Youth Organizations Umbrella (Y.O.U.)
Y.O.U. Board Member Information
Board of Directors Position Description
The Y.O.U. Board of Directors may include up to 24 Directors who are representative of the community
and who invest significant amounts of time in Y.O.U. (work), support Y.O.U. financially in a manner
appropriate to their means (wealth), and bring skills and/or insights which strengthen Y.O.U. (wisdom).
Board members agree to serve on the Board for a three year term.
As a group, the Board of Directors has responsibility for:
 Defining the mission, vision, long-range plan, program, and policies of Y.O.U.
 Gathering resources Y.O.U. needs to operate successfully
 Overseeing the management of Y.O.U.’s property, funds, and other assets
 Hiring, monitoring, evaluating, and taking all other necessary supervisory actions regarding the
Executive Director
 Selecting officers and successor members of the Board
Individually, each Director agrees to:
 Attend a minimum of seventy-five percent of the monthly meetings of the Board and notify the
Executive Director in advance of unavoidable absences
 Read monthly Board packet which is distributed no later than the Friday before each Board
meeting
 Serve actively on at least one committee and/or take on at last one specific job or responsibility,
 Attend and/or observe at least one special event and visit one program site a year
 Participate in one or more aspects of fund raising or other resource gathering (For members of
the Board who are police officers or a member of the judiciary, this role is strictly regulated and
severely limited.)
 Attend the annual dinner
 Provide at least one silent auction prize per year
 Contribute annually
 Advocate for Y.O.U. at every opportunity
From time-to-time, Directors will be asked to consider, as they are able:
 Attending occasional public relations or fund raising presentations
 Contributing to special projects
 Provide advice and counsel to the Executive Director as requested
Associate Board Member Position Description
The Y.O.U. Board of Directors may include any number of Associate Board members (hereafter referred
to as Associate Directors) who provide skills, insights, and/or resources that strengthen Y.O.U., but who
cannot attend Board meetings regularly. Associate Directors may speak, but may not vote at any Board
meeting. Associate Directors invest time in Y.O.U. other than through regular Board meeting
attendance (work), and/or support Y.O.U. financially in a manner appropriate to their means (wealth),
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Youth Organizations Umbrella (Y.O.U.)
and/or bring skills and/or insights, which strengthen Y.O.U. (wisdom). Associate members agree to
serve a 1 year term.
Associate Directors agree to:
 Allow their names to be listed on Y.O.U. letterhead and other Board lists
 Take on at least one specific job responsibility
 Attend the Annual Dinner
 Contribute annually to the operating fund
 Advocate for Y.O.U. at every opportunity
In addition, each Associate Director will, from time-to-time, be asked to do such things as:
 Provide a silent auction prize
 Contribute to Board approved special fund
 Contribute to special projects
 Attend and/or observe a program activity
 Attend occasional public relations or fund raising presentations
 Provide advice and counsel to the Execute Director as directed
Junior Board Member Position Description
Y.O.U. Overview
Y.O.U. is a nonprofit organization Where Youth Succeed. As a positive youth development agency, we
have adapted to meet the emerging needs of youth for over 35 years. In an area where a large socioeconomic disparity exists, our vision is that all youth have the skills and opportunity to participate in the
community. We do this by providing services in three areas: academic enrichment, social development,
and emotional support. Our results demonstrate a positive impact on 400 children a year.
Junior Board Overview
The Y.O.U. Junior Board is made up of young adults in Evanston and Chicago who are dedicated to
supporting the mission of Y.O.U. It is our collective goal to support and advocate for the youth of
Evanston by raising money and awareness for Y.O.U.’s program.
As a group, the Y.O.U. Junior Board has responsibility for:
 Defining the mission, vision, and long range plan, program, and policies of the YO.U. Junior
Board
 Organizing events geared towards raising money and awareness for Y.O.U.
 Seeking other opportunities through business or personal connections to support Y.O.U.
 Attending or observing at least one Y.O.U. activity per year
Individually, each member agrees to:
 Advocate for Y.O.U. at every opportunity
 Actively serve on the Board for a minimum of two years
 Attend a minimum of 75% of all meetings and events, and to provide 3 days advance notice in
case of absence
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Youth Organizations Umbrella (Y.O.U.)




