Activating Civic Changemakers: Prominent Chicago Leaders Chosen for Distinguished Civic Leadership Fellowship

Activating Civic Changemakers: Prominent Chicago Leaders Chosen for Distinguished Civic Leadership Fellowship

28 Top Executives Join Nearly 180 Fellows in LGC’s Daniel Burnham Fellowship Network

CHICAGO, Ill. — Leadership Greater Chicago (LGC) proudly announced today the seventh cohort of The Daniel Burnham Fellowship. This year, 28 accomplished CEOs and senior executives from region’s leading corporate, nonprofit, government, cultural, and educational institutions will participate in this transformative program, designed for executives to urgently impact the region’s workforce and economic progress in their roles as leaders and decision makers.

The fellowship integrates participants into the civic fabric of the city — deepening their understanding of its history and future trajectory — while creating a space that inspires authentic relationships and activating cross-sector collaboration. By fostering innovative perspectives and meaningful connections, the fellowship empowers leaders to tackle the region’s most pressing issues and create enduring impact.

“The Daniel Burnham Fellowship’s seventh Cohort embodies a bold and diverse assembly of leaders committed to advancing equitable solutions for our region’s most critical challenges,” said Myetie Hamilton, CEO of Leadership Greater Chicago and an LGC Fellow since 2016. “Through this program, we aim to empower our Fellows to harness their collective strengths and activate our extensive network, to build a stronger and more inclusive city and region for all.”

Since its inception in 2019, Daniel Burnham Fellows have leveraged their expertise and influence to support communities and enhance the region’s economic resilience through initiatives addressing workforce development, public policy reform, food security, community investment, diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts and more. Recent examples of Fellow-led impact include Thresholds CEO Mark Ishaug’s launch of a full-service community health center to combat health disparities in Chicago’s Austin community, Chicago Deputy Mayor of Business, Economic and Neighborhood Development Kenya Merritt’s leadership of the “Cut the Tape” initiative to streamline development processes citywide, Dominican University President Glena Temple’s partnership with The Resurrection Project to expand educational opportunities into Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood, Bowa Construction President and CEO Nosa Ehimwenman co-leading construction of the city’s first high-rise built by an African American Minority Business Enterprise, promoting diversity and equitable opportunities in the construction industry, SDI Presence CEO Hardik Bhatt’s commitment to anchor a $20 million, first-of-its-kind technology workforce and training center in Greater Grand Crossing, and Constellation President & CEO Joe Dominguez’s $1 billion deal to provide clean energy to the U.S. government over the next decade.

With this new Cohort, Leadership Greater Chicago reaffirms its commitment to activating a vibrant, collaborative network of leaders poised to shape the future of the Greater Chicago Region and its residents.

The 28 senior executives who will participate in the 2025 cohort are as follows:

Michael Adkesson, DVM, MBA, DACZM - President & CEO, Brookfield Zoo Chicago

Jon Assell - Chief Financial Officer, Griffin Museum of Science and Industry

Jennifer Bransfield - COO & General Counsel, Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives

Chris Cardona - Managing Director, Discovery, Exploration, and Programs, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation

Lisa Coleman, Ph.D. - President, Adler University

Dr. Charlie E. Dates - Senior Pastor, Progressive Baptist Church and Salem Baptist Church of Chicago

Matthew R. Devine - Partner, Sidley Austin LLP

Kimberly Evans - Executive Vice President & Head of Corporate Sustainability, Inclusion and Social Impact, Northern Trust

Sonja Feist-Price, Ph.D., Dr.Rh. - Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs, Chicago State University

Juatise Gathings - Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Just Act Partners

Christy George - President & CEO, Intersect Illinois

Keenya Lambert, MAM - President & CEO, Chicago Foundation for Women

Arlene Lim - Vice President Corporate Legal & Transactions, Health Care Service Corporation

Maggie McGuire O'Brien - Co-Head of Chicago, J.P. Morgan Private Bank

Marie Lynn Miranda - Chancellor & Professor of Pediatrics, University of Illinois Chicago

Michael Miranda, CFA - Head of Investments, North America, BMO

Julie Morita, MD - President & CEO, The Joyce Foundation

Ameya Pawar - President & CEO, Michael Reese Health Trust

Josh Richman - Executive Vice President, Market Development, PsiQuantum

Baronica Y. Roberson - Chief Financial Officer, Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation

John Roberson - Chief Operating Officer, City of Chicago

Mark Rodriguez - Chief Executive Officer, Lohengrin Foundation

Louis Sandoval - President & CEO, Illinois Chamber of Commerce

Robert T. Shannon - Managing Partner, Hinshaw and Culbertson LLP

Dana Thomas, CPA - Chief Financial Officer, Chicago Commons Association

Jaclyn Trovato Wickersham - Vice President and CHRO, ComEd, An Exelon Company

Diana Vasquez - Chief Administrative Officer, CIBC Private Wealth (US)

Tracy Volel, MBA, RHIA, CHC - System Chief Compliance Officer, University of Chicago Medicine

For more information about Leadership Greater Chicago, visit https://lgcchicago.org.


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