Dr. Chuck Bareis has served as the Chief Medical Officer of MacNeal Hospital since 2006. He supports patient safety and risk management, quality of care, graduate medical education, continuing medical education, and medical staff services. A board-certified internist, Dr. Bareis also has a special interest in the healthcare needs of people experiencing homelessness. He supports MacNeal’s Medical Respite Program for the homeless at Sojourner House.

Luke Bell is the Director of State and Local Government Relations and Public Affairs with Zillow, where he leads the state and local government relations and public affairs team, working with government officials, regulatory agencies, non-profit partners, and other key stakeholders to advocate for effective and equitable housing policy and technology solutions. Before coming to Zillow, Luke served as an executive, attorney, and government relations professional for several state and local real estate trade associations in the Midwest. Luke is a licensed attorney in the state of Kansas and graduated with a BA in Political Science from the University of Kansas and a Juris Doctorate from the Washburn University School of Law.

Galya Ben-Arieh, J.D., Ph.D., is a professor at Northwestern University, where she directs the Research Collaborative on Refugees, Migrants and Statelessness in the WCAS Center for International and Area Studies. She has over 20 years bringing her expertise as an academic and work as an immigration lawyer to broaden our understandings of the rights and processes of refugee protection and the role of law in settlement and inclusion in host societies. Currently, she examines the long-term patterns and outcomes of U.S. refugee resettlement policy with a focus on suitability in refugee housing placement. She founded Community Partnerships for Settlement Strategies, a public charity that designs effective approaches that support of the long-term wellbeing of refugees and asylees in our communities.

Paula E. W. Carey- Moore serves as the Regional Senior Director of Housing for the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis and is a HUD Certified Counselor. She chairs the St. Louis Metro Housing Task Force, which represents the community on initiatives such as homeless prevention, post-purchase housing counseling, financial planning, and homeownership education. In this role, she serves as a community liaison to targeted groups and communities by establishing and cultivating effective working relationships with representatives of community groups, governmental agencies, the business industry, and others that have interest or involvement in fair housing.

Kesha M. Chatman serves as the Division Operating Officer of the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, Inc., St. Clair County Division. She is a passionate community servant with 25+ years of community outreach service, 18+ years of working as an administrator and supporting administrative functions in education, corporate and social services, 15+ years of training in the areas of business development, job development, technology, and professional development, 18+ years of entrepreneurship, and 4 years of virtual school (K-12) administration. Kesha is a board member of the Metro East Business Incubator and Vice Chair for the St. Clair County Continuum of Care Homeless Action Committee.

Michael Chavarria is an Illinois native who has dedicated the last eight years of his career to fighting for fair housing around the state, having worked at several Illinois-based fair housing organizations before joining HOPE Fair Housing Center as its current Executive Director. Michael possesses expertise in fair housing enforcement, investigative methods, and policy, and has a background in coalition building to advance fair housing at the local, state, and federal levels. He grew up in Matteson, Illinois, as it was being transformed by some of the nation’s fastest documented white flight, and is dedicated to working alongside communities impacted by housing discrimination and community disinvestment to advance fair housing.

Brenda Krause Eheart, Ph.D., is a leading authority on intentional neighboring. It was her research while at the University of Illinois that lead to the breakthrough idea to create intergenerational communities where vulnerable people can reengage within a supportive environment while also engaging in service to others. Recently retired from her position as the executive director of Generations of Hope, Brenda continues to provide clear values and a cohesive vision for the intentional community movement exploding in this country. She is actively involved with both existing and emerging communities, teaching and inspiring leaders in community planning and development, social health, equity and justice, and cultural change.

Katie Spoden Eighan is the Continuum of Care Planning Director at the Alliance to End Homelessness in Suburban Cook County. Katie joined the Alliance in 2018 and has led several initiatives related to developing, implementing, and funding solutions to end and prevent homelessness in suburban Cook County, including the Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program; local, state, and federal legislative and budget advocacy; Point in Time Count, resource development, strategic planning, and the annual HUD CoC NOFO competition. Katie received her B.A. in Environmental Studies and Political Science from the College of St. Benedict before serving as an AmeriCorps VISTA member. She received her M.S. in Political Science and Community and Economic Development from Illinois State University.