Pay a $100 membership fee, due every year by June 30
a. OR participate in an amount of direct service for Y.O.U. equivalent to this amount (5
hours at $20/hr)
b. OR some combination of the two
Actively hold one specific job or responsibility for each event organized and fulfill all related
tasks
Provide written materials to successor member relating to individual positions held after
completion
Attend or observe at least one Y.O.U. program per year
Board Member Directory
Personal Contact Information
Dr. Allan Alson
1714 Brummel
Evanston, IL 60202
847-332-2519
Professional Contact Information
Associate Director for Educational Change
Consortium for Educational Change
530 East 22nd Street
Lombard, IL 60148
allan.alson@cecillinois.org
President
DBQ Project
1234 Sherman Avenue
Evanston, IL 60202
847-682-1127
chip@dbqproject.com
Teacher
Oakton Elementary School
436 Ridge Avenue
Evanston, IL 60202
847-859-8804
Chip Brady
425 Lee Street
Evanston, IL 60202
847-869-6944
cab3cab3@hotmail.com
Claudia Braithwaite
1425 Darrow
Evanston, IL 60201
847-869-3932
847-293-4651
claudbraithwaite@gmail.com
C. Louise Brown
212 Dewey Avenue
Evanston, IL 60202
847-864-1506
c.louisebrown@yahoo.com
Sandra Brown
1115 Hull Terrace
Evanston, IL 60202
847-491-1529
Director of Evanston Health Department
(Retired)
Broker and Owner
Weichert Lake Shore Partners
2006 Central Avenue
Evanston, IL 60201
847-570-9944
sandra.brown@weichert.com
Vice Chairman
Grumman Butkus Associates
820 Davis Street, Suite 300
Evanston, IL 60201
Al Butkus
602 Hinman Avenue, 1S
Evanston, IL 60202
847-687-4842
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Youth Organizations Umbrella (Y.O.U.)
847-328-3555 ext 217
asb@grummanbutkus.com
Attorney
Sidley Austin LLP
One South Dearborn
Chicago, IL 60603
312-853-7650
pcrihfield@sidley.com
Public Health Nurse
Evanston Township High School Health Center
1600 Dodge Ave., Rm H-101
cyganh@eths.k12.il.us
asabutkus@comcast.net
Phil Crihfield
900 Edgemere
Evanston, IL 60202
847-475-6275
Heide Cygan
729 W. Waveland, Unit C
Chicago, IL 60613
312-505-3320
heide.cygan@gmail.com
Priscilla Florence
1720 Main Street
Evanston, IL 60202
847-475-3966
prisc2@comcast.net
Cate Fox
817 Brown
Evanston, IL 60202
847-864-2337
Certified Financial Planner
Priscilla Florence & Associates
1720 Main Street
Evanston, IL 60202
847-733-9454
Consultant, Alford Group
1603 Orrington Avenue, Suite 200
Evanston, IL 60201
847-425-9800 ext153
cfox@alford.com
Lewis Sebring Director
The Consortium on Chicago School Research
University of Chicago Urban Education Institute
1313 E. 60th Street, Chicago, IL 60637
773-702-9176
pgoren@ccsr.uchicago.edu
Veterinarian/Owner
Bramer Hospital
1021 Davis Street
Evaston, IL 60201
847-864-1700 ext225
Partner
Kaufman Hall
(Retired)
Paul Goren
1109 Madison Avenue
847-869-5957
Evanston, IL 60202
Jim Hagedorn
4140 Emerson Street
Skokie, IL 60076
847-677-6811
jehdvm@aol.com
Mark Hall
1122 Long Valley Road
Glenview, IL 60025
847-729-8299
847-275-5062
mhall5062@gmail.com
Betsy Hohman
632 Garrett Place
Evanston, IL 60201
847-869-6168
shohman228@aol.com
Horton Kellogg
Vice President
North Shore Community Bank
720 12th Street
Wilmette, IL 60091
847-853-2286
Vice President
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Youth Organizations Umbrella (Y.O.U.)
