"Since when is it conservative to tell people they cannot work and pay taxes?"

- John W. Rowe

John W. Rowe is Chairman Emeritus of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation, an electric utility serving Chicago, Philadelphia and Baltimore. 

Rowe led Exelon from its formation in 2000 through the completion of its acquisition of Constellation Energy in 2012. Rowe previously held chief executive officer positions at the New England Electric System and Central Maine Power Company, served as general counsel of Consolidated Rail Corporation, and was a partner in the law firm of Isham, Lincoln & Beale. He is the lead independent director of the Northern Trust Company and a member of the board of directors of The Allstate Corporation and SunCoke Energy.  

Rowe serves as chairman of New Schools for Chicago and the Field Museum. He is a former chairman of the Illinois Institute of Technology, the Commercial Club of Chicago and the Chicago History Museum. Rowe previously served  as president of the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation and was a former board member of the Morgridge Institute for Research. He is a member of the board of the Illinois Holocaust Museum,the Northwestern University Settlement House, The Chicago Shakespeare Theater and OneChicagoFund. The Rowe Family Trust has founded the Rowe Professorship of Architecture and the Rowe Chair in Sustainable Energy at IIT, the Rowe Professorship in Byzantine History and the Rowe Professorship in Greek History at the University of Wisconsin, the Rowe Professorship in Virology at the Morgridge Institute and the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, and the Curator of Evolutionary Biology at the Field Museum. The Trust co-founded the Rowe-Clark Math and Science Academy and the Rowe Elementary School. The Rowes serve as patrons of the Pope John Paul II parochial school on Chicago’s southwest side. 

 Rowe holds undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Wisconsin, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and the Order of the Coif. He has also received that university’s Distinguished Alumni Award. Rowe holds honorary doctorates from the University of Wisconsin, DePaul University, Illinois Institute of Technology, Drexel University, University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, Bryant College, Thomas College and Dominican University. 

Rowe and his wife, Jeanne, reside in Chicago.

"Twenty five years ago the U.S. really had no competition for skilled immigrants, so they just waited to get in. Today they can go to many other countries, get paid higher salaries, and live in very cosmopolitan cities. The world has changed, and we must have a much better immigration policy to hope to stay competitive."

- Samuel C. Scott III

Samuel C. Scott III is the retired Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Corn Products International, Inc. 

Scott serves on the board of Motorola Solutions, Inc., where he is Chairman of The Governance and Nominating Committee. He also serves on the Board of Directors of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation where he is Chairman of the Human Resources and Compensation Committee and on the Board of Directors of Abbott Laboratories. Scott also serves on the boards of Northwestern Memorial HealthCare, The Chicago Council on Global Affairs, The Chicago Urban League, and World Business Chicago. He is also Chairman of the Chicago Sister Cities International Program. 

Scott received both a bachelor’s degree in engineering in 1966 and a master’s degree in business administration in 1973 from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, N.J. He is a native of Jersey City, New Jersey, and presently resides in Chicago, Illinois.

Carole Segal is the co-founder of Crate and Barrel, the founder and former chief executive officer of Foodstuffs, and the president of the Segal Family Foundation. Mrs. Segal is a trustee of Rush University Medical Center and chairman of the board of overseers at Rush University. She is a trustee emeritus of Bates College and is a life trustee of Illinois Institute of Technology.

Mrs. Segal, a graduate of Northwestern University, is a member of the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences Board of Visitors, co-chairperson of the Wilson Society for WCAS, and a previous chairperson of the Northwestern University Leadership Council. Mrs. Segal is a trustee of Chicago Theological Seminary and chairperson of the Visiting Committee.

She is a member of the Board of Directors of WBEZ-Chicago Public Media, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Lincoln Park Zoo, and Crow Canyon Archaeological Center.

"Passage of comprehensive reform is more critical now than ever to get our economy back to being a competitive workforce."

- Dave Bender

Dave Bender has 14 years experience of managing and directing business and agriculture associations.  Born and raised on a grain farm in downstate Illinois, Dave understood the value, importance of the family structure and hard work in developing and growing a small business.  Since 1999, Dave has lobbied Congress on the passage of both agricultural and comprehensive immigration reform.  In addition, Dave currently serves as the Logan County Republican Chairman and has chaired, advised or managed over 40 local and regional political campaigns.  He also  helped direct five statewide gubernatorial and presidential campaigns.

Having worked for former Illinois Governor Jim Edgar, Bender also served two Lt. Governors as a special assistant and chief of staff.  In 1995, Edgar appointed Bender as Assistant Director for the Illinois Department of Agriculture.  Currently, he is the Executive Director of the American Council of Engineering Companies of Illinois, representing consulting engineering firms that employ over 10,000 professionals in Illinois.

In 2012, Dave received the Corporate Innovator Award from the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights for promoting the rights of immigrants to full and equal participation in the civic, cultural, social and political life of our diverse society.

Raul Raymundo, Chief Executive Officer, is a co–founder of The Resurrection Project (TRP), a comprehensive and holistic community development Institution. Since its inception, TRP has leveraged more than $250 million in community reinvestment to serve more than 10,000 individuals, create 550 affordable homes, and develop more than 150,000 square feet of space to meet a variety of community needs including a charter high school and family day centers. Under his direction TRP has become a pillar of community development in the Chicago metropolitan region. Through his leadership TRP has been able to seamlessly blend community development, community organizing, human service delivery, and advocacy to build vibrant, healthier and involved communities.

Mr. Raymundo graduated from Carleton College and is a 1996 Leadership Greater Chicago Fellow. In addition to his work at TRP, Mr. Raymundo is very active in Chicago’s civic community. In 2009, Cardinal Francis George appointed Mr. Raymundo to the Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic School Board, and in 2007 Mayor Richard M. Daley appointed him to the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning. Mr. Raymundo also serves as a Director on several civic boards including the Executive Council of Chicago Metropolis 2020, St. Anthony Hospital Ministry Board, Ounce of Prevention Fund, Instituto Health Sciences Career Academy Charter High School, and the St. Pius V. Finance Council. At the national level, He was former board chairman for the National Association of Latino Asset Builders (NALCAB) and previously served as a board member of WBEZ 91.5 FM Public Radio and the Illinois Coalition for Refugees and Immigrant Rights.

Raul has received numerous awards and recognitions for his work and civic contributions. In 2010, Raul was recognized as one the 40 Chicago Pioneers between 1970 and 2010 by Chicago Magazine (November Issue 2010). Most recently, Raul was recognized by the Chicago Fire Soccer Club as a 2012 Hispanic Hero. He and his wife, Maria Luisa, have a son, Raul Jr. and twin daughters, Maya and Bela. They reside in Chicago’s Pilsen community, where they are life-long residents.

"Our current immigration laws do not meet the needs of business for high skill or low skill labor, while simultaneously destroying millions of families through unnecessary deportations. This is neither economically smart nor morally defensible. It is time for sensible bi-partisan solutions."

- Joshua Hoyt

Joshua Hoyt, Executive Director of the National Partnership for New Americans has more than three decades of experience advocating with immigrant communities. In his role at the Partnership for New Americans, Joshua Hoyt works to advance the integration and active citizenship of immigrants to achieve a vibrant, just, and welcoming democracy for all. 

Prior to accepting his role at the Partnership for New Americans, Joshua Hoyt worked with the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights for more than a decade. During this time the Coalition has fought vigorously for citizenship for the undocumented, to protect civil liberties in the wake of the attacks of September 11, 2001, and for a full integration of immigrants into the American Dream. The Coalition has helped to make Illinois one of the most immigrant friendly states in the United States. 

Hoyt has testified before Congress, published opinion pieces and articles in the Chicago Tribune, Washington Post, the Huffington Post, and other magazines, and directed several political campaigns.

As president and CEO, Todd Maisch establishes the goals for the Chamber and coordinates the efforts of the various councils and staff. Maisch has spearheaded such critical achievements as directing and releasing the Waterways: A Crisis Continued report on the state's waterways transportation system, and the Illinois Military Base and Defense Industry Assets Economic Impact Study: State and Regional Analyses report. Each have become the basis for legislative testimony, public outreach, and have been cited in planning documents by various groups. Within hours of the November 2014 election, Maisch was tapped by Gov.-elect Bruce Rauner to sit on his economic development transition committee. Because of Maisch's extensive experience in government and business, he is uniquely qualified to provide insight into how government can encourage a healthy economy. He has been featured on the Illinois Channel and numerous publications, and speaks to several business-related organizations about the business community's needs and the Chamber's successes. Maisch has been with the Chamber for 20 years.

Maisch holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Illinois, Urbana, and an MBA from Illinois State University. Prior to joining the Chamber in 1994, Todd worked for the General Assembly as a research analyst for the House Republican staff. While working for the General Assembly, he staffed the House Revenue and State Government Committees. He also served as a policy analyst for the House Republican Campaign Committee where he managed political campaigns.

William Kunkler is currently Executive Vice President - Operations for CC Industries, Inc. (CCI), a private equity firm focused on manufacturing companies and real estate investments. He is also Vice President of Henry Crown and Company, the parent company of CCI.

Mr. Kunkler has over 30 years of manufacturing company experience. He is responsible for general operating issues and investment decisions at each of CCI’s companies and serves as a director of several of the companies. Prior to joining CCI in 1994, he was Executive Vice President for Marblehead Lime Company, a subsidiary of General Dynamics Corporation. Mr. Kunkler began his career at USG Corporation in 1979 as a project engineer.

In addition to his responsibilities at CCI, Mr. Kunkler is a director of Sears Holdings Corporation, a leading retailer of general merchandise, and a director of NIBCO Inc., a manufacturer of valves and fittings based in Elkhart, Indiana. He is chairman of the board of trustees of Brookfield Zoo; a vice-chairman of The Field Museum of Natural History; and a director of The Northwestern Memorial Foundation.  He previously served as a trustee of Loyola University Chicago.

Mr. Kunkler received his Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Yale University and his Master of Management degree from Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University.

CC Industries, Inc. (CCI) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Henry Crown and Company. It is the primary ownership and management vehicle for the operating companies owned by the Crown family of Chicago.

CCI manages its operating companies as a long term, value investor. CCI management believes that value is created by stable and continuous support of capable operating management. Frequently, assets are owned in partnership with senior managers.

As a holding company, CCI assists with strategic planning, ensures a system of financial controls, provides centralized expertise in specialized functions such as real estate, risk management and employee benefits, and provides certain project management services. To support these activities, CCI employs a staff of 80 in its Chicago offices. CCI relies on local management to exercise day-to-day responsibilities over operations.

"Can you imagine our country without Apple, Google, Ebay, Chobani or St. Jude Hospital? Can you imagine our country without immigrants? Immigration reforms is not an option, it is a necessity if we serious in maintaining our greatness and our global leadership in science, medicine, technology, space, creativity and much more."

- Dr. Mohammed Zaher Sahloul

Dr. Mohammed Zaher Sahloul is a president and partner of Pulmonary Consultants, SC, a medical group serving patients in Chicago and southwest suburbs. He is a board member of the Syrian Community Network that helps resettlement of refugee in Illinois. 

Dr. Sahloul is a strong advocate for interfaith dialogue, social justice, global health, immigrants and refugee rights and human rights. He is an advisory board member of Bernadin Center at the Catholic Theological Union and and the Center for Public Health and Human Rights at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health. He is a past board member of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrants and Refugee Rights and past chair of the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago. 

He is senior advisor and past president of the Syrian American Medical Society, SAMS and founder of the American Relief Coalition for Syria, a coalition of 14 humanitarian US based organizations working in Syria. He led SAMS to be one of the leading and cutting-edge medical relief organizations serving health care needs in Syria during the ongoing humanitarian crisis. Since the beginning of the crisis in Syria in 2011, SAMS has been supporting doctors, nurses and hospitals inside Syria, providing medical and psychological care to Syrian refugees in Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey using innovative methods in communication, training and delivery to overcome the extreme challenges related to the scale, complexity, poor access, insecurity and ever-changing face of the crisis. He also founded SAMS Global Response to address the refugee crisis in Europe and provide medical relief in disaster areas. 

He was awarded Chicagoan of the year for 2016 for his humanitarian work in Aleppo and received Dr Robert Kirschner's Award for Global Activism by Heartland Alliance Kovler Center 2017 and Commitment to Change award by National Immigration Justice Center of Heartland Alliance for his commitment to human rights and to make healthcare more accessible and shine a light on global refugee crisis. He is appointed as a member of Illinois Board of Health. 

He is an Associate Clinical Professor at the University of Illinois in Chicago.

Martin P. Slark is Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Molex Incorporated, based in Lisle, Illinois. In his role, he has overall responsibility for the Company’s strategic direction and global execution. When he joined Molex in 1976 as a Sales Office Supervisor in England, the Company had just $40 million in revenue. In its most recent fiscal year ended June 30, 2012, Molex had $3.5 billion in revenue. 

Martin oversaw Molex’s largest reorganization in 40 years in 2007, when the Company’s structure changed from four geographic regions to three global product divisions supported by a single global sales and marketing division. The reorganization allowed Molex to better leverage its global resources, streamline operations, reduce costs and improve return on invested capital, enhancing the Company’s ability to sell any product, to any customer, anywhere in the world. Martin’s focus on growth has resulted in several strategic acquisitions Molex has made during his tenure as Vice Chairman and CEO that has expanded the Company’s global presence in the medical, industrial and telecommunications markets. His belief in the importance of innovation and global collaboration led to the launch in 2012 of the Company’s Innovation Challenge initiative, which is helping Molex generate new ideas to drive growth beyond its core business. His commitment to quality and operational excellence has allowed Molex to win numerous awards during his tenure, including the prestigious overall Supplier of the Year award from Cisco Systems in 2012. 

Martin was responsible for starting Molex entities in Hong Kong, China, India, South Africa, Malaysia and Thailand, and served as President of Molex’s Far East South Region from 1988 to 1994, where he was based in Singapore. In 2003, he received a Public Service Medal from the government of Singapore, which recognizes distinguished international friends who have contributed to the nation’s business, industry, technology and science development. Following his time in Singapore, he served as President of the Americas Region from 1994 to 1999; Molex Executive Vice President from 1999 to 2001; and President and Chief Operating Officer from 2001 to 2005 when he assumed his current role. 

Martin serves on the board of the Hub Group, Inc., Liberty Mutual Insurance Company and The Northern Trust Corporation, and is Vice Chairman and Treasurer of the Landmark School, which serves students with language-based learning disabilities. He is a Companion of the British Institute of Management, and a member of the University of Chicago Booth School of Business Dean’s Advisory Council. He is also a member of the World Presidents’ Organization, The Economic Club of Chicago, The Executives’ Club of Chicago, and the Management Development Institute of Singapore. 

Martin completed his undergraduate studies in Electronic Engineering from Bracknell College in the United Kingdom. He also earned a Post Graduate Diploma in Management Studies from Portsmouth University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of East London. In 2004, he was awarded a Doctorate in Business Administration (Hon Causa) by the University of East London.

"Our country has been built on the energy, entrepreneurial spirit and courage of immigrants and their children. Going forward we will need their contributions even more, so a common sense immigration policy is essential to the future of Illinois and the United States."

- John L. Anderson

John L. Anderson is the eighth president of Illinois Institute of Technology. He assumed the office on August 1, 2007.

A Wilmington, Delaware native, Dr. Anderson served as provost of Case Western Reserve University from 2004 until joining IIT. Prior to Case, he served for 28 years at Carnegie Mellon University, including eight years as dean of the College of Engineering. He was a member of the Cornell University faculty before joining Carnegie Mellon. Dr. Anderson received his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Delaware and his Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 

He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He has held visiting professorships at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Melbourne (Australia), and Landbouwuniversiteit Wageningen (The Netherlands). In April 2012 he was honored with the National Engineering Award from the American Association of Engineering Societies. 

Dr. Anderson has presented guest lectureships at universities throughout the United States, and is the author of more than 100 journal articles and book chapters.

John serves as a Managing Partner for Willis in Chicago headquartered in the iconic Willis Tower.

Willis is recognized as a leading global insurance broker, handling risk management and reinsurance across a wide range of service areas and industries Willis operates as the most transparent and client focused insurance broker in the world. (NYSE WSH) Willis provides risk management and insurance solutions for small, mid-size and large businesses throughout the world.

John was the Managing Partner, and a principal shareholder of one of the nation's top 100 insurance brokerage firms through 2006 when he and his partners merged the firm with Willis. John led the integration and merger of his firm into what is now Willis’s Chicago operation with over 450 associates

Aside from his role in helping to lead the organization, John works closely the firm's key clients to design and implement global insurance and human capital programs, improve operations, reduce worker injuries and minimize exposure to loss.

John has served as a visiting faculty member of the University Of Maryland Erickson School Of Aging Services. He is a frequent speaker and adviser to healthcare, real estate, long-term-care, and business organization.

John serves on the board of the American Seniors Housing Association, and Vice Chair of One Million Degrees (empowers low-income, highly-motivated community college students to succeed in school, in work, and in life), Board of Advisors of Catholic Charities of Chicago and the Advisory Board of the College of Commerce at DePaul University in Chicago. He was former President of Illinois Institute of Technology and Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering at the Illinois Institute of Technology.

John and his wife Bonnie have four children, Emily, Caitlin, Hope and Patrick.

Douglas D. Baker, NIU’s 12th chief executive officer, brings a rich background in business, organizational management and higher education leadership to DeKalb. As provost and executive vice provost of the University of Idaho from 2005 to 2013, Dr. Baker guided the development, implementation and revision of the institution’s strategic plan during a period of fiscal challenges. 

Members of the Faculty Senate at the University of Idaho applauded Baker’s work to shape and oversee a complex and collaborative academic program prioritization process that created a stronger and more efficient organization. 

