Trustee Biographies

Andrew Alexander
CEO/Owner
The Second City

Andrew Alexander is the chief executive officer/owner of The Second City Inc. Alexander spent most of his childhood in Brampton, Ontario after emigrating from London, England. He spent a year at Tri-State College in Indiana and completed his formal education at Ryerson Polytechnic in Toronto, Ontario.

His introduction to show business came in 1971 when he was head of marketing for the John Lennon Peace Festival in Toronto. In 1971, he co-produced the off Broadway hit Love Me Love My Children with the Toronto based Global Village Theater. In 1973, he became the owner/­­producer of The Second City in Toronto. His first television project was the multiple Emmy award winning comedy series SCTV. Recently the series became available on DVD with Conan O'Brien praising it as "the most highly crafted and consistently surprising comedy show ever made."

Alexander has developed and produced television programming for ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX Television, Comedy Central, HBO, Showtime, A&E, and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

In 1985, Mr. Alexander was offered the opportunity to purchase The Second City Chicago by its founder and owner, Bernard Sahlins.  Alexander and his business partner Leonard Stuart became the sole owners. Since then, Alexander has led and expanded The Second City. Detroit, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Toronto, and Chicago now claim Second City theaters. Donnie's Skybox  (Chicago) and the Tim Syms Theater (Toronto) are experimental theaters showcasing works by emerging artists.

The Second City has a highly active Film and Television division in both Canada and the US.  The corporate division works with Fortune 1000 companies on developing and improving business communications.

Alexander is proud to serve on the Honorary boards of Gilda's Club Chicago and Toronto.  He also serves on the Board of Directors of The League of Chicago Theaters.  He lives in Chicago with his wife Diane and son Tyler, who attends the Francis W. Parker School.

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Ellen Stone Belic is a psychotherapist in private practice in Chicago.  She received her bachelor of arts in English literature from the University of Pennsylvania where she graduated as a Mortar Board scholar in 1965. She earned subsequent master's degrees from Columbia University Teachers College (1966) and the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration (1980).  In addition she has received postgraduate professional certificates from Michael Reese Hospital Department of Psychiatry and the C.G. Jung Institute of Chicago. 

As a writer, she has had several poems and short fiction pieces included in two anthologies. 

She has also studied nontraditional areas of psychology, including bioenergetic analysis, meditation, massage therapy, esoteric astrology, psychological street theater, mythology, and women's and feminist studies. 

Ellen has been a part-time faculty member at Columbia College Chicago since 1982.  She taught psychology in the Department of Liberal Education and for the last 20 years in the Department of Dance Movement Therapy, Graduate School.  She has also taught humanities at Roosevelt University. 

She has served on a number of local volunteer boards including Mostly Music, the C.G. Jung Institute of Chicago, Thresholds, and the advisory boards of the Chicago Alliance for the Mentally Ill, and the Chicago International Film Festival.  As vice president in charge of development, she chaired Phase I of the capital campaign for the C.G. Jung Institute of Chicago.  Currently, she is a founding trustee and chair of the Institute for the Study of Women and Gender in the Arts and Media at Columbia College Chicago.  She serves on the board of In These Times and is a director of the Jerome H. Stone Family Foundation. 

Ellen and two daughters, Dara and Maia, reside in Chicago.

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Gary R. Belz joined Columbia College Chicago's board of trustees in December, 2003. Belz owns and operates East Iris Studios, where hit albums have been recorded by artists such as Faith Hill, Elton John, and Gary Allen, among many others. His studios also include House of Blues studios of Memphis and Encino, and formerly, Ocean Way Nashville.  His studios have been host to artists such as Take Six, Counting Crows, the Wallflowers, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Joe Walsh, Matchbox 20, Collective Soul, and Janet Jackson and Busta Rhymes. Belz also owns a publishing company with the Don Williams Music Group, which administered Bob Marley and Jimi Hendrix, and the company has a variety of catalogues that include Professor Longhair.

Belz was also the executive producer for Albert King's CD, Redhouse, as well as the Gale's Brothers', Left Hand Brand, a Memphis Style House of Blues release CD. A former board member of the Blues Foundation, Belz also assisted in the management of Jason D. Williams, Carl Perkins, Albert King, and Eric Gales. In 1997, Belz was the music consultant for two Warner Films productions: Fire Down Below and The Glimmerman, starring Steven Seagal. He acted as event coordinator for the world premier of Fire Down Below in Nashville.

Belz opened Ocean Way Studio in 1996, and went on to record artists such as Bob Seger, Clint Black and Wynona Rider.  Under his direction, the studio won the TEC award for the Studio of the Year in 2000, which is to date the only Tennessee studio to have received this award. He recently sold the studio to Belmont University.

Prior to entering the music business, he was responsible for the renovation and reopening of The Peabody Hotel.  He won national acclaim for downtown redevelopment, which remains a prime example of historical renovation and government/private sector partnership.

Belz is a Board Member of the Sri Sathya Sai Organization of North America as well as a member of the Clinton Global Initiative.

A native of Tennessee, Belz currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife Shelly. He also has three children, Brittany, Erik, and Victory.

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Lerone Bennett Jr. (Lifetime Trustee) is the executive editor emeritus of Ebony magazine, a publication he joined in 1954.  He has received numerous awards including the Salute to Greatness award of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center and the Literature Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.  He has an A.B. from Morehouse College and is the recipient of honorary doctorates from 14 colleges and universities.

He is the author of ten books, including an award-winning biography of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Before the Mayflower: A History of Black America.  His poetry and short stories have appeared in many books and periodicals, and his work has been translated into French, German, Japanese, Swedish, Russian, and Arabic. 

In 1974 he was a delegate to the sixth Pan-African Congress in Tanzania, Africa, and in 1977, he was a delegate to the second World Festival of Black and African Art in Nigeria.  He lectures on Black history and American culture at colleges and universities and was a visiting professor of history at Northwestern University.  Mr. Bennett was recently named to the President's Committee on Arts and the Humanities.

He is a trustee of Morehouse College and has served as an advisor to several national organizations and commissions, including the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders.

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Warrick L. Carter, Ph.D., is the President of Columbia College Chicago, the nation's largest arts and communications college. He joined Columbia in 2000, following a four-year term as director of entertainment arts for Walt Disney Entertainment. At Disney, he was responsible for developing global education and live arts programs for the entire corporation.

Prior to his engagement with Disney, Dr. Carter spent 12 years at Berklee College of Music in Boston, serving as dean of faculty and then as provost/vice president of academic affairs. At Governors State University in Chicago, where he served from 1971 to 1984, he began as a professor of music and was promoted to chairman of the division of fine and performing arts. He began his career in higher education as an assistant professor and director of bands at the University of Maryland, Eastern Shore, teaching at that institution while pursuing his doctoral studies. He received his Ph.D. in music education from Michigan State University.

Warrick L. Carter is an educator, composer and performer. In addition to his academic appointments at Berklee, Governors State, and Maryland, he taught in East Lansing, Michigan and Chattanooga, Tennessee. He has consulted on music education and minority issues in music education for organizations worldwide. His projects have included work with the Wisconsin Music Educators, the Michigan Council for the Arts, the Philadelphia Public Schools, the Los Angeles Board of Education, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Minister of Culture, Paris, France.

He has published and lectured extensively on the subject of music education, jazz, and African American music history and culture, sharing his expertise as a guest lecturer at Northwestern University, California State University, and University of Santa Catarina in Brazil, and at conferences worldwide.  His articles have appeared in professional journals including IAJE Educator, Music Educators Journal and The Quarterly Journal of Music Education.

As a composer and performer, Dr. Carter has an international reputation. He has created commissioned works for the National Endowment for the Arts, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association and the Chicago Chamber Orchestra. His recordings are on Mark and Capital records and his live performances include work with the Boston Pops Jazz Quartet, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Billy Taylor, Clark Terry, Donald Byrd and many others. He has played at several collegiate and regional jazz festivals and in 1973 performed at the International Jazz Festival in Montreux, Switzerland.

A two-time recipient of the National Black Music Caucus Achievement Award, he is a member of the International Jazz Educators Hall of Fame and is listed in Who's Who in Black America.  He has received the Lawrence Berk Leadership Award from the International Association of Jazz Educators. In 1997 Berklee College of Music established a lecture series in his name, and in 1996 Walt Disney Entertainment Endowed a "Warrick L. Carter Scholarship" in the International Association of Jazz Educators.

Dr. Carter currently serves on the Boards of Directors for the International House of Blues Foundation, the Interlochen Advisory Board, the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, and the Federation of Independent Colleges. He was the chairman of the Jazz Panel for the National Endowment for the Arts for three years and executive director of the National Black Music Caucus for ten. He previously served on the boards of the National Association of Jazz Educators, the Massachusetts Arts and Humanities Council, and the Foundation for the Advancement of Music. He is a member of the National Association of Recording Arts and Sciences, as well as ASCAP (the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers.)

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William Cellini Jr.
New Frontier Companies

President, Alumni Association

William Cellini Jr. is a 1994 graduate of Columbia College Chicago's Film and Video Department. He is proud to serve as president of the Columbia College Alumni Association and Network.

Cellini is a Chicago resident who maintains close ties to Los Angeles.  He has served as a production analyst for International Film Guarantors, an LA-based film bonding company, and in postproduction work at the Los Angeles office of Constantin Film Development. Cellini has also worked in television production on ER, The Fugitive, and Early Edition, as well as several feature films.