2425 Central Street Apt. 5D
Evanston, IL 60201
847-864-8617
hotsaxk@aol.com
Eamon Kelly
1510 Asbury
Evanston, IL 60201
eamonpk@gmail.com
John Koski
827 Clinton Place
Evanston, IL 60201
847-328-4486
Marshall Field and Company
(Retired)
Attorney
Sperling and Slater
312-641-3200
ekelly@sperling-law.com
Partner
S NR Denton US LLP
233 S. Wacker Drive, Suite 7800
Chicago, IL 60606
312-876-3161
John.koski@snrdenton.com
Teacher
Chiravelle Montessori School
(Retired)
Marti Lannert
725 Milburn Street
Evanston, IL 60201
847-864-8316
847-323-0292
mnlannert@hotmail.com
Nicki Pearson
824 Sheridan Road
Evanston, IL 60202
847-864-4781
nickipear@aol.com
Thomas Scott
3122 Thayer
Evanston, IL 60201
Business Manager
Rose Hall Montessori School
1140 Wilmette Avenue
Wilmette, IL 60091
847-256-2002
Senior Vice President
CNA Insurance
333 S Wabash Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60604
thomas.scott@cna.com
Vice President and General Counsel
Northwestern University
(Retired)
Michael Weston
3231 Park Place
Evanston, IL 60201
847-328-1387
m-weston@northwestern.edu
Liliana Zecker
2103 Ridge
Evanston, IL 60201
847-866-6933
Associate Professor
DePaul University
1 East Jackson
Chicago, IL 60604
773-325-7583
lzecker@depaul.edu
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
1830 Sherman Avenue, #306
Evanston, IL 60201
847-475-3020
Margie Morrison Zivin
1637 Judson Avenue
Evanston, IL 60201
847-328-2442
margiem3@comcast.net
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Youth Organizations Umbrella (Y.O.U.)
Associate Board Member Directory
Personal Contact Information
Anthony Agee
3709 Arcadia
Skokie, IL 60076
847-674-2908
847-345-3275
anthony.agee@sbcglobal.net
Jonathan Baum
2754 Broadway Avenue
Evanston, IL 60202
847-328-4896
Professional Contact Information
Program Manager
Mentoring Children of Prisoners Program
Chicago Area Project
anthonya@chicagoareaproject.org
Director of Pro Bono Services
Katten, Muchin, Roseman, LLP
525 West Monroe, Suite 1600
Chicago, IL 60661
312-902-5479
jonathan.baum@kattenlaw.com
Assistant Superintendent
School District 65
(Retired)
Barbara Hiller
2333 Central Street, #308
Evanston, IL 60201
847-328-3070
barbHome@sbcglobal.net
Craig Collinson
1246 Maple Avenue
Evanston, IL 60202
847-475-1131
cbcollinson@gmail.com
Joan Kelly
1003 Wesley Avenue
Evanston, IL 60202
847-475-3831
312-735-4459
Senior Vice President
US Bank
(Retired)
Vice President
First Bank and Trust
820 Church Street
Evanston, IL 60201
847-733-7400
jkelly@firstbt.com
Jane Addams Juvenile Court Foundation
1603 Orrington Avenue, Suite 200
Evanston, IL 60201
773-643-4888
smerry@janeaddamsfdn.org
Shelia Merry
1214 Main Street
Evanston, IL 60202
847-869-4942
Betsy Sagan
1314 Forest Avenue
Evanston, IL 60201
847-869-4154
847-491-4161
847-910-5414
betsy.sagan@gmail.com
Kent Swanson
1630 Judson Avenue
Evanston, IL 60201
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Newcastle Limited
150 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 3610
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Youth Organizations Umbrella (Y.O.U.)
847-866-8263
312-343-4174
Chicago, IL 60601
312-252-1982
kswanson@newcastlelimited.com
2011 – 2012 Kellogg Board Member Directory
Personal Contact Information
Tony Shan
1725 Orrington #725
626-202-3086 (cell)
Tshan2012@kellogg.northwestern.edu
Professional Contact Information
Kellogg 2012 MBA Candidate
Board Member Biographies
Dr. Allan Alson joined the Y.O.U. Board in 2007. Allan is a Senior Consultant at the
Consortium for Educational Change. He is also a Senior Fellow of the Bill and Melinda
Gates Foundation; a founding member of the Board of Minority Student Achievement
Network, a national consortium of 25 urban-suburban school districts; and a member
of the National Association for School Based Health Centers. He has published articles
on student achievement, school reform, and school-community collaboration and has
been honored by the state of Illinois and a variety of social service agencies for his
educational leadership and his work on behalf of minority student achievement.
Dr. All Alson
Allan worked to establish an on-site office for Y.O.U. at Evanston Township High
School during his 14-year tenure as superintendent of Evanston Township High School
District 202. He also serves on the Board for the National Assembly on School-Based
Health Care. Allan and his wife Sue Glaser have one daughter, Julianna, who is a
graduate of Evanston Township High School and Brown University.