Born in Hood River, Oregon, and the son of two teachers, Baker earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business-industrial relations and management from Colorado State University. He earned his Ph.D. in business (organizational behavior and theory) in 1983 from the University of Nebraska. 

His teaching career began in 1981 at Washington State University-Pullman, where he was an assistant professor of management. He eventually was appointed to lead the Office of Undergraduate Education and vice provost for academic affairs for the Washington State University system before being appointed executive vice president and provost at the University of Idaho. 

Baker taught courses in management, organizational behavior, organizational design, strategic planning, human resource management and research methods. 

He won MBA Faculty Teaching Excellence Awards – the honors were based on a vote of the MBA students – five times: Teacher of the Year (1992-93), Teacher of the Semester (Spring 1995, Spring 1993 and Fall 1990) and Outstanding Teacher (1989-90). He also won Shell Oil Distinguished (Undergraduate) Teaching Awards in 1990 and 1984 from the College of Business and Economics at Washington State University. 

His research includes numerous publications on organization strategy and structure, motivation and leadership and sexual harassment. In 2010, he made conference presentations on “Transformation: A Tale of Successful Planning and Prioritizing” and “Strategic Planning and Implementation Under Fiscal Stress.” 

Baker’s wife, Dana L. Stover, comes to NIU from the College of Business and Economics at the University of Idaho, where she served as assistant dean for Recruitment, Retention and Assessment. Stover joined the college’s faculty in 1999 as an assistant professor and later was promoted to associate professor. She specializes in assurance of learning and assessment and pedagogical issues in management education, organizational design and organizational change. 

The couple’s eldest daughter, Hannah, is a 2012 graduate of The Evergreen State College. She works as a 3-D artist at Laika, an animation studio in Oregon. Their younger daughter, Robin, is a senior honors scholar at the University of Idaho with a major in biology with minors in statistics and natural resources. 

As lovers of the outdoors, the Baker family owns a cabin in the Chain Lakes near the mouth of the Coeur d'Alene River in northern Idaho. All four enjoy flat-water kayaking and hiking; Dr. Baker also enjoys golfing and playing basketball. 

Baker and Stover also are motorcycle enthusiasts; in the summer of 2012, the couple drove their imported cycles through Glacier National Park and the Canadian Rockies. The president, who began riding at age 14, rides an Italian Ducati. Stover rides a BMW. They share a Suzuki.

"American manufacturing companies need immigration reform to recruit, hire, and retain the most qualified candidates for our highly-technical workforce."

- Greg Baise

Gregory W. Baise is the president and CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers' Association (IMA), a statewide advocacy organization representing more than 4,000 member manufacturing companies and supportive industries. Baise assumed leadership on March 1, 1991, and is responsible for management of the Association including coordinating statewide lobbying activities as determined by the IMA Board of Directors.

Since 1991, Baise and the IMA have achieved numerous milestones designed to benefit the economic well being of Illinois families, including:

• • Repeal of the outdated Illinois Structural Work Act
• • Major reforms of tort law and educational policies
• • Becoming leaders in the renewed focus by the business community on education
• • More business-friendly environmental legislation
• • Institution of the Manufacturers' Purchase Credit

In 2004, the IMA , as the result of its Board’s concern over the continued loss of manufacturing jobs in the state, became the lead co-founder of the Illinois Coalition for Jobs, Growth & Prosperity, an organization made up of the state’s largest employer groups. The Jobs Coalition’s goal is to educate Illinois taxpayers about the benefits of a pro-jobs, pro-employer statewide economic agenda. Through numerous activities, it supports progressive initiatives aimed at making Illinois a destination economy for business and industry.

Late in 2008, Baise and former owner of Helene Curtis, Ronald Gidwitz, formed the Economic Freedom Alliance (EFA)—a 527 political organization designed to fight the passage of the so-called Employee Free Choice Act (better known as Card Check). Baise coordinated a grass-roots led public information campaign throughout the Midwest that included television and radio ads, billboards, web sites, social media and earned media in Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Missouri, Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio. The EFA earned kudos from employers and pro-business organizations throughout the nation for its cutting-edge approach to modern political discourse as Card Check remains dormant in the halls of Congress. EFA remains active and watchful of initiatives that would harm job growth in this nation.

Prior to the IMA, Baise served in various capacities for Gov. Jim Thompson, including Secretary of the Illinois Department of Transportation. In addition, Baise has served in a number of high-level political campaign roles, including being the Illinois campaign manager for Presidents Reagan and Bush (41), and headed Thompson’s re-election effort in 1986. In 1990, he was the Republican candidate for Illinois State Treasurer. Baise, a 1974 graduate of Illinois College, also serves on the Board of the National Association of Manufacturers.

"Immigration reform is long overdue. By joining together, I am confident that the Illinois Business Immigration Coalition, our elected officials, and the various immigration advocacy groups can affect real and meaningful reform. It is time, and it is the right thing to do."

- Norm Bobins

Norman R. Bobins is chairman of Norman Bobins Consulting, LLC (NBC), which provides financial consulting services to various clients. 

Prior to founding NBC in 2008, Mr. Bobins spent 40 years in banking. He began his career at American National Bank and Trust Company in 1967. In 1981, he joined Exchange National Bank, which was acquired by LaSalle Bank. He retired from LaSalle Bank Corporation as chairman, president and chief executive officer in 2007. 

Mr. Bobins currently serves as the non-executive chairman of The PrivateBank and Trust Company and non-executive chairman of the board of Transco, Inc. He also serves on the corporate boards of AAR CORP., AGL Resources, Inc., RREEF America REIT II, Inc. and Sims Metal Management. 

Mr. Bobins is a former member of the Board of Education of the city of Chicago, having been appointed by Mayor Daley for four consecutive four-year terms. He is chairman of the board of trustees of WTTW Communications, Inc. and vice chairman of the Auditorium Theatre Board. He is also a member of the boards of directors of the Brain Research Foundation, The Field Museum, Illinois Sports Facilities Authority, Navy Pier, Inc., The Newberry Library, the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation and the United States Holocaust Memorial Council. In addition, he is a Life Member of the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He is the former chairman of the board of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce. 

Mr. Bobins has received numerous awards including the 1992 Human Rights Medallion from the American Jewish Committee, the 2003 University of Chicago Graduate School of Business’ Distinguished Corporate Alumnus Award, the 2004 Arts Legend Award for an Advocate from the Illinois Arts Alliance Foundation, the 2005 Harvard Business School Club of Chicago Business Statesman Award, the 2007 Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce’s Daniel H. Burnham Distinguished Leadership Award, the 2007 Order of Lincoln, the state of Illinois’ highest award, and the 2012 Woodrow Wilson Award for Corporate Citizenship. 

Mr. Bobins earned his B.S. from the University of Wisconsin in 1964 and his M.B.A. from The University of Chicago in 1967. He and his wife, Virginia, reside in Chicago.

John Bucksbaum, founder of Bucksbaum Retail Properties, LLC. Bucksbaum previously served as chairman and CEO of General Growth Properties, Inc., a publicly traded Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) which had ownership and management interest in over 200 regional and super regional shopping malls in 44 states. The company portfolio totaled approximately 200 million square feet of space.

Bucksbaum received his bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Denver, Denver, Colorado in 1978. Professional affiliations include the following: past worldwide Chairman of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC). Trustee and member of the Executive Committee of ICSC; past Chairman of the Zell/Lurie Real Estate Center at The Wharton School; Trustee of the Urban Land Institute (ULI). In addition Bucksbaum serves on the boards of the University of Chicago Hospitals, The Field Museum, the Chicago Sports Commission, the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team, USA Cycling, the Paralympics Advisory Committee to the U.S. Olympic Committee, Young Presidents Organization and the Advisory Board of the Chicago Chapter of the American Jewish Committee.

John and his wife, Jackie, are the parents of Max and Eli Bucksbaum.

Linda Walker Bynoe is President and Chief Executive Officer of TELEMAT LTD, a project management and consulting firm based in Chicago. She joined the firm in 1989, advising clients relating to strategic planning, capital restructuring and financial reporting . Ms. Bynoe has developed a unique and diverse portfolio of consulting experiences in numerous industry sectors.

From 1992 until 1999, Ms. Bynoe managed a private equity investment portfolio. She was responsible for asset allocation, analytical evaluation, tax structure, acquisitions and dispositions. The focus of transactions was providing capital to ventures in which the investor could obtain management/co-management responsibility or advisory access through a board of director’s seat. Joint venture partners were sought out depending on financial requirements and transaction size.

Ms. Bynoe’s current corporate board directorships include: Anixter International Inc. (January 2006), a distributor of communication infrastructure products, serving as Chair of the Nominating and Governance Committee; Equity Residential (December 2009), a real estate investment trust engaged in the ownership and management of residential real estate; Members Mutual Holding Company (April 2007), a mutual insurer, serving as Chair of the Audit Committee and Chair of the Nominating and Governance Committee of Affiliate Company, Life Story Interactive, Inc. and director of Affiliate Company, Fidelity Life Association (June 2002); The Northern Trust Corporation (April 2006), a financial services company, serving as Chair of the Business Risk Committee; and Prudential Retail Mutual Funds (March 2005), a diversified fund complex.

Ms. Bynoe is a former corporate director of : (1) Lafayette American Bank and Trust (March 1994), a publicly traded community bank, serving on it’s Audit Committee and a seven member Executive Committee responsible for overseeing the bank’s operations, asset/liability management, and strategic planning. Ms. Bynoe was part of a recapitalization team and actively worked with senior management in the restructuring and sale of the Company in July, 1996; (2) Walden Residential Properties, Inc. (February 1994), a publicly traded multi-family real estate investment trust, serving on the Audit Committee and a five member Executive Committee established to take an active role in restructuring senior management, providing financial oversight and strategic planning. As Chair of the Compensation Committee, Ms. Bynoe was involved in complex compensation issues, contract termination negotiations and executive buyouts precipitated by the sale of the Company in July 2000; (3) Chart House Enterprises, Inc. (March 1998), a publicly traded multi-unit restaurant chain, having served as Chair of the Audit Committee, until the sale of the Company in July 2002; (4) Angelo and Maxie's, Inc. (July 2002), a publicly traded multi-unit restaurant chain, having served as Chair of the Audit Committee, until the sale of the Company in November 2004; (5) CitiStreet Funds, Inc.(May 1993-February 2005), a diversified mutual fund affiliate of CitiGroup and State Street Corp., having served as Chair of the Audit Committee and the Corporate Governance Committee; (6) AM-CH, Inc. (November 2004) a restaurant holding company, having served as Chair of the Audit Committee until the proposed dissolution of the Company in February 2005; (7) Dynegy Inc. (September 2002-May 2006), a Fortune 500 independent power generation company, serving as a director through the Company's financial and strategic self-restructuring; and (8) Simon Property Group, Inc. (May 2003-May 2012), a Fortune 500 real estate investment trust engaged in the ownership and management of retail real estate, serving on its Compensation, Governance and Nominating Committees.

After receiving her Bachelor of Science Degree, Magna Cum Laude from Northeastern University in 1975, she began her professional career in public accounting obtaining her license as a Certified Public Accountant. Ms. Bynoe was an associate on the audit client services team for numerous Fortune 500 companies.

Ms. Bynoe graduated from the Harvard University Graduate School of Business with a Masters in Business Administration in 1978 and joined the international investment banking firm of Morgan Stanley, New York. She began her eleven year tenure in the Capital Markets Division where she provided investment advice to major institutional and corporate clients on a wide range of fixed-income products and designed strategic investment plans. As a Vice-President, Ms. Bynoe was part of a start-up team that serviced corporate treasurers for asset/liability based products, debt repurchase and interest rate hedging strategies. She was also a licensed securities, commodities and investment broker.

Ms. Bynoe supports and is actively involved in numerous philanthropic and civic organizations.

"Education provides access to career opportunities and the prospect of a better life and, as such, should not be denied to any individual. Supporting these students is the right thing to do."

- Donna M. Carroll

Donna M. Carroll has been president of Dominican University, a comprehensive Catholic university of 3,500 students since 1994, when she was appointed as the first lay president in the university’s history.

Prior to her appointment at Dominican, Dr. Carroll served as Secretary of the University at Fordham University, and Senior Vice President, Dean of the College and Dean of Students at Mount Vernon College in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Carroll has presided over a period of tremendous growth at Dominican University. During her tenure, enrollment has doubled, the operating budget has more than tripled, and the campus has expanded significantly, particularly with the purchase of a satellite campus.

Named one of 20 Chicago “Women to Watch in 2010” by Crain’s Chicago Business, Dr. Carroll was included as one of the “100 Women Who Make a Difference” by Today’s Chicago Woman, and was listed as one of the top ten women in education by the Chicago Sun-Times. She is the recipient of the 2004 CEO Leadership Award from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education.

An outspoken advocate for the rights of undocumented students, Dr. Carroll, on behalf of Dominican University, was honored with the 2012 Community Change Maker Award from P.A.S.O., a community-based social justice organization dedicated to serving Latino youth and their parents in Chicago’s western suburbs.

Dr. Carroll was appointed last year by Illinois Governor Pat Quinn to the advisory board of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library. She is a member of the executive committee of the Associated Colleges of Illinois, and is a director of Rush Oak Park Hospital and the Oak Park Development Corporation. She also currently serves on the School Board of the Archdiocese of Chicago and the board of The Bernardin Center of the Catholic Theological Union. She is a member of The Chicago Network and the Economic Club of Chicago.

Donna Carroll received her bachelor’s degree in English from Wellesley College and master and doctoral degrees in higher education administration and counseling from the University of Cincinnati. She is a graduate of the Harvard Institute for Educational Management, Leadership Washington, the Snowmass Institute and the Oxford Roundtable.

Marty Castro, the son and grandson of Mexican immigrants, is an attorney, entrepreneur and public servant. As President & CEO of Castro Synergies, LLC, Marty provides consulting services to businesses and non-profits that wish to have a positive social impact on diverse communities. Marty is also the Chairman and co-founder of New Futuro, LLC, which seeks to increase Latino educational attainment. Marty Chairs the Illinois Human Rights Commission by appointment of Gov. Pat Quinn and is Chair of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, by appointment of President Barack Obama. Marty serves on the boards of The National Museum of Mexican Art and the Chicago Community Trust.

"The combination of health care reform and an aging population means that we are facing a critical shortage of physicians in the United States, particularly in low income communities such as those served by Sinai Health System. Predictions are that the U.S. will have a shortage of close to 30,000 primary care physicians by 2015. Comprehensive immigration reform that allows us to bring highly trained health care professionals into the United States is vital if we are going to be able to meet the demand for care."

-Alan H. Channing

Alan H. Channing is the former President and CEO of the Sinai Health System (“SHS”), Chicago, Illinois, which is made up of Mount Sinai Hospital, Sinai Children’s Hospital, Schwab Rehabilitation Institute, Sinai Medical Group, Sinai Urban Health Institute and the Sinai Community Institute. SHS is an integrated delivery system located on Chicago’s west side. Sinai has achieved national recognition for clinical quality, community engagement and benefit, addressing disparities and creating the concept of “pre-primary” care.

Mr. Channing attended undergraduate school at the University of Cincinnati and graduate school at The Ohio State University where he retains an assistant professorship. Alan has been the CEO of several large teaching hospitals including Wishard Memorial in Indianapolis, Elmhurst Hospital Center in Queens, New York, and the renowned Bellevue Hospital Center in Manhattan.

Channing has served as a resource to the Ohio Hospital Association, the Cleveland Center for Health Affairs, Greater New York Hospital Association and the Hospital Association of New York State. He has testified before the US Congress, the Ohio Senate, and both houses of the Illinois legislature. He currently serves as past chairman of the Illinois Hospital Association and past chairman of Family Health Network, a Medicaid managed care company.

Steven Collens is CEO of MATTER, the healthcare technology incubator and innovation center. MATTER opened in February 2015 and nurtures entrepreneurs and innovators building next-generation health IT, medical device, diagnostic and biopharma technologies. More than 200 healthcare technology startups operate at MATTER, and the company partners with 10 hospitals and health systems, five universities and more than 50 industry-leading companies. Steven is also senior advisor at Pritzker Group Venture Capital.

Prior to assuming his current role, Steven was senior vice president at Pritzker Group, the investment firm led by Tony and J.B. Pritzker. In that capacity, he led the team that created 1871, Chicago’s center for digital startups that now houses more than 400 early-stage companies. He previously worked at Abbott in a variety of domestic and international functions, including product management, policy and public affairs. In 2005, Steven helped found ConstantWellness.com to give patients control over their health data and allow healthcare providers to coordinate care of their patients. Prior to Abbott, Steven served as a policy advisor to a U.S. Senator.

Steven holds an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and a BA from Washington University in St. Louis. He serves on the boards of 1871, the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, the Chicago High School for the Arts, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and the IMSA Fund. He is also a Leadership Greater Chicago fellow and a member of the Economic Club of Chicago and the Commercial Club of Chicago.

"My grandfather was able to enter this country as an immigrant farmer from Italy in 1920’s. He came with little and worked incredibly hard to provide his family with an identity that would flourish for generations. I believe a path to citizenship will unlock creativity & passion that can only add value to our economy, country, & way of life."

- Dan Costello

Home Run Inn pizza is an iconic Chicago Pizza Company dating back to 1927. Home Run Inn Pizza currently owns and operates 9 Chicago land restaurants and 2 USDA factories that supply frozen pizzas to retailers in more than 25 states.

Dan Costello, the President of the restaurant group, leads the restaurant division and has worked over the past 18 years at defining and developing Home Run Inn's restaurant brand and strategy. He is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the restaurant group and leads more than 500 team members in running one of Chicago’s most recognizable pizza brands. A family owned and operated company; Dan is a 4th generation family member serving in management and leadership roles within the business and family council of Home Run Inn.

