Ms. Patricia Abrams Executive Director, The Renaissance Collaborative, Inc. (formerly The Wabash “Y” Renaissance Corp.). Brings community-based organization perspective. Works with the formerly homeless in a comprehensive supportive housing environment. Lay leader in St. Thomas Episcopal Church.
Mr. Peter Baugher Partner, Schopf & Weiss LLC, business litigation. Founder and President of Chicago International Dispute Resolution Association. Director, Illinois Humanities Council. Lay leader, First Congregational Church of Wilmette.
Rev. Philip Blackwell, Senior Minister, First United Methodist Church at the Chicago Temple. Has led congregations in Wilmette and Rockford and served as Program Officer for the Northern Illinois Conference of the United Methodist Church.
Ms. Nancy Brandt, Experience in school-community development. Lay leader, St. Pauls UCC. Volunteer staff member, specializing in poverty and welfare, tax fairness, and financing of public education.
Mr. David Bueschel, Co-founder and President of Shepherd Bueschel & Provus, Inc., a senior level retained executive search firm. He has been a Director and became Vice Chair of the Association of Executive Search Consultants. Has served eighteen years as a trustee of the Chicago Theological Seminary and was Vice-Chair for twelve years. He has also served as a director and officer of the Community Renewal Society.
Mr. Edward Campbell, Scholar, teacher archaeologist. Professor Emeritus at McCormick Theological Seminary.
Mr. Walter G. Cornett, Chairman of TheraSys, Inc., a physical therapy management company. General Partner of the Cerulean Fund. Member of Northfield Community Church and former Deacon, Moderator and Trustee. Georgia Institute of Technology, BS Chemical Engineering (Tau Beta Pi); Harvard Business School, MBA (Baker Scholar).
Rev. Martin Deppe, Retired Pastor, United Methodist Church.
Mr. Ephraim Eaddy, Manager of Faith-based Programs, Safer Foundation; Chief of Staff, People’s Church of the Harvest.
Mr. A. Gerald Erickson, President Emeritus of Family Service of Metropolitan Chicago. Recognized as Illinois Social Worker of the year in 1998.
*Ms. Sol A. Flores,” Founding Executive Director, La Casa Norte, which provides advocacy and support services for homeless and at-risk families and youth. Formerly a consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers before assuming leadership at La Casa Norte. Serves as Board Vice President for the Latino Policy Forum, and was honored with the Emerging Leaders Fellowship Award in 2010 by the Chicago Community Trust.
Rev. Dr. Franklin Gamwell, Professor of Religious Ethics, The Divinity School, The University of Chicago. Nationally prominent scholar and author. Ordained Presbyterian minister. Conceived and led the development of the Faith and Public Issues discussion series. Chairs PCG Policy Committee.
Rev. Dr. Larry Greenfield, Executive Minister, American Baptist Churches of Metro Chicago, Editor of The Common Good Network and Theologian in Residence, Protestants for the Common Good. Dr. Greenfield received his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago Divinity School, where he subsequently taught and served as dean of students. He also served as president of the Divinity School in Rochester, NY, and as vice president for research at the Park Ridge Center for the Study of Health, Faith and Ethics in Chicago. He served pastorates and campus ministries in Chicago and Ann Arbor.
Mr. John Held, Founding partner, McAndrews, Held & Malloy, a Chicago Intellectual Property law firm. Lay leader, Glencoe Union Church. Voluntary attorney, Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago. Member, Board of Regents, Georgetown University.
Dr. Charles B. Holmes, Optometrist. Lay leader, First Presbyterian Church in Woodlawn. Implemented welfare signature drive in his church. Provides South Side community contacts and perspectives.
Mr. C. Richard Johnson, Lawyer in private practice with emphasis on representation of development of affordable housing and of not-for profit entities. Co-counsel for plaintiffs in Shakman patronage case. Member and former president of the congregation, Augustana Lutheran Church of Hyde Park.
Rev. Haeran Kim, Senior Pastor at the First United Methodist Church in Oak Lawn.
Rev. Richard Luecke, Pastor of churches in Chicago and Princeton NJ. Trainer of city pastors. Professor of philosophy, Valparaiso University. Director, American Issues Forum: Chicago Committee. Has conducted studies in work, health, and the constitution of cities.
Rev. Dr. Jon McCoy, Senior Pastor, St. Mark United Methodist Church in Chicago. Doctorate in Community/Clinical Psychology.
Mr. Fred Montgomery, Director, Federal and State Tax Planning, Sara Lee Corporation. Member of the Executive Committee of the Civic Federation of Chicago. Treasurer of the Chicago Chapter of the Recording of the Blind. Member of the First Presbyterian Church of Lake Forest. Member of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce.
Ms. Joan Neil, Member, Northfield Community Church. Former International Relations Chair for both Deerfield Area League and the League of Women Voters of Illinois. Has experience at state and local level interviewing and lobbying state and national legislators. Degree in Speech Correction from the University of Michigan; experience as an elementary education teacher and speech and language therapist.