Patricia Fron is the Co-Executive Director of the Chicago Area Fair Housing Alliance (CAFHA), jointly leading the organization’s policy and advocacy initiatives, membership programming, and fair housing training. Patricia has been a go-to expert on fair housing advocacy, working with a wide array of stakeholders to advance housing justice initiatives. Patricia previously worked at the Lawyers’ Committee for Better Housing advocating for tenant rights and conducting original research and reporting. Since then, she has written a number of reports and articles, including the region’s first Fair Housing and Equity Assessment in 2013. Patricia received her Master of Social Work degree from Loyola University Chicago.

Ivy Grant is a second-generation Realtor and has been licensed in real estate for 8 years in Missouri and 4 in Illinois. She is the Broker Associate of St. Louis Metro Realtors, her family-owned brokerage of 19 years. Ivy works as the supervisor for the housing intake specialist at the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis working in the Livestories Emergency Rental Assistance Program for St. Louis City and County. Ivy is also a HUD-certified housing counselor for the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis. Ivy is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and volunteers with the Urban League, Almost Home, and Ready Readers, among other organizations.

Adrienne Grover is the Director of the Housing Choice Voucher program at the Springfield Housing Authority. She began working for the Springfield Housing Authority as an HCV Specialist in 2010. Since then, she’s gained experience in multiple positions, such as Program Integrity Specialist, HCV Manager, and Asset Manager for the Affordable Housing program.

Christine Haley is the Chief of the Illinois Office to Prevent and End Homelessness, working with 16 state agencies to implement a strategic state plan to prevent and end homelessness. She chairs the Illinois Interagency Task Force on Homelessness and co-chairs the Community Advisory Council on Homelessness. Previously, Christine was the Director of Housing for Cook County Health, which included serving as the clinical administrator of a medical respite center. She has worked as an administrator with CSH, Housing Opportunities for Women, and Heartland Alliance; served in health equity positions within the Massachusetts and Cleveland Departments of Public Health; and was founding Executive Director of the Chicago Torture Justice Center. Christine holds a BA from Notre Dame and an MS in Social Administration from Case Western Reserve.

Jolyn Heun is an Attorney at Applegate & Thorne-Thomsen, P.C. Jolyn has worked in affordable housing for over 10 years. Her practice focuses on the representation of developers, lenders, investors, and nonprofit organizations in the areas of affordable housing and community development. Prior to joining Applegate & Thorne-Thomsen, Jolyn was senior counsel at the Illinois Housing Development Authority, where her passion for affordable housing began. In her spare time, Jolyn loves to travel and volunteers with the Pilsen Food Pantry.

Keiki Hinami, M.D., M.S., is a staff physician at Cook County Health and an investigator supporting various organizational initiatives to better understand and intervene upon the social determinants of health. He currently serves as medical director for the RISE Center of Cook County and principal evaluator of the Chicago-Cook County Flexible Housing Pool.

Rachel Johnston is Senior Staff for the Chicago Rehab Network and has worked there since 1995. Her current work includes the Appraisal Gap Solutions Working Group, expanding and preserving shared equity housing options through the Center for Shared Ownership, and city and state resource and policy analysis. She is responsible for the creation of CRN’s very successful Community Development and Empowerment Series and served as the key strategist for the Valuing Affordability Campaign. Previously, Rachel worked in the social service sector providing family case management and in community development in the St. Louis area. She has her MSW from Washington University in St. Louis.

Lori Consadori Lucchetti’s career spans over several decades in senior executive roles in global corporations, U.S. government (executive and congressional branches), and national nonprofits. In 2018, Lori co-founded and is the President of Building Peaceful Bridges, a community-based organization that assists newcomers of all faiths with the integration into American Society and educates Americans on newcomer stories. She has been a member of the North Shore Committee for the Gift of Adoption for over thirteen years. She co-authored A Rainbow of Memories. She enjoys sailing and time with family and friends. Lori lives in Glenview with her husband, Bob, and son, Marius.

Billy Lyman is an Attorney with Applegate & Thorne-Thomsen, P.C. Billy’s practice focuses on representing developers, lenders, investors, nonprofits, and public housing authorities in affordable housing and community development projects. In pursuing a joint degree in law and urban planning at the University of Illinois, he concentrated in affordable housing and community development for social justice and dedicated himself to discovering how to combine tools of the two fields to reinforce neighborhoods and make cities work for all citizens. Prior to Applegate, Billy worked for multiple Illinois municipalities, including the Chicago Mayor’s Office, and various direct service and advocacy nonprofits.