Dan holds a BS degree from the University of Notre Dame and an MBA from the University of Chicago graduate program. He is an active member of Young Presidents Organization and serves on the board of directors of the Illinois Restaurant Association and the Management Association of Illinois. Dan is also an active advisor for North Lawndale College Prep, a charter school dedicated to providing high quality education to underprivileged students in the inner city neighborhoods of Chicago.

He is the father of 5 children and currently lives in Clarendon Hills with his wife Julia. Dan & Julia are active with various charitable organizations and committees affiliated with their local community, schools, and parish.

"We must maintain our competitive edge by a focus on innovation - we need the best, brightest and hardest working innovators to be welcomed and encouraged to live and prosper in the United States."

- Alan W. Cramb

Alan William Cramb is the President of The Illinois Institute of Technology.  Previously he was Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at IIT.

Alan received his Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1979 and subsequently spent 7 years conducting and managing research within the steel industry. During 1986 he joined the department of Materials Science and Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University and in 1990 became the co-director of the Center for Iron and Steelmaking. In 1997 he was awarded the Posco Chair. In 2000, he became Head of the Materials Science and Engineering Department.

In 2005 Alan was appointed the Dean of Engineering and the John A. Clark and Edward T. Crossan Professor of Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. In his role as Dean, he was responsible for current and future directions in research and education for one of the leading engineering schools in the USA.

He is the author of over 200 publications and 2 patents and was the recipient of the AISI Medal in 1985 and 1986 and the Robert Woolston Hunt Award of the Iron and Steel Society in 1987. He was named an Iron and Steel Society Professor in 1992 and was awarded the Benjamin Richard Teare Award at CMU for excellence in engineering education in 1995. Alan was the President of the Iron and Steel Society in 2000. He was named the John Elliott lecturer of TMS/ISS in 2002. In 2003, was awarded the Benjamin Fairless Award of the American Mining, Metallurgical and Materials Society. Alan became President of AIME, was chairman of the University Materials Council and a board member of ABET in 2005. He is a Fellow or Distinguished member of AIST, AIME, ASM, AAAS and ISIJ.

Tom Cross brings a wealth of government, public policy, political and media strategy experience to Culloton Strategies’ clients.

Cross, a lawyer and former Kendall County prosecutor, served in the Illinois General Assembly for 22 years. A protégé of former U.S. House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert, Cross was Illinois House Republican Leader from 2002 until 2013 when he stepped down from his leadership post to run for Illinois State Treasurer. Though ultimately unsuccessful in the closest statewide race in recent memory, he won endorsements from major statewide business and civic groups including the Illinois State Chamber of Commerce, several of the state’s leading newspapers and, as testament to his bipartisan appeal, from current and former Democrat officeholders.

Outside Culloton Strategies, Cross is a distinguished fellow at Aurora University, promoting an innovative STEM education program for third through eighth-grade students in the West Suburbs.

Ms. Susan M. Crown has been Vice President and Partner of Henry Crown and Company since 1984, and is Chairman of Owl Creek Partners, LLP. Ms. Crown also serves as the Chairman of the Board of SGE Fund. She has been the Chairman and Founder of Susan Crown Exchange Inc. (SCE) since 2008. Ms. Crown serves as Vice Chair of Rush University Medical Center. Ms. Crown also serves as President and Director of the Arie and Ida Crown Memorial Foundation. Ms. Crown serves as a Director of Chicago Public Education Fund. She has been Director of Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere, Inc. since 2006. She has been Director of Illinois Tool Works Inc. since 1994. She has been the Director of Northern Trust Corporation and its subsidiary, The Northern Trust Company since 1997. Ms. Crown serves as a Director of the United Way of Metropolitan Chicago. She served as Director of Baxter International Inc. Ms. Crown serves as the Chairman of the Shoah Visual History Foundation. She serves as a member of the Executive Committee of Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center in Chicago. She serves as a Director of Rush University Medical Center and served as a Member of United States Olympic Committee Chief Executive Officer Council. She serves as Trustee of Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. She is also a Trustee of the Aspen Valley Community Foundation and National Council member of the Rocky Mountain Institute. Ms. Crown served as Trustee of Yale University. Ms. Crown earned her M.A. at New York University in 1982 and graduated from Yale University.

"We have seen too many husbands, wives and children enter our parish offices in tears across the Archdiocese of Chicago struggling with the news that a loved one was stopped on the way to work torn apart from them for being an undocumented immigrant. We were never trained in seminary to be immigration lawyers, advocates and jail ministers but the last few years this ministry has been necessary to care for our families which is our God-given value as Catholics. As a member of the Illinois Business Immigration Coalition, I have heard from owners and business entrepreneurs that this is not just a parish crisis but a crisis for business leaders as well. Let’s join together across party lines and remember this human story and get immigration reform done now."

- Fr. Brendan Curran, O.P.

Fr. Brendan Curran, O.P. is a Dominican priest and pastor of St. Pius V Church in the Pilsen neighborhood, a largely Mexican immigrant neighborhood on Chicago’s West Side. A native of Chicago´s South Side, he grew up the son of Irish immigrants. With a Bachelors degree from Providence College and a Masters from Aquinas Institute in St. Louis. Fr. Curran learned Spanish in Mexico, Guatemala and studied theology in Bolivia. 

Fr. Curran is a founding board member of the Chicago Workers´ Collaborative, an organization uniting day laborers and community organizations to respect day laborer rights. An achievement he considers with great pride was his role in bringing community, labor, faith organizations and industry leaders to pass groundbreaking day labor reform legislation in the State of Illinois in 2006. 

He has been a founding member and outspoken leader of Priests for Justice for Immigrants, an organization of over 200 priests in the Archdiocese of Chicago committed to support for comprehensive immigration reform in the struggle for immigrant rights. In 2009, he helped launch the St. Toribio Romo Immigrant Center, a network among thirteen Catholic parishes to strengthen immigrant awareness and leadership on the Near West side of Chicago. He was also a critical leader in bringing together over 100 business leaders as a part of Catholic Businesses for Immigration Reform. 

Two years ago, he and 23 other religious and community leaders were arrested blocking the access to the Broadview Detention Center where nearly 100 people are deported from the United States each day. In 2012, Fr. Brendan Curran, O.P. participated as a fellow for Leadership Greater Chicago. 

In the beginning of 2013, Fr. Brendan Curran, O.P. was a prominent voice once again in securing the groundbreaking Illinois Drivers’ License for undocumented immigrants. 

He is also an outspoken presenter and facilitator on worker and immigrant rights and the Catholic tradition in the Midwest.

"Conscientization is a process in which people are encouraged to analyze their reality, become more aware of the constraints on their lives, and take action to transform their situation. "

- Paulo Freire

Jaime di Paulo has been the Executive Director of Little Village Chamber of Commerce since September of 2013. Under his leadership and just a few months on the job Jaime has transformed the Little Village Chamber of Commerce into a business development center and advocacy organization with a huge focus on retaining and expanding existing businesses and membership.

He has promoted and supported the growth and success of businesses in Little Village by leveraging the community’s unique cultural identity. Thus he has generated new opportunities for countless individuals. The Chamber works closely with local business, corporations, community leaders, government agencies, law enforcement, corporate partners and elected officials to address the issues that affect the business community.

Jaime is a veteran in economic development and chamber of commerce industries. Jaime’s most recently served as Business Development Director for the Greater Oklahoma City Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. During his tenure there he helped open hundreds of business in the area and helped the chamber attract substantial sponsors.

Prior to his Oklahoma tenure, Jaime worked in his beloved Mexico as the Director of the Mexican & American Thinking Together Foundation, a bi-national Non-for Profit organization where he was in charge of finding quality employment for returning and deported immigrants, he also helped the Mexican government develop laws and policies for immigration policies in Mexico.

Jaime is married and a proud father of 3 brilliant young men. He also has a beautiful five-year old daughter.

Jaime received a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Relations from the Universidad Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM).

Jaime was born in Guadalajara Mexico and arrived to the USA as an exchange student in the late 70’s. Since that time he has continued to advocate and work in the arena that promotes and assists business opportunities for immigrant and Latino populations.

"We need to make it happen!"

- Craig J. Duchossois

Craig J. Duchossois is Chief Executive Officer of The Duchossois Group, a privately held company headquartered in Elmhurst, Illinois.

The principal operating companies are The Chamberlain Group, Inc. (garage door openers, gate operators and related access control products); AMX LLC (advanced control and automation technology for commercial and residential markets); Duchossois Technology Partners (an early-stage venture capital company); HeathCo (motion-activated lighting, door chimes and wireless lighting controls); and Milestone AV Technologies (audio-visual mounting equipment & display solutions). While the various companies owned or associated with Duchossois Industries operate independently, a small corporate team provides strategic support, access to capital and an entrepreneurial spirit.

Craig serves on the Board of Directors of Churchill Downs, Inc. His not-for-profit board memberships include Culver Educational Foundation, Illinois Institute of Technology, University of Chicago, Kellogg Graduate School of Management, World Business Chicago, the University of Chicago Hospitals and the Executive’s Club of Chicago. Additionally, he is a member of the Chief Executives’ Organization, the World Presidents’ Organization, the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club and the Economic Club. Craig is also past Chairman of the Board of Visitors for the United States Naval Academy.

Craig holds a BBA and MBA from Southern Methodist University, and served as an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Omar Duque is the President & CEO of the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (IHCC), the leading Hispanic business, networking, advocacy and development organization in Illinois.

Duque is a member of the Board of Trustees of Northeastern Illinois University where he serves as the Secretary of the Board as well as Chairman of the University’s finance committee. Duque is a member of the state of Illinois’ Business Enterprise Council as well as a Mayoral appointee to the City of Chicago’s Community Development Commission. He previously served on Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus Foundation board, on the state of Illinois Economic Recovery Commission and the City of Chicago’s Affirmative Action Advisory Board. 

Duque has served as an advisor on major economic development projects in the Chicago area. Duque has also served as a communications and public relations advisor. He has experience in government and has served as an advisor to different elected leaders. In 2011 Duque was recognized by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency as the 2011 Minority Business Advocate of the Year.  

Duque is a Chicago native whose parents immigrated to the United States from Guatemala. He is a graduate of Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism and has studied strategic leadership and management at Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business and the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business. Duque is a 2011 fellow with Leadership Greater Chicago, an organization which brings together leaders from a variety of fields to study and understand some of the city’s most urgent challenges in education, race relations, health care, crime and economic development. He currently lives in Chicago with his wife Clarisol and two young children.

"This country was built through immigration. We must develop a current system that recognizes the value brought by those who have immigrated to our shores and the contributions they can make to our economic and cultural vitality."

- Robert Easter

Robert A. Easter was appointed president-designate of the University of Illinois in March 2012, and became the university’s 19th president on July 2, 2012, and is now President Emeritus. 

Before becoming president, Easter spent his entire, nearly 40-year career as a senior administrator and faculty member on the university’s Urbana-Champaign campus, where he earned his doctorate in animal science in 1976. He was interim chancellor from 2009-2011, serving as chief executive officer of the 42,000-student campus, and also served as interim provost and interim vice chancellor for research. 

From 2002-2009, he was dean of the nationally ranked College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences. Before that, he served as head of the Department of Animal Sciences, where he has been a faculty member since 1976. 

An expert in livestock feeding, Easter has co-authored a book on livestock production and has written more than 90 peer-reviewed articles, 11 book chapters, and numerous papers for conferences and industry publications. He also has spoken to audiences in the U.S. and 30 foreign countries on livestock feeding. 

In 2006, he was appointed by President George W. Bush to the Board for International Food and Agricultural Development (BIFAD), and was appointed as chair of BIFAD in 2007. He also is a member of the American Society of Animal Science and the British Society of Animal Science, and serves on the Illinois Agricultural Leadership Foundation and the Governor’s Committee on China. 

Reared on a grain and livestock farm in southwest Texas, Easter earned an undergraduate degree in agricultural education in 1970 and a master’s degree in animal nutrition in 1972, both from Texas A&M University. He completed a doctorate in animal science at the University of Illinois in 1976 and immediately joined the Animal Science Department as an assistant professor of swine nutrition and management. He presently holds the rank of Professor Emeritus. 

His teaching has been recognized by the Midwest Section of the American Society of Animal Science and at the departmental and college levels. In 1992, Easter received the American Feed Industry Association Award in Nonruminant Nutrition Research from the American Society of Animal Science. In 1994, the University of Illinois College of Agriculture awarded Easter with the prestigious Paul A. Funk Award for contributions to Illinois agriculture. 

He operates a small grain farm in central Illinois, and is a retired officer in the U.S. Army Reserve, where he served for 20 years. He also is an avid gardener and reader. 

 Easter and his wife Cheryl have two adult children and six grandchildren.

"Throughout our history the influx of new workers to our country has played a major role in America's economic growth. The same is true today. It is crucial that we fix our dysfunctional immigration system."

- Jim Edgar

Governor Jim Edgar is a Distinguished Fellow at the University of Illinois’ Institute of Government and Public Affairs where he is a teacher and lecturer since 1999. Governor Edgar served as the Governor of Illinois from 1991 to 1999. Prior to that he served in the Illinois House of Representatives and he served as Secretary of State from 1981 to 1991. Governor Edgar serves on a variety of corporate and civic boards.

Chicago native Ezequiel "Zeke" Flores is a global business leader and airport concessionaire who is Founder and CEO of Flying Retail (FR) and Founder/CEO of Flying Concessions. Zeke founded Flying Retail to upgrade the travel experience and attract strong national retail brands and partners to Chicago airports. Zeke operates one of the largest specialty retail portfolios at O’Hare. Current partnerships include Brighton, Brooks Brothers and Brookstone, with more partnerships on the near horizon. Zeke successfully oversees operations of all existing concessions, and spearheads plans for future ventures: he will lead FR's local and national expansion of airport concessions through acquisitions and bids.

Zeke began his career by parlaying his BS in Accountancy from DePaul University into careers with a Big Five accounting firm and with food industry giant Sara Lee, where he oversaw projects in 14 countries and was a lead manager for a $4.2 billion spin-off. In 2006, he formed a real estate development and brokerage company: Sue Gin, CEO of Flying Food Group and New Management LTD, soon became a client. In 2010, Zeke and Sue became business partners. Zeke has also advised New Management, a successful real estate management and development firm located in the burgeoning West Loop. With New Management, Zeke has been involved in the site selection and build-out of multi-million-dollar concept restaurants, including Nellcote. He has worked with high-visibility chefs and restaurant groups. Zeke played an essential role in bringing Billy Reid--the Fulton Market-Randolph Street’s first high-end retail tenant--to the area. He has been integrally involved with over $5 billion in real estate-related and corporate business transactions.

Fluent in Spanish and Portuguese, Zeke retains an enduring commitment to his Latino heritage and to the ethnic Chicago neighborhood where he was raised in a close-knit Mexican American family. As a young adult helping run his family's local retail store, he learned the fundamentals of customer service, inventory and merchandising.

Governor-elect Rauner has honored Zeke with the opportunity to serve Illinois by naming him co-chair of the Economic Development Transition Committee. Zeke sits on the board of the Chicago Minority Supplier Development Council. He is on the government relations committee of the International Council of Shopping Centers, as well as on the steering committee of the Illinois Business Immigration Coalition. He enjoys golfing and practicing kendo--Japanese samurai swordsmanship. Zeke treats himself to one course per semester at Catholic Theological Union as he pursues a Master of Arts in Ministry. Zeke and his wife, Kathryn Flores, were thrilled to receive a "newly married couples blessing" in Rome from Pope Francis, following their wedding in 2013.

Freedman Seating Company currently has nearly 750 employees including manufacturing, sales, engineering and administrative personnel. This includes 250 jobs created since 2011; 225 of them in production. Of all employees, nearly 75% live in the City of Chicago, as do both the CEO and President. Freedman Seating is proud that its workforce reflects racial and gender diversity; minorities and women make up 85%.

We are committed to keeping manufacturing in Chicago and strengthening the industry for growth and sustainability. Strong partnerships with schools and community organizations are critical to these efforts. Austin Polytechnical Academy is a manufacturing high school on Chicago’s west side. In addition to sitting on their Advisory Board, we offer job shadowing, internships and mentorships to complement the training and develop a more knowledgeable workforce. We have hired graduates and anticipate continuing to do so. Freedman Seating partners with City Colleges of Chicago to continue education for our current employees in welding, blueprint reading, mathematics and general manufacturing education. Every week they receive open job postings and candidates are invited to apply. Similarly, Freedman Seating works with Skills for Chicagoland’s Future to find qualified candidates for open positions. We provide gap analysis and examples of our in-house testing so that the training model reflects industry needs and participants get clear ideas of expectations. We also share job postings and invite their applicants for interviews.

Jane Addams Resource Corporation and Freedman Seating have a long-term relationship working to improve the manufacturing skillset in our community. Together we have developed programs that provide hands-on training, apprenticeships and job opportunities. This partnership has created a training-to-employment pipeline, which allows Freedman to hire applicants who have studied and trained in specific areas of need, learning on the exact equipment they would use in our employ.

Freedman Seating is proud to be a community partner in education and training in manufacturing. As we continue to grow and add jobs, we firmly believe that these efforts will not only benefit us, creating a larger, highly skilled workforce available to hire, they will also ensure that Chicago’s manufacturing industry is perpetually sustainable.

Frey Farms is a Certified Woman Owned Business founded by Sarah Frey in 1992. Today, Sarah Frey-Talley, her four brothers, and our dedicated team operate farms and facilities strategically located in Florida, Georgia, Missouri, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, and West Virginia.

Our multi-state growing operations specialize in the growing, packing, and shipping of fresh market produce including watermelons, cantaloupes, sweet corn, fall ornamentals, and hard squash, and we are one of the nation’s largest pumpkin shippers.

Watermelon is one of our major products, and one of the most popular and healthy produce items. Sarah recognized the consumer trend and demand for fresh and nutritious drinks, and developed our Tsamma™ line of watermelon based juices. Tsamma™ provides the all flavor and benefits of watermelon in the convenience of a bottle.

