthcare providers.
Susie Quern Pratt, Consultant - Pratt Richards Group
Susie Quern Pratt is Principal of Pratt Richards Group (www.prattrichardsgroup.com), a Chicago-based consulting firm providing services to nonprofit and philanthropic organizations. Susie offers her clients a range of training and consultation services with an emphasis on impact evaluation. She has served as an instructor in the area of evaluation, and currently teaches workshops for the Donors Forum of Chicago and the Association of Small Foundations. She designed and implemented an evaluation coaching program for the Lilly Endowment, and many of these ideas and practices continue to guide her work. Susie holds a B.A. from Colgate University and an A.M. from the University of Chicago's School of Social Service Administration. She currently sits on the board of Family Matters and the Franklin Square Foundation, and is involved with the Project on Civic Reflection, where she facilitates conversations to help philanthropic groups talk together in new ways.
MaryAdele Revoy, Adolescent Development Specialist, Revoy Presentations, http://www.whoisrevoy.com
MaryAdele Revoy is an experienced trainer and creator of
workshops and day-long seminars on topics related to adolescent development. MaryAdele
worked for the Division of Juvenile Corrections in the WI Department of
Corrections and Crisis Intervention Worker at Taycheedah Correctional
Institution where she worked with women dealing
with victimization issues. MaryAdele started her career as an advocate at the
Waukesha Women's Center shelter for battered women before joining the Wisconsin
Coalition Against Domestic Violence (WCADV). She then joined the
National Resource Center on Domestic Violence. MaryAdele has a Bachelor's
degree from St. Norbert College and Master's from University of WI-Madison.
Jenny Ellis Richards, Consultant - Pratt Richards Group
Jenny Ellis Richards is Principal of Pratt
Richards Group (www.prattrichardsgroup.com),
a Chicago-based consulting firm that provides services to nonprofit and
philanthropic organizations in the areas of strategy and evaluation. She began
her career teaching and leading programs for community-based social service
organizations, and continues to have a strong passion for helping organizations
create social change. Jenny teaches workshops on Getting to Impact for the
Association of Small Foundations, works with clients to develop internal
planning and evaluation systems, and conducts large-scale evaluations and
strategic planning initiatives. She holds a B.A. from Dartmouth College and a
Masters of Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Jenny is
currently on the board of the Crysdahl Foundation and the Evanston Community
Defender Office, and is a 2009-2010 Leadership Evanston fellow.
Xavier Salvado, Gads Hill
Center
http://www.gadshillcenter.org
Xavier is currently the Program Coordinator of New
Horizons, a mentoring program that serves 6th grade students from
Pilsen who have academic and social challenges. New Horizons at the Gads Hill
Center provides one-on-one mentoring services to each student, who receives an
individual mentor for one year. Mentors are professionals from Chicago who
dedicate two hours a week to the mentoring session.
Before
being with New Horizons, Xavier was a program coordinator for Summer Links at
the University of Chicago, a program that connects undergraduate and graduate
students with the non for profit world in Chicago.
Xavier got his Master’s in Public Policy (with a
focus on Education Policy) at the University of Chicago in June 2008.
During his time at the University, Xavier spent three
months as an intern at the Field Museum in Chicago, as an outreach educator at
the museum’s education department.
Xavier received my Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Studies from the
Autonomous University of Barcelona (he is from Spain). Xavier also worked as a
high School teacher for three years in a Bilingual Program in Kenosha,
Wisconsin. For the past 6 years Xavier have been involved with the Latino
community in the Midwest, as a teacher, a volunteer or a researcher.
Patrick Shaffner, Community Outreach
Coordinator, 826CHI,
http://826chi.org
Patrick Shaffner serves as the outreach coordinator for 826CHI. In this role, he manages outreach to new volunteers and program participants, plans events and dabbles in tutoring and creative writing projects with the students. He also runs The Boring Store, Chicago's only undercover, spy supply store (that donates all profits to 826CHI.) A proud native of Indiana, Patrick received his bachelor's degree from William & Mary, with double majors in anthropology and literary and cultural studies and, when not at 826CHI, may be spotted at local improv haunts.
Kait Steele, Associate Director, 826 CHI
http://www.826chi.org
Kait Steele serves as the associate director for 826CHI. In this role, she co-facilitates the Field Trip Program, manages student publishing, oversees fundraising, and assists in coordinating the administrative efforts of 826CHI.
Mike Trakan, GIS
Mapping Coordinator, Tutor/Mentor Connection,
http://mappingforjustice.blogspot.com
Mike joined the Tutor/Mentor Connection in January 2008, as a part time map
maker, using his experience with Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Mike is
also a substitute teacher and part time musician. Visit his blog to read map
articles he has created and learn more about his other interests.
Bradley Troast, Northwestern Public Interest
Program Fellow at Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection for 2009-2010
http://cabrinipip.blogspot.com/
Desiree Vargas, Co-Founder and President, GiveForward,
http://www.giveforward.org
Desiree graduated from Yale University with B.A. in Latin
American Studies in 2004. Prior to launching GiveForward, she worked as a
specialist in collegiate entrepreneurship at the Kauffman Foundation in Kansas
City and as an independent consultant for Arabella Philanthropic Investment
Advisors. When not working, she spends her time inventing new recipes that
don't always work, walking her golden retriever, Ellie, and going to Zumba.
Desiree likes Hangar One, cheese, and kicking Ethan's butt in bar trivia.
LaTonia Wells, Leap Learning Systems
La Tonia Wells has ten years of experience working with preschoolers and school-age children. Her professional background working with educators from the early grades through middle-school makes her an asset to the Leap team. La Tonia holds a M.A. in Inner City Studies Education and a B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Education.
Nicole White, Tutor/Mentor Connection
Research and Networking Coordinator,
http://www.tutormentorconnection.org,
http://nicolecabrini.blogspot.com
Nicole White is the Tutor/Mentor Connection Research and Networking Coordinator
for the Tutor/Mentor Connection. She joined Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor
Connection in July 2007 through the Northwestern University Public Interest
Program Fellowship, which matches graduating seniors from Northwestern with
non-profits in the Chicagoland area for one year. She took on the T/MC role in
April 2008. In her new role, White will be working to establish and maintain
relationships between Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection and the 400
tutoring and mentoring sites in the T/MC Database. She will also be working to
rebuild the August/September Volunteer Recruitment Campaign so that by September
2009, 50 tutoring and mentoring organizations in the Chicagoland area will
be a part of a push to recruit volunteers to be tutor/mentors. White
graduated from Northwestern in June 2007 with a Bachelor’s in French and
International Studies. Read her blog at
http://nicolecabrini.blogspot.com
.
Meredith Wroblewski, American Statistical Association,
http://www.amstat.org
Meredith Wroblewski will be speak on behalf of the
American Statistical Association and has a MS in applied mathematics. Ms.
Wroblewski is in graduate school to become a high school mathematics teachers.
