Celebrate Leaders

Every year, the annual Celebrate Leaders event recognizes and celebrates the passion, commitment, accomplishments and impact of civic leadership in the Chicago region. This year, we honored 40-year Years of Fellows and celebrated our future as we gathered to recognize LGC Fellows for their collaborative impact and service to our region, while also envisioning the next era of LGC together in community. 

Nicor Gas
Proud
Proud Corporate Chair of the 2025 Leadership Greater Chicago Celebrate Leaders event.

Recognizes individuals who, through extraordinary leadership and service, have made significant and lasting contributions to Leadership Greater Chicago and the Greater Chicago Region.

John Rogers Jr.

Founder, Chairman and Co-CEO

Ariel Investments

LGC Fellow since 1985

Recognizes organizations that demonstrate and support the value of civic leadership through their service and impact in the Greater Chicago Region.

BCG

Boston Consulting Group
Accepted on behalf of BCG
Michelle Stohlmeyer Russell
Managing Director and Senior Partner

BCG

LGC Fellow since 2009

Honors a Fellow who has made a significant leadership contribution to the community.

Juan Salgado

Chancellor
City Colleges of Chicago
LGC Fellow since 2005

Recognizes those whose social innovations and actions transform the quality of life for our citizens and our city.

Scaling Community Violence Intervention for a Safer Chicago (SC2)
Accepting on behalf of SC2
Vaughn Bryant
Executive Director
Metropolitan Peace Initiatives (MPI)
LGC Fellow since 2016

Derek Douglas

President
Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago
LGC Fellow since 2013

Arne Duncan

Managing Partner
Chicago CRED
LGC Fellow since 1995

Esther Franco-Payne

Executive Director
Partnership for Safe and Peaceful Communities (PSPC)
LGC Fellow since 2015

Mark Hoplamazian

President & CEO
Hyatt Hotels
Co-Chair of Public Safety Task Force
Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago

Eric Smith

Vice Chairman
BMO Bank
Co-Chair of Public Safety Task Force
Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago
Daniel Burnham Fellow