Monterrey Security is a premier security firm offering a broad range of prevention and protective services to clients large and small. Our mission is to provide private security services grounded in established law enforcement and public safety techniques.

Monterrey also compliments its security program by providing premier Guest Service Professionals. Monterrey utilizes best practices from several sports and entertainment industry leaders as the model for its success.

Monterrey is currently providing services at Soldier Field for all Chicago Bears games,concerts, special events, Toyota Park for all MLS Chicago Fire games, special events and concerts, Charter one Pavilion at Northerly Island a LIVE NATION Venue, Navy Pier, Shedd Aquarium and many other public assembly facilities.

Ronald J. Gidwitz is a co-founder of GCG Partners, assuming an active role as a partner in September 1998.

Prior to becoming active in GCG Partners, Mr. Gidwitz was President and Chief Executive Officer of the Unilever HPC Helene Curtis Business Unit from 1996 to 1998.  Previously, Mr. Gidwitz served as President and Chief Executive Officer and as a member of the Board of Directors of Helene Curtis, a Fortune 500 consumer products company.  He had served as President since 1979 and assumed the post of Chief Executive Officer in July 1985.  Before being appointed President, Mr. Gidwitz held a number of positions within the company, with responsibilities ranging from sales to manufacturing.  After Mr. Gidwitz took the helm of Helene Curtis in 1979, revenues increased sevenfold to more than $1.2 billion before its acquisition by Unilever in 1996.

Mr. Gidwitz also serves as Director on the Boards of Continental Materials Corporation and Kapstone Paper and Packaging Corp.

Mr. Gidwitz is active in the Chicago business and arts communities.  He was named Crain’s Chicago Business Executive of the Year in 1988.  He has served as Chairman of the Illinois State Board of Education.  He is a member of the Board of Trustees/Directors for the Field Museum, Rush University Medical Center, the Museum of Science and Industry, and Lyric Opera of Chicago.  He also serves as Chairman of the Board of Governor of the Boys and Girls Clubs of America.  Additionally, he has served as Chairman of the following organizations: The Economic Development Commission of the City of Chicago, the Board of Trustees of the City Colleges of Chicago, the Chicago Central Area Committee, the Field Museum of Natural History and the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. Gidwitz is also President and Founder of Students First Illinois , a non-partisan statewide coalition of private individuals and community organizations working to improve education for Illinois’ 2.2 million children.  In addition he is the Chairman of the Illinois Coalition for Jobs, Growth and Prosperity as well as the Chairman of the Economic Freedom Alliance and the New Prosperity Foundation.

In 2006 Mr. Gidwitz was a candidate for Governor of the State of Illinois.

Mr. Gidwitz is a graduate of Brown University, with a bachelor’s degree in Economics.   He is married to the former Christina Kemper.  They have two adult children and reside in Chicago.

Chris Gladwin founded Cleversafe in 2004, bringing to the company the same innovative and entrepreneurial approach that has signified his executive leadership throughout his career. Chris, who was previously the creator of the first workgroup storage server at Zenith Data Systems and was a Manager of Corporate Storage Standards at Lockheed Martin, also created and managed a number of successful new technology start-ups, including MusicNow, which was acquired by Circuit City. Chris has been the creative force behind the development of the first Dispersed Storage system to solve the growing global problem of Big Data storage.

A clinician, researcher and medical educator, Larry J. Goodman, MD, is the chief executive officer of Rush. He also serves as president of Rush University, president of the Rush System for Health, and principal officer of the Rush Board of Trustees. Goodman was also president of Rush from 2002 until September 2010.

Prior to being named president and CEO, Goodman was senior vice president for medical affairs at Rush University Medical Center and the Henry R. Russe Dean of Rush Medical College. Before accepting the position of senior vice president in 1998, he was medical director of Cook County Hospital (now John H. Stroger, Jr., Hospital of Cook County), a position he had held since 1996. During this time he also served as professor of medicine and associate dean of Rush Medical College.

In 1987, he was named associate dean for medical student programs at Rush. He later served Rush Medical College as director of the division of specialized training programs and as director of inter-institutional affairs at Rush. In that position he played a critical role in crafting the academic affiliation agreement between Rush and Cook County Hospital.

Goodman has published in such prestigious publications as the Journal of the American Medical Association and the Journal of Infectious Diseases. His research has focused on infectious diseases, particularly gastrointestinal infections in HIV-positive patients. He is also known for promoting innovation in medical education, and has written extensively about such issues as curricula and how students select a specialty for residency training.

Goodman received his medical degree from the University of Michigan Medical School in 1976, having graduated with distinction from the University of Michigan's undergraduate program. He came to Rush University Medical Center in 1977 as a resident in the Department of Internal Medicine. He was named chief resident in 1979. He subsequently completed a fellowship in infectious disease and joined the faculty and staff.

Goodman's numerous honors and awards at Rush include being named Outstanding Medical Resident in 1979 and Medical Attending of the Year in 1984. In 1988, he was inducted into the Mark Lepper, MD, Society of Teachers at Rush MedicalCollege. Graduating medical students honored him three times by presenting him with the Phoenix Award for Clinical Teacher of the Year.

On a national level, Goodman has served as a site survey team member for the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, which accredits medical schools.

"We need to quickly enact common-sense, comprehensive immigration reform that will finally move us away from the unacceptable status quo and allow us to increase our competitive strength in the global economy."

- Marc J. Gordon

Marc J. Gordon, CHA, FMP, joined the Illinois Hotel and Lodging Association in December, 1997, as President & CEO. Under his leadership the Association, which has represented the lodging industry in Illinois since 1916, has grown by more than 50% in annual revenues, financial reserves, number of employees and number of programs offered to members. 

The Association is comprised of approximately 500 hotel members representing over 78,000 hotel rooms and 140 allied member companies. Mr. Gordon manages a staff of ten in offices in Chicago and Springfield who work to promote, protect, educate, and serve the Association’s members and constituencies. 

Mr. Gordon, who has more than 35 years of management experience in the hospitality industry, previously served as senior director for the Educational Foundation of the National Restaurant Association. Mr. Gordon joined the sales and marketing department of the Educational Foundation in November 1989, where he served as the department’s senior director for five years. In 1994, he was promoted to senior director of operations and financial management. During Mr. Gordon’s tenure, The Educational Foundation’s revenue grew from $2 million to more than $16 million. 

Prior to joining The Educational Foundation, Mr. Gordon achieved significant revenue growth for the Educational Institute of the American Hotel and Motel Association, where he served as director of sales and marketing from 1984 to 1989. He also taught full- time at the School of Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Management at Michigan State University from 1981 to 1984. Mr. Gordon continued teaching part-time from 1984 to 1989. 

Prior to joining the faculty of Michigan State University, Mr. Gordon was employed by Holiday Inns, Inc. for five years. In 1976, he opened Holiday Inn/Chicago City Centre as front office manager and was promoted to rooms division manager/assistant general manager in 1978. In 1979, Mr. Gordon was promoted to general manager of the Holiday Inn-Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois. In 1981, he became the Midwest regional director of training for more than 250 Holiday Inns. 

Mr. Gordon began his hotel management career in 1973 with Westin Hotels at the Continental Plaza Hotel in Chicago. Mr. Gordon worked in several positions at the hotel, including food and beverage controller and assistant front office manager. 

Mr. Gordon received his M.B.A. degree from Michigan State University in 1973 with an emphasis in Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Management and his B.S. Degree in Marketing from the University of Colorado in 1972.

Scott Grams is the Executive Director of the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association. Since 1959, ILCA has provided its members with the resources needed to enhance their performance and ensure continued growth and success. The Association’s mission is to enhance the professionalism and capabilities of members by providing leadership, education, representation, and services while promoting environmental awareness and the value of the landscape industry. ILCA employs a wide variety of means to fulfill its mission including; seminars, workshops, publications, trade shows, awards, networking, scholarship grants and social events.

The association is pledged to serve as a forum for the free exchange of ideas among landscape contractors, their suppliers and the government, working together for a greener, more beautiful Illinois. ILCA is a 501 (c) (6) nonprofit trade association with more than 800 member companies.

Rich Guebert Jr, serves as the President of the Illinois Farm Bureau. Guebert also serves as Vice President of the companies that make up COUNTRY Financial, Illinois Agricultural Service Company, and the IAA Foundation. He serves as Chairman of the IFB Resolutions Committee and on the Coordinating Committee of GROWMARK, Inc. In January 2007, the IFB president appointed Guebert to serve as Chairman of the Floodplain Study Group. Guebert has served as Chairman of the Country/IAA Governance Committee since January 2008.

Guebert and his son, Kyle, operate a farm where they grow corn, soybeans, and wheat. Guebert served as director of the Lower Kaskaskia Stakeholders, Inc. from 1999 to 2004; director of the Kaskaskia Watershed Association from 2000 to 2004; director of Gateway FS from 1990 to 2008; on the board of directors for Randolph County Farm Bureau from 1993 to 2003; vice president of Randolph County Farm Bureau from 1994-1996; and president from 1996 to 2003.

In 2001, he served on the IFB Co-op Task Force. He is a 2001 graduate of IFB’s Agricultural Leaders of Tomorrow. In 2006, Prairie Farmer magazine named Guebert a Master Farmer.

In March 2007, he accompanied Jack Lavin, Director of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, and other delegates on a trade mission to India to open a trade office in New Delhi. In June 2007, he traveled to Poland with Illinois Lt. Governor Pat Quinn on a four-city cultural exchange and trade mission that developed and enhanced the relationship between Illinois and Poland. In March 2009, Guebert was part of the farm/business delegation to Cuba under the direction of Jack Block, former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. Governor Quinn appointed Guebert to the Taxpayer Action Board in April 2009.

Guebert has a bachelor's degree in agricultural education with a minor in animal science from Southern Illinois University.

Guebert and his wife, Nancy, reside in Ellis Grove.

Dr. Troy D. Hammond became the 10th president of North Central College on January 1, 2013, at age 45. A scientist, business leader, entrepreneur and teacher, he was named to the post in October 2012 after a nationwide search.

Hammond holds a Ph.D. in experimental atomic physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he was mentored by thesis advisor Dr. David Pritchard and Nobel Laureate Dr. Wolfgang Ketterle. As a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow, he studied atomic properties while leading a team of graduate and undergraduate researchers. Today, Hammond holds 47 worldwide patents and patent applications representing 11 unique inventions and has published extensively about physics, nanotechnology, polymer electronics, solar power and other energy technologies.

A native of Kokomo, Ind., Hammond graduated magna cum laude with a B.S. in mathematics from Milligan College in May 1989. He has said that his experience there “opened my eyes to what a quality education in the liberal arts can do for a person and what it did for me.”

He continued his education at Georgia Tech, where he earned a second undergraduate degree, a B.S. in physics in 1990. Earning a prestigious National Science Foundation fellowship paved his way to the doctoral program at MIT (1990-1996). There, Hammond met his wife Sharlene, who holds a chemistry degree from MIT and a master of science degree in nursing from Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions. The couple served as resident assistants in an MIT residence hall.

Hammond’s first position after graduate school was with McKinsey & Company, a leading management consulting firm (1996-2004). As an associate principal, he worked in the company’s Pittsburgh and Auckland, New Zealand, offices, serving senior executives in a wide range of industries across the globe on critical business issues.

Hammond then joined Plextronics, Inc. (2004-2009), a small technology company in Pittsburgh, and helped build it into a global leader in printed electronics. While at Plextronics he served as an adjunct professor of business at Milligan College, where he developed and taught the course Quantitative Methods for Business for a newly established M.B.A. program.

Immediately prior to joining North Central College, Hammond was president of the energy services business at BlueStar Energy in Chicago (2010-2012). With his expertise in renewable energy technologies and sustainability, he provided commercial, industrial and institutional customers with energy efficiency services.

In 2013 Hammond was recognized as one of some 60 outstanding alumni of the National Science Foundation’s highly competitive Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP). Hammond and a handful of other GRFP alumni, including U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and University of Chicago President Robert Zimmer, were honored for their professional accomplishments from more than 46,500 Fellows named since the program’s inception in 1952.

Residents of Naperville since 2010, Troy and Sharlene Hammond are parents of four children—Adonay, Dillon, Karina and Gabrielle—all students in Naperville Community Unit School District 203.

"The time is now to establish meaningful immigration reform to advance our state and nation's global competitiveness, provide stability for more hard working families, and continue to attract and support innovators and entrepreneurs."

- Mark Harris

Mark Harris is the President & CEO of the Illinois Science & Technology Coalition (ISTC), a member-driven, non-profit organization that cultivates and attracts research and technology-based investment, talent and job growth in the state. As the State of Illinois’ statutory recognized technology advisor, the ISTC connects government, academia, and industry to leverage Illinois’ world class technology assets for maximum economic impact and position Illinois as a national and global innovation leader.

Prior to his leadership with the ISTC, Mark served as a deputy chief of staff for Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, where he focused on transportation, and economic and workforce development issues. This included advancing key economic recovery and jobs initiatives related to infrastructure investments, innovation, exports and foreign direct investment, and job training/career readiness. He served as co-chair of the Illinois Workforce Investment Board (IWIB) and co-chaired the Entrepreneurship Task Force within the IWIB, to develop strategies which promote entrepreneurial education at the state and local level.

Mark served as the associate director for the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and spent four years in senior positions at the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) in helping to advance key initiatives in international trade, technology, entrepreneurship, and regional economic development. He previously interned at the Chilean-American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham Chile) in Santiago and was a James H. Dunn Policy Fellow in the Governor’s Office – a competitive, year-long fellowship program.

Mark is an appointee to the Illinois Smart Grid Advisory Council and Energy Foundry Board, and also serves on the Digital Divide Advisory Council. He also served as a volunteer citizenship instructor for more than five years at El Centro de Educacion y Cultura through Heartland Alliance.

Mark is a naturalized U.S. citizen. He holds a BS from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and an MA from the University of Chicago.

As president of Ariel Investments, LLC, Mellody is responsible for firm-wide management and strategic planning, overseeing all operations outside of research and portfolio management. Additionally, she serves as chairman of the board of trustees for Ariel Investment Trust. Beyond her work at Ariel, Mellody has become a nationally recognized voice on financial literacy and investor education. She is a regular contributor and analyst on finance, the markets and economic trends for CBS News. She also contributes weekly money tips on the Tom Joyner Morning Show and pens a column for Black Enterprise magazine. As a passionate advocate for investor education, she is a spokesperson for the Ariel/Hewitt Study: 401(k) Plans in Living Color and the Ariel Black Investor Survey, both of which examine investing patterns among minorities. Mellody is a director of The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. and Starbucks Corporation. Her community outreach includes serving as chairman of After School Matters, a non-profit that provides Chicago teens with high-quality, out-of-school time programs. She is chair of The Economic Club of Chicago’s board of directors, a board member of The Chicago Public Education Fund, George Lucas Education Foundation, Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, and Sundance Institute, where she has been appointed emeritus trustee. She is also a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and serves on the executive committee of the Investment Company Institute’s board of governors. In 2015, Mellody was named to Time Magazine’s annual list of the one hundred most influential people in the world. Mellody earned her AB from Princeton’s Woodrow Wilson School of International Relations and Public Policy. She has also received honorary doctorate degrees from Howard University, St. Mary’s College and the University of Southern California.

"The technology industry is keenly aware of how much immigrants have played in our success. It’s critical that we come together to find immigration solutions that will help the industry fill 265,000 IT related jobs currently open, and this will also create further opportunities for starting and growing new businesses in the United States."

- Fred Hoch

Fred Hoch is the Executive Chairman of the Illinois Technology Association – an enabling organization with over 600 member companies with a focus on scaling great tech companies. Serving as a platform for strategic development, ITA drives the growth of the tech industry by helping its member companies grow, build and elevate their current position in the marketplace. Fred jumps in the fray with companies each and every day to figure out their needs and provide insight, connections and collaboration. Fred is also the co-founder of Chicago’s TechNexus Venture Collaborative, which besides working with corporation to drive innovation was recently named one of the top 10 incubators in the U.S. by Forbes having seen over 175 companies take over $200M in capital. He is also an active angel investor.

"I know these young men and women in college. They are bright, hard-working and want nothing more than to make their mark in the world. Our nation would be stronger if we let them."

- Rev. Dennis H. Holtschneider

The Rev. Dennis H. Holtschneider, C.M., became DePaul University's 11th president on July 1, 2004. 

Previously he served as executive vice president and chief operating officer at Niagara University in Niagara Falls, N.Y., from 2000 to 2004, where he directed the university's strategic planning efforts and daily operations of the campus. From 1996 to 1999, he was an administrator with St. John's University in Queens, N.Y., first as assistant dean of Notre Dame College and later as associate dean of the university's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Concurrently he served as an assistant professor of higher education in St. John's Graduate School of Education. 

Father Holtschneider led two national studies of examining trends in governance and leadership in American Catholic colleges and universities. He is the author of one book and numerous articles on U.S. higher education and Catholic higher education, as well as a frequent consultant and speaker on these topics. 

He is a trustee of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities and vice chairman of the board for Ascension Health, the nation's largest Catholic and largest nonprofit health system. He chaired the Board of Directors of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities, based in Washington, D.C., for two years and remains a trustee. He also is a trustee of the Chicago Historical Society and Chicago History Museum, as well as a member of the School Board of the Archdiocese of Chicago. In January 2009, Father Holtschneider was appointed to the Illinois Reform Commission, which issued its report three months later. He also chaired the Education Advisory Board of the Chicago 2016 Committee, which sought to bring the Olympics to the city. 