Mr. Cellini also holds a degree in American history from Illinois College, and is certified to teach grades K-12 in Illinois. Combining his passions for film and history, Cellini created a documentary development and production company, Cinema Verite, Ltd., that specializes in socio-historical content.

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Warren King Chapman, Ph.D.
Vice Chancellor for External Affairs,
University of Illinois at Chicago

Vice Chair

Warren K. Chapman, Ph.D. is currently serving as Vice Chancellor for External Affairs at the University of Illinois at Chicago.  In this role, Dr. Chapman is responsible for all relationships with external constituents of the campus, including civic, corporate, and governmental leaders in the city and state.  He oversees community relations, public affairs, marketing, and the Great Cities Commitment and coordinates the efforts of the offices of development, alumni affairs, government relations, and access and equity.

Prior to joining the University, Dr. Chapman served as the vice president for corporate philanthropy at JPMorgan Chase.  He oversaw all corporate giving including corporate contributions made to not-for-profit organizations and administered the daily operations of the Bank One Foundation.

Mr. Chapman was a well established philanthropic professional with a varied background anchored by more than 20 years in positions focusing on technical assistance to and grant-making in education. His career encompasses nine years with the Joyce Foundation, six years with Illinois State Board of Education, and six years with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the Department of Educational Policy Studies. Mr. Chapman began his career in the Illinois Department of Corrections directing programs for youthful offenders. 

Mr. Chapman earned a doctorate degree in educational policy studies from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a concentration in the politics of education, educational policy, and social foundations of education. He holds a master of arts degree in urban studies and a bachelor of arts degree in studio art with a concentration in sculpture.

For more than sixteen-years, Chapman has served as a visiting assistant professor for the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Department of Educational Policy Studies. In 1992, he was awarded the O'Leary Chair for Financial Management at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Department of Educational Leadership.

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Debra Martin Chase is a two time Emmy nominated motion picture and television producer.  Her company, Martin Chase Productions, is an affiliate of the Walt Disney Company.

Chase is the executive producer of the film and soundtrack for The Cheetah Girls 2, the sequel to the very successful Disney Channel original musical, which debuts in August 2006.  Shot entirely on location in Barcelona, Spain, the movie is based on the best-selling Hyperion book series and stars Raven-Symone, Sabrina Bryan, Adrienne Bailon, Kiely Williams and Lynn Whitfield.  The soundtrack for the original movie, which she also executive produced, went double platinum.

The summer of 2005 saw the release of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants which Chase produced for Alcon Entertainment and Warner Brothers.  Based upon the bestselling book by Ann Brashares and starring Amber Tamblyn, Alexis Bledel, America Ferrara, and Blake Lively, it was declared by Variety to be one of the most critically acclaimed movies of the year.

She also executive produced the Lifetime Television series, Missing. It ran for three seasons, and starred Vivica A. Fox and Mark Consuelos.  When the show initially aired in August 2003, it was the most watched series debut in the network's history. 

Chase produced The Princess Diaries For Disney. The movie grossed over $109 million in domestic box office receipts and sold over 17 million video and DVD units.  She also produced its hit sequel, The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement.

Chase is the co-creator as well as producer of the teen workout DVD BYOU starring Sabrina Bryan of The Cheetah Girls.  BYOU is a dance and fitness DVD created so that girls can have fun learning the latest dance moves and get fit at the same time.  It combines pop and hip hop dance movements with strength and cardio training in three routines moving from beginner to advanced.

Chase was one of the executive producers of Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella, which aired in November 1997 on ABC's The Wonderful World of Disney and starred Brandy, Whitney Houston and Whoopi Goldberg.  The musical was an enormous hit attracting over 60 million viewers.  It received a total of seven Emmy nominations and won the Emmy for Art Production.

Chase was the motion picture and television producing partner of Whitney Houston in BrownHouse Productions from 1995 to 2000.  She ran Mundy Lane Entertainment, Denzel Washington's production company, from April 1992 to August 1995.  Mundy Lane's first theatrical production was Devil In A Blue Dress. Chase and Washington also executive produced Hank Aaron: Chasing The Dream, a two-hour documentary on the baseball legend, which aired on the TBS Superstation in April 1995.  It was nominated for an Academy Award and an Emmy and received a Peabody Award, the Crystal Heart Award from the Heartland Film Festival and was voted Best Documentary by the National Association of Minorities in Cable.

Chase executive produced the Fox 2000 feature, COURAGE UNDER FIRE, which stars Washington and Meg Ryan and was directed by Ed Zwick.  She co-produced THE PREACHER'S WIFE for Touchstone Pictures which stars Washington and Houston and was directed by Penny Marshall.  Chase originated and developed this project at Mundy Lane.

Prior to her arrival at Mundy Lane, Chase held several positions at Columbia Pictures.  She joined the studio in July 1989 as an attorney in the Motion Pictures Legal Department.  A year later she went to work for studio Chairman Frank Price as his Executive Assistant.  Just prior to his departure from Columbia in 1991, Price made her Director of Creative Affairs.

Chase began her career as an attorney and worked at several major law firms and Fortune 500 corporations in Houston and Manhattan.  She received her J.D. from the Harvard Law School and graduated Phi Beta Kappa, Magna Cum Laude from Mount Holyoke College.

Chase has a long-standing interest in politics and the arts.  In the 1988 presidential campaign, she served on the national and New York finance committees for candidate Michael Dukakis and was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention.  She was a founding member of the Contemporary Friends of the Studio Museum in Harlem and served four years on the Community Resource Advisory Committee of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.  In 1994, she was selected to be a member of the British-American Project, an annual international symposium sponsored by the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies at John Hopkins University and Britain's Royal Institute of International Affairs.  In 1995 and 1996, she served on the Nominating Committee for the President's Commission on White House Fellowships.

She serves on the Producers Council of the Producers Guild of America, the Board of Trustees of Columbia College of Chicago, the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles - based United Friends of Foster Children, the Producing Mentor Board of USC's Peter Stark Program and the Advisory Board of the Heartland Film Festival. In August of 2003, Savoy Magazine named Chase one of the 100 most influential Blacks in America.  In October 2003, Essence Magazine named her one of the fifty African American women shaping the world.

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Steve Dahl, radio legend, first arrived on the Chicago scene in 1979, after being lured away from Detroit by then ABC-owned WDAI-FM.  In his 25 years on Chicago's airwaves, Dahl has become one of radio's most successful and enduring rock DJs, famous for allowing his listeners an intimate look into both his professional and private lives.

Since his time at WDAI, Dahl has had two stints at WLUP-FM (97.9, "The Loop") and the now-defunct WLUP-AM, five years at WLS-AM (890) and -FM, and he has spent the last eight years as the afternoon disc jockey at WCKG-FM (105.9).  Today he is still rated no.1 in Chicago among adults age 25 to 54, with a listening audience of about 400,000 people each week.

Dahl is widely considered to be the elder statesman of Chicago radio.  Perhaps his most influential contribution to the national music scene was his 1979 Disco Demolition.  Originally crafted as a radio promotion, Dahl asked listeners to bring their disco records and $0.98 to Chicago's Comisky Park (home of the White Sox) so he could blow up the LPs and put an end to disco forever.  With Dahl leading the "Disco Sucks" chant, an estimated 90,000 fans and listeners showed up to storm the field and joined him in setting fire to thousands of disco records.  The event put the young Dahl on the map in Chicago and the rest of the country, and earned him the reputation of being one of the most influential DJs in rock history.

Dahl's expertise is not just limited to radio, but extends to television and music as well.  He won a Chicago television Emmy in 1982 in the category "Outstanding Achievement for a Single Program" for his work on Greetings from Graceland, which chronicled his tour of Elvis' estate.  Since then, he has produced groundbreaking programs such as ABC's story of the Beach Boys, Summer Dreams, and the shows, It's Too Early, New Year's Steve and Garry and the CBS late-night show, The Midnight Hour.  He also created and executive produced the PBS music series Soundstage in 2003.

Steve and his wife, Janet, reside in the western suburbs of Chicago.  They have three sons: Patrick, who works in television production in Los Angeles; Mike, a senior at the University of Illinois; and Matt, a sophmore at DePaul University.

Dahl and his band The Dahlfins continue to play to sold-out concert venues, entertaining live audiences with his original songs.  Most recently, Dahl co-wrote a song that appeared on his friend and former Beach Boy Brian Wilson's album, Imagination.

His 25th anniversary in Chicago was recognized with a party in February 2003 at Chicago's Museum of Broadcast Communications.  For his 20th anniversary, Illinois governor Jim Edgar proclaimed February 28, 1998 "Steve Dahl Day" throughout the entire state.

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Steve Devick is the CEO of Concert Hot Spot, a privately held record label that produces music related high definition audiovisual products such as HD DVDs and Blu-ray Discs.  Warner Music Group (NYSE:WMG) exclusively distributes Concert Hot Spot. Steve's career in music and entertainment began when he founded River North Studios in 1985.  River North quickly became the Midwest's largest recording studio complex.  Artists such as David Bowie, Paul McCartney, Billie Idol, The Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and hundreds of others utilized River North.  In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Columbia College Chicago students were taught audio recording procedures at River North Studios.    

In 1987, Devick was the founding investor and director of Platinum Technology (Nasdaq:PLAT), a systems software company that grew to over $1 billion in annual revenue and was sold in 1999 to Computer Associates for almost $4 billion, and later, Blue Rhino (Nasdaq:RINO), a propane exchange company, which was sold in 2004 to Ferrellgas for approximately $400 million.   

