Leadership Greater Chicago Selects the 2027 Class of Signature Fellows

43 esteemed cross-sector professionals will convene to drive transformational change in the region 

CHICAGO, IL (July 23, 2026) – Leadership Greater Chicago (LGC) today announced the 43 distinguished leaders selected for the 2027 Class of Signature Fellows, representing the 42nd Class of the region’s premier civic leadership development program. They join LGC’s diverse network of cross-sector business and civic leaders committed to spearheading transformative change.  

Representing a cross-section of professionals from the corporate, nonprofit, philanthropic, government, and education sectors, these accomplished leaders will engage in a 10-month civic leadership development fellowship heralded for its immersive learning experience that leverages the city as a classroom. This unique fellowship exposes leaders to the Greater Chicago Region’s civic landscape while activating them to tackle critical socioeconomic issues affecting the region – from community safety, health inequality and access to affordable housing to education and workforce and economic development. 

“Now, more than ever, our Fellows represent the collective power that is needed to meet the moment and steer our communities through challenging and uncertain times,” said LGC Chief Executive Officer Myetie Hamilton (LGC Fellow since 2016). “We welcome the diverse perspectives and passion for meaningful collaborations that the LGC Signature Fellows Class of 2027 will bring and the promise of transformation that is possible when compassionate, courageous cross-sector civic leaders come together and work across lines of difference to improve the lives of Chicagoans for generations.” 

 
Presenting the LGC Class of 2027: 

  • Nicole A. Allen – Partner, Jenner & Block LLP 
  • Dr. Fareeda Shabazz Anderson – Principal, Walter Payton College Prep – Chicago Public Schools 
  • Liz Aquino, PhD., RN, FAAN – Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, University of Illinois Chicago, College of Nursing 
  • Jessica Balfour – Vice President, Communications and Marketing, ComEd 
  • Erica Bauer, PhD. – Director, Third Horizon 
  • Nika Levando Birman, MA – Vice President, Chief of Staff, Civic Committee Commercial Club of Chicago 
  • Miguel A. Blancarte, Jr. – Vice President, Policy and Government Affairs, Metropolitan Family Services 
  • Eva Brown – Head of Community Reinvestment, BMO 
  • Natalie C. Chan – Partner, Sidley Austin LLP 
  • Jessica Chu – Senior Vice President & Director of Strategic Engagement, Northern Trust 
  • C. Richard Costes – Commissioner, Illinois Commission on Equity and Inclusion 
  • Jemia J. Cunningham-Elder – Chief Executive Officer, North Lawndale College Prep 
  • Elizabeth Davis, MD – Associate Chief Medical Officer, Community Health Equity, Rush University System for Health 
  • Chelsea G. Dawkins – Partnerships Lead, Vivo Foundation 
  • Vikas K. Didwania – Complex Litigation Counsel, Illinois Attorney General’s Office 
  • Dr. Roni-Nicole Facen – Principal & CEO, St. Francis de Sales High School 
  • Cheryl Flores – Director of Community Engagement, Advance Illinois 
  • Christyn S. Freemon – Executive Director, Fawohodie Foundation 
  • Gerardo G. Garcia – Principal and Founder, The Urbanism Bureau 
  • Melissa A. Hamilton – Senior Director – Strategy, Planning and Execution, Elevance Health 
  • Joshua Harris – Vice President, Public Engagement, The Barack Obama Foundation 
  • Shannon Jacobson – Director of Capital Markets, Illinois Housing Development Authority 
  • Lea Jesse – Vice President and Executive Director, Cubs Charities 
  • Keenan Johnston – Director of Growth Capital and Sustainability, Henry Crown & Company 
  • Tyeise Huntley Jones – Director, Nonprofit Leadership Programs and Partnerships Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation, University of Chicago Booth School of Business 
  • Mackenzie Kurth – Chief of Staff to the Chairman, PSP Partners 
  • Anthony Lopez – Director, Community Affair, Nicor Gas 
  • Tequilla Lopez, MSPH – Area Vice President, Community Engagement, Advocate Health Care 
  • Jorge L. Matos – Chief of SC2 Implementation, Chicago CRED – SC2 
  • Chika O. Okafor – Assistant Professor of Law and Faculty Fellow, Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law 
  • Elizabeth Okey – Vice President, Community Impact, Wintrust 
  • Kalindi Parikh – Strategy Director, Current 
  • Mariam Pera – Cross-Foundation Program Officer, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation 
  • Danielle K. Perry – Vice President of Policy, Advocacy and Community Engagement, Greater Chicago Food Depository 
  • Melissa Pillars – Executive Director, JPMorganChase 
  • Callie M. Rummel – Managing Director and Group Head, CIBC Bank US 
  • Christine Saffold – Director of Impact and Economic Advancement, Greater Chatham Initiative 
  • Kyle T. Schulz – Deputy of Strategic Advancement, Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning 
  • Andrew Shadid – CEO, Genesis Orthopedics & Sports Medicine 
  • Nicholas R. Vallorano – Partner, Mayer Brown LLP 
  • Jasmine Watkins, LCPC – Chief Program Officer, NAMI Chicago 
  • Matt Westerlund – Managing Director & Partner, Boston Consulting Group 
  • Rosa Zamora – Chief Executive Officer, NewRoot Learning Institute 

More than 1,600 leaders have successfully completed LGC’s world-class civic leadership development fellowships since 1985. LGC Fellows are involved in leading significant cross-sector partnerships, such as Sankofa Wellness Village in West Garfield Park, which was awarded the $10M Chicago Prize to help close the neighborhood’s life expectancy gap and drive economic investment; the Aspire Center for Workforce Innovation, a collaborative hub for high-performing workforce training and wealth-building programs in the Austin neighborhood; and the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park, a first-of-its-kind park hosting a full ecosystem of companies, researchers, suppliers, end users and other partners to cement the Midwest as an innovation hub and accelerate the development of quantum technologies, offering new tools for solving global problems and bringing thousands of jobs to the region. 

“As leaders, it’s easy to spend most of our time focused on the priorities immediately in front of us — business performance, transformation, growth and execution. LGC provided something equally important: the opportunity to step outside our own organizations and gain a deeper understanding of the people, communities and systems that shape Chicago,” said Salesforce Vice President of Enterprise Transformation Robin Glover (LGC Fellow since 2026). “What I leave with most is a renewed appreciation for the power of collaboration. The challenges facing our city are complex, but the leaders dedicated to addressing them are resilient, creative and willing to do the work.” 

​​​Each year, a new class of leaders for the LGC Signature Fellows Program is selected through a competitive application process and approved by the LGC Board of Directors. Upon successful completion of all program requirements, they are recognized as LGC Fellows. The application for the Class of 2028 will open in October 2026. For more information, visit www.lgcchicago.org. 

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

Leadership Greater Chicago is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. To learn more, visit: lgcchicago.org. 

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Contact: Karen Sideris
Ksideris@cs-effect.com
219-644-5616