A Detroit native, he earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Niagara in 1985. He studied for the priesthood at Mary Immaculate Seminary in Northampton, Pa., and was ordained in 1989. Father Holtschneider studied at Harvard University and received his doctorate in administration, planning and social policy in 1997 after writing a dissertation on the early history of financial aid in the United States. He has been a case researcher and writer for Harvard's schools of Education, Medicine and Public Health. 

Currently, he is a faculty member and board member of the MDP Boston College Institute for Administrators in Catholic Higher Education. He continues to teach at Boston College's summer Institute for Administrators in Catholic Higher Education.

Terry Howerton is a lifelong entrepreneur, founding his first company at age 15. He’s spent a career starting and leading ventures, mentoring other entrepreneurs and building organizations. Terry is a frequent speaker and active influence on innovation, ventures and issues important to the technology industry.

Howerton is the founder and executive chairman of TechNexus, a venture development firm building a new, collaborative model for leading corporations to engage and extract value from the global entrepreneurial ecosystem. TechNexus also operates a start-up incubator from its headquarters in Chicago. To date, more than 200 ventures have grown at TechNexus.

Howerton founded the Illinois Technology Association, helping to define the nascent technology community in that region, which over the past decade has grown to more than 3,000 interconnected tech companies. Howerton is an education reform advocate, founded a Chicago public high school centered on tech and entrepreneurial thought, and is a frequent speaker on preparing kids to lead.

Howerton is a board director of the National Business Incubator Association, serves as a director or advisor to several private companies, and is a member of the executive committee alongside leading industry CEOs at TechNet, the Silicon Valley-based, national advocacy group founded by Cisco CEO John Chambers and John Doerr of Kleiner Perkins. This group provides thought leadership in Washington DC and several states on important policies, including economic growth, immigration, STEM education and workforce development.

Carnicerias Jimenez is one of the oldest supermarket operators that serves the Chicagoland area and surrounding suburbs’ Hispanic and ethnic market. Since opening the first store in 1975 - a 1500 square foot unit on Pulaski Road and 26th street in the heart of La Villita in Chicago - the company has steadily grown, and now includes nine store locations. 

Jimenez’s mission since its founding has been to offer its customers quality products and competitive prices, and to serve customers with cordiality and honesty.

"I recently attended the swearing-in ceremony of a friend who became a citizen of the United States. At the ceremony, the Presiding Federal Judge, who was also born outside of the United States, spoke of his childhood in his native land where he was told wonderful stories of how the streets in America were paved with gold. When he arrived in our great country he soon learned that while the streets are not paved in gold they are instead paved with opportunity. That opportunity comes from a long history of building our country with the work ethic and determination of immigrants. My Mother's Grandmother slipped out of her home one night in County Cork Ireland, wearing her entire wardrobe of 12 dresses to board a ship that would take her to America for the opportunity and hope our country offered to those who were willing to work hard. The allure of our country is still as strong as it ever was in attracting people searching for a better life. We must put aside our partisan agendas and fix our broken immigration system to ensure that America has system that promotes diversity but also attracts and keeps the best and the brightest, while we work to secure our borders and continue to repair our economy"

- Glenn Keefer

Glenn Keefer is Former Owner of Keefer's Restaurant in Chicago, Illinois. Originally hailing from New York, Glenn came to Chicago in 1980 with the Palm Restaurant. After working for The Palm for 12 years, Glenn opened the Chicago Ruth's Chris Steak House in 1992 (later taking on the job of Vice President of Operations for a group owning 8 Ruth's Chris restaurants). In 2001, Glenn went out on his own with brother Richard and Jimmy de Castro and opened Keefer's Restaurant in Chicago's River North neighborhood.

Keefer started his 45 year restaurant career as a bus boy in Amityville, New York in 1969 . He worked as a commercial fisherman on an off shore lobster boat to pay for college tuition and survived the sinking of his ship 30 miles off the coast of Montauk Point, New York. At that point, Glenn decided it was better to sell the fish in a restaurant than to catch the fish on the ocean.

During the last ten years Glenn has seen many issues dramatically affect the hospitality industry in Illinois. In 2005 Glenn worked with The American Cancer Society, The Lung Association and fellow restaurant operator Dan Rosenthal to found COUGH - Chef's and Owners United for Good Health to fight for a ban on smoking in restaurants and bars. The resulting ordinance adopted by the City Council was written by COUGH and served as the model for Smoke Free Illinois which followed less than 2 years later. Keefer's Restaurant was the first Chicago Restaurant to voluntarily ban smoking nearly two years ahead of the law.

Also, in response to the recent Illinois Concealed Carry Bill mandated by the US 7th Circuit Court of Appeals initiatives led by Keefer and the Illinois Restaurant Association were supported by coalitions that included The Chicago Convention Bureau, The Loop Alliance, The Lakeview Chamber of Commerce, The Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association and The River North Association at a meeting held at Keefer's with Governor Quinn to petition him to address a flawed Concealed Carry Bill that fails to recognize the danger of guns and alcohol. Together with the Illinois Restaurant Association work continues to make changes to the bill that would make it easier for gun owners to know where they can carry and at the same time keep guns out of places where alcohol is served. The IRA testified at City Hall enjoining the City of Chicago to pass an ordinance to keep guns out of all places serving alcohol. On 9/11/13 the Council voted unanimously to require all bars and restaurants with a city liquor license to post signs prohibiting guns.

Glenn has a BA in Religious Studies and Dead Languages from Saint Lawrence University (1977) in upstate New York. Glenn has been married to his wife Christina for 30 years and has a daughter and a son.

Glenn was awarded the the Dennis F. Kelly Award named after the first president of Catholic Charities, which is given periodically to a member of the Board of Advisors in recognition of his or her outstanding service and witness to the mission of Catholic Charities as active lay women and men in the Church.

Glenn is a member of the Executive Board of The Illinois Restaurant Association and was recently installed as Corporate Secretary.

"Immigrants are the very fabric of our society—just as I am, just as all of us are."

- Christopher G. Kennedy

Christopher G. Kennedy is Chairman of Joseph P. Kennedy Enterprises, Inc., which is the investment firm of the Kennedy Family. As Chairman, Chris is responsible for the development of the Kennedy Family’s real estate holdings in Chicago known as Wolf Point. Chris is also the Founder and Chairman of Top Box Foods, a non-profit, hunger-relief organization that addresses societal issues of hunger through the delivery of high-quality and affordable meats, fruits, vegetables and other food products throughout the city of Chicago. 

Chris was the President of Merchandise Mart Properties Inc. (MMPI) from October 2000 until July 2011 and began his career there in 1990. As President of MMPI, Chris managed the world-famous Merchandise Mart in Chicago. Under Chris’ leadership, MMPI managed ten million square feet of space, including 350 West Mart Center/Chicago Apparel Center, Design Centers in Boston and Washington, D.C., and tradeshow facilities across North America. At the time, MMPI was the largest tradeshow producer in the United States, bringing nearly four million buyers to more than 15,000 sellers annually with over 300 shows across 12 different industries. Under his leadership, The Merchandise Mart became the largest LEED-certified building in the world, and along with its sister building, the Chicago Apparel Center, they are the first- and second-largest LEED-certified buildings in Chicago. 

Chris serves on the boards of numerous public companies and private entities, including Ariel Investments Mutual Fund, Interface Inc., The Chicago Community Trust and Catholic Theological Union. He is also the 2013 Lund-Gill Chair at Dominican University and is teaching an honors course that reviews the effects of government and community policies on organizations which champion social justice. 

Chris is Former Chairman of the University of Illinois Board of Trustees. The University of Illinois has nearly 78,000 students and the largest alumni community in the world. The University has the second-highest enrollment of international students of all colleges and universities in the United States. 

Chris earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Boston College and a master’s in management from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management of Northwestern University. He is the eighth of eleven children of Robert and Ethel Kennedy. He and his wife, Sheila Berner Kennedy, have four children, Katherine, Christopher Jr., Sarah and Clare.

(photo courtesy of Chicago Sun-Times)

"Migration is a global phenomenon that is not going away. We need to develop effective policies that allow us to best meet the needs and realities of a twenty-first century global economy."

- Juliana Kerr

Juliana Kerr joined The Chicago Council in 2002 and is currently the director of Global Cities and Immigration, where she manages the Council’s publications, research, partnerships, and programming on immigration and immigrant contributions to the regional economy. She also oversees Global Chicago activities and the Gus Hart Visiting Fellowship. In 2007, she participated in the Rotary Group Study Exchange, spending one month in Paris examining immigrant integration issues. In 2014, she was selected to attend the Latin American Forum on Global Governance in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. A dual-citizen of the United States and Brazil, she has a BA in political science and French from the University of Iowa and a certificate of political studies from Sciences Po in Lyon, France.

Timothy L. Killeen has served since 2012 as vice chancellor for research and president of the Research Foundation at the State University of New York, one of the nation’s largest higher education systems with 64 campuses, 465,000 students, 88,000 faculty and more than 7,600 degree and certificate programs.

As president of SUNY’s Research Foundation, Killeen heads the nation’s largest, most comprehensive university-connected research foundation, administering about $900 million annually across SUNY’s 29 state-supported research campuses. In his dual role as vice chancellor for research, he is at the center of SUNY’s strategy for research growth and works with campus leaders to increase basic, clinical and translational research.

Before joining SUNY, he served for four years as assistant director for the geosciences at the National Science Foundation. He also has served as Lyall Research Professor at the University of Colorado, as director and senior scientist for the National Center for Atmospheric Research, and spent more than 20 years as a faculty member and researcher at the University of Michigan, where he also served as associate vice president for research.

He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2007, and also is a member and past president of the American Geophysical Union, and a member of the American Meteorological Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the New York Academy of Sciences.

A leading researcher in geophysics and space sciences, Killeen received his bachelor’s degree and Ph.D. at University College London, where he earned his doctoral degree in atomic and molecular physics at the age of 23.

His research has earned three achievement awards from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and he has received awards for teaching and research excellence from the University of Michigan College of Engineering. He has authored more than 150 publications in peer-reviewed journals, along with more than 300 other publications and papers.

Killeen’s wife, Roberta M. Johnson, is executive director of the National Earth Science Teachers Association and a clinical professor in the Department of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences at the State University of New York at Albany. They have three children.

Linnea Kooistra and her husband Joel own and operate Kooistra Farms LLC, a dairy and grain farm in Woodstock Il. Their dairy herd includes 250 milking cows and 250 young dairy heifers. They grow 800 acres of corn and soybeans.

Linnea has been active in farm organizations as well as in her community. She serves on the McHenry County Zoning Board of Appeals, where land use decisions are made for a county with a population of over 300,000. Linnea also serves on the board of the Family Health Partnership Clinic, which provides services to the under-served with compassion and respect.

Linnea is a media spokesperson for Dairy Management Inc., the national organization for dairy farmers. She has been a frequent speaker in support of agriculture, and has been featured in USA Today, Chicago Tribune, along with Reuters, CNN, ABC, and CBS news.

Linnea is a graduate of the Illinois Agricultural Leadership Program and the Illinois Lincoln Excellence in Public Service program. In 2011 she was named a Master Farmer by Prairie Farmer magazine, the first woman in Illinois to receive this award. In 2014, Linnea was named a Woman of Distinction by The Northwest Herald Newspaper and BMO Harris Bank.

Linnea and Joel have two grown children and two grandchildren. Her interests include travel, hiking, reading, genealogy, and the arts.

Agricultural Organizations
McHenry County Farm Bureau – member 1972-2017
Dairy Management Inc. & Midwest Dairy Association – media spokesperson 2004-2017
U.S. Dairy Sustainability Council – 2012-2017

Community Leadership
McHenry County Planning Commission – 1993-2005
McHenry County Zoning Board of Appeals – 2000-current
United Methodist Foundation, Northern Illinois Conference – 2002-2016, Chair 2012-2016
Harvard Community Education Foundation – 2006-2011, President 2008-2011
Family Health Partnership Clinic Board – 2017-current

"This is is an Immigrant country. Immigrants come here with a burning desire to succeed, to work and to start their own business. Bringing Immigrants out of the shadows will dramatically help grow our economy."

-Billy Lawless

Billy Lawless, Sr. was born in 1950 in Circular Road, Galway where he attended the Jesuit St. Ignatius College in 1962. He grew up in a dairy farming family supplying milk to all the restaurants and hotels in Galway. In 1977, Billy started in the hospitality business as owner of Gallows Pub and Restaurant and Taaffes Piub in Galway. 

He became President of the Vintners (Restaurants & Pubs) Federation of Ireland in 1982. In 1991 he contested a seat for Galway City Council. In 1993, he became Chairman of the Galway West Constituency Fine Gael Political Party, which is now in government. From 1992 to 1997, he was the owner of the Twelve Pins Hotel Barna Co. in Galway, Ireland. Billy emigrated to Chicago in 1998 and opened The Irish Oak and the Grafton. In 2001 he formed the Chicago Irish Pub/Restaurant Association. After years of informal leadership within Chicago’s Irish immigrant community, Billy was approached to take a more public role and founded the Chicago Celts for Immigration Reform. This led to his becoming a member of the Board of Directors of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) in 2009. Since 2010 Billy has been a member of the Executive Committee of the Board of the Illinois Restaurant Association, and since 1998 he has been Vice-Chairman of the Galway Chicago Sister Cities Committee. He currently serves as Senator in the Irish Senate.

"Many of the undocumented workers in the U.S. are occupying needed positions in our labor force that would not be filled without them. Why not accept this face, since it is economically additive, and provide a pathway to citizenship?"

- Kenneth Lehman

Kenneth Lehman is the Managing Partner of KKP Group LLC, a family office for the Lehman Family Group, and Chairman of Winning Workplaces, a not-for-profit which is helping organizations become great places to work. Both the KKP Group and Winning Workplaces are located in Evanston, Illinois.

Before organizing the Lehman Family Office, Ken was Co-Chairman of Fel-Pro Incorporated, a family owned and managed Skokie, Illinois based automotive component part manufacturer. Fel-Pro was nationally known for family friendly benefits and harmonious labor-management programs and policies, and was consistently ranked as one of the top 10 companies to work for in America by Fortune and Working Mother magazines. Fel-Pro was sold in 1998.

Ken served in the U.S. Peace Corps from 1966–1968 as a volunteer in Guatemala. From 1968-1971, he served as a staff member in the Latin America Bureau in Washington, DC.

He has served on several corporate boards as a director and/or advisor.

His current civic board involvements include CARE U.S.A./CARE Action Network, Chicago Public Radio (Lifetime Honorary Member), Globe Med, Lake Tanganyika Floating Health Clinic, and the Futuro Media Group.

Previously, Ken served as Vice Chair of CARE International, Board Member & Committee Chair of Public Radio International, Trustee of the University of Chicago Medical Center, Vice Chair of the NPR Foundation, Founding Chair of the Evanston Community Foundation, and Board Member & Officer of the Evanston United Way. He has served in a variety of other civic capacities.

During his time at Fel-Pro, Ken served in several leadership positions in the automotive industry and was named the Automotive Person of the Year by Jobber Retailer Magazine. He has also been recognized by civic and educational organizations. Honors include the Distinguished Executive Award from the Lake Forest Graduate School of Management, the “Good Guy” award from the National Women’s Political Caucus, and the Alumni Merit award from Northwestern University. Ken was chosen as a “Peace Corps Social Entrepreneur” by the Skoll Foundation, and was named a Purpose Prize Fellow by Civic Ventures.

He received his BA from Johns Hopkins University, and his MA from Northwestern University.

Now is the time to reform our nation’s broken immigration system in a sensible way that supports economic growth and provides health care coverage options.

-Elizabeth Lively

Elizabeth Lively is former Vice President of Government and External Affairs for the Metropolitan Chicago Healthcare Council (MCHC). Lively worked closely with public officials and community stakeholders, proactively representing and speaking on behalf of members’ interests on critical issues as well as taking a leadership position for the industry on health care legislation, regulations and business practices.

Prior to joining the council, Lively had a successful 22-year career with Adventist Midwest Health where she has served in a number of capacities, most recently as Associate Vice President for External Affairs and President of the Midwest Health Foundation. Lively is an accomplished external affairs executive with outstanding credentials in the areas of advocacy, community relations and development.

Lively was nominated for the State of Illinois Citizens' Assembly Council on Women in 1993 by State Senator Judy Baar Topinka, and most recently served as a director on the DuPage Health Coalition, Village of Burr Ridge Pathway Commission, Hinsdale Community Service and Hinsdale Chamber of Commerce. She holds a master of science (MSC) in Communications from Northwestern University.

Barry MacLean is CEO and Chairman of MacLean-Fogg Company. A privately held firm, MacLean-Fogg is a worldwide manufacturer of engineered products for automotive, truck, electric power, and telecommunications businesses. The Company has thirty North American manufacturing locations and twelve international facilities with sales of nearly one billion dollars and a worldwide workforce of 4,500 people. He received a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Dartmouth and a Master of Mechanical Engineering from Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College. He received a Doctor of Humane Letters Honorary Degree from Dartmouth College in 2010.

Barry MacLean served as a Dartmouth College Trustee from 1990-2000. He has served on the Thayer School of Engineering Dartmouth College Board of Overseers for over thirty-five years.

MacLean is a member, director, and former chairman of numerous businesses and professional organizations. Civic interests include Trusteeships at Newberry Library, Museum of Science and Industry, University of Chicago Hospitals, and U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association. He is former chairman of the Board of The School of the Art Institute and Vice Chairman of the Art Institute. He served for thirty-five years as elected trustee of the Village of Mettawa and fourteen years as mayor.

Barry and Mary Ann, live in Mettawa, Illinois. The couple has five children and twelve grandchildren.

David MacNeil is the President and CEO Weathertech, a Bolingbrook-based manufacturing company that designs, develops, and manufactures automotive accessories for consumers and original equipment manufacturer clients. Founded in 1990, WeatherTech started as a business out of MacNeil's home that now employs 1,500 workers and supplies international markets in over 20 countries.