Devick founded Platinum Entertainment (Nasdaq:PTET) in 1991.  With Steve as chief executive officer and chairman, it became the world's largest publicly traded independent record label with popular artists in all music formats such as The Beach Boys, Pete Townshend, Dionne Warwick, The Winans, Peter Cetera, The Blues Brothers, The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and many others.  In 2000, he resigned from Platinum to develop his current companies.     

Devick has been honored by Crain's Chicago Business as one of the Forty Outstanding Business Persons in Chicago Under Forty; a finalist in Ernst &Young and Merrill Lynch's Entrepreneur of the Year; PVP CEO of the Year; Newcity Chicago's Most Influential Music People Top 20; and chairman of the Young President's Organization (YPO).  

As a noted music industry resource, he has made numerous appearances on national broadcasts of CNN, Fox News, and CNBC, including Market Watch with Maria Bartiromo, Power Lunch and Squawk Box on CNBC, Fox Business Report, CNN Financial News, Your World with Neil Cavuto, and numerous local TV and radio broadcasts.  Additionally, he has been a keynote speaker, or featured panelist at Webnoize Internet Music Conference, CMJ Music Conference, The Entrepreneurship Conference, Jupiter Media Conference, DLJ Investors Conference, and many others.   

Devick attended Western Illinois University and Illinois College of Optometry, where he received his BS and OD degrees. 

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Allan R. Drebin, Ph.D., is professor of accounting information and management at  Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, a position he has held since 1969.  He began his academic career in 1960 as an assistant professor of accounting at UCLA.  From 1965-1969 he served as an associate professor of accounting at Cornell University.

For thirteen years Dr. Drebin served as a visiting professor of accounting at Chulalongkorn University, SASIN Graduate Institute of Business Administration in Bangkok, Thailand.  In 1993, the Kingdom of Thailand honored him with the Royal Decoration, Commander of the Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand.

He is the author of numerous books and articles on accounting and other business subjects.  He is also the recipient of several honors including the American Accounting Association's award for Notable Contribution to Literature in Government and Nonprofit Accounting.

From 1995-96 he served as president of the Chicago Chapter of the Financial Executives International.  He presently serves as vice president and treasurer of the Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation. He is a member of the boards of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, the Evanston Art Center, and the Lyric Opera Center for American Artists, of which he served as president from 2000-2003.

Dr. Drebin earned his B.B.A. (with distinction), M.B.A., and Ph.D. in finance from the University of Michigan. He is also a CPA. 

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Loranne Zeman Ehlenbach is an individual with a diverse educational and professional background whose interests have focused on the growth, development and well-being of children, beginning with her own two sons. 

Ms. Ehlenbach holds a Masters of Law in Child and Family Law from Loyola University where she received an award upon graduation for leadership and service.  Her Juris Doctor is from Marquette University Law School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  She also holds a Certificate of Advanced Study in Philanthropy from Loyola University's Graduate School.  Ms. Ehlenbach has successfully completed training in Family and Divorce Mediation from the Center for Dispute Resolution at DePaul University as well as training as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) in Lake County, Illinois. She received her bachelor of arts in Public Relations from Mount Mary College in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Currently, Ms. Ehlenbach is a director of the John and Loranne Ehlenbach Foundation.  In addition, she acts as co-manager for Team E-I, a real estate development organization, and Team E-II, an organization currently focusing on intellectual property development. She also serves as a Board Member for the 100 Club of Chicago, a non-profit organization that responds immediately with financial support to families of fallen police officers, paramedics and firefighters located in Cook County, Illinois.  She co-chairs the annual fund-raiser dinner auction committee.  Influenced by her son and husband, Ms. Ehlenbach has a growing interest in the film and music industries.  She is a member of the Sundance Institute Leadership Circle of the Sundance Institute in Park City, Utah.

Ms. Ehlenbach is the former president of the Zeman Family Foundation.  Her past business experience includes owning and operating, ZKIDZ & Co., Inc, a children's toy store and boutique in Galena, Illinois from 1998 to 2002 that served as a venue for impacting local children's charities, earning her community awards for these efforts.  She also has experience volunteering with CHIPS (Children in Need of Protective Services) in Kenosha, Wisconsin, CASA in Lake County, Illinois and has participated in the Civitis Childlaw Clinic at Loyola University.  She continues to be involved in and supports numerous children's charities primarily in Illinois and Texas. 

She resides with her husband, John, and children in Kildeer, Illinois.

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Brent Felitto is a Principal, Head of Industry Groups and Head of Healthcare Investment Banking at William Blair & Company. He joined the firm's corporate finance department in 1993 and has over 15 years in the investment banking industry. Mr. Felitto's primary responsibilities at Blair consist of managing the firm's banking effort and leading client engagement and execution teams on a range of transactions including public equity financings as well as merger and acquisition assignments. Prior to joining William Blair, Mr. Felitto worked for Merrill Lynch & Co. in their merchant banking and corporate development groups.

Before entering the investment banking industry, he played professional football with the Parma Panthers in the Federation of Italian American Football (FIAF).

Mr. Felitto has a BA in economics and government with distinction in all subjects from Cornell University (1988) and an MBA from the Harvard Business School (1993).

He is also involved in the following groups and associations: The Economics Club of Chicago, Harvard Club of Chicago, Cornell Club of Chicago and New York (School of Arts and Sciences Liaison), Cornell Football Association and the Kenilworth Union Church.

Mr. Felitto is married to Susan Helen Felitto. They have three children; Justine (9), William (7) and Jared (4) and reside in Winnetka, IL.

Richard B. Fizdale

Richard B. Fizdale retired at the end of 2001 as the chairman of the board of the Leo Burnett Company and as the director of Bcom3 Group, Inc. He had been a member of the management team that oversaw a global advertising and diversified marketing services company with more than $1.7 billion in annual revenues, over 520 units in 90 countries, and more than 18,000 employees. 

Joining Leo Burnett in 1969 after a brief stint at BBDO Chicago, Fizdale spent virtually his entire business career at the Chicago-based company. 

Under Fizdale’s leadership, Leo Burnett won major global assignments from such clients as H.J. Heinz, Motorola, G.D. Searle, Procter & Gamble, The Coca-Cola Company, and Delta Airlines. Today, Burnett handles seven of the world’s 25 most valuable global brands as ranked by Interbrand: McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, Walt Disney, Marlboro, Kellogg, Tampax, and Nintendo. It handles 22 other brands in the top 100, as well as 17 Fortune 500 companies, including Allstate, General Motors, and Maytag. The agency also works with numerous technology-based companies and has made significant gains in the dot-com arena. 

Fizdale spent his first 10 years at Burnett writing copy on such classic campaigns as “All Temperature Cheer” for Cheer laundry detergent and “Me and My RC” for RC Cola. In 1979, he became senior vice president/manager of Creative Operations, overseeing the day-to-day aspects of the creative department. 

In 1982, Fizdale was promoted to executive vice president/deputy director of Creative Services and was named president/chief creative officer of Leo Burnett USA three years later. That same year, he was elected to Burnett’s board of directors. In 1987, Fizdale became CCO for the agency’s entire global operation. He was named chairman, chief executive officer, and chief creative officer for the global company in 1992. Just over a year later, Fizdale relinquished his CEO title, citing that the three titles didn’t allow him the time to concentrate fully on the chairmanship and his duties as chief creative officer.  In 1997, he returned as CEO and turned over the CCO title to Michael Conrad.

­­On January 1, 2000, Fizdale retired as CEO but continued on as chairman of Leo Burnett Worldwide. He assumed the role of vice chairman of Bcom3Group, Inc. in February 2000 when The Leo Group’s merger with The MacManus Group was completed, creating Bcom3 Group, Inc., in which Tokyo-based Dentsu acquired a significant minority stake.

Fizdale asserts the greatest single honor of his life came when he occupied Leo’s old office in the Prudential Building during the 18 months before the agency moved to the Leo Burnett Building.   

Fizdale attended the University of Illinois, University of Houston, and the University of Texas between 1957 and 1960.

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John Gehron is the General Manager of Harpo Radio which is programming a channel for XM Satellite Radio called "Oprah and Friends". 

Prior to Harpo Radio, Gehron was Regional VP and Market Manager for Clear Channel Chicago's 7 radio stations(WGCI-FM, WVAZ-FM, WLIT-FM, WNUA-FM, WKSC-FM, WGRB-AM and WRLL-AM), as well as the Clear Channel stations in the Milwaukee, Madison and Eau Claire, Wisconsin markets. Gehron was the senior vice president of programming for CBS/Infinity Broadcasting, and before that served as Co-Chief Operating Officer at American Radio Systems. In 2001, Gehron was honored at the Radio and Records Annual Convention as the Group Executive of the Year. 

Gehron began his broadcast career in 1970 as program director at CBS's WCAU-FM (now WOGL-FM) in Philadelphia.  His Chicago background stretches back to 1974 when he was the program director and general manager at WLS-AM.  Gehron created the national standard for the "smooth jazz" format and became a major factor in the nation's third largest radio market.

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Ralph W. Gidwitz, age 70, is the Managing Partner of Capital Results LLC, a Chicago based boutique investment banking firm which is active in mergers and acquisitions, raising capital for early stage and rapidly growing companies, and strategic and operational due diligence for acquirers of business. Mr. Gidwitz is a Director of Continental Materials Corporation an American Stock Exchange traded manufacturer of HVAC equipment, producer of concrete and quarry operator since 1984, and served as a Director of Consolidated Packaging Corporation, a publicly traded manufacturer of paperboard packaging materials from 1984 to 1988.