Horacio Mendez is the President and CEO of Woodstock Institute. An experienced executive with expertise in policy, regulation, finance, research, and strategy, Horacio brings insider industry knowledge, an expert research track record, and sharp policy analysis skills to Woodstock’s extensive research and policy advocacy. Previously, Horacio was Managing Director of Corporate Social Responsibility for the Americas at MUFG Union Bank; held executive positions at Rabobank and the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco; and spent seven years as a Senior Fellow, Economic Opportunities Program, with the Aspen Institute. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from Santa Clara University and a Master of Arts in Economics from San Jose State University.

Nikki Moustafa started at Housing Opportunities and Maintenance for the Elderly (H.O.M.E.) in December of 2016 as the Good Life Coordinator of the Nathalie Salmon House. In 2019, she transitioned into working as the Housing Director. She is an alum of the Loyola University of Chicago psychology program and has worked most of her career in the nonprofit sector.

Tyrina Newkirk joined the Illinois Equal Justice Foundation as Program Officer in 2021 to facilitate the grants process for the foundation’s six appropriations and act as the primary point of contact for all community partners. She is a member of the Illinois Supreme Court’s Access to Justice Commission’s Community Trust Committee and the Chicago African American’s in Philanthropy’s Inaugural Cohort: Dismantling White Supremacy. Tyrina serves as the Health Committee Chair for the Chicago Westside Branch NAACP and is a member of the Community Advisory Council for West Side United. She received her Bachelor’s degree from Temple University and her Master’s degrees in Social Work and Public Health from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

David R. Noble is the Saint Louis Market President and Director of Community Economic Development for Midland States Bank. He is an experienced, astute Senior Banking Leader with a triumvirate combination of experience in application of the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) Regulation, Fair Lending, and Diverse, Inclusive and Equitable Community Economic Development Strategies. His “Value Proposition” is that he has an innate ability to facilitate cooperation from various interests to create opportunities assisting in problem solving and achieving objectives through marketplace solutions.

Gail Schechter serves as the Executive Director of the Chicago-based nonprofit, Housing Opportunities and Maintenance for the Elderly (H.O.M.E.). She is a recognized thought leader in conceiving of and implementing creative grassroots strategies for just, beloved communities. In 2012, the Governor appointed her to the “affordable housing advocate” seat of the State Housing Appeals Board, the enforcement body of the Affordable Housing Planning and Appeal Act which she helped to pass. Gail contributed “We’re Gonna Open Up the Whole North Shore” in the anthology The Chicago Freedom Movement: Martin Luther King Jr. and Civil Rights Activism in the North (2016).

Lynda Schueler has almost three decades in leading solution-focused programming intended to mitigate and end homelessness. Serving as Executive Director of Housing Forward since 2001, Lynda’s leadership has enabled the agency’s growth to a $13M agency offering services that prevent, respond to and stabilize over 2,000 households who are experiencing a housing crisis each year. She has formed many collaborations with cross-industry partners like MacNeal Hospital/Loyola Medicine and Cook County Health to provide medical respite services for those who are homeless and being discharged from a medical center. She is a founding member of the Oak Park Homelessness Coalition and a founding and current Board member of the Alliance to End Homelessness in Suburban Cook.

Diane M. Shelley, a retired Illinois judge, was appointed by President Joe Biden to serve as the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Midwest Regional Administrator. Based in Chicago, she oversees HUD’s six-state Midwest region: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Regional Administrator Shelley is the regional liaison to elected officials, congressional delegations, associations, and stakeholders.

As a lifelong social justice advocate working to eliminate poverty and economic insecurity, Shelley joined HUD with a long record of public service, including 15 years as an elected state court judge and practicing attorney for nearly 25 years. She began her legal career providing aid to farmers. migrants, and low-income rural families, and went on to head litigation for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. Prior to her legal career she worked with grassroots nonprofit organizations on issues of housing and food insecurities, and social justice.

A Chicago native with roots in the city’s Bronzeville neighborhood, Shelley remains a dedicated a member of bar and civic associations, having received numerous awards for helping others gain equality and justice.