Chip Brady has been on the Y.O.U. Board of Directors for 15 years, and served in many
capacities including three years as Board President.
Chip Brady
Chip has a lifelong connection to Evanston—he grew up here, and taught for 18 years
in the History and Social Science department at Evanston Township High School. As a
neighbor and teacher, Chip was drawn to Y.O.U. because he saw first-hand the work
that was being done by the organization. He was impressed with a staff that went so
much further than just keeping kids occupied—they helped the kids grow and be
challenged. His mother is a former Board member as well.
Chip is also the co-founder and president of The DBQ Project, an educational
publishing and consulting group dedicated to working with teachers and students on
historical inquiry and writing. He and his wife, Katie, who is a pediatrician, have four
daughters who are all current or former students in Evanston’s public schools. Despite
his lifelong connection to the North Side, Chip is a White Sox fan.
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Youth Organizations Umbrella (Y.O.U.)
Claudia Braithwaite joined the Y.O.U. Board of Directors in 2011. She has taught first
grade at Oakton Elementary for the last five years, and in District 65 for 18 years
(Washington Elementary families may remember her better as Ms. Fowlin). She was
drawn to Y.O.U. because the organization is so involved with the Oakton community,
and she saw it as a way of continuing to work for her students after they were out of
her classroom. Her brother, Michael Fowlin, used to work at Y.O.U.
Claudia
Braithwaite
Claudia grew up in Evanston—in fact, she now teaches in the very same classroom at
Oakton where she attended kindergarten as a child. She received her Bachelor’s
degree at National Louis University and has been back in Evanston since 1999. Claudia
is active in Evanston’s Sherman United Methodist Church, and is especially involved in
their children’s ministry. She also serves on several school committees and works with
her husband Peter, who is Evanston’s 2nd Ward Alderman, on his community service
projects. She is also excited to be bringing the non-profit food-assistance program
Blessings in a Backpack to Oakton in the fall of 2011.
Claudia and her husband Peter have four children—Brittani, Maya, Isaiah, and Peter
Jr.—and when she isn’t teaching or taking her kids to their many sports practices and
games, she loves to exercise and bake.
C. Louise Brown has been a Y.O.U. Board member since 2005. She has served on the
Governance Committee and the Search committee to select the new Executive
Director. However, her involvement in the Evanston community and her concern for
the mission of Y.O.U. did not begin with her Board appointment. She has been actively
involved in working for the best interests of Evanston children and families for several
decades.
C. Louise
Brown
Louise is the retired Public Health Director for the City of Evanston and is an ordained
Deacon. She has managed to successfully intertwine her faith in God and her skill as a
health professional with her passion for helping people reach their full potential. She
is a Registered Professional Nurse having received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing
from Michigan State University and a Master of Science in Public Health
Administration from the University of Illinois, Chicago. Louise is presently the
International President of the Health Ministries Department of the Progressive
National Baptist Convention Inc. (PNBC) with headquarters in Washington DC. She has
served on mission trips to Kenya, Nigeria and Ghana in Africa and to the island of
Haiti. In additional, she has traveled throughout the United States and to Canada,
England, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Greece, Israel, Egypt, Hong Kong, Thailand,
Turkey, the Bahamas, and St. Martin.
Louise is an active member of the Evanston Alumni chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha
Sorority, Inc. She is a member of the Health Advisory Board of Evanston Early Head
Start and serves on the Advisory Committee of the Interfaith Action Council of
Evanston. She has served on the Board of the Evanston Northwestern Health Care
Home Health Advisory Board and the Cook County Tuberculosis Sanitarium Board.
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Youth Organizations Umbrella (Y.O.U.)
Louise is the mother of two adult children and three grandchildren all of whom
attended Evanston Schools. She will gladly show you the bragging pictures of her four
great grandchildren.
Sandra Brown has been a member of the Y.O.U. Board since 2002, when the youngest
of her four children went away to college, leaving her with a little more time on her
hands. She had known about Y.O.U. since the 1970s and had always heard great
things about the organization. She had no doubt that it was the best place for her to
spend her extra time and energy.