From 1978 to 1995 Mr. Gidwitz was President of Terlin Corporation, a private holding company which owned Rich Ladder Co. a leading producer of wood ladders in North America. From 1961 - 1977, prior to acquiring Rich Ladder, Mr. Gidwitz served in many capacities at Consolidated Packaging Corporation, lastly as Vice President, Administration. Mr. Gidwitz has also served on the boards of and is an officer of several privately held Chicago based companies active in the travel, manufacturing and real estate businesses. Mr. Gidwitz is Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Chicago Jazz Ensemble; founding Chairman of the Chicago Israel Business Initiative and is a past President of the America/Israel Chamber of Commerce Chicago. Mr. Gidwitz was Vice Chairman of the Jewish Federation and Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago, he was the founding Chairman of Chicago's Part-nership 2000 Committee and has served both as Treasurer, and Chairman of the Federation's Finance Committee as well as various other capacities during his tenure on both Boards during the period 1989 - 1999.

Mr. Gidwitz serves as a Board Member of the Entrepreneurial Advisory Board of the Graduate School of Business, University of Chicago and served as Chairman of the Alumni Board of the GSB from 1984 to 1989 and served as Chairman of the Annual fund Campaign Executive Program. Mr. Gidwitz earned an MBA from the GSB in 1974 and a BA in Business Administration and History at Knox College, Galesburg, Illinois in 1958. Mr. Gidwitz served in the US Army 1959-61.

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Sydney Smith Gordon (Lifetime Trustee) has been on the board of trustees of Columbia College since 1970. 

She is a member of the Fischetti Scholarship Fund and the Michael Merritt Endowment and Scholarship Fund. Standing committees of the board on which she serves include Marketing, Campus Environment, Academic Affairs, and Planning. Since 1983, she has been on the Executive Council of the Chicago Associates of the Stratford Festival of Canada, retiring in 2003.  She also served as public relations director to The Writers' Theater-Chicago and the Sara Siddons Society, as well as the Chicago Associates of the Stratford Festival of Canada, providing PR support to the 28 actors chosen by the Festival's artistic director. Chicago area professional actors spend one or more full seasons at Stratford, and actors are cast in several plays within the Three Theatre Complex. PR profiles keep Chicago, LA, and NYC drama desks and directors aware of their accomplishments. She also served as a Chicago media contact for the Stratford Festival Theatre's Department of Communications.

A veteran radio and TV broadcaster in New York under the professional name Sydney Smith, she had programs on Dumont TV, ABC-TV, WPIX, and on National NBC-TV on Pat Weaver's Today Show, with Dave Garroway, and the Home Show, with Arlene Francis and Hugh Downs.  Her own NBC Radio show, By-Line Syndey Smith, aired daily on the eastern seaboard, and she was on the NBC Radio network show, Monitor, which was interviewed and taped from Italy and France.  Ms. Gordon was a theatre/movie critic/reviewer on AM Radio, as well as emcee of the New York Film Critics Awards NBC Radio.

Ms. Gordon is a former board member of the Alliance for Volunteerism in Washington, D.C., a coalition of twenty-one national voluntary organizations.  She is a past president of Call for Action, a national volunteer Action Line affiliated with forty-five Radio and TV stations, serving 250,000 callers annually.  Over a twenty-year span, she was director of both WIND and WGN Radio CFA affiliates in Chicago, serving as a writer, producer, and host on information advocacy programs for each station.  She produced Ask the Expert programs on both stations with volunteer lawyers, CPAs, physicians, and other authorities.  During her tenure as national CFA's regional director and national president, she testified before the FCC in Washington on behalf of the Broadcast/CFA partnership and compiled information for the Federal Trade Commission, HUD, and other federal agencies on problem areas in the country.

­­­As a freelance writer, she worked on publicity and promotion for the Snowmass Resort Association at the One World Music Festival in Aspen/Snowmass Colorado.  She was a press contact and accreditation and research person for Jazz Aspen/Snowmass events.  In 1997, Aspen celebrated their 50th Anniversary, and she served as event coordinator to "Pioneer Ski Week," representing Aspen/Snowmass at Ski U.S.A. in Toronto, Canada, and the International Ski Show, Olympic Hall, London, and England.  She performed as consultant/facilitator to the Guest Services Training Department, Silvertree Hotel and Snowmass Conference Center.

Ms. Gordon resides in Colorado.

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Mary Louise Haddad is a retired lawyer who still represents a few long time clients in estate and trust matters.  For the most part, however, she enjoys her retirement, especially being able to spend the winters in Arizona.

Ms. Haddad is a native of New Jersey.  She graduated from Douglass College with a B.A. in French, a minor in political science, and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.  She worked in Washington, D.C. for several years where she met her late husband, Lawrence Haddad.  They subsequently spent four and a half years in Beirut, Lebanon, where he served as a diplomat for the United States government. Upon return to the States they settled in Chicago, and her late husband built his career as a successful real estate developer.

Ms. Haddad combined raising a family with attendance at Northwestern Law School. She graduated with honors in 1976 and has been a practicing lawyer ever since.  She is active in various bar associations, past president of the Trust and Estates Section Council of the Illinois State Bar Association, and served as an officer of the Federal Estate Tax Committee of the Chicago Bar Association.  She is the author of several articles on tax and estate planning issues and a frequent lecturer with bar associations and lay groups.  She also maintains an active interest in foreign affairs by attending forums, seminars, and conferences in Washington, D.C. and Chicago.

Ms. Haddad has a number of connections to Columbia College Chicago.  Her older daughter attended Columbia and her son met his wife through the college.  In 1996, she established a scholarship fund at Columbia for student directors in memory of her friend, David Talbot Cox, who was a local actor and director.

She has a great personal interest in the arts and is an avid patron.  She has also performed in community theatre and continues tap lessons with Hubbard Street Dance.  She recently renewed her interest in the French language and is active in the Alliance Francaise of Chicago.

Ms. Haddad has three adult children and three grandchildren.  She is married to Sam Perry, a retired international business executive.  They reside in Chicago.

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Bill Hood recently completed his tenure as chairman of the board of trustees of Columbia College Chicago.  Prior to assuming the chairmanship, he served as the board's treasurer and chair of the Finance Committee.

Mr. Hood is managing director of Corporate Affairs for American Airlines, directing political and community activities in the eastern half of the United States.  He has a B.A. from Illinois College and a J.D. from Northwestern University Law School.

He is a trustee of Chicago's Museum of Contemporary Art and a member of the Chicago Shakespeare board.  He serves on the boards of Lawyers for the Creative Arts, the Chicago Area Project, and the James Jordan Center.  He also serves on the Permanent Collections Acquisitions Committee for The Museum of Contemporary Photography of Columbia College Chicago.

He is married, has two children, and resides in Chicago.

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Gary Stephen Hopmayer began his business career in 1961 at International Products & Manufacturing Company, a Chicago based, privately owned automotive parts manufacturer.  Mr. Hopmayer remained involved in the automotive parts aftermarket through 1986, when he sold MEGA International to Dana Corp./Echlin Inc. (NYSE)

Hopmayer entered the culinary business world in 1987 as a founder of Original American Scones (OAS), a family operated, specialty bakery and distributor.  Original American Scones, a Starbucks Coffee preferred supplier, was included as one of Inc. Magazine's 500 fastest growing companies in America.

Mr. Hopmayer's hands-on passion for food contributed to him becoming an artisan bread baker, a founding partner of the Corner Bakery (a division of Lettuce Entertain You Inc.), and a founding partner of Fox & Obel Food Market in Chicago.

Mr. Hopmayer is a director of The Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago, a division of Career Education Corp (CEC) where he chairs the finance and facilities committee; a director and mentor to Kim & Scott's Gourmet Pretzels, Chicago; a director of CHEF Clinic, Santa Barbara, California; and a director of KneeLife, Chicago.  He has previously served as board chair of the New England Culinary Institute (NECI), Burlington, Vermont; a director of Champion Parts Inc., Hope, Arkansas, where he chaired the audit committee; a member of the national board of The American Institute of Wine & Food, San Francisco, California; and board member of the Mentor's Action Network (Mankind Project) of Chicago.

Mr. Hopmayer and his wife of 45 years, Meme, reside in the Streeterville area of Chicago, Illinois.

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Don Jackson
Central City Productions

Vice Chair

Don Jackson is the founder and Chairman of Central City Productions, Inc., a national television production, sales, and syndication company based in Chicago.  The company's programs include the Stellar Gospel Music Awards, The Black Enterprise Report, the Know Your Heritage quiz show series; the Bud Billiken Back-to-School Parade, and Our World with Black Enterprise, formerly America's Black Forum. 

Mr. Jackson is a Chicago native who graduated from Marshall High School, where he played on the school's championship basketball team.  He attended Northwestern University on a basketball scholarship and was captain of the university's basketball team.  Mr. Jackson earned his B.S. in radio, television, and film from Northwestern in 1965. 

In 1984, he founded Central City Productions and dedicated his efforts to producing, marketing and syndicating TV shows geared toward minority audiences.  CCP is now a full-service company that produces, syndicates, and manages advertising sales for all of its programs.  With two decades of successful innovative television and marketing experience, CCP is the leader in black television. 

