Leadership Greater Chicago Selects the Signature Fellows Program Class of 2026

44 distinguished cross-sector professionals will convene to drive transformational change in the region

CHICAGO, IL (July 24, 2025) – Today, Leadership Greater Chicago (LGC) announced the distinguished leaders selected for the 2026 Class of Signature Fellows, representing the 41st Class of the region’s premier civic leadership development program. They join LGC’s prestigious network of cross-sector professionals committed to leading transformative change.

This dynamic group of 44 accomplished leaders represents a cross-section of professionals from the corporate, government, education and nonprofit sectors. During the 10-month civic leadership development fellowship, leaders from all sectors will engage in immersive, experiential learning using the city as our classroom. This unique experience provides leaders with exposure to the Greater Chicago region’s civic landscape while activating them to collectively address critical socioeconomic issues—from homelessness and education to community safety, workforce and economic development.

“The country is at a critical point of inflection, and our greatest asset is the power of cross-sector collaboration. It is their diversity of perspectives and experiences that equip LGC Fellows to navigate challenging times with courage, compassion and integrity,” said LGC Chief Executive Officer Myetie Hamilton (LGC Fellow since 2016). “We look forward to working with the exemplary leaders selected for the LGC Signature Fellows Class of 2026 to propel collaborative action, hope and unity across our great city and region.”

Presenting the LGC Class of 2026:

  • Oswaldo Alvarez – Executive Director, Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus Foundation
  • Aaron Brown – Managing Director & Partner, Boston Consulting Group
  • Simendea Clark, DNP, RN – Executive Dean, Pre-licensure Nursing, Chamberlain University
  • Michelle Mills Clement, FASAE, CAE, RCE – Chief Executive Officer, Chicago Association of REALTORS®
  • Nicholas Crite – Director, Regional Operations, Nicor Gas
  • Jason Decker – Vice President of Regulatory Policy and Strategy, ComEd
  • Tamakia “TJ” Edwards, MBA – Executive Director, Illinois Capital Development Board
  • Julian Federle – Head of Public Policy, Midwest, Amazon
  • Larry Fogel – Partner, Sidley Austin LLP
  • Luis Alfredo Narváez Gete – Vice Chancellor, City Colleges of Chicago
  • Robin Glover – Vice President, Enterprise Transformation, Salesforce, Inc.
  • Marcos Gonzales – Program Director, Corporate Coalition of Chicago
  • Annette C.M. Guzman – Budget Director, Office of Budget & Management, City of Chicago
  • Siobhan Hunter – Chief Advancement Officer, Mikva Challenge
  • Erin A. Johnson – Cannabis Regulation Oversight Officer, Illinois Department of Financial & Professional Regulation
  • Karl Anderson Kemp – Executive Director, Common Ground Foundation, Inc.
  • Kerry Kraemer – Executive Vice President of Operations, PSP Partners
  • Emily Krisciunas – Executive Director, Chicago Funders Together to End Homelessness
  • Kate LeFurgy – Head of Communications and Marketing, The Vistria Group
  • Channing R. N. Lenert – Senior Program Officer, Polk Bros. Foundation
  • Carol Lipari (경서미) – Director of Culture & Strategy, Access Living
  • Thackston Lundy – Vice President of Workforce Pathways – Accelerate U, National Louis University
  • Christina M. McGleam – Deputy Commissioner, Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities, (MOPD), City of Chicago
  • Lisa J. Mena – Subsidiary Lead, Granite Power, Inc.
  • Crystal Olsen – Area Vice President of Government Affairs, Advocate Health
  • Kameelah Omar – Director, Data & Analytics Strategy, Allstate Insurance Company
  • Harish I. Patel – Vice President, Economic Security Project
  • Anna Piepmeyer – Director, Community Impact, Aon
  • Tamara Hoff Pope, Ph.D. – Chief Strategy Officer, Chicago Scholars
  • Shaka A. Rawls, Ph.D. – Principal, Leo High School
  • Leticia Reyes-Nash – Managing Principal, Health Management Associates
  • Jackie Rosa – Vice President, Strategic Initiatives, United Way of Metro Chicago
  • Nihar D. Shah – President, Rubinos & Mesia Engineers, Inc. (RME)
  • Adrian Soto – Executive Director, Greater Southwest Development Corporation
  • Mark C. Spears – Managing Director, CIBC Bank US
  • Katie Thiede – Executive Director & Co-Founder, Implementing Contraceptive Access Now (ICAN!)
  • Tyrone H. Thomas, Jr. – General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer, Doral Renewables LLC
  • Carmen Vergara, RN, MPH – Vice President of Community Partnerships, Chicago Botanic Garden
  • Meghan Webster – Managing Director & Principal, Gensler
  • Julian T. Williams, Ph.D. – Evaluation Officer, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
  • Allison Winstel – Chief of Staff, mHUB
  • Edward Wood – Head of Community Development and Impact Investing, Northern Trust
  • Laura Joy Zimmermann, MD MS FACP – Division Leader, General Internal Medicine, and Senior Medical Director, RUSH Health Clinically Integrated Network, RUSH University System for Health
  • Ashlee Pinto Zurita – Senior Counsel, Corporate, Builders Vision

More than 1,600 leaders have successfully completed LGC’s world-class civic leadership development programs since 1985, and 83% of those individuals still reside in Illinois. The LGC Fellows in Chicago are involved in several powerful cross-sector partnerships, such as: Scaling Community Violence Intervention for a Safer Chicago (SC2), a public health gun violence prevention initiative; the Pullman Gateway Project, a revitalization project geared towards bringing new business to the neighborhood; and Communities Partnering 4 Peace (CP4P), a coalition of community organizations to reduce gun violence.

“The program is nothing short of amazing. The depth of the content, the caliber of the speakers and the diverse cohort have all contributed to an unparalleled learning journey,” said Marla Izbicky (LGC Fellow since 2025). “I’ve gained invaluable insights, forged meaningful connections and feel better equipped to contribute to the future of Chicago.”

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 2027 will open in October 2025. For more information, visit www.lgcchicago.org.

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; 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 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.

For Immediate Release

Media Contact:
Karen Sideris, CS-Effect
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