Sandra Brown
Sandra is the broker/owner of Weichert Realtors-Lakeshore Partners on Central Street
in Evanston. She attended Kenyon College in Ohio before taking time off to travel in
Europe for a year and half (because that was the place to travel in the ‘70s!). She
graduated from the School of Education at Northwestern and taught for a short time
at Haven Middle School in Evanston. She has been a co-owner of Weichert Realtors –
Lakeshore Partners since 1991.
Sandra has lived in Evanston since 1968, when she moved here after two years at New
Trier to finish high school at ETHS. She and her husband Charlie have four kids, Jacob,
Geoff, Laura and Marisa and five grandkids, who have all loyally and wisely stayed in
the Evanston area. Sandra serves on the Business Committee of Evanston Cultural
Arts and has always been highly involved with Evanston youth sports, especially
soccer and basketball. In her free time, she likes to weave, travel, and hang out with
her grandchildren.
Al Butkus joined the Y.O.U. Board in 2011. He is an engineer and the Vice Chairman at
Grumman/Butkus Associates, a firm that specializes in energy efficiency consulting
and sustainable design engineering. He has designed and consulted for projects
around the state of Illinois and the country, and has published several studies and
articles in his field. Al received a degree in mechanical engineering from the University
of Illinois and a Master of Management degree from Northwestern University.
Al Butkus
Al has lived in Evanston since 1975. He has been active on the Board of the McGaw
YMCA including a stint as Board Chair. He and his wife Ellen have three children:
Matthew, Abigail, and Gwendolyn, who all still live in the Chicago area. In his free
time, Al enjoys travelling, road biking, and vacationing with his family.
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Youth Organizations Umbrella (Y.O.U.)
Phil Crihfield has been a member of the Y.O.U. Board of Directors since 1999. Trained
as a chemical engineer in undergraduate school, somehow Phil “wandered off” the
reservation and is now a lawyer in the Chicago Office of Sidley Austin LLP, an
international law firm where he has practiced for 40 years. He specializes in
intellectual property law with a focus on corporate, technology and commercial
transactions.
Phil Crihfield
1971, the year in which Y.O.U. was founded, also included some significant milestones
for Phil and his wife Jackie. In that same year, Phil and Jackie moved to Evanston, and
Phil graduated from law school, passed the bar examination and joined the Sidley law
firm. Since then they have raised three children, all of whom were born in Evanston
Hospital, attended Lincoln Elementary and Nichols Middle Schools and ultimately
graduated from Evanston Township High School. Their two daughters, Katy and
MaryJo went off to college (the Naval Academy and the University of Illinois,
respectively) but have since returned to their roots and now live in Evanston. Their
son Jay graduated from Vanderbilt University and is now married, lives in Palatine,
Illinois and is the proud and sometimes overwhelmed father of Jackie and Phil’s two
grandsons, Jack and Conner.
For many years Phil and Jackie have been active members of the First United
Methodist Church of Evanston where Phil has served in many leadership roles. Phil
previously chaired the Renovation Committee overseeing a $2.5 Million renovation of
“First Church,” and having lived in, renovated and cared for four Evanston homes, the
“youngest” of which was built in the late 1920s. For several years Phil was a Board
member of Contact Chicago, a Chicago based agency providing crisis intervention
services. He currently is the Chair of the Board of Visitors of The John Marshall Law
School. On a professional side, Phil was outside general counsel to the National Easter
Seal Society for over a decade. In his “spare” time, Phil enjoys classical and (some)
contemporary music, is a novice reader of American history, and infrequent golfer.
For real exercise, he goes for fast walks and rides his bicycle whenever possible.
Heide Cygan is one of Y.O.U.’s newest Board members. Heide was introduced to
Y.O.U. through her husband Mike, who did work at the organization through Campus
Catalyst and is also on the Junior Board. She has worked as a public health nurse at
the health center at Evanston Township High School since 2007, when she moved to
Chicago after living in Germany for two and a half years with Mike, who was in the
military.
Heidi Cygan
Heide grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan and is a die-hard Detroit sports fan,
although she roots for the Cubs, by default, now that she lives down the street from
Wrigley Field. She got her Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing from the University of
Michigan and worked for two years at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago
before her time in Germany. Heide is an avid traveler, and she enjoys running when
she is not busy with her Goldendoodle puppy, Penny.
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Youth Organizations Umbrella (Y.O.U.)