His community service includes serving as chairman of the board of the DuSable Museum of African American History and board member of the Gateway Foundation and Junior Achievement of Chicago.  He is also the founder and a member of Alliance of Business Leaders and Entrepreneurs (ABLE) and holds a membership in the National Association of Television Production Executives, the Urban League, Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, and "N" Men's Club of Northwestern University. 

He is married to Rosemary Jackson.  They have two adult children; their daughter Rhonda is a graduate of Syracuse University, and their son Baba Dainja graduated from the University of Minnesota.

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Tom Kallen retired after 35 years as chairman and chief executive officer of Bake-Line Products, Inc., the largest private label manufacturer of cookies in the United States.  In 1993, it was sold to United Biscuit P.L.C. of the U.K., which also owned the Keebler Company in the United States.  While continuing as chief executive officer of Bake-Line Products for the next two years, he also served on the senior management committee of Keebler's Cookie and Cracker Division.

Mr. KaIlen has a business degree from the University of Illinois, class of 1950.

Mr. Kallen currently serves as a founding member of the Paul H. Berger Graduate Fellowship Fund and teaches part-time in Columbia College's Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management Department.

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Bill Kurtis has spent the last thirty-five years creating a body of work that is virtually unparalleled in the field of broadcasting, as an acclaimed documentary host and producer, network and major market new anchor and multimedia production company president.

Born in Florida and raised in Independence, Kansas, Mr. Kurtis graduated from The University of Kansas with a B.S. in Journalism.  He attended Washburn University School of Law where he was awarded a Juris Doctor.

Mr. Kurtis began his television career at WIBW-TV (CBS) in Topeka, Kansas.  In 1966, after being recognized for his 24-hour coverage of a devastating tornado, Mr. Kurtis was hired by WBBM-TV in Chicago where he was a field reporter and later anchor of The Channel Two News.  Mr. Kurtis moved on to the network level at CBS where he anchored the CBSMorning News and contributed to CBS Reports.  During his career as a network newsman, Mr. Kurtis covered such notable stories as the Richard Speck murders and the Charles Manson trial.  He is also credited with breaking the Agent Orange story, and the story of Amerasian Children in Vietnam.

Returning to Chicago and WBBM-TV as news anchor in 1985, Mr. Kurtis began his career as a documentarian, traveling to the far ends of the earth for the Peabody Award-winning series The New Explorers, which aired on PBS.  In 1990, he founded Kurtis Productions and began producing programs for the A&E Network, including the long-running, award-winning Investigative Reports, Investigating History, American Justice, and Cold Case Files.  Cold Case Files was nominated for a 2005 National Emmy for Outstanding Nonfiction Series.  Mr. Kurtis also provides satirical narration for the feature film comedy Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, starring Will Ferrell and has provided spoken word elements to the recent Dandy Warhol's album Odditorium or Warlords of Mars.

The Death Penalty On Trial: Crisis In American Justice (Public Affairs) is Bill Kurtis' new book exploring issues surrounding capital punishment in America.  By profiling two murder cases, Mr. Kurtis reveals his change of mind regarding capital punishment.

In his home state of Kansas, Mr. Kurtis is a rancher, radio station owner, art gallery owner, small businessman, supporter of small town America and an active conservationist.  His 10,000-acre Red Buffalo Ranch is a working cattle ranch, raising and marketing organic grass-fed beef.  The ranch is located in the last section of North America to enjoy untouched tall grass prairie, a personal point of pride for Mr. Kurtis.

The Red Buffalo borders the small town of Sedan, Kansas, where Bill has worked closely with residents to renovate and restore the historic and charming Main Street.  Nearby, in his hometown of Independence, Bill and local investors own KIND Radio, the station that gave Bill his first broadcasting job.

Mr. Kurtis is the recipient of numerous humanitarian, journalism, and broadcasting awards including Emmys, CableACE Awards, and the Thurgood Marshall Award for his Investigative Reports installment on the death penalty.  He is a published author and a member of the board of directors of several distinguished organizations including The Nature Conservancy, The National Park Foundation, and The Field Museum of Chicago.

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Marcia Lazar is president of InterGroup Associates Inc., a consulting firm that provides genealogical services to the legal profession. Prior to this specialization, she followed a diverse career path. Upon receiving a bachelor of science degree from the University of Wisconsin, she entered the fields of advertising and marketing where she focused on business-to-business communications. In 1988, she became one of Chicago's first management consultants to specialize in the field of corporate culture and workforce diversity. In this capacity, she was affiliated with Loyola University Chicago, Executive Education Programs; the State of Illinois Small Business 100; and the Institute for American Pluralism. She has been a guest lecturer and has written extensively on the subjects of cultural diversity and organizational culture. Also a fiction writer, her short stories have appeared in publications such as The North Atlantic Review..

Ms. Lazar's affiliation with Columbia College Chicago is also diverse. Prior to joining the board of trustees, she was instrumental in the founding of the President's Club, the college's major donor organization, and serves as its chair. She also founded the advisory council for the Dance Center. Lazar received her MFA in creative writing from Columbia College in the spring of 2003. She currently serves as the chair of the Institutional Advancement Committee.

She has an extensive background in many cultural, community, and professional organizations. Among them: American Jewish Committee, member of the national board of governors and president of the Chicago chapter; American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, vice president of development and vice president of legislative affairs; Illinois Ethnic Coalition, president; Workforce Diversity Committee of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, chair; Dance for Life Chicago, co-chair; and the AIDS Foundation of Chicago, president and gala co-chair.

She is married to Alan O. Amos, an attorney, and resides in Chicago.

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Gloria Lehr offers a unique blend of media, health care, legal, and corporate experience.  Her media background encompasses national network television reporting and producing.  She has developed a proven competency in gerontologic related media consulting.  Ms. Lehr is a licensed attorney in the State of Illinois and, combined with her training in psychology, has developed a substantial background in health-related and social issues.

Lehr's involvement with older Americans has led to a television series on aging for the NBC Today Show and various consulting positions.  These include a Proctor and Gamble ad campaign for their older markets, the WLS-TV program Age Is Only Skin Deep, and the American Foundation for the Blind's seminar on Age and Blindness.  Her accomplishments in the field of gerontology have led to appointments to the "Committee of 90 for the 90s," State of Illinois; the Advisory Board of the Geriatric Research Fund for the University of Illinois; the Chicago Fund Board for the Chicago Department of Aging and Disability; and the Midwest Advisory Board of the American Foundation for the Blind.

Her media activities have included being a lifestyle correspondent on Hour Magazine for Group W and WLS-TV.  She was executive producer and host for On-Screen Personals featured on Chicago's WGBO-TV.

She studied television at Columbia College Chicago, holds a B.S. degree in psychology from the Illinois Institute of Technology, and earned her J.D. from DePaul University Law School.  Upon graduating, she served in a legal capacity in the Trust and Estates division of The First National Bank of Chicago.  She was appointed affirmative action counselor for the Clerk of the Circuit Court.

Lehr formally served as a trustee for the Goodwill Industries Board of Directors and is currently a member of the Goodman Theatre Women's Board.  She also served as president of Columbia College Chicago's Alumni Association.

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Averill Leviton joined Columbia's board in 1990 and currently serves as secretary of the Board.

Ms. Leviton is currently on the Board of Directors for the following organizations: Hostels International Chicago, Chicago Opera Theater, Illinois Arts Council (Governor's Appointment), the Auxiliary Board of the Chicago Architectural Foundation, and Instituto Cervantes. In addition, she is a member of Sister Cities Paris, the Governor's Council on Literacy, the Auxiliary Board of the Chicago Academy of the Arts, the Film Center of the Art Institute of Chicago (Events Chairman), Hubbard Street Dance Company, and the President's Council Advisory Board of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Her past board associations include the Chicago Atheneum Architectural Museum, Performing Arts Chicago, The Kinsey Institute, The Chicago Access Corporation, Concertante di Chicago, Facets Multi-Media, the Art Advisory Committee of the Capital Development Board of the State of Illinois, Steppenwolf Theatre, North Light Theatre Company, and Victory Gardens Theatre.  She is also associated with Lyric Opera of Chicago (Guarantor), Metropolitan Opera Guild (Patron), the Art Institute of Chicago (Sustaining Fellow), the International Womens' Association, and the Executive Club of Chicago.

Ms. Leviton is liaison to Consular Corps for the Office of Secretary of State, and is chairman of the advisory board of the Consuls General for that state office. 

She is married to Bernard and resides in Chicago.

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Barry Mayo is currently the President of Mayomedia, a boutique media consulting firm.

Prior to opening his consulting firm, this veteran broadcasting owner, radio manager, urban radio programmer, and leading urban consultant was Senior Vice President / Market Manager of Emmis Communications New York's WQHT-FM (Hot 97), WRKS-FM (98.7 KISS FM) and WQCD-FM (CD101.9), a position he  held from December, 2002 until June of 2006.

From 1988 to 1995, as President of Broadcasting Partners, Inc., a publicly traded company, Mayo used his programming and management background to lead numerous radio stations to success.  Under his leadership, Broadcasting Partners, Inc., originally a five-station group grew to a nine-station publicly traded radio company with stations in New York, Dallas, Detroit, Chicago and Charlotte.

Mr. Mayo's career came full circle when he joined Emmis in 2002, as during the 1980s he spent seven years at WRKS-FM (KISS-FM) in New York.  He began as Assistant Program Director and spent his last four years there as Vice President and General Manager.