A nationally recognized lawyer and government official, Mario Treto, Jr. was appointed by Illinois Governor JB Pritzker to serve as the Secretary of the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation on April 1, 2021. In this role, he leads and oversees the State of Illinois’ lead regulatory agency with a budget of $135 million charged with strengthening consumer protections through the licensing of over 1.2 million licensed professionals and the regulation of banking and financial services. Under Secretary Treto’s leadership, the agency has continued to see increased departmental efficiencies, updated and modernized professional regulatory frameworks, reduced barriers to licensure in the State of Illinois, increased license portability for veterans and their spouses, and established diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies for the advancement of the people of Illinois. During the COVID-19 pandemic, various initiatives were implemented to address concerns with health care workforce shortages by allowing out-of-state, retired, and international medical graduates to provide their services to Illinoisans.

Joanna Trotter serves as the Executive Director/Senior Program Officer for the Chicago and Minneapolis-St. Paul markets for Global Philanthropy at JPMorgan Chase. Joanna leads the Chicago philanthropy team, including carrying out the firm’s $150M commitment to Chicago, in addition to partnering on the firm-wide $30B racial equity commitment. Prior to joining JPMorgan Chase, Joanna served as the Senior Director of Community Impact for The Chicago Community Trust, where she informed the Trust’s 10-year racial wealth gap commitment and led the growing housing hold wealth strategy team.

Sam Tuttle has spent nearly twenty years working to address poverty and injustice. She is currently a principal with the Danu Center for Strategic Advocacy, where she partners with organizations, advocates, and activists to advance social justice through public policy. Her work includes providing legal and policy research and analysis; legislative and administrative advocacy; coalition support; and strategic advice and training for social justice organizations. A former legal services attorney specializing in housing, Sam is currently working with Eviction Help Illinois/Illinois Equal Justice Foundation to provide technical assistance and support to the statewide court-based rental assistance program.

Carl Wolf has been the Executive Director of Respond Now since June 2006. During that time, he has expanded the agency to include SNAP Outreach, a Permanent Supportive Housing program, Rapid Re-Housing, Housing Counseling, and Community Outreach services, as well as maintaining its Homelessness Prevention and Food Pantry work. Carl has effectively used AmeriCorps positions to advance these expansions. Carl has worked in social services since 1998. His experience includes working with migrant farmworkers in job training, education services, and job training programs in Gary, IN. Carl received his Masters in Social Work from IU Northwest in 2005.

Margaret Wooten recently retired from her position as Vice President, Housing and Financial Empowerment, with the Chicago Urban League, where she managed the day-to-day operations of the Housing and Financial Empowerment Center. She was responsible for managing the program that provides free comprehensive housing counseling, including foreclosure, pre-foreclosure, first-time homebuyer, pre- and post-purchase, and rental counseling. Margaret is a certified housing counselor from the American Homeowner Education and Counseling Training Institute, as well as the NeighborWorks Training Institute for HUD. Previously, she served as a Social Worker for the City of East Orange, New Jersey Department of Public Welfare and was a paralegal for the law firm of Franklin and Crutcher. She received her formal education from Chicago State University.

Nabi Yisrael is a Disability Rights Action Coalition for Housing member at Access Living. He is a character coach, former professional dancer, culture specialist, playwright, affirmation confirmer, and an activist for righteousness. Nabi provided a significant role in the passing of HB2775, statewide Illinois legislation that defines “source of income” as the lawful manner by which an individual supports themselves and classifies it as a civil rights violation to discriminate and/or deny housing based on that income. Engaging multiple sclerosis, he has combined all his talents to become an Incurable Optimist who has the passion to share knowledge, empower people to achieve greater success, and stand against injustice.

Falon Young is the Housing Policy Associate at Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago. Falon co-leads the Appraisal Equity Campaign, which ensures consumers know their rights and what to expect during the appraisal process to ensure a fair and just appraisal. She also works on Chicago’s recently passed Lending Equity Ordinance, which promotes transparency in mortgage lending and access. Previously, she was heavily involved in housing policy development and advocacy with the Safer Foundation, one of the leading organizations working on behalf of returning citizens. Falon is also a recent graduate of DePaul University majoring in Political Science and Public Policy.

David Zverow is an MSW, LCSW, with almost 50 years experience in social services. During his career, David has been an individual and family therapist, social work supervisor, program manager and site director. He was Community Development Director for a branch of Metropolitan Family Services, Director of HIAS Chicago, and also of the Iraqi Mutual Aid Society (now MIRA). For the past five years, he has been a consultant to ICNA Relief. In this role, he has provided staff training, site management, community partnerships, social work staff supervision, and grant writing. His skill sets also include organizational development and group leadership.