Leadership Greater Chicago Selects Distinguished Chicago Leaders  for The Daniel Burnham Fellowship 2026 Cohort   

27 Top Executives Join Esteemed Fellowship Network Dedicated to Activating Civic Engagement to Drive Transformative Change 

CHICAGO, IL (February 10, 2026) – Leadership Greater Chicago (LGC) today announced the eighth cohort of The Daniel Burnham Fellowship. The cohort includes 27 prominent CEOs and senior executives representing a diverse cross-section of corporate, nonprofit, government, philanthropic, cultural and educational organizations. These dedicated civic leaders, who join LGC’s network of more than 1,600 committed change agents, will tackle complex challenges – including affordable housing, education, workforce and economic development, food insecurity, and access to quality healthcare – to create lasting impact across the region. 

“At a time when collaborative civic leadership is needed more than ever before, The Daniel Burnham Fellowship equips leaders to meet the moment,” said Myetie Hamilton, CEO of Leadership Greater Chicago. “Together, these civic leaders will leverage their influence, responsibility and deep commitment to our city and region to turn dialogue and connection into action that drives transformational change and economic progress for communities and residents throughout the Greater Chicago Region.” 

Launched in February 2019, The Daniel Burnham Fellowship is an accelerated civic onboarding experience designed for senior executives with the ability to shape the future of Chicago through their roles as change leaders and decision makers. This exclusive, six-session program immerses participants into the civic fabric of the city, forging relationships and networks that will impact Chicago’s workforce and the region’s economic progress.  By leveraging expertise and influence across sectors and communities throughout the Greater Chicago Region, LGC’s Fellows drive catalytic, cross-sector partnerships and transformational change.  

A recent example includes the opening of Xchange Chicago, a first-of-its-kind $20 million South Side tech hub designed to create pathways into the tech industry. Collaborating with Comer Science and Education Foundation President and Executive Director Greg Mooney (LGC Fellow since 2008) and P33 CEO Brad Henderson (LGC Fellow since 2012 and Daniel Burnham Fellow), SDI Presence CEO Hardik Bhatt (Daniel Burnham Fellow) led his company to serve as the anchor tenant of the development. Apprentices receive hands-on education through training programs hosted by partners, including Fellow-led organizations like City Colleges of Chicago, and are guaranteed tech job placements with SDI or partners like Peoples Gas and Northern Trust. 

In announcing this incoming 2026 Cohort, Leadership Greater Chicago reaffirms its commitment to cultivate courageous and connected cross-sector civic leaders who are committed to leading transformative change that will have an enduring impact on the future of communities throughout the Greater Chicago Region. 

The 27 senior executives who will participate in the 2026 Cohort are as follows: 

  • Ahmad Ababneh – Senior Vice President, ComEd 
  • Maria S. Bocanegra – President, Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas 
  • Shantay N. Bolton, Ph.D. – President and CEO, Columbia College Chicago 
  • Stacey Bolton – Executive Vice President and Chief Risk Officer – Asset Servicing, Northern Trust  
  • Mara Botman – Executive Director, Vivo Foundation 
  • Pam Chen – Chief Administrative Officer, Vice President of Business Services and Guest Engagement, Griffin Museum of Science and Industry 
  • Phil Clement – CEO & President, World Business Chicago 
  • Tim Cox – U.S. General Counsel, BMO Financial Group  
  • Lisa C. Freeman, DVM, Ph.D. – President, Northern Illinois University 
  • Anil Gollahalli, J.D. – Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel, Big Ten Conference 
  • Eleanor Esser Gorski, AIA – CEO & President, Chicago Architecture Center 
  • Sara Guderyahn – Vice President, Public Affairs & Philanthropy, Wirtz Corporation 
  • Chandra Harris-McCray, Ph.D. – Vice Chancellor for Strategic Marketing and Communications, University of Illinois Chicago  
  • Michael T. Harris, Jr. – President, Wintrust Bank, N.A. 
  • Maria M. Holmes, CFP – Managing Director, Regional Director of Banking, JPMorganChase 
  • Sidney P. Jackson, Jr. – President & CEO, Chicago Sinfonietta 
  • Sharon A. Jean-Baptiste, P.E. – President, Ardmore Roderick 
  • Rana Komar – President, RUTH | A Daniel J. Edelman Holdings Company  
  • Dr. Aaron Kuecker – CEO, Hope Chicago 
  • Marianne Markowitz – President & CEO, First Women’s Bank  
  • Mark Miller – President, South Chicago Area, Advocate Health Care 
  • Keisha Mullings-Smith – System Vice President and Chief Consumer Experience Officer, UChicago Medicine 
  • Dulce M. Quintero – Secretary, Illinois Department of Human Services  
  • Katherine W. Shank, J.D. – CEO & Executive Director, Legal Aid Chicago 
  • Dr. Rolla T. Sweis, Pharm.D., M.A. – President & CEO, La Rabida Children’s Hospital 
  • Melanie Tinto – SVP, Chief Human Resources Officer, W.W. Grainger, Inc. 
  • Cyrus J. Walker, III – Chief Executive Officer, Data Defenders 

To date, more than 200 Chicago-area leaders have participated in this esteemed fellowship. Prominent executives selected for previous Daniel Burnham Fellowship cohorts include Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago President and CEO Michael Ericson; Pritzker Traubert Foundation President Cindy Moelis; WTTW | WFMT President and CEO Sandra Cordova Micek; Nicor Gas President & CEO Wendall Dallas; AT&T Illinois and AT&T Great Lakes President Eileen Mitchell; HCSC President of Government Markets Stephen Harris; John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation President John Palfrey; Rheaply CEO & Co-Founder Garry Cooper; University of Chicago Health System President Thomas Jackiewicz; and United Airlines Executive Vice President of Human Resources and Labor Relations Kate Gebo. 

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About Leadership Greater Chicago 

Leadership Greater Chicago (LGC) is the region’s premier civic leadership development incubator, delivering the knowledge and network to lead bold, transformative change. LGC convenes, connects and activates the area’s most promising leaders around key socioeconomic issues through dynamic education and experiential activities. These diverse individuals represent the most prominent corporate, nonprofit, government and education organizations. 

LGC creates connectivity among its Fellows to positively impact not only themselves but their employees, their constituents, their clients, their neighbors, and their families. This connectivity is the backbone and strength of the LGC network, enabling leaders to leverage collective resources to make the Greater Chicago Region a more dynamic, inclusive, and collaborative community. 

LGC Fellows are a distinguished group that includes former First Lady Michelle Obama; Emerson Collective Managing Partner and former U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan; former Urban Partnership Bank Executive Chairman David Vitale; Ariel Investments Co-CEO and Chief Investment Officer John Rogers Jr.; Henry Crown & Company General Partner Steve Crown; Cleveland Avenue Managing Partner Andy  Zopp; State of Illinois Deputy Governor for Health and Human Services for the Grace Hou; Chicago Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities Commissioner Rachel Arfa; United Airlines Holdings, Inc. President Brett Hart; Chicago City Colleges Chancellor and MacArthur Genius Juan Salgado; Metropolitan Family Services President and CEO Ric Estrada; and Access Living President and CEO Karen Tamley.  

Leadership Greater Chicago is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. To learn more, visit: lgcchicago.org. To learn more about The Daniel Burnham Fellowship, click here. 

Media Contact:
Karen Sideris, CS-Effect
ksideris@cs-effect.com