Priscilla has lived in Evanston for over fifteen years, and she is a self-employed
Financial Planning Consultant. Priscilla is a long-term YWCA and ESSCA volunteer and
a Leadership Evanston Alum. She has also served as a PTA Treasurer.
Priscilla
Florence
Cate Fox joined the Board in 2010. Cate is a consultant with the Alford Group, a
premier non-profit consulting firm. She has worked extensively in the areas of poverty
and homelessness, international peace building and youth development both in the
United States and internationally. She attended college at Hollins University, and
received a Master of Arts in Peace and Development Studies from the University of
Limerick in Limerick, Ireland.
Cate Fox
Paul Goren
Cate has volunteered her time with the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) and on
reforestation issues in West Africa. In addition to her work on Y.O.U.’s Board, she is
also a Peaceable Cities Founding Board member. Cate currently resides in Evanston.
Paul Goren has been a Y.O.U. Board member since 2001, and has previously served as
President of the Board. When he joined the Board he was working as the head of
Child and Youth Development for the MacArthur Foundation. He recently finished a
nine-year stint as Senior Vice President for the Spencer Foundation. He is currently
the Lewis-Sebring Director of the Consortium on Chicago School Research at the
University of Chicago Urban Education Institute. Paul has also served as Executive
Director (Associate Superintendent) for Policy and Strategic Services at Minneapolis
Public Schools, as Director of the education program at the National Governors’
Association, and as staff to the superintendent of the San Diego City Schools.
A native of Chicago’s south side and graduate of the Chicago Public Schools, Paul
received his BA from Williams College (a few years after Horton Kellogg), a master’s in
public policy from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas-Austin,
and a PhD from the Stanford University School of Education.
Paul is married to Gwen Macsai, a public radio host on WBEZ, who grew up first on
Chicago’s south side and then in Evanston. They have three children, all of whom
attended Oakton Elementary. Their two sons currently attend Chute while their
daughter attends ETHS. In 2009 the entire family spent seven months in New Zealand
while Paul was on a Fulbright/Axford Policy fellowship working in the Ministry of
Education, living in Wellington, and where one and all had the time of their lives.
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Youth Organizations Umbrella (Y.O.U.)
Jim Hagedorn has been on the Board since 2005. He is a veterinarian and hospital
Director of Bramer Animal Hospital Ltd. and has practiced in Evanston since 1985. Jim
has been active in organized veterinary medicine, serving on the Executive Committee
of the Chicago Veterinary Medical Association.
Jim Hagedorn
Jim grew up in Mason City, Iowa and got his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Iowa
State University. He then moved to Illinois and worked in Skokie and Northbrook
before settling in at Bramer. He and his wife Sue met doing youth work and ministry
at the First United Methodist Church in Evanston in 1985. As a youth counselor, he
developed an appreciation of the impact caring adults outside of parents have on the
growth of children. He was attracted to Y.O.U. because it provides this framework of
caring through its programs and great staff.
Jim and Sue have two kids, Evan and Amy. Jim has continued to work with youth by
being a part of junior high school mission work and currently teaching confirmation at
FUMC. In his free time, he enjoys golf, landscaping, and reading.
Mark Hall retired in late 2008 after more than three decades as a strategic and
financial advisor to not for profit healthcare organizations of all types throughout the
country. In 1985, he co-founded and is proud to have been a part of the development
and growth of Kaufman, Hall & Associates, Inc., which is counted among the country’s
most respected independent strategic financial and capital consultants, working with
healthcare organizations of all types and sizes. Kaufman Hall's staff of over 90
professionals serves its clients from offices in Chicago, Atlanta, Boston, Los Angeles,
New York, and San Francisco.
Mark Hall
Since his retirement, Mark has come to appreciate life outside of airplanes and hotels.
He keeps himself busy with extensive reading and coursework in history, religion and
science, karate and other athletic pursuits, involvement in service organizations, and
care of his five dogs. So far, his family remains glad to have him around more.
Mark has a BA from Amherst College and an MBA from the University of Chicago.
Betsy Hohman became a Board member in 2005 after attending a benefit for Y.O.U.
and being amazed by the work that the organization was doing for Evanston’s youth.
Y.O.U.’s “It Takes a Village” philosophy resonated with Betsy and she decided it was a
great place to spend some of her time and energy. She is a Vice President at North
Shore Community Bank, where she works in mortgage lending management. Before
ending up in finance, she received a degree in Retailing from Miami University of
Ohio.