Prior to joining WRKS, he served as Program Director for WGCI-FM in Chicago, WMAK in Nashville, WRAP in Norfolk and KALO in Little Rock.

Barry has been acknowledged by Radio Ink Magazine as one of the 30 Most Influential African Americans in Radio and one of the 20 Best Managers in Radio Major Market.  In addition, he was the recipient of the Boys and Girls Club of Chicago Martin Luther King Legacy Award, was named Entrepreneur of the Year by the National Black Programmers Coalition and has received several Program Director of the year awards during his career.  He is a trustee of Providence St. Mel High School, on the Board of Trustees of Columbia College and has served as chair of the National Jazz Museum in Chicago.

Mr. Mayo received a B.A. in Radio from Howard University and served as the first General Manager of the student-run WHBC. He has three children, Barry II, Alana and Alexander. He is a voracious reader, photographer and intense jazz lover.

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As chief executive officer of Starcom MediaVest Group (SMG), Renetta McCann heads up a behemoth organization that is one the most powerful brand communication groups in the world. In this position, she is responsible for managing an integrated network of more than 10 top media and marketing agencies with client billings in excess of $18 billion and a global workforce of 4,500. She also sits on the Publicis Groupe Media Board of Directors, where she helps lead and grow the media networks of SMG's parent company, Publicis Groupe S.A. - one of the largest communication companies in the world.

McCann first rose to prominence in 2000 as the CEO of Starcom North America - a powerhouse agency she helped launch just two years earlier, which is now part of the SMG network. Under her leadership, Starcom grew to become one of the largest and most influential media agencies in the industry. It was during this time that McCann cemented her reputation for driving change and leading innovation - making Starcom one of the most sought after strategic "think tanks" in the business.

In 2004, McCann was appointed chief executive officer of SMG Americas, where she was responsible for the network's vast operations in the U.S., Canada and Latin America. Just one year later, McCann was tapped by Publicis Groupe Chairman and CEO Maurice Levy to chief executive officer of the entire SMG network.

The business world has taken notice of the Chicago native and, as a result, McCann has received an extensive collection of awards and honors during her illustrious 25-year career. In 2005, the Wall Street Journal named McCann one of the "Top 50 Women to Watch" in corporate America and, the year prior, Fortune identified her as one of "5 Women to Watch" in its Most Powerful Women issue. In 2003, Essence magazine named McCann one of "50 Women Who Are Changing the World," and Black Enterprise designated her as "2002 Corporate Executive of the Year."

Her peers in the industry have also recognized her success. With numerous Cannes Lions and Effie Awards to her credit, McCann has received such honors as Business Week's Media Strategies Award and the Chicago Magazine Association's Vanguard Award. In 2002, the Women's Advertising Club of Chicago designated her "Advertising Woman of the Year" and, the year prior, she was dubbed a "Media Maven" by Advertising Age.

McCann also serves on several distinguished boards within the industry, as well as in her community. She recently concluded a three-year term as chair of the American Association of Advertising Agencies' Media Policy Committee and currently sits on the board of the Audit Bureau of Circulations. She is on the Advisory Board of the Media Management Center at Northwestern University and is a member of the American Advertising Federation's Multicultural Business Practices Leadership Council. McCann also makes time to serve on the board of Chicago United, a metropolitan coalition of business leaders focused on increasing capital and educational opportunities for diverse communities.

McCann holds a Bachelor of Science degree in speech from Northwestern University.  She and her husband live in Chicago with their two children.

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Daniel E. McLean is the President and Chief Executive Officer of MCL Companies. Headquartered in Chicago, IL, MCL Companies specialize in development, construction and marketing of urban properties nationally, including residences and retail centers.

Mr. McLean created MCL in 1976. According to Professional Builder magazine's 1996 ranking, MCL is one of the nation's 150 largest development companies. Current MCL retail development activity includes projects in Chicago's River East and Old Town neighborhoods. MCL residential developments include RiverView, River East, Park View, The Embassy Club, Dearborn Park II, The Residences at Central Station, MetroPlace, The Pointe at Lincoln Park, The Oak Club, Cornell Square, Old Town Square, The Homes of Mohawk North, and Altgeld Club. Outside of Chicago, MCL developed The Manor Homes at Cherry Creek in Denver, Colorado, and is also developing luxury residential housing on Fisher Island, off the Miami Coast, as well as at 455 Central Park West, on Manhattan's Upper West Side, where renovation of the former New York Cancer Hospital will be matched to a newly-constructed residential tower.

MCL's biggest project to date continues to be the creation of Chicago's newest and most spectacular neighborhood, River East. When completed near 2010, the 13-acre, $1 billion development, located along the north bank of the Chicago River between Lake Michigan and Michigan Avenue, and adjacent to Navy Pier, will have added a population of 3,000 residents, parking for 4,000 cars, a hotel, restaurants, and a 21-screen cinema complex.

In addition, MCL applied its urban planning expertise in the redevelopment of public housing at Henry Horner Replacement Homes, Near West Side, Cabrini-Green, Near North Side, and the lakefront high rises in Kenwood-Oakland. These community efforts integrate new public housing, indistinguishable from market-rate housing, to create thriving mixed-income communities.

Mr. McLean is a director-trustee of the Steppenwolf Theater Company and trustee of Cinema Chicago and the Illinois Institute of Technology. He also serves as trustee to the Adler Planetarium, board member of the Chicago Central Area Committee, member of Lincoln Park Builders' Club of Chicago and fundraiser for the Ronald McDonald House. In 1992, as chairman of the Chicago Division of the Home Builders Association of Greater Chicago, Mr. McLean launched the first inner-city Parade of Homes, located in the Gap neighborhood.

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Howard Mendelsohn is president of Howard Mendelsohn & Company, a Chicago public relations consulting firm.  After attending the University of Illinois where he studied business administration, he graduated from Columbia College with a bachelor's degree in speech. 

He began his career as an announcer and disc jockey for KAAA, a radio station in Red Wing, Minnesota.  He then became the play-by-play announcer for radio, television, and public address for National Roller Derby, also serving as publicist and moving from various major cities to New York City.  There he announced three games a week on the ABC Television Network and acted as national publicity director for the Roller Derby.  After returning to Chicago, he became an account executive at Herbert M. Kraus Public Relations and subsequently directed public relations for CBS, WBBM-TV, Channel 2, Chicago.

Mendelsohn started his company in 1957 and represented trade shows, retail stores, Entertainers, concerts, clubs, women's fashion designers, and the Chicago Bears for their advertising for 10 years. He was a Chicago publicist for numerous major companies including Seagram Distillers Company, Lawry's Foods, Hunt's Foods, Consolidated Cigar, Ford Motor Company, Universal Pictures, Merrill Chase Galleries, and Harper's Bazaar Magazine.  He was the publicist for a variety of theatrical productions including Golden Boy, Hair, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown!, and Stop the World.  He was also the publicist for Melody Top Theatre for six years.  Restaurant clients have included Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, Ditka's, International House of Pancakes, That Steak Joynt, P.J. Clarke's, Gaslight Clubs, and Corona Cafe, among others.

He also handled public relations for entertainers including Lucille Ball, Tony Bennett, Jack Benny, Vic Damone, Sammy Davis, Jr., George Gobel, Marlene Dietrich, Phyllis Diller, Merv Griffin, Ted Lewis, Erroll Garner, and Fats Domino.  His fundraising credits list the Variety Club of Illinois, Little City Foundation, and the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. Mendelsohn was also producer/publicist of five Chicago Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Telethons and the first Chicago Variety Club Telethon.

As the co-founder of Chicago Communications Day, his yearly luncheon has raised funds for Columbia College students since 1975.  As a member of the Publicity Club of Chicago for 24 years, he served as president, vice president, and member of the board of directors.  He served a on the board and as vice president of the Variety Club of Illinois for 12 years, but was a member for twenty-two years.

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Joe Peyronnin is currently a corporate advisor to VFinity, a digital software company based in New York.  VFinity focuses on multimedia digital asset and workflow integration for all forms of content.

From 1999 to 2006, Mr. Peyronnin served as executive vice president of news and information programming of Telemundo Network.  He created the network's news division and several news programs including the critically acclaimed news magazines Sin Fronteras and Al Rojo Vivo.  He also launched the network's first weekend nightly newscasts. 

Mr. Peyronnin received his BA from Columbia College and in 1970 he began his career at WBBM-TV in Chicago as a copy boy for 6 months until he was promoted to assignment editor for WBBM-TV.  He later became the producer of that station's 6 pm newscast.  In 1976 he moved to the CBS News Chicago bureau as an associate producer.  During that time, he received his MBA from Roosevelt University.  He later relocated to Washington as an associate producer for the CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite.  While in Washington he served as White House producer and extensively traveled overseas including Russia, China, Lebanon, Israel, Libya and South America.  In 1987 he was appointed vice president and Washington bureau chief for CBS News.     

In 1989 he was named vice president and assistant to the president at CBS News in New York.  As the division's number two executive he oversaw all CBS News programs, including 60 Minutes, 48 Hours, The CBS Evening News, CBS This Morning and Sunday Morning.  He later created CBS News Productions.  

 In 1995 he was named President of Fox News, where he created the core of today's Fox News Channel, and Fox News Sunday.  He began working for Telemundo in 1998, and NBC bought Telemundo in 2003. 

Additional highlights in Peyronnin's career include receiving an Emmy Award for breaking news coverage in Chicago, a special Emmy Award for coverage of the World Trade Center terrorist attack in 2001, a George Polk Award for CBS News reporting on the Tianamen Square uprising in Bejing, China, and being honored by the Mental Health Association of New York City.   

