Leadership Greater Chicago Elects Two New Board Members
October 5, 2020
Media Contact
Ann Carstensen
Chief Operating Officer
ann.carstensen@lgcchicago.org
(312) 565-0300 x304
Leadership Greater Chicago Elects
Two New Board Members
CHICAGO, IL (October 5, 2020) – Leadership Greater Chicago, the region's premier civic leadership development organization, has elected two leading Chicago executives as new members of its Board of Directors: Cedric D. Thurman (LGC Fellow since 2008), Chief Diversity Officer, Group Head, Community Investment and Diversity and Inclusion at the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago (FHLBank Chicago), and Leif Elsmo (LGC Fellow since 2011), Executive Director of Community & External Affairs at UChicago Medicine (UCM). The election of these new board members represents a significant step in broadening LGC’s commitment to building and strengthening the pipeline of civic leaders who will shape the future of Chicago and the region.
“It is an honor to welcome Cedric and Leif to the LGC Board, both of whom are Leadership Greater Chicago Fellows. Their experience and expertise will further strengthen the impact of the board in advancing our mission,” said LGC Board President Connie Lindsey, Executive Vice President and Head of Corporate Social Responsibility and Global Diversity & Inclusion at Northern Trust.
At FHLBank Chicago, Cedric is responsible for shaping the culture to provide opportunities for all employees and help the Bank be a catalyst for change for its member institutions and the communities they serve. Prior to joining FHLBank Chicago, Cedric was the Founder and CEO of Talks Inc., a nonprofit organization developing life skills programming for youth via video-based conversations, and was US Head of Inclusion at BMO Harris Bank.
In his position at UChicago Medicine (UCM), Leif oversees community programs including the Urban Health Initiative that benefits the South Side of Chicago. Throughout his career, Leif has worked to strengthen disadvantaged communities in his roles as Executive Director of Urban Options and as Program Director of the AmeriCorps National Service Program Public Allies Chicago.
“We are fortunate to have Cedric and Leif join the board as we continue to deliver the knowledge and network necessary to lead bold, transformative change across the Greater Chicago Region,” said LGC Chief Executive Officer and Founding Daniel Burnham Fellow Maria Wynne. “They bring incredible ideas and energy, and, above all, are passionate about civic leadership and its critical role in helping our city and all Chicagoans thrive.”
Since its founding in 1983 by The Chicago Community Trust, LGC has developed more than 1,200 leaders through its Signature Fellows Program – an intensive 10-month exploration of current socioeconomic issues that provides the foundation for a lifelong commitment to civic engagement. Fellows learn from a diversity of opinions, styles, and world views, and develop the capacity to approach and break down complex problems to drive transformative change in effective and collaborative ways.
Last year, LGC launched The Daniel Burnham Fellowship – an accelerated civic onboarding experience for senior executives new to Chicago or new to their role. The Fellowship is designed to inspire these leaders to mobilize and exert their combined influence and intellect to positively impact Chicago, its future, and the continued economic progress of the region. To date, nearly 50 C-suite executives have participated in this innovative leadership experience.
About Leadership Greater Chicago
Leadership Greater Chicago (LGC) is the region’s premier civic leadership development organization. LGC convenes, connects and mobilizes 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’s Signature Fellows Program equips participants with the resources they need to understand how decisions are made, how complex policies are shaped, and how to influence meaningful change. Using the city as a classroom, LGC Fellows learn through interactions with private, public, and nonprofit decision makers, and work as a group to develop critical thinking, analytical, governance, and leadership skills.
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 Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner, former Executive Chairman of Urban Partnership Bank David Vitale, General Partner of Henry Crown & Company Steve Crown, President and Chief Executive Officer of World Business Andy Zopp, Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, Chairman, Commissioner of the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities Rachel Arfa, Co-CEO and Chief Investment Officer of Ariel Investments John Rogers, 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, President and CEO of Cara Chicago Maria Kim, President of Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) MarySue Barrett, and the late Marca Bristo, former President and CEO of Access Living.
LGC is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. To learn more about Leadership Greater Chicago, please visit lgcchicago.org.