Betsy Hohman
Betsy grew up in Dayton, Ohio, but has lived in Evanston for the past eighteen years.
In addition to her work at Y.O.U., Betsy has served on Evanston’s Preservation
Commission (motivated by her love of old houses and architecture), and
Northwestern Neighbors. She loves tennis and is a regular at the Evanston Athletic
Club. Betsy and her husband Don have one daughter, Jane, who attends the
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Youth Organizations Umbrella (Y.O.U.)
University of Wisconsin.
Horton Kellogg has been a Y.O.U. Board member since 1988, when the organization
had just five employees, and he has served as President of the Board twice. For the
last 20 years, he has also volunteered his time as Y.O.U.’s database manager. He came
to the organization after a 43-year-long career at Marshall Fields, where he began as a
humble appliance salesman in the annex of the Evanston store and worked his way up
to Vice President.
Horton Kellogg
An Evanstonian since birth, Horton graduated from Evanston Township High School
and studied Political Economy at Williams College, where he swears he never received
a single A. He then spent a year at what would later become the Kellogg School of
Management at Northwestern University, received all A’s (for which he blames
Northwestern), and took two final exams on the morning of his wedding to his wife
Marge, whom he met his sophomore year at ETHS. Horton has three children, seven
grandchildren, and seven great grandchildren. Marge and Horton served as youth
advisors at Northminster Presbyterian in Evanston (where Horton is proudly the
longest time member, having attended church there since he was five years old) for
27 years and have fostered two children.
Somehow, Horton has also found the time and energy to play saxophone for the last
50 years in the Old Men’s Jazz Band (whose members include two women and several
persons under 40) and can be seen jamming away every year on the North End Bunco,
Parcheesi and Weight-Dropping Auxiliary float in Evanston’s annual 4th of July Parade.
Eamon Kelly is an associate at Sperling & Slater, PC, a boutique commercial litigation
firm in Chicago that handles a wide range of complex disputes for plaintiffs and
defendants. Previously, he has served as an associate in Jenner & Block's Chicago
office, as the chief-of-staff of the Illinois State Board of Education, and as an aide in
the Illinois Governor’s Office.
Eamon Kelly
Eamon graduated, summa cum laude and Order of the Coif from the University of
Illinois College of Law in 2008. During law school, he served as the Managing Editor of
the University of Illinois Law Review, and as a student clerk in the Cook County State’s
Attorney’s Office. He received his B.A. from the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign in 2002.
Eamon is a member of the Illinois Bar and is admitted to practice in the U.S. District
Court for the Northern and Central Districts of Illinois.
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Youth Organizations Umbrella (Y.O.U.)
John Koski joined the Board of Directors in 2004. He is a litigation partner in the
Chicago office of SNR Denton US LLP, where he serves as General Counsel and Global
Chief Legal Officer. In 2004, he was named one of the “40 Illinois Attorneys Under 40
to Watch” by the Law Bulletin Publishing Company. He attended college at Vanderbilt
University and received his JD from the University of Miami Law School.
John Koski
After finishing law school, John moved to Chicago in the early ‘90s, and he and his
wife Lorena (a “recovering lawyer”) moved to Evanston in 2004 to raise their two
daughters, who both currently attend Orrington Elementary. A client introduced John
to Y.O.U., and he knew that the organization was the perfect way to get involved with
the community of Evanston.
In his free time, John loves to travel which he’s gotten to do frequently because both
of his parents are travel agents. He also enjoys watching Northwestern football games
because the team’s loveable habit of not winning games reminds him of his alma
mater Vanderbilt.
Marti Lannert has served on Y.O.U.’s Board since 2002. She taught at Chiaravalle
Montessori School in Evanston for over 20 years before retiring from teaching in
2005.
Marti grew up in Glenview, but has lived in Evanston since 1976. She has been
involved with Northminster Presbyterian Church’s Mission Committee, through which
she was introduced to Y.O.U. Marti has been a member of Invest and the Garden Club
of Evanston. She also served on the Board for Evanston’s “I Have a Dream” project.
Marti Lannert
Marti and her husband, George, have two grown daughters whom they raised in
Evanston. Marti and George enjoy doing triathlons and cross country and downhill
skiing. Marti has also been studying French.