"All children deserve equal access to quality healthcare - regardless of their race, ethnicity, or immigration status. We need to work together to enhance access while creating opportunities to develop a workforce that matches the diverse populations we serve."

- Patrick M. Magoon

Patrick M. Magoon was named President and Chief Executive Officer of the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago in December 1997.  A 36-year veteran of the Hospital, Mr. Magoon had been Chief Strategic Officer, responsible for directing the external activities of the Hospital, including the identification and implementation of strategic initiatives. He also directed the activities of Corporate Planning, Marketing, Public Affairs, Patient Care Services, Physician Services, Managed Care and Government and Community Affairs. 

Mr. Magoon holds a master’s degree in Urban Policy Planning (concentration in health policy and planning) from the University of Illinois and a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from Western Illinois University. He is past Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Children’s Hospitals and Related Institutions and past Chair of the Illinois Hospital Association. He has served on the boards of the Metropolitan Chicago Healthcare Council and the McGaw Medical Center. His civic affiliations include the Commercial Club of Chicago, The Economic Club of Chicago, City Club of Chicago, and The Chicago Club.

Mr. McNulty served as a director of NYSE Euronext and its predecessors from December 2005 until its acquisition by ICE at which time he joined our Board. Mr. McNulty retired from the Chicago Mercantile Exchange where he served as President and Chief Executive Officer from February 2000 to December 2003 and of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Holdings Inc. from August 2001 to December 2003. He also served on both entities' Boards of Directors during that period. Prior to joining the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, he served as managing director and co-head of the Corporate Analysis and Structuring Team in the Corporate Finance Division at Warburg Dillon Read, an investment banking firm now known as UBS Warburg and as General Partner with O'Connor & Associates. Mr. McNulty served as the senior independent director of ICAP plc until his retirement in September 2010. He currently serves on the advisory board of Marvin & Palmer Associates. McNulty holds a bachelor of arts in Liberal Arts and Sciences from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He also holds a masters of arts degree from University College Dublin in Anglo Irish studies.

From a young age, Arthur had a deep appreciation for hard work, community and family. He was raised by his tenacious mother on Chicago’s South Side and accredits her for much of his success.  

After proudly serving in the US Army and rising through the ranks at UPS and ADP, Arthur followed his passion for construction and started MZI Group, Inc. in 1999.  

Arthur believes success is firmly rooted in his community and the people he surrounds himself with. He takes his role as CEO/President very seriously knowing he is responsible for his employees and their families. 

He is actively involved with US Army veteran organizations such as Helmet to Hardhats and the Wounded Warrior Project. He shares his time as a distinguished board member of the National Latino Education Institute. In addition, he is a member of Chicago United, Hispanic American Construction Industry Association, Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and National Association of Veteran Owned Businesses.  

When Arthur is not working (which is rare) one might catch him on the golf course or enjoying family time with his beloved wife and daughter.

"Immigration reform is a key component to ensure continued U.S. economic and job growth. Immigrant small/medium business owners and entrepreneurs need immigration laws that encourage and welcome innovation and business establishment in the U.S."

- Anna Morzy

Ms. Morzy’s practice focuses on advising multi-national corporations, U.S. employers, and foreign nationals regarding U.S. immigration law and compliance. She is experienced in managing EB-5 Immigrant Investor matters for individuals and groups establishing commercial enterprises in the U.S., and in managing immigration strategy matters for entrepreneurs and technology start-ups.

Ms. Morzy manages a wide range of nonimmigrant and immigrant visa matters, including directing the preparation and filing of H, L, O, TN, Priority Worker, OR, and EB1-1 petitions and administering continuing PERM programs for employers. She additionally manages company registrations and individual applications for E-1/E-2 visas, and provides counsel to employers and foreign nationals on issues regarding non-immigrant and immigrant visa processing and issuance, including inadmissibility, waivers, export control matters, and waiver applications for J-1 visa holders.

Ms. Morzy is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, the Chicago Bar Association, and the American Bar Association – International Law Committee. She is the former President of the Polish American Chamber of Commerce and has been a long time member of the Chamber’s Board of Directors. She has served as a board member of the Corporate Relocation Council and is an invited member of the American Jewish Committee’s Immigration Task Force. As a result of her professional distinction in the field of immigration law and her contributions to the aforementioned organizations, Ms. Morzy has been in demand as a presenter at numerous high profile conferences in multiple countries and has been interviewed by major news media outlets as an authority on immigration matters.

Ms. Morzy received her J.D. in 2001 from Loyola University Chicago and is fluent in Polish.

“Human capital is our most valuable competitive resource, and much of the workforce of tomorrow is already here today. In order to strengthen and grow our economy, we need to welcome, educate and retain the next generation of talent.”

- Clare Muñana

Clare Muñana is President of Ancora Associates, Inc., her own management consulting firm. She has completed numerous domestic and international engagements for not-for-profit, public and private sector clients in the U.S., Europe, Africa and Latin America. Projects have included: strategic guidance for the launch of a major community-focused initiative for a national not-for-profit, a governance plan for a group of Chicago-based cultural institutions, an international strategy for a US/European foundation and museum, an economic development project for an underserved region in the State of Illinois, a strategic plan for a major natural history museum, a technology plan for a major US school district, and the establishment of an economic development agency for a large U.S. city. She holds a Bachelors degree from Boston College, a MA in International Economics and Politics, with honors, from the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) - Johns Hopkins University, and a Masters in Business Administration from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University. She has a certificate in French Civilization and Language from the Sorbonne. Ms. Muñana served as Vice President of the Chicago Board of Education for over ten years. In addition to the Illinois Business Immigration Coalition Steering Committee, she is a member of the Illinois DREAM Fund Commission and the Nuestro Futuro Steering Committee, an initiative of the Chicago Community Trust. Ms. Muñana served as a Co-Chair of the Immigration Task Force of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, where she is also a Board member. Additionally, she serves as a Board member of After School Matters, New Schools for Chicago, the Chicago Children First Fund (Vice President), the Aspen Institute, The Field Museum, the National Museum of Mexican Art and the Terra Foundation for American Art. Ms. Muñana is a recipient of the New Leaders for New Schools Leadership Award, the Schaffner Award of the Kellogg School of Management and the Chicago United Business Leaders of Color Award. Additionally she has been named a Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Mérite by the French government.

AmLED Technologies is focused on developing environmentally sensitive and ‘Smart’ LED fixtures for commercial and industrial use. In a market which is flooded with cheaper alternatives from overseas, AmLED proudly designs, develops and assembles its products in Itasca, IL. Harsh leads AmLED Technologies Inc as a Chairman of the board and CEO.

Harsh is an entrepreneur and management professional. He also directs a business strategy consulting firm, Biz Mantra Inc. out of Chicago, ILLINOIS. His firm focuses on consulting and advisory in Business Strategy, Revenue Growth, Financial Turnarounds, M&A and Executive Coaching. Biz Mantra also assists technology entrepreneurs in incubating and bringing to market new products.

Prior to starting his consulting firm in 2012, Harsh was Telecom Industry Leader for North America at IBM.

Harsh has over 30 years of national and international experience in general management and sales in Information Technology and Technology driven industries. During this time, he has worked for global corporations like UniLever, Motorola and IBM.

Harsh co- founded and managed Meadowood Global Services a consulting firm in mid-nineties and took it to a successful acquisition. As CEO of Meadowood he consulted with big brands like Motorola, AT&T, GE Medical, MetLife and Reliance Industries.

Harsh currently is a member of the Board of Directors at, Monjin Corp, Amled Technologies Inc., Hedgeness LLC and the Indo-US Chamber of Commerce. He also volunteers his time as a SCORE certified mentor for mentoring budding entrepreneurs and leaders of small and medium scale industries.

Ms. Maureen C. Pikarski, M.A., J.D. currently serves as a partner in the law firm of Gordon & Pikarski. Ms. Pikarski’s practice focuses on commercial and industrial real estate tax reductions. She is experienced in managing real estate tax appeals at all levels of the appeals process and advising clients as to the best methods of appealing their cases. Ms. Pikarski is Co-Chair of the Democratic National Committee’s National Democratic Ethnic Coordinating Council (NDECC) and Chair of its Women’s Committee. The NDECC, a council of the Democratic National Committee, is a coalition of leaders representing Democratic networks organized along ethnic lines from all backgrounds, faiths, ethnicities and demographic origins.

Prior to her NDECC appointment, Ms. Pikarski served in President William J. Clinton’s White House Office of Public Liaison. In that capacity she was a liaison for the White House in their outreach to national business and ethnic constituencies. Ms. Pikarski also worked for Vice President Al Gore, serving on his National Performance Review Committee. Ms. Pikarski began her community and political involvement with former Congressman Dan Rostenkowski (D-IL), when she worked on the House Ways and Means Committee, Health Subcommittee. Later, she was appointed by Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley to serve on his 21st Century Leadership Council.

Ms. Pikarski received her B.A. from Bryn Mawr College, her M.A. from Villanova University, and her J.D. from the Catholic University of America’s Columbus School of Law. Ms. Pikarski is past President of the Chicago Advocates Society, the Polish Lawyers Association. She, her husband Kris Murphy, and their children currently reside on the northwest side Chicago.

"America will benefit enormously economically, politically, socially and culturally from fixing the broken immigration system and from harnessing the new demographic reality. All the society actors are needed to create the conditions to solve this productively, strategically and compassionately, in that order. The IBIC is a great multi-sectorial initiative which is providing a valuable and much needed platform for dialogue and leadership towards common sense immigration reform."

- Jose Luis Prado

Jose Luis is currently President of Prado Strategic Consultants, LLC, and CEO of Evans Food Group. He was President for Quaker Foods North America, a Division of PepsiCo for 2011-2014.

The first Mexican to lead a PepsiCo business unit in North America and a 30-year veteran of the company, Prado served in a variety of leadership positions in Europe, Latin America and North America.

He serves on the boards of Northern Trust, the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, the Latino Corporate Directors Association, Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the National Museum of Mexican Art – among others.

He has a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the National Polytechnical Institute, Master of Science in Systems from the Iberoamericana University and Master of Business Administration from the Monterrey Institute of Technology.

J.B. Pritzker is an entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist. He is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Pritzker Group, a private investment firm that comprises three professional investment teams: middle-market acquisitions, technology venture capital and asset management.

For nearly two decades, Mr. Pritzker has been focused on building Chicago’s ecosystem for technology entrepreneurs. He was appointed the founding chairman of ChicagoNEXT, the mayor’s council on innovation and technology, and he founded 1871, Chicago’s digital startup center. He was instrumental in the creation of the Illinois Venture Capital Association, the seed fund Chicago Ventures, the accelerator Techstars Chicago and the online community BuiltInChicago.org.

With his wife M.K., he leads the Pritzker Family Foundation. He led the campaign to build the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center and is one of the nation's leading supporters of high quality early childhood education.

Penny Pritzker is an entrepreneur, civic leader and philanthropist with more than 30 years of experience in numerous industries. Pritzker is the Founder and Chairman of PSP Capital and Pritzker Realty Group, a global private investment firm that takes a long-term, fundamental approach to investing in and building market-leading businesses in sectors such as professional services, real estate, technology, agriculture, industrial services and consumer products. From June 2013 through January 2017, Pritzker served as U.S. Secretary of Commerce in the Obama Administration. Pritzker was a core member of President Obama’s economic team and served as the country’s chief commercial advocate, leading the Administration’s trade and investment promotion efforts. She also served on President Obama’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness and his Economic Recovery Advisory Board. Currently, Pritzker is a member of the board of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a member of the Aspen Strategy Group and the Aspen Economic Strategy Group, a member of the board of the Obama Foundation and on the advisory council of The Hamilton Project. Pritzker earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Harvard University and a Juris Doctor and Masters of Business Administration from Stanford University.

"Immigrants have been the lifeblood of the American culture and economy. Today our system is deeply broken. Undocumented students in school districts across the country not only live in fear of their status but are often unable to access funding to pursue higher education and become active members of our future society as employers, employees, entrepreneurs, and taxpayers. We have created a vicious cycle that needs to be reformed."

- Deborah Quazzo

Deborah is the Founder and Managing Partner of GSV Acceleration, a venture capital fund investing in great entrepreneurs and their companies in the $75B education and talent technology sector. The GSV Accelerlation portfolio of 26 companies includes Andela, Begin, CampusLogic, Clever, ClassDojo, Course Hero, Coursera, CreativeLive, Degreed, Educents, GuideOn, Handshake, HotChalk, Lightneer, MasterClass, MasteryConnect, Motimatic, Nearpod, NoRedInk, Pluralsight, Raise.me, Remind, TARA, Turnitin, Tynker, and Voxy. Deborah is also an active angel investor with over 21 holdings outside of the fund. In addition she is the co-founder of the ASU GSV Summit, an annual event, now in its 9th year, with over 3,500 in attendance, that celebrates innovations and innovators across the global “preK to Gray” learning and talent landscape.

Previously Deborah founded GSV Advisors, a boutique advisory firm focused on education and human capital technology companies. She previously co-founded ThinkEquity Partners, a boutique technology focused investment bank, which was acquired in 2007 by a UK firm. Prior to that, she was a Managing Director in Investment Banking and head of the Global Growth Group at Merrill Lynch & Co. She began her career at J.P Morgan.

Deborah currently serves on the boards of Degreed, Lightneer, Remind, and Web.com (NASDAQ: WWWW) and is a board observer at ClassDojo, CreativeLive, GuideOn, and Raise.me. She is a member of the boards of The Chicago Public Education Fund, The Common Ground Foundation, Harvey Mudd College, KIPP: Chicago, National Louis University, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, The Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation,The Board of Dean’s Advisors at Harvard Business School, and the Honorary Board of Marwen. She is a member of the Steering Committee of the Illinois Business Immigration Coalition. She previously served on the board of a number of education organizations including the Chicago Board of Education, America’s Promise Alliance, and Teach for America Chicago.

Deborah has received the 2014 Arnold M. Berlin ’46 Distinguished Service to Princeton Award from the Princeton University Club of Chicago, the 2014 Visionary of the Year Award from CFY PowerMyLearning, the 2016 LEAP Innovator in Education "Champion" Award from LEAP Innovations, the 2016 Inaugural Impact Award from Golden Apple Foundation, and the 2017 Visionary Award from the Association of American Publishers (AAP) PreK-12 Learning Group. Deborah graduated cum laude with a BA in history from Princeton University in 1982 and an MBA from Harvard University 1987. She and her husband Stephen have three children Caroline, Benjamin, and Christopher.

Manny’s deli, a popular establishment for locals and celebrities alike, has been the heart of the Chicago restaurant industry for decades. Ken Raskin, owner and son of the late Manny, has worked at the Deli since he was a small boy. Ken feels that part of the secret to his success is being visible to his customers, making sure they are happy and satisfied. Ken’s sons Danny and Matt, fourth generation, have now joined full time and help in personally overseeing the daily work of the restaurant. Ken's wife Patti or one of his other 2 children, Jason and Stephanie, are often around making sure the customers have eaten to their hearts' content. The family tradition is nothing new at Manny's. It can be traced back (along with some of the recipes) to more than 50 years ago. When Jack Raskin joined his brother Charlie in the first of the Raskin cafeterias located on Van Buren and Halsted streets. The Russian-born brothers specialized in Jewish cooking served up quickly and in large portions - the way Charlie had learned by watching his mother.

"Women and people of color, in order to be fully empowered in our society, need immigration reform as does the entire population of the U.S."

- Hedy Ratner

Hedy Ratner is founder and co-president emeritus of and currently consultant with the Women’s Business Development Center.

An advocate and activist for women’s empowerment issues, civil and human rights and women’s business development for more than four decades, Hedy was appointed by President Clinton to the National Women’s Business Council; by Illinois Governor Quinn to the Illinois Economic Recovery Commission, the Illinois Business Enterprise Council and the Governor’s Women’s Advisory Council; by Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley and Mayor Rahm Emanuel to the Mayor’s Affirmative Action Advisory Council; and, by Cook County Board President Preckwinkle to the Cook County Minority and Women’s Business Enterprise Council. Hedy helped to advocate for, create and was appointed by Illinois Governors Edgar and Ryan to the Illinois Women’s Business Ownership Council and the Governor’s Commission on the Status of Women in Illinois. Hedy was appointed as Co-Chairperson of the Women’s Health Task Force by Chicago Mayor Richard Daley. She is a member of the NBC Community Advisory Board, was a board member of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce and The Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau; was a founding member of the Alliance of Minority and Female Contractors Association; and continues to be a member of the National Council of Women’s Organizations and the Chicago Network.

A leader amongst leaders and an advocate through and through, Hedy is the recipient of numerous awards honoring her impactful efforts, including the 2014 Lifetime Achievement Award by Enterprising Women Magazine; 2013 Advocate Award from Entrepreneurs Experience; 2012 Lifetime Advocacy Award from the Federation of Women Contractors; the 2011 Fifth/Third Bank Community Award; the Athena International 2011 Women’s Leadership Award; Historic Achievement in Business Award in 2011 from Voting Women’s Organization; 2011 Association of Women’s Business Centers Leadership Award; 2011 SBA Women’s Business Center Award; University of Chicago first Diversity Leadership Award in 2009 and the University of Chicago’s prestigious Public Service Award; the Lifetime Achievement Award from Rainbow PUSH in 2006; the National Center for Women’s Business Research Leading by Example Award; the Anti-Defamation League’s Women of Achievement Award; the YWCA Leadership Award for Entrepreneurship; Bank of America Chicago Community Leadership Award; and the Governor’s Women’s Business Advocate of the Year Award and the U.S. SBA Advocacy Vision Award, to name a few.

In this new phase of her professional life, she dedicates herself to social justice and advocacy for the further empowerment of women.