He currently serves as Vice President of the Board for the Mental Health Association of New York City, and is the former director of New York's Gracie Square Hospital.  He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Journalism Advisory Board for Queens College, and the Emil Verban Society.    

Peyronnin currently lives and works in New York with his wife, Susan Zirinsky, and daughter, Zoe.  Mr. Peyronnin joined the Columbia College Chicago Board of Trustees in 2005.

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Samuel E. Pfeffer (Lifetime Trustee) has been a member of the Columbia College board since 1980 and serves on various committees of the college. He has retired as a senior partner with the law firm of Pfeffer, Becker & Creveny, Ltd. of Chicago.

Mr. Pfeffer now devotes most of his time to various charitable and eleemosynary groups.  He is married to Paula, a professor of history at Loyola University in Chicago.  They have three daughters and eight grandchildren.  He and his wife reside in Wilmette.

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Stephen H. Pugh, the president and a founding partner of Pugh, Jones, Johnson & Quandt,  practices real estate litigation, directors and officers liability cases, general and complex corporate litigation, and represents local government entities.  He has appeared in numerous jury and bench trials and has argued before the United States Circuit Courts of Appeals and the Illinois Supreme Court. 

Mr. Pugh has tried many cases while representing the interests of national corporations in lease disputes. He also serves as a hearing officer for the Chicago Board of Education in contractor debarment termination proceedings.  He has acted as bond counsel for local governmental issuers of general obligation bonds, tax anticipation notes, tender notes, and certain revenue bonds.  His transactions have ranged from $1 million issues to complex $10 billion deals.

Mr. Pugh graduated from Loyola University Chicago in 1968, and Loyola University Chicago Law School in 1973, as a Woodrow Wilson Fellow.  Mr. Pugh served as law clerk to the Honorable James B. Parsons, United States District of Illinois (1973-1974), served as a special trial attorney for the United States Department of Justice (1974-1977).  He was associated with the law firm of Chapman and Cutler from 1978 to 1983 and served as partner from 1983 through 1991.

Mr. Pugh has lectured and participated as a panel member in many professional organizations.  He has authored several articles and has received numerous awards, including the prestigious Francis J. Rooney/St. Thomas Moore Award from Loyola University School of Law.    In the spring of 2005, he joined the board of trustees of Columbia College Chicago.  He has also served as a board member of Loyola University Chicago Law School (1981-1985), the Emergency Fund for Needy People, the Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago, and the Alliance of Business Leaders and Entrepreneurs.

Mr. Pugh and his wife, Margo, reside in Chicago.  They have four children and six grandchildren.

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Madeline Murphy Rabb, president of Murphy Rabb, Inc, is a private dealer and art consultant, providing clients with advisory services to conceptualize and curate diverse art programs and African American art collections.  Rabb has been actively participating in the visual arts world for more than 30 years as a studio artist, arts administrator, jewelry designer, collector, and world traveler. Over the years, the firm has built national and international relationships with artists, dealers, galleries, collectors, historians, and colleagues.  She brings these resources and expertise when advising and collaborating with corporate and residential clients.

In 1994, she started her own one-of-a-kind jewelry company, Madeline.  The jewelry is designed primarily for women who already own fine jewelry and who appreciate one-of-a-kind wearable art.  The collection includes necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and rings.  Her trademark, MagneTachTM broach is revolutionary.  The unique fastener is designed to protect women's fine fabrics such as silks, knits, wool, and leather from holes caused by traditional pins.  Rabb uses colorful, large, semi-precious beads, natural stones, silver beads, and findings.

Rabb's firm has created art programs, commissioned, and provided consultation to numerous corporate and private collections, including: Brown Capital Management, Northern Trust Chicago South Financial Center, Cityfront Place, AT&T, Ariel Capital Management, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Harris Bank and Trust, Evanston Hospital, Mercy Hospital, UBM Construction Management, MacArthur Foundation, Draper and Kramer, VOA Associates, the Chicago Park District, South Shore Bank, and John H. Stroger Jr., Hospital of Cook County.  Rabb has served as consultant to curators, architects, interior designers, real estate developers, facility managers, space planners, business owners, art consultants and private collectors.

She has also provided consultation to local, state, and national arts organizations and government agencies.  In 1992, she wrote the first Public Art Plan for the Evanston Library.  She served numerous local, state, and national panels, including Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs Public Art Committee, the Illinois Arts Council Grants to Major Cultural Institutions, and numerous National Endowment for the Arts panels and committees.  Keynote speeches and workshops have been presented to the Maryland Institute College of Art, Columbia College Chicago, Arts Midwest, Spelman College, New Orleans Museum of Art, American Visions Foundation at the Smithsonian Institution, Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Jamaica Art Center, and the United States Senate.

Before establishing Murphy Rabb, Inc, Rabb served as executive director of the Chicago Office of Fine Arts, Department of Cultural Affairs for more than 7 years where she oversaw a staff of 27 and a budget of 4 million dollars.  She was the first professional artist to head the city's cultural office.

Rabb holds the master of science degree in visual design from the Illinois Institute of Technology and a bachelor of fine arts degree in painting from the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, Maryland.  She has served on numerous boards and arts panels including Arts Midwest, the Joseph Jefferson Committee, the Southside Community Art Center, DuSable Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art Woman's Board, Sculpture Chicago, National Endowment for the Arts, and the Illinois Arts Council.

Currently, she serves as chair of the academic affairs committee of the Columbia College Chicago board of trustees, as well as serving on the woman's board of the Art Institute of Chicago, the Advisory Board of the Illinois Arts Alliance, and the alumni advisory board of the Maryland Institute College of Art.

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John P. Rijos is co-president of Brookdale Senior Living, Inc.  He has over twenty-five years experience in the acquisition, development, and operation of hotels and resorts.  Prior to joining Brookdale, he spent sixteen years with Lane Hospitality Group, owners and operators of over forty hotels and resorts, as president and chief operating officer.

He was president of High Country Corporation, a Denver based hotel development and management company, for five years.  He also served as vice president of operations and development of several large real estate trusts specializing in hotels.

Mr. Rijos is a graduate of Cornell University and serves on many tourist related operating boards and committees, as well as advisory committees for Holiday Inns, Sheraton Hotels, and the City of Chicago.

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Craig Robinson is Head Basketball Coach at Brown University. He was appointed on June 15, 2006. Prior to being named the 29th coach at Brown, Craig was the assistant basketball coach at Northwestern University since 1999.

Mr. Robinson is the fourth all-time leading scorer in Princeton basketball history with 1,441 points and was a two-time Ivy League Player of the Year.  He was a four-year letter-winner for the Tigers from 1979-83 and captain of the 1982-83 team.

After graduating from Princeton with a degree in sociology, he was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers in the fourth round of the 1983 NBA draft.  He played two seasons with the Manchester (England) Giants of the European Basketball League. He also served as the assistant to the general manager and public relations officer for Manchester.

He began his coaching career as an assistant coach at the Illinois Institute of Technology from 1988-90.  He was responsible for offense implementation, game strategy, recruiting, and advance scouting.

In 1990 he took a hiatus from coaching to work in the private business sector.  From 1990-92 he was a vice president and trust officer for Continental Bank and then served as a vice president for Morgan Stanley Dean Witter from 1992-1998.  In 1998 he began working with Loop Capital Markets as managing director.

Mr. Robinson earned his A.B. in sociology from Princeton University and M.B.A. in finance from University of Chicago.  He has a wife, Kelly and two children, Avery and Leslie, and they reside in Providence, Rhode Island.

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Shelley Rosen is a native of Chicago.  She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan.  For the majority of her twenty-year career, she has been working for leading global advertising agencies, where she has developed new relationships and managed global multi-national brands. 

Ms. Rosen was with the McDonald's Corporation for three years, where her role was two-fold.  In the International Marketing department, she led Global Brand Strategy for 120 countries.  She spearheaded the first effort, in the history of the decentralized company, to define and communicate the essence of the corporate brand to over 1.5 million employees in the global network.  The impact of this effort helped their overall leadership develop an annual business-planning process, and organize consumer communication.  This effort also led to a system-wide strategy for achieving greater levels of loyalty within its vast network. 

In 2001, Ms. Rosen joined Corporate Strategy to lead a global, cross-functional team to define the long-term growth strategy for McDonalds Corp.  Her team created new business ventures and platforms to add to the corporate growth portfolio, and to help achieve aggressive, long-term financial goals.  She also set principles in place for a leadership-training program meant to inspire their people to innovate from within their own culture. 

Shelley Rosen is now the CEO of Airlift, an innovative idea company in Chicago.

Ms. Rosen is the founder of a women's network called "Pink Think." "Pink Think" is designed to build confidence in women and to help them achieve their dreams through networking. 

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Janice Emigh Scharre, O.D., M.A.
Dean & Professor of Optometry,
Illinois College of Optometry

Janice Scharre, O.D., M.A. is a professor of optometry at the Illinois College of Optometry, Chicago, Illinois.  She is also the dean/vice president for academic affairs.  As the dean she oversees the didactic and clinical training programs in the four-year graduate level program of professional health care leading to the doctorate degree in optometry.  She has had extensive experience in institutional strategic planning and accreditation issues.  She chaired the college's first comprehensive strategic planning process "Prescription for Excellence."  She is also a member of the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education. 