Nicki Pearson has been a Board member since 2006. She has been involved in the
Evanston community for many years. Nicki’s biggest passion is kids. In 1982 she cofounded Rose Hall Montessori Preschool in Wilmette, where she is also the business
manager. When her son was in high school, Nicki was active in the PTSA and served as
a volunteer on many committees at Evanston Township High School.
Nicki Pearson
Over the years, Nicki has been a member of the Board of Directors of several
Evanston non-profit organizations whose work is focused on meeting the needs of
children including the McGaw YMCA, Childcare Network of Evanston, and Warren
Cherry Scholarship Fund. She has also served on numerous committees for the City of
Evanston. Nicki considers herself to be a serious political junkie, having been involved
in many municipal and school board election campaigns.
Nicki and her husband have been proud Evanston residents for 40 years. Her son is a
graduate of ETHS and is currently attending law school in Chicago. Nicki is crazy about
dogs – especially her own, Danny – and would love to find time to volunteer at the
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Youth Organizations Umbrella (Y.O.U.)
Evanston Animal Shelter in the future.
Thomas Scott has been a Board member since 2010. He is the Senior VP of Life and
Group Operations at CNA Insurance in Chicago. His early career was spent at
Washington National Insurance Company in Evanston where he served for a number
of years as the company's Chief Financial Officer and Chief Actuary.
Thomas Scott
Tom was born in Evanston and has lived here since 2002. He is active in Evanston’s
First United Methodist Church and volunteers his time in their soup kitchen and on
their Human Resources Committee. He also volunteers tax preparation services for
low-income families and teaches English as a Second Language with Literacy Chicago.
Tom graduated from the University of Michigan (and is still a diehard Wolverines
football fan— Go Blue!). He has been married to his college sweetheart, Maryellen,
for 41 years, and they have two adult children.
Michael Weston is a newly-elected member of the Board, but he is not new to Y.O.U.
He has served on the Board in years past, and was previously Y.O.U.'s Board
president. Mike worked at Northwestern for 28 years, retiring as vice president and
general counsel in 2001. He was very active in the National Association of College and
University Attorneys, and was that organization's president in 1995-96.
Michael
Weston
Mike's other community activities include Board membership with the Evanston
History Center and the ETHS School Improvement Team. Mike also volunteers with
the Jazz Institute of Chicago, reflecting his long-held passion for the music. Mike's sole
recorded output is a tune he did on alto sax with high school friend Noel Stookey,
later to be known as "Paul" of Peter, Paul and Mary. Some 50 copies were pressed,
making it a truly limited edition.
Mike, his wife Mary Ann, and their sons Christopher and Matthew, moved to
Evanston in 1973. Chris and Matt went to Willard, Haven and ETHS. Now retired, Mary
Ann taught at Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism. She is a member of the
Evanston League of Women Voters, and of the Alumnae of Northwestern, which
conducts extensive community continuing education programs.
Liliana Zecker joined the Y.O.U. Board in 2010. She is an Assistant Professor of
Language & Literacy in the School of Education at DePaul University, where she
teaches a variety of courses related to teaching reading, writing and language arts.
Her research interests include early literacy development for bilingual students and
teacher research in urban elementary classrooms. She received her B.A. from
Universidad del Museo Social Argentino, her M.A. from Northwestern University, and
her Ph.D. from the University of Michigan.
Liliana Zecker
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Youth Organizations Umbrella (Y.O.U.)
Margie Morrison Zivin has been a member of the Board since 2005. She also
volunteers as a clinical consultant to the Y.O.U. counseling staff. Service at Y.O.U. runs
in the Zivin family—Margie’s husband Mark is a former Y.O.U. Board member and
received the Lora and Todd Wheeler Award for sustaining support and volunteering,
and her son Jake has volunteered for Y.O.U.’s summer high school program.
Margie
Morrison Zivin
Margie is a licensed clinical social worker who has been practicing psychotherapy
since 1976. Margie was a clinical supervisor of graduate students and staff at the Child
Psychiatry Clinic at the University of Chicago Medical Center. Also at the University of
Chicago, Margie was co-founder and clinical case coordinator of the Parent-Infant
Development Service, an early intervention clinical research project. She also worked
for three years as a clinical consultant for the City of Chicago Department of Human
Services’ Headstart Programs, evaluating and referring children and consulting with
classroom teachers.
Margie and Mark have twin sons, Jake and Sam, who are very proud to have grown up
in Evanston. Margie can be seen power-walking up the Evanston lakefront every
morning with her dog.
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