John’s passion for investing began at age 12, when his father began buying him stocks as Christmas and birthday gifts. His interest in equities grew at Princeton University, where he majored in economics, and over the two-plus years he worked as a stockbroker for William Blair & Company, LLC. In 1983, John founded Ariel Investments to employ a patient, value strategy in small and medium-size companies.

He strongly believes in giving back to Chicago, sitting on the corporate boards of Exelon and McDonald’s, and serving as trustee to the University of Chicago. Additionally, he is a trustee of Rush University Medical Center and a life trustee of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Nationally, John is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a director of the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights. In 2008, he was awarded Princeton University’s highest honor, the Woodrow Wilson Award, presented each year to the alumnus whose career embodies a commitment to national service.

Following the election of President Barack Obama, John served as co-chair for the Presidential Inaugural Committee 2009, and more recently, he joined the Barack Obama Foundation’s Board of Directors. In 2013, John was featured alongside legendary investors Warren Buffett, Sir John Templeton and Benjamin Graham in the distinguished book: The World’s 99 Greatest Investors by Magnus Angenfelt. John received an AB in economics from Princeton University, where he was also captain of the varsity basketball team.

"Sensible immigration policy has been a cornerstone of the development of the United States. Today, our immigration system is broken. Comprehensive immigration reform is essential to the economic vitality of our country and the human rights of immigrants already within our borders."

- Mark Segal

As former President and Chief Executive Officer, Mark Segal provided strategic leadership and operational oversight of The Habitat Company and its affiliates. 

Founded in 1971, The Habitat Company is a full‐service multi‐family real estate company, committed to the highest standards in management, service and development. The Habitat Company has developed more than 17,000 rental and condominium units and currently manages over $2.5 billion of assets comprised of more than 20,000 residential units in six states consisting of market rate, affordable, student and public housing units and condominiums. 

Mark is a member of the Board of Directors of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce and its Executive Committee and is the former Chair of its Public Policy Committee. Mark is a member of the Board of Trustees and a past President of Chicago Sinai Congregation. Mark is also a member of the Boards of Directors of the Greater Chicago/Upper Midwest Region of the Anti‐Defamation League and of Business and Professional People for the Public Interest. He is also a member of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials, National Multi Housing Council and Urban Land Institute. Mark is an Illinois licensed Real Estate Managing Broker. 

Mark received a JD degree from Northwestern University School of Law and an MM degree from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management. He also received a BA degree from Claremont McKenna College.

"Because of its declining population and its changing economic base, the Midwest needs immigrants urgently. The realities here are different from the rest of the country, and so is the need for immigrants."

- Ellen Rudnick

Ellen currently serves as Executive Director and Clinical Professor of the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. The Polsky Center works with students, faculty and researchers on new venture creation and commercialization of new technologies. 

Prior to this appointment she spent twenty-five years in business management and entrepreneurial activities, primarily in the healthcare industry. She served as Chairman of Pacific Biometrics, a medical diagnostics company; President of HCIA and CEO of its predecessor company, Healthcare Knowledge Resources, both healthcare information service companies, and Corporate Vice President of Baxter Healthcare. 

She currently serves on the boards of Liberty Mutual Insurance, Patterson Companies (PDCO), First Midwest Bank (FMBI) and HMS Holdings (HMSY). She also serves on the Northshore University Research Institute board and previously served on the board of the Northshore University Health System; she serves on the board of Hyde Park Angels and on numerous advisory boards. 

Ellen received an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a B.A. from Vassar College.

Jesse H. Ruiz is a partner in the firm's Corporate and Securities Group, serves as the firm's Marketing Partner, and is a member of the firm’s Client Service Committee. For over 16 years, Jesse has focused his practice on business transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, venture capital and private equity investments, equity and debt offerings, financings, the purchase and sale of assets from bankruptcy estates and a variety of commercial transactions. Drawing on his experiences in business and management consulting, and his work in the public sector, Jesse also counsels public and privately-held companies and entrepreneurs on strategic initiatives and transactions. Jesse also counsels clients on corporate finance issues; negotiation of consulting and other commercial agreements; reorganizations; corporate compliance; corporate governance issues; employment matters; and the formation of business entities in the United States, Latin America and Europe.

Additionally, Jesse serves as the relationship partner for a major firm client and supervises and manages all aspects of the firm’s legal services, including those in contract, corporate, compliance, customs & trade, environmental, labor & employment, intellectual property, land use & zoning, litigation, real estate and regulatory matters.

In 2011, the Walmart Legal Department awarded Jesse its inaugural Walmart Legal Spark Award for “outstanding client and community service and dedication to diversity in the legal profession."

Since 2006, Jesse has served as a member of the board of directors of Commonwealth Edison, an Exelon Company.

Mr. Michael J. Sacks, J.D. serves as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Grosvenor Capital Management L.P. Mr. Sacks leads all investments and operational aspects of Grosvenor Capital Management. He joined Grosvenor Capital Management in 1990 and served as its Managing Partner in 1994. He led the growth, development and institutionalization of Grosvenor Capital Management from its position as an early participant in a cottage industry to its current position as a leader in the global alternative investment arena. He spent two years at Harris Associates, L.P. He serves as Vice-Chairman of The World Business Chicago Board of Directors. He is a Trustee of Northwestern University, a member of Chicago Council on Global Affairs and the Commercial Club of Chicago, and is a Board Member of the Economic Club of Chicago. He serves as a Trustee of The Museum of Science and Industry, The Field Museum, The Art Institute of Chicago, After School Matters, and Birthright Israel Foundation. He serves as a Director of After School Matters, Inc. and Wrapports LLC. He serves as Member of Advisory Board at Tur Partners LLC. Mr. Sacks is a member of the Advance & Major Gifts Committee for the Jewish United Fund. Mr. Sacks is a member of the Illinois Bar. Mr. Sacks received a J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law in 1988, a Masters in Business Administration from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University in 1988, a Bachelor's Degree in Economics from Tulane University in 1984, and a General Course Certificate from the London School of Economics for work completed from 1982 to 1983.

Jos Saldana is a financial advisor employed by Rcm Wealth Advisors in Chicago, Illinois and has over 11 years of experience as a financial professional. Jos is registered as an Investment Adviser Representative and is authorized to give investment advice to clients.

Sam Sanchez is an accomplished restaurateur with an extensive hospitality industry background spanning concept development, bar and restaurant management and operations, new product development, menu development, advertising, marketing and promotions. He specializes in American and Northern Mexican cuisine and is a tequila connoisseur.

Mr. Sanchez is the principal partner and oversees all facets of a multi-unit, multi-million dollar restaurant business, including operations and business development for two John Barleycorn locations, two Moe’s Cantina locations and one Old Crow Smokehouse location. He oversees future growth and expansion for all three brands. He is currently developing a brand new Old Crow Smokehouse in Huntington Beach, California and Moe’s Cantina in West Palm Beach, Florida. Mr. Sanchez also owns EMC Construction, a full-service construction company which handles both renovations of existing properties and new construction, and Samco Enterprises, a staff management and personnel training company.

In addition to his primary businesses, Mr. Sanchez serves as a consultant for Revolution Brands, a minority-owned spirits company that launched the 4 Rebels Vodka brand in Illinois in August 2009. He is also an investor in an online ticketing company, Has Tickets.

Mr. Sanchez is very active in Chicago’s hospitality community and in the neighborhoods where his venues are located. He is the president of the Chicago Hospitality Association, a member and former officer of the Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce. He is also serves as Corporate Secretary of the Illinois Restaurant Association. He is an active member in the River North Business Association, the Central Lakeview Merchants Association, the East Lakeview Neighbors Association, the Greater North Michigan Avenue Association, the Downtown Leadership Club and Club 42. He is a Co-chair on the Steering committee on the Illinois Business Immigration Coalition and a mentor for Excellence in Education.

Maintaining viable and attractive neighborhoods for both the residents and the business sector is a priority for Mr. Sanchez. He is presently working with city and community leaders to stimulate economic growth in the 43rd Ward by redeveloping the Lincoln Park property vacated by Children’s Memorial Hospital in June 2012. He has been a vocal participant in development plans for the Wrigleyville neighborhood, especially projects that will have a major impact on the neighborhood such as ballpark renovations, street closures and the mixed-use Addison Park on Clark development. He is currently a board member for the Lakefront Sculpture Exhibit (LSE), a privately-funded, not-for-profit corporation that concentrates on enriching the community with public art projects while supporting local artist in the 43rd and 44th Wards.

Safety and security are a top concern for Mr. Sanchez in the communities where he does business and Chicago at large. He is actively involved with the Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy (CAPS), in the 44th, 43rd, and 42nd Wards, working with residents and the police department to identify and solve neighborhood problems. Mr. Sanchez collaborated with the City of Chicago and the Chicago Police Department to implement and maintain private security companies in major entertainment districts to enhance security and address safety issues important to both residents and bar and restaurant owners.

He was instrumental in laying the groundwork with city and state legislators for the Comprehensive Alcohol Responsible Retailing Act (C.A.R.R.A). This act was developed to curb overconsumption and binge drinking by setting service standards for both retail and on-premise alcohol sales.

Mr. Sanchez believes in giving back to the community and hosts many charitable events at his venues throughout the year. Highlights include: in 43rd Ward and 44th Ward Annual Senior Summer Barbeques; the 43rd Ward Annual Senior Bingo Party; the 44th Ward Annual Children’s Holiday Party, the Ugly Sweater Party, and annual food drive for the Greater Chicago Food Depository; Pinko de May, and annual event benefitting the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation; and the Links Technology Cup, an annual fundraiser benefitting the Schaumburg Park Foundation. Mr. Sanchez has been married to Marga for 25 years and has 3 daughters, Korina, Samantha, and Camila. In his spare time, Mr. Sanchez enjoys entertaining at home and cooking for his family and friends. He also enjoys spending time riding horses and working on a cattle ranch out west.

Marc S. Schulman is President of the country’s largest specialty cheesecake bakery, The Eli’s Cheesecake Company, located on the northwest side of Chicago. Eli’s home is Eli’s Cheesecake World, the 62,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art bakery, visitors’ center, retail store, dessert café, and corporate headquarters.

Eli’s Cheesecake was created by restaurateur, Eli Schulman, as the signature dessert for his restaurant, Eli’s the Place for Steak, a Chicago legend for 39 years. The now famous dessert was merely a local delight until 1984 when the younger Schulman put his legal career on hold to take over the cheesecake company. Eli’s now produces over 20,000 cheesecakes per day! In fact, the Chicago Tribune named Eli’s Cheesecake as one of the City’s best known food brands in its 150 year commemorative issue and the Sun Times named Eli’s as one of the ten Chicago Food Icons.

Schulman and Eli’s are committed to promoting opportunities in the food industry through a long time partnership with the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences (CHSAS). Schulman co-chairs the Business Advisory Board for the School and Eli’s gives scholarships each year to CHSAS graduating seniors in the name of Aaron Easter, the late son of retired University of Illinois of Illinois President Robert Easter, Eli’s Founder, Eli Schulman, and his dear friend, Robert Hatoff, Chairman of Allen Brothers Meats. For the past fourteen summers, Eli’s and Wright College sponsor a Summer Sustainable Agriculture Summer Program for CHSAS students. In recognition of his contributions to agricultural education in Illinois, Schulman has been awarded an Honorary State FFA Degree, received the Illinois Leadership Council for Agricultural Education Excellence Award for Contribution in the Area of Agribusiness and the Distinguished Service Award for his contributions to CHSAS. Schulman also served on the Leadership Council for FARM Illinois.

Eli’s also maintains partnership relationships with Jacqueline Vaughn High School, a public high school for students with mild cognitive disabilities, the New Horizons Center for the Developmentally Disabled, located directly west of the Eli’s bakery and the Sunshine Activity Center, which provides afternoon activities for adults with disabilities. Eli’s donates part of the proceeds from its Annual Cheesecake Festival to support these organizations.

Schulman is a life-long booster of Chicago and its cultural resources. He was appointed as Board member of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency by former Governor James R. Thompson and has been a docent for the Chicago Architectural Foundation and a Vice President and Director of the Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois.

Schulman is a past President of the Greater North Michigan Avenue Association and was the founding Chairman of the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival, an event initiated by the GNMAA, which has become one of the country’s premier holiday festivals. He currently serves on the Board of the Northwestern Memorial Foundation, The Happiness Club and as a General Trustee of the Lincoln Academy. Schulman is also a member of the Society of Fellows of the Culinary Institute of America.

Schulman is a Board Member of the Chicago Cook County Workforce Board appointed jointly by Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle.

Schulman was named as the first winner of the Chicago Visitor’s Choice Award for Visitor Marketing. He has also been named one of 10 Outstanding Young Citizens by the Chicago Junior Association of Commerce and Industry and one of the first “40 Under 40” by Crain’s Chicago Business. In recognition of his work in economic development, he received the “Norby Award” from the North Business and Industry Council. He was named the Portage Park Business Person of the Year as well as receiving the Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Denver and the Distinguished Entrepreneur Award from Northwestern University Law School. He was named to the Chicago Entrepreneurs Hall of Fame in 2009.

Schulman received the Hall of Fame Award from the Chicago Foodservice Marketing Club, particularly significant as Schulman’s father was the recipient of the Award seventeen years before.

Schulman spearheaded the campaign to create the Eli M. Schulman Playground in memory of his father and to reconstruct Seneca Park, located on the near north side of Chicago, directly across the Museum of Contemporary Art. For his work, Schulman received a Park Stewardship Award from Friends of the Park, as well as a City Brightener Award from the Bright New City Foundation.

"As a highly skilled, global employer with over 4,000 people in Illinois, Deloitte recognizes the importance of a flexible, robust US immigration system to meet employers' talent demands."

- Byron Spruell

Byron Spruell is President of League Operations for the NBA and former vice chairman and Chicago managing principal for Deloitte LLP. He had oversight for the 4,000-person Deloitte Chicago practice, the largest Big Four professional services firm in the area, and was responsible for facilitating marketplace revenue growth by encouraging cross-business teaming. Additionally, he oversaw community involvement initiatives and was responsible for developing and implementing strategies to attract and retain the next generation of leaders in the Chicago area.

Over the course of his professional career, Byron has held several firm leadership positions, including managing director of the Global Financial Advisory practice for Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited; managing principal of Deloitte LLP, acting as chief of staff to the former U.S. CEO. He currently holds several additional internal firm leadership roles.

Byron serves on the boards of World Business Chicago, Museum of Science and Industry, Northwestern Memorial HealthCare, Metropolitan Family Services, Chicago Urban League, and Big Shoulders Fund in Chicago; the Jackie Robinson Foundation in New York; and the Notre Dame Monogram Club Association. He is a member of the University of Notre Dame Board of Trustees, The Executive Leadership Council, The Economic Club of Chicago, The Executives’ Club of Chicago, The Commercial Club of Chicago, The Chicago Club, and the University of Notre Dame Engineering Advisory Council.

Byron has received several accolades for his community efforts, including: the 2015 Crystal Award from Chicago Scholars, the 2015 Multicultural Leadership Award from the Illinois Diversity Council, and the 2015 Triple-Impact Professional Award from the Positive Coaching Alliance-Chicago. He has been featured in Crain’s “Who’s Who in Chicago Business” list for 2014 and 2015.

Sergio Suarez is a Mexican entrepreneur and philanthropist, who migrated to the United States at 17 years old. After attending technical school and working in a factory, he used the skills he acquired to start his first business, a heating and cooling company. After finding success with this business, he opened other companies in the food and beverage, services, media, communication, and technology industries.

Sergio is also a founder and board member of numerous nonprofit organizations whose goal is evolving the social, economic, and civic standards of his communities.

Scott C. Swanson is regional president of PNC Bank in Illinois. He leads the local executive banking team, including Corporate Banking, Asset Management and Retail. In addition, he represents PNC in the community and directs community engagement.

Swanson has 25 years of banking and other corporate experience. He joined PNC in February 2013 from Charter One and RBS Citizens, Illinois and Michigan, where he served as president and a member of RBS Citizen's Executive Leadership Group, the company's senior leadership team.

Swanson joined Charter One in 2007 following 17 years at JPMorgan Chase and its predecessors, including American National Bank. He spent 16 years in Chase's commercial bank and was senior vice president and national executive of Chase's business banking operations. In this position, he managed approximately 1,000 employees in 125 cities across 17 states. Prior to joining Chase, Swanson began his professional career at Arthur Andersen in its Tax Group.

Active in the Chicago community, Swanson serves as chairman of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce and is on the executive committees of the Adler Planetarium and LISC Chicago. He serves on the boards of directors of After School Matters, the Big Shoulders Fund, the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center and the Executives’ Club of Chicago. He is a member of the Cook County Council of Economic Advisors, the Economic Club of Chicago, the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago, the finance council of the Archdiocese of Chicago, and serves as a trustee of Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago.

Swanson earned his M.B.A. from the University of Chicago, where he graduated with honors. He is also a graduate of the University of Illinois, where he earned a bachelor of science in finance.

Glenn Tilton (born April 1948, in Washington, D.C.) was Midwest Chairman and a member of the Executive Committee, at JP Morgan Chase (NYSE:JPM), a position he has held from June 6, 2011 to 2014. Tilton was formerly non-executive Chairman of United Continental Holdings Inc., (NYSE:UAL), the parent company of United Air Lines, Inc. and Continental Airlines, Inc. as of October 1, 2010. Tilton was formerly Chairman, President, and CEO of UAL Corporation from 2002-2010.

Tilton grew up in Latin America, and attended high school in Brazil, where his father worked for the United States' Central Intelligence Agency. After earning a bachelor's degree in International Relations from the University of South Carolina, Tilton wanted to start a career in the airline industry, but was warned against it by a family friend, the manager of the Pan American Airways Latin America Division. Tilton listened to the friend's advice and went on to follow his father's footsteps and join the C.I.A. but months before his start date, Tilton began a career in the private sector working for Texaco in 1970, servicing gas stations throughout Washington, D.C.

