Walter Boyd, Director, Ex-offender Opportunity Program. Walter served as Program Manager, North Lawndale Employment Network from 2001 to February 2004. Previously, he worked asa retention specialist in the Welfare-to-Work program at Dynamic Educational Systems, Inc. He received his Bachelor of General Studies with honors in the social sciences from Roosevelt University in 1992. Mr. Boyd has experience in the private sector as an entrepreneur and retail specialist. He is a member of Apostolic Church of God in Chicago. wlboyd@thecommongood.org. 312–223–9544, x 225
Laura Dean Friedrich, Director, Education and Advocacy. Laura Dean worked at Child Serv in several management positions, e.g., church consultation and development, early childhood services, advocacy and public policy, prior to coming to PCG. She previously served as director and supervisor of child care programs at Casa Central. Laura Dean is the co-author of “Weaving a Future for All Children: An Advocacy Guide” (Discipleship Resources, 2009). She received her M.Ed. from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1979 and a B.A. from Birmingham-Southern College in 1969. She earned a Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership from North Park University in 2006. She is a member of the Holy Covenant United Methodist Church. ldfriedrich@thecommongood.org, 312–223–9544, x 223
Michelle Holder, Director of Communications and Membership. Michelle attended conservatory at The Theatre School of DePaul University as an acting major from 1997 until 2001. After completing school, she moved to Los Angeles and then New York, to pursue a career in theatre and film. Since returning to Chicago in late 2003, she has appeared in various area theatrical productions, working with such companies as the Griffin Theatre, Appletree Theatre, and Irish Repertory Theatre. While most of her previous experience in non-profit organizations lies in the areas of fine arts and education, she has a strong commitment to her faith, grounded in UCC practice, as well as a firm belief in social action and responsibility for the common good. chelleholder@thecommongood.org. 312–223–9544, x 228
Courtney Eccles, Assistant Director of Outreach and Policy. Courtney’s work at PCG focuses on outreach to clergy and churches throughout the state by encouraging their involvement in social justice issues through education and advocacy. Specific projects include the formation of a Women’s Advocacy Network and advocacy for Payday Loans and Global Warming campaigns. She graduated from Northwestern University in 2007 with a B.S. in Social Policy and minor in Religion. She worked previously with PCG as both an intern and fellow through Northwestern’s Public Interest Program. Courtney is active in Young Life on the North Shore and attends Covenant Presbyterian Church in Chicago. courtney@thecommongood.org. 312–223–9544, x 221
The Rev. Alexander Sharp, Executive Director. Prior to earning the Master of Divinity degree from the University of Chicago in 1996, Al Sharp served as the Vice President of Business and Finance at the University of Chicago from 1982 to 1994. Al was Commissioner of Welfare for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts from 1975 to 78. Before this, he headed the Office of University and Professional Schools in the New Jersey Department of Higher Education and holds a Master of Public Affairs from the Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton University. Al served as President of the Board of the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless from 1994 to 1999. He is a member of Hyde Park Union Church in Chicago. sharp@thecommongood.org. 312–223–9544, x 226
The Rev. Dr. Douglas R. Sharp, Dean of the Academy. Ordained in the American Baptist Churches USA in 1975, Douglas has served for more than thirty years as a theological educator and administrator. His areas of teaching integrate the disciplines of theology and the social sciences. He is the author of No Partiality: The Idolatry of Race and the New Humanity (InterVarsity Press, 2002). Douglas received his M.Div. from the American Baptist Seminary of the West in 1975, and his Ph.D. from the Graduate Theological Union in 1988. Community Baptist Church in Warrenville is his home church. Douglas.Sharp@thecommongood.org. 312–223–9544, x 234
Meghan Strell, Information Officer (part-time). Meghan is a freelance web designer and a theater maker. She is Artistic Director of Local Infinities Visual Theater, a performer with Mucca Pazza and serves on the programming committee at Links Hall. She earned a BFA in Acting from The Theater School at DePaul University. mstrell@thecommongood.org 312–223–9544 × 231
Angela Watkins, Development Assistant and Volunteer Coordinator (part-time). Angela has experience in non-profit development primarily from her work with the Center for the Study of Southern Culture at the University of Mississippi and working as the Associate Producer for the Mississippi Public Broadcasting Show Thacker Mountain Radio in Oxford, Mississippi. A writer and musician, Angela has a B.A. in English and a M.A. in Southern Studies with a concentration in historical preservation, music, and oral history. She lived in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil for 2 years working as a freelance writer, editor, and translator, as well as teaching hatha yoga. She currently teaches at the Old Town School of Folk Music. awatkins@thecommongood.org
Dr. Jay Wilcoxen, Chief Financial Officer (part-time). Having been Director of Central Services at The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago from 1982–95 and Associate Professor of Bible at the University of Chicago Divinity School from 1961–82, Jay brings a diverse and broad background to his work at PCG. He has also served as an accountant/bookkeeper for a number of Chicago area not-for-profit organizations. He is a member of University Church of Hyde Park in Chicago. wilcoxen@thecommongood.org. 312–223–9544, x 222