Ms. Eleanor Nicholson, Education Administrator. Retired Adjunct Faculty member at the Erikson Institute. Has served as administrator in various Chicago-area schools as well as serving as Interim Principal of Kodaikanal International School in India in 2004–2005. Member of the visiting committee of the University of Chicago Divinity School. Board member of High Jump, the Golden Apple Foundation, the Carleton College Alumni Council, and the Rembrandt Chamber Players. Member of First United Methodist Church of Evanston and chair of its Mission and Ministry Committee.
Rev. Marilyn Pagán-Banks, Executive Director of the Good News Community Kitchen in Chicago. Active leader in regional and national ministries of the United Church of Christ.
Mr. Richard Peterson, Serves as General Counsel of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. Active leader in local conference & national church ministries of the United Church of Christ. Member of the Board of Trustees of Chicago Theological Seminary. Active lay member, St. Pauls UCC, Chicago.
Ms. Vicki Reynolds, Director of Mission, Fourth Presbyterian Church. Board member, Windy City Habitat for Humanity, Interfaith Initiative Against Gun Violence.
Ms. Michelle Saddler, Executive Director, Illinois Metropolitan Investment Fund. Formerly Executive Vice President of Mid America Leadership Foundation. Board President, Chicago Coalition for the Homeless.
Mr. Ronald Sampson, Marketing/Advertising Consultant. Leadership for media and public relations strategy, as well as for program planning. Served as an officer of the Board of Directors for the Community Renewal Society for many years. Recognized leadership city-wide.
Rev. Dr. William Samuels, resident, Wilhelm and Conlon. Political Consultant. Former Chair, Democratic National Committee. Board member, The Christian Century. Member, Visiting Committee, The Divinity School, The University of Chicago.
Mr. Richard Sawdey, Attorney. Partner, Hoogendoorn & Talbot LLP, Chicago with practice ranging from estate planning, business and corporate law, to not-for-profit organizations. Former Vice President of R.R. Donnelley & Sons. Volunteer at Cabrini Green Legal Aid Clinic. Member of Winnetka Presbyterian Church with past service as clerk of the session.
Rev. Alexander Sharp, (ex-officio) Al is PCG’s founding Executive Director. He earned his Masters of Divinity Degree from the University of Chicago in 1996, and was ordained in the United Church of Christ in January 2007. Prior to this, Al served as the Vice President of Business and Finance, University of Chicago, 1982 to 1994 and was Commissioner of Welfare, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 1975 to 1978. He holds a Master of Public Affairs, Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton University. He is a member of Hyde Park Union Church.
Rev. Steven Shoemaker, Executive Director of University YMCA, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Formerly Pastor, McKinley Presbyterian Church, (Presbyterian Campus Ministry, U. of Ill.) Nominee for Illinois Poet Laureate in 2003.
Ms. Judy Siaba, Teacher and community leader. Active with Humboldt Park Social Services Agency. Former Secretary of Global Ministries for the Northern Illinois Conference, United Methodist Church.
Mr. A. Robert Taylor, President, A. Robert Taylor Financial Advisory Services. Chairperson. Licensed CPA. Council Chairperson, First Congregational Church of Wilmette. Member, Life Link Charities Foundation Board 1994–1996.
Ms. Ingrid Wallace, Leadership and Diversity Training Consultant. President, Partner, Green Door Communications. Immediate Past President, League of Black Women. Master Trainer, Executive Coach for Enterprise Rent-A-Car from 1991–2006. Member, Hyde Park Union church.
Rev. Bennie E. Whiten, Jr., Former Minister and President of the Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ from 1991 through 2000. Member of Board of Directors of Interfaith Worker Justice, and former Associate Director of the Community Renewal Society.
Dr. Jay Wilcoxen, Having been Director of Central Services at The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago,1982–95 and Associate Professor of Bible, University of Chicago Divinity School, 1961–82, Jay serves not only as CFO but also as lectionary guide for the Common Good Network. He is a member of University Church, Hyde Park.
Mr. David Wilhelm, Founder and Partner, Woodland Venture Management. Political consultant. Former Chair, Democratic National Committee. Board Member, The Christian Century.
Mr. Ray E. Willis, Director of Community Planning and Development for the Chicago Regional Office of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Mr. Willis has made numerous contributions over the past 32-years career at HUD as planner, innovator, and manager of HUD programs. Prior to joining HUD in 1976, Mr. Willis held various planning positions for the Ohio Department of Community and Economic Development, the Housing Authority for the City of Kansas City, Kansas, and Assistant Professor, Department of Regional and Community Planning, Kansas State University. . Ray Willis graduated from the Kansas State University (with a Masters Degree in City Planning) in 1971.
The Rev. Eugene Winkler, Retired Senior Pastor, First United Methodist Church at the Chicago Temple, writer, and social activist.
Ms. Jill Wood-Naatz, Retired high school French teacher. Miccah ministreis team. Obama for America organization. Academy for the Common Good. Bread for the World.