Tilton attained positions of increasing responsibility over the next three decades, and in early 2001 Tilton was briefly named chairman and chief executive officer before Chevron and Texaco merged to form ChevronTexaco Corporation. He was named vice chairman of the newly merged company in late 2001 and a few months later he was also named interim chairman of Dynegy, in which ChevronTexaco held a significant stake.

In September 2002, Tilton was recruited by the Board of Directors of the struggling UAL Corporation to be Chairman, President, and CEO, replacing John W. Creighton Jr. as Chairman and CEO, and Rono Dutta as President. The board believed that an airline outsider such as Tilton could turnaround the struggling carrier. UAL Corporation and its subsidiaries filed for bankruptcy in December 2002, three months into Tilton's tenure.

Tilton serves on the board of directors of Abbott Laboratories and a member of the U.S. Travel & Tourism Advisory Board. Tilton also serves on the board of trustees for the Field Museum and the Museum of Science and Industry, and the board for the Economic Club of Chicago, the Executives' Club of Chicago, and After School Matters, as well as on the civic committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago and the International Relations Advisory Council of Chicago 2016.

“The restaurant industry is the largest private sector employer in the State of Illinois and the entry to the workforce for many immigrants. The fate of immigration reform is invariably linked to the fate of the restaurant industry. We must stand for immigration reform to maintain the strength of our workforce and the economy as a whole.”

- Sam Toia

Mr. Sam Toia is the President of the Illinois Restaurant Association, a non-profit trade association representing the industry that is the state’s largest private sector employer, with over 400,000 employees and $18 billion in annual sales. In addition, he serves as trustee of the association’s charitable arm, which awards dozens of scholarships annually to area high school students seeking further education in the field.

A long-time restaurateur, Sam is a member and former chairman of the board of the IRA. Sam was elected president in July of this year. He is a graduate of DePaul University and is a specialist in community and government relations. He has served in leadership positions in many civic and public agencies, including the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority Board, the Counseling Center of Lakeview, the Uptown Learning Center, and the Kimbark Plaza Co-Op in Hyde Park.

Sam has also served as board member and president of the Central Lakeview Merchants Association. He currently serves on the Zoning Board of Appeals.

"What makes America unique from other lands is that we are a nation built by immigrants. If the US wants to remain competitive, we must continue to welcome immigrants and leverage their strengths. And immigrants who have the support of their siblings, parents and children contribute the most to society."

- Grace Tsao-Wu

Grace Tsao-Wu immigrated to this country as a child with her parents. After a few years on the East Coast, her family settled in Boulder, Colorado. She credits the success of her family to education, hard work, and the support of extended family members.

In 1994, Grace founded Tabula Tua, a tabletop retail and internet business, which she ran until its successful sale in 2014. She also co-founded Laudi Vidni, a custom leather handbag retailer, bringing back the lost art of handbag manufacturing to the U.S. Prior to her entrepreneurial career, Grace worked for Kraft Foods in brand management and Price Waterhouse as a CPA.

Grace serves on the board of One Million Degrees, an organization that empowers low-income, highly motivated community college students to succeed in school, work, and life, the advisory board of the Chinese American Service League and was appointed to the Commission on Presidential Scholars by President Barack Obama.

Grace received a B.S. from the University of California, Berkeley and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.

Grace and her husband, Craig Freedman, live in Chicago and are the parents of JJ, a high level gymnast, and Camille, a fabulous dancer.

William A. Von Hoene, Jr., 59, oversees corporate development, corporate strategy, legal, regulatory, government affairs, investments and communications for Exelon, the nation’s number one competitive energy provider. He previously served as executive vice president, Finance and Legal, of Exelon. Von Hoene joined Exelon in February, 2002 and has held numerous positions before assuming his current responsibilities in February 2012. He serves on Exelon’s Executive Committee and is a member of the Boards of Directors of Nuclear Electric Insurance Limited, the Alliance to Save Energy, the Bipartisan Policy Center Energy Project, the United Way of Metropolitan Chicago and the Board of Advisors of Flying Food Group.

Prior to joining Exelon, Von Hoene was a senior partner at Jenner & Block, specializing in complex civil and white-collar criminal litigation. While at Jenner & Block, he served on the management committee and, at various times, as hiring partner and chairperson of the firm’s pro bono and diversity committees.

Von Hoene has served on numerous civic and public interest boards of directors. He is past president of the Chicago Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Inc., and past general counsel to the Leadership Council for Metropolitan Open Communities. He currently serves on the boards of directors of the Legal Assistance Foundation of Chicago, the Northwestern Memorial Hospital Foundation, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Civic Consulting Alliance and the Diversity Scholarship Foundation. He has previously served on the boards of directors of the Chicago Legal Clinic, the Chicago Bar Foundation and the Joffrey Ballet. He also serves on the Visiting Committee of the University Of Chicago Law School, and is a member of the Economic Club of Chicago and the Executives’ Club of Chicago. In 2010, Bill was appointed to the Department of Commerce National Advisory Council on Minority Business Enterprise. The council serves to provide advice and recommendations to the Secretary of Commerce and the President on a broad range of policy issues affecting the minority business community. In 2011, Bill was appointed to Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s Supplier Diversity Task Force, a procurement initiative designed to help strengthen small and minority and women-owned businesses.

While Von Hoene served as general counsel, the Exelon Legal department received the 2007 Association of Corporate Counsel Pro Bono Award, which recognizes the most outstanding corporate pro bono program in the country and in 2009 was named one of three finalists for Corporate Counsel magazine’s best legal department. Von Hoene received the 2008 Vanguard Award from the Chicago Bar Association, recognizing contributions in making the legal profession more accessible and reflective of the community at large. In 2009, he received the Spirit of Excellence award from the American Bar Association Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Profession, and was named by the National Law Journal as one of the twenty most influential general counsels in the country. Von Hoene also received the 2009 Advocate for Diversity Award for his significant contributions to the legal community and for embracing diversity, and is the 2010 recipient of the Chicago Appleseed Corporate Leader Award. In September 2010, Von Hoene received the Arthur Goldberg Social Justice Award, presented by the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs, for his career-long dedication to social justice, and in 2011, he received the Donald Hubert Public Service Award from the Chicago Inn of Court.

Von Hoene is a 1980 graduate of the University of Chicago Law School, where he served on the Law Review and was elected to the Order of the Coif, and a 1976 graduate of Yale University.

Von Hoene is married to Nikki Zollar and has three children, William L. Von Hoene, Branden Zollar and Grant Sanders.

Frederick H. Waddell is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Northern Trust, one of the world's leading asset management, asset servicing, fund administration, fiduciary and banking services firms. Serving successful individuals, families and institutions worldwide, the Chicago-based, 122-year-old financial institution had $4.2 trillion in assets under custody and $644.2 billion in assets under management as of September 30, 2011.

Since joining Northern Trust in 1975, Waddell has held leadership positions in Commercial Banking, Strategic Planning and Personal Financial Services. In March 2003, he became head of the Corporate & Institutional Services business unit and, in February 2006, was named President and Chief Operating Officer of Northern Trust. Mr. Waddell was appointed Chief Executive Officer on January 1, 2008, and named Chairman in November 2009.

Waddell is a member of the Board of Directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, The Chicago Council on Global Affairs, The Economic Club of Chicago, the Financial Services Roundtable, The Chicago Club, Chicago Urban League and the United Way of Metropolitan Chicago. He is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago and the Civic Committee of the Chicago Commonwealth Club. He is on the Board of Trustees of the Art Institute of Chicago, Northwestern University, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Northwestern Memorial Hospital. He also serves on the Trustees Committee of the Chicago Community Trust. Mr. Waddell serves as Vice Chairman of the Corporate Fund Board of the John F. Kennedy Center and is an Executive Advisor to the Metropolitan Planning Council.

Waddell received a bachelor’s degree in government from Dartmouth College and a master’s degree in business administration from the J.L. Kellogg School of Management of Northwestern University.

Edward J. Wehmer, since May 1998, has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Wintrust Financial Corporation. Prior to May 1998, he served as President and Chief Operating Officer of the Company since its formation in 1996. He served as the President of Lake Forest Bank from 1991 to 1998. He serves as an Advisory Director of each of the Company's main operating subsidiaries. Mr. Wehmer is a certified public accountant and earlier in his career spent seven years with the accounting firm of Ernst & Young LLP specializing in the banking field and particularly in the area of bank mergers and acquisitions. Mr. Wehmer serves on the board of directors of Stepan Company (NYSE), a chemical manufacturing and distribution company. He also serves as a director of Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital and the Catholic Extension Society, on the audit committee of Northwestern Memorial Health Care, as a trustee for Children's Memorial Hospital and Foundation, as a member of the advisory board of the Farmer School of Business of Miami University, and on the Finance Board and the School Board of the Archdiocese of Chicago.

"The Illinois Chamber recognizes that a comprehensive approach is needed to fix our immigration system. The current immigration system is no longer meeting the labor needs of American companies. We need an immigration system with laws that are easy to enforce, make sense, and work. The Illinois Chamber supports an immigration policy that secures our borders, responds to contemporary labor needs, provides a simple, employee verification system and addresses the issues affecting 11 million undocumented immigrants already living and working in the U.S."

- Doug Whitley

As president and CEO of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, Douglas L. Whitley leads the Chamber’s charge to aggressively promote the interests of Illinois business. Whitley has been a registered Illinois lobbyist for more than 30 years. Whitley has a long record of business leadership and expertise in taxation and regulation, which he has earned in a career spanning the public and private sectors. Before joining the Illinois Chamber, Whitley was President of Ameritech Illinois. Whitley served two years as Director of the Illinois Department of Revenue during the administration of Governor Jim Edgar. Prior to that, Whitley was president of the Taxpayers’ Federation of Illinois for 14 years. In earlier years, he was a legislative staff member in the Illinois House of Representatives.

Throughout his career, Whitley has held leadership positions with numerous business and civic organizations. Whitley co-founded and co-chairs the Transportation for Illinois Coalition. Whitley’s other leadership positions have included the Illinois Business Roundtable, Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, the Economic Club of Chicago and Chicago’s Work Force Development Board. Whitley has served on numerous commissions and advisory boards including Governor Quinn’s Economic Recovery Commission, the Advisory Board to the Illinois Department of Employment Security and the Illinois Workforce Investment Board of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

A lifelong Illinois resident, Whitley spent his youth in Atwood, a small, central Illinois farming community of 1,200, where he achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. Whitley holds a bachelor’s degree in government and history from Southern Illinois University. Western Illinois University granted him an honorary doctorate degree. Whitley and his wife Joanne live in Kane County; they have three children.

A.J. Wilhelmi became the President and CEO of the Illinois Health and Hospital Association (IHA) on January 1, 2016. With offices in Chicago, Naperville, Springfield, and Washington D.C., IHA represents more than 200 hospitals and health systems as they care for their patients and communities, advocating for a sustainable, patient-focused health care system that provides high-quality care and promotes healthy local communities.

Previously, Wilhelmi served as IHA’s Chief Government Relations Officer from 2012 to 2015. As Chief Government Relations Officer, Wilhelmi was responsible for directing IHA's overall state and federal advocacy and policy agendas. During that period, IHA achieved major advocacy accomplishments, including enacting landmark legislation on hospital tax exemption, expanding Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act, obtaining new ACA access payments, and preserving Medicaid funding.

With his experience in both the public and private sectors, Wilhelmi is strengthening IHA's ability to address the many needs of its more than 200 hospital and health system members. Wilhelmi and IHA collaborate with state leaders, legislators, and other key stakeholders to develop workable solutions to support patients, hospitals and the state’s health care delivery system.

Wilhelmi attended Loyola University Chicago, where he graduated cum laude in 1990 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree, a major in English and minors in Philosophy and Political Science.

In June 1993, Wilhelmi graduated from Chicago-Kent College of Law. After passing the Illinois State Bar Examination, Wilhelmi was sworn in as an attorney on November 3, 1993. From November 1993 to March 2008, Wilhelmi practiced law with the McKeown Law Firm, specializing in real estate and business law. In April 2008, Wilhelmi joined Murer Consultants, Inc. as a senior consultant and was later promoted to Vice President.

In January 2005, Wilhelmi was appointed to the Illinois Senate to represent the communities of the 43rd Senate District, which includes most of Joliet and several surrounding towns. Wilhelmi was re-elected to the state Senate in 2006 and 2010.

Before being appointed to the state Senate, Wilhelmi was heavily involved in community service in Will County. In 1996, Wilhelmi co-sponsored the building of the 13th Will County Habitat for Humanity home and served on the Family Support Committee. He also served as Chairman of the Board for the Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce in 2003 after serving in a variety of other posts for the organization. In 2001 and 2002, Wilhelmi chaired the Diplomats Committee for the Will County Center for Economic Development. Wilhelmi has also been active with his alma mater, Joliet Catholic Academy, serving as president of the JCA Alumni Board from 1999 to 2001. Wilhelmi also served for three years (2002, 2003, and 2004) on the Board of the Joliet Grade Schools Foundation for Educational Excellence.

During his tenure in the state Senate, Wilhelmi served as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and vice chairman of the Senate Agriculture & Conservation Committee. He also served as a member of the Senate Transportation, Education, Appropriations II, Gaming and Environment Committees.

Wilhelmi was born and raised in Joliet, IL as the youngest of six children. He currently resides in Joliet with his wife, Michelle, and their three daughters.

"As a state and society, we want everyone treated fairly. All of us – hospitals and health systems, businesses and employers, immigrant groups, and government – share a common goal, namely to ensure that a strong health care delivery system is available to everyone in Illinois, regardless of their ability to pay, citizenship status, or country of origin. Access to quality health care is an important priority as we move forward in the 21st Century."

- Maryjane Wurth

Maryjane Wurth is Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for the American Hospital Association and president and CEO and President of Health Forum. Previously, she served as President & CEO of the Illinois Hospital Association since October 2009. With offices in Naperville, Springfield and Washington, D.C., IHA represents more than 200 hospitals and health systems throughout Illinois, advocating for a sustainable, patient-focused health care system that provides high-quality care and promotes healthy local communities.

Under Wurth’s leadership, IHA has created a new Quality Care Institute, established IHA’s first office in Washington, D.C., and spearheaded a joint quality initiative with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois to reduce Illinois hospital readmissions through Preventing Readmissions through Effective Partnerships (PREP).

Currently, Wurth serves on the American Hospital Association (AHA) Health Research & Educational Trust’s Board of Trustees, the AHA Committee on Research, and AHA’s Medicare Area Wage Index Task Force, and AHA’s Medicaid Redesign Steering Committee. In 2010, Wurth was appointed to the AHA Allied Hospital Association Advisory Committee on Health Care Reform Implementation. She also serves on the board of the national Coalition to Protect America’s Health Care, which informs the public through the media about the important role hospitals play in the lives of all Americans.

Wurth is a member of the Healthcare Executives Study Society, the Economic Club of Chicago and the Chicago Network for exceptional women executives. She is currently a member of the board of directors of Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network, which covers Illinois and northwest Indiana, and the Illinois Public Health Institute.

Prior to joining IHA, Wurth had a 19-year career at the Healthcare Association of New York State, most recently as Chief Operating Officer and President of DataGen, its national data company.

Wurth has a Master of Science degree from Cornell University and a Bachelor of Science degree from the State University of New York. She was a national Health Forum fellow in leadership and healthy communities and was a founder of the Academy for Health Care Leadership Advancement with Cornell University’s Johnson School of Business.

Sam Yagan is the Chief Executive Officer of ShopRunner, Inc., a unique service that provides its members with free two-day shipping at over 150 leading online retailers. Sam also serves as the Vice-Chairman of Match Group (Nasdaq: MTCH), a position he assumed after serving as the company’s Chief Executive Officer and leading it through a period of explosive growth that culminated in its IPO. He has co-founded several companies, including SparkNotes, eDonkey, OkCupid, Techstars Chicago, and, Firestarter Fund, & Corazon Capital.

Sam’s prior entrepreneurial ventures in the consumer internet sector include SparkNotes (founded in 1999), still the dominant brand of study guides and eDonkey (founded in 2002), once the largest P2P file-sharing network in the world. He sold SparkNotes to Barnes & Noble, Inc., where he served as Vice-President and Publisher and oversaw the expansion of the previously all-digital brand into an expansive multi-platform media business.

Outside of work, Sam’s primary passion is working with early-stage entrepreneurs. In 2009, he co-founded Excelerate Labs (now TechStars Chicago), a leading start-up accelerator, and served as its first Chief Executive Officer. In 2014, Sam founded Corazon Capital, a small angel fund; he sits on the board of several start-ups, including ShiftGig, SpotHero, Roniin, & Brilliant. He also advises several venture capital funds, including Hyde Park Venture Partners and the FireStarter Fund, which he co-founded. He serves on Target Corp’s Digital Advisory Council and the Stanford Graduate School of Business Management Board.

Sam has been named to TIME Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People in the World,” Fortune Magazine’s “40 Under 40,” Crain’s Chicago “40 Under 40”, Billboard Magazine’s “30 Under 30,” Crain’s “Tech 25,” D Magazine’s “Dallas 500” and ranked #19 on Silicon Alley Insider’s “Most Inspiring and Influential People.” He has received the Chicago Innovation Awards’ “Visionary of the Year Award,” IMSA’s “Distinguished Leadership Award,” and the DCIA’s “Pioneer’s Award.” Sam has testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee and has spoken at the CATO Institute, Digital Hollywood, IRCE, the Federal Trade Commission, and numerous other industry events.

Sam has a BA with honors in Applied Mathematics and Economics from Harvard College and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he earned distinction as a Siebel Scholar, an Arjay Miller Scholar, and the Henry Ford Scholar, the award granted to each class’s valedictorian.