Dr. Scharre is the former coordinator of the Rehabilitative Services and chief of the Pediatric/Binocular Vision Service of the Illinois Eye Institute of the Illinois College of Optometry.  She has lectured in the United States and Europe and conducted research on infant vision development, assessment techniques for infants and preschoolers and the visual assessment of children with special needs. 

Her publications include vision anomalies in children exposed to cocaine, visual skills of autistic children and visual development in children.  Dr. Scharre is a fellow in the American Academy of Optometry, the World Council of Optometry, Council of Vision Development and a Diplomat in the Binocular Vision and Perception of the American Academy of Optometry.

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Victor Skrebneski (Trustee Emeritus) was born in Chicago of Russian and Polish parents. He began his early years as a photographer in New York and Europe and opened his Chicago studio in 1952.

He attended The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (1943) and Moholy-Nagy's Institute of Design (1947-49).  His publications include:  Skrebneski (1969), Skrebneski Portraits (1978), Skrebneski:  Five Beautiful Women (1987), Skrebneski:  Blackwhite & Color (1989), Skerebneski: The Edge of Light (1991), Bravi, Lyric Opera of Chicago (1994), The Art of Haute Couture (1995), Women, Saks Fifth Avenue Couture Book (1996), Skrebneski: The First Fifty Years (1999), Steppenwolf's Skrebneski (2000), Moving Pictures (2005), and Skrebneski Seduced (2006).

His photographs are in the permanent collections of The Museum of Contemporary Photography of Columbia College Chicago, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, and The Los Angeles County Museum of Art.  A major fifty-year retrospective, "Skrebneski: The First Fifty Years," was organized at The Museum of Contemporary Photography in 1999.  Skrebneski is represented by Charles Cowles Gallery; New York, Couturier Gallery; Los Angeles, Galerie Vallois; Paris, and The Mayor Gallery, London.

Prior to joining the board, he was a longtime friend of the college.  In 1995 he received an honorary doctorate degree from Columbia College Chicago and established a scholarship fund in his name: The Victor Skrebneski Scholarship Award.  The fund is a full four-year scholarship available to incoming freshmen in the areas of photography, fashion design, or fashion/retail management.

Mr. Skrebneski resides in Chicago.

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Lawrence K. Snider is a retired partner of the law firm of Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw LLP, where he was continually listed in Best Lawyers in America and was also listed in Chambers Global: The World's Leading Lawyers.  He has written extensively on commercial law and is a member of several national honorary legal organizations.  Larry previously practiced law in Detroit where he served as chairman of the business law section of the Michigan Bar Association, as an adjunct professor of law at Wayne State University Law School, and as a member of the Michigan Council of the Arts.

He is an accomplished photographer with prints in the collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Museum of Contemporary Photography, and numerous others.  He is the chairperson of the Museum Advisory Committee of the Museum of Contemporary Photography of Columbia College Chicago, as well as a member of the photography committee of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Mr. Snider received his bachelor of arts degree from the University of Michigan in 1960 and a Juris Doctorate degree from the Law School in 1963.

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David S. Solomon, M.D. (Lifetime Trustee) has been a member of Columbia College Chicago's board since 1974.  He is a member of the academic affairs and planning committees.  He is a psychiatrist/psychoanalyst in private practice and received his M.D. from the University of Illinois.  He is a past president of the Chicago Society for Adolescent Psychiatry and a faculty member at the Center for Psychoanalytic Study and Chicago Institute for Psychoanalysis.  He serves as a council member of the International Council for Psychoanalytic Self Psychology.

Dr. Solomon is also a member of the faculty of the University of Illinois and has been widely published in medical and professional journals.

He is married to Dr. Brenda Solomon and resides in Glencoe.  They have two sons: Joshua, who is doing research in psychophysics of vision at City College in London, and Zachary, who is in psychiatric private practice in Highland Park, Illinois.

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Nancy Tom founded the Center for Asian Arts and Media at Columbia College Chicago in 1997 in order to highlight the contributions of Asian Americans to this country's culture and history.  Nancy has dedicated her life to promoting awareness of Asian American issues, art and cultures.  She is also committed to philanthropic activities and supporting other Asians in the arts.  After the death of her husband in the early 80s, she founded the Chan Tom Memorial Fund Foundation.  In 2001, Nancy established the Helen Fong Dare Scholarship, for Columbia College students, in honor of her mother.

Nancy is a long time crusader for social justice and an advocate for the arts.  She is a trustee of Columbia College Chicago, a board member of the Illinois Humanities Council, a member of four Cultural Committees of the CIty of Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs: Public Art, International Sister Cities, Multicultural Voices, and the International Program.  In addition, she has served as a member of the Asian Advisory Council to former Governor George Ryan, the Council on Foreign Relations, Asia Society Committee, the Art Institute of Chicago's Education Department and on the advisory board of many nonprofit Asian organizations.  In the 1980s, she served as a director and advisory committee member of the U.S. Asia Institute and organized the first National Asian American Conference Gala in Washington D.C.  Then-President Jimmy Carter served as keynote speaker.

Nancy has received numerous awards and honors for her community work in Chicago.  In 1997, she received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Organization of Chinese Americans-Chicago.  The OCA once again honored her in 2004 with the Woman Risk Taker and Enabler Award.  In 1998, she was chosen by Today's Chicago Woman as one of the "100 Women Making a Difference."  In 2003 she received a milestone award from the Asian American Institute.  She is a grant recipient of the Chicago Artists International Program in 1999.  She has spoken at numerous conferences, symposiums, and panel discussions hosted by organizations such as the U.S.-Asia Institute, the U.S. Army, the NSFRE Arts and Humanities Network, and the International Women's Associates.  Most recently, she was the Keynote Speaker at the Working Mother Media's annual women of color conference and a selection panelist for the 2005 Thomas Jefferson Awards.

Nancy's early passion for painting developed into an interest in collecting artwork, particularly "outsider" art.  She is an independent curator and has handled special arts events for the City of Chicago and various Asian-American organizations.  At the age of 71, Nancy has found a new passion for film/video, producing and directing her first documentary, "Number One: The Helen Fong Dare Story," and producing many short videos.

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Dempsey J. Travis is owner and president of Travis Realty Company, recognized as one of the largest African American businesses in America by Black Enterprise magazine.  For seven years, Ebony magazine has listed him as one of the most influential African Americans, and he has also been listed in Who's Who in Finance & Industry.

Mr. Travis is a noted historian and author of several best selling books.  He has served as trustee of a number of organizations including the Chicago Historical Society and Northwestern Memorial Hospital, to name just a few.

He holds a B.A. degree from Roosevelt University and is a graduate of Northwestern's School of Mortgage Banking.  He served in the United States Army for four years.

Mr. Travis is a Chicago native. He and his wife reside in Chicago.

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Allen M. Turner
The Pritzker Organization

Chairman of the Board

Allen M. Turner is chairman of the board of Columbia College Chicago's Board of Trustees.  In 1965, he joined the family investment firm The Pritzker Organization where he is now a partner.

Turner's business affiliations include serving as Chairman of the Executive Committee of Hyatt International Corporation; Chairman of the Board of Chicago Mill & Lumber Company, Greenville, Mississippi; and Chairman of the Board of McCall's Magazine (1974-1986).

His interest in theatre began in the 1970s and led to his involvement with Victory Gardens Theatre where he served as its first board chair.  Turner played a key role in guiding Victory Gardens Theatre to a position of financial stability.  Subsequently, he joined the board of the Goodman Theater, serving as the board chair from 1982 to 1985.

Turner served as chairman of the board of the Museum of Contemporary Art of Chicago, 1991-1996.  During that time he oversaw the construction of the current museum building and the completion of the Capital Campaign.  In five years, the MCA grew from its storefront operation to a world-class institution.

Turner's other activities as an arts advocate include:  Chairman of the Visiting Committee on Visual Arts at the University of Chicago.  He also serves on the committee on Modern and Contemporary Art at the Art Institute of Chicago; founding trustee, Pritzker Architecture Prize; trustee, Market Theater Foundation, Johannesburg, South Africa; trustee, Columbia College; and trustee, Newberry Library.

His academic activities include:  lecturer on American Theater, Cambridge University and Yale University and lecturer, School of Business Arts Management Program, University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Turner was appointed a Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from the Republic of France; honored as Knight Commander, The Sovereign Military and Hospitaler Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, Knights of Malta, Official Seat The Hague, Kingdom of The Netherlands; Honorary Member, Kings College, Cambridge University, England.  He also received the Distinguished Business Alumnus Award of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, School of Business.

He attended the University of Wisconsin, Madison where he received his bachelors of business administration degree in 1958.  He received his J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School in 1961.

Turner grew up on Chicago's South Side.  He and his wife, Lynn, reside in the Streeterville area of Chicago.  They have two adult children, Jennifer Turner Gordon and Christopher Turner.

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Helena Chapellin Wilson is a designer and fine art photographer.  She received her baccalaureate degree with a major in photography from Columbia College Chicago in 1976, after having completed her architectural studies in Caracas, Venezuela and studies in art history in Italy.

Born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela, she came to the United States in 1971.  In her native Caracas, she designed many noted corporate headquarters and private residences, and was chief interior architect and designer for the massive renovation of the presidential palace, La Casona, the presidential yacht and summer residence.  In Chicago, she is credited with the massive project to rehabilitate and redesign more than 100 public schools during the 1970s and early 1980s.

Her fine art photography is included in important private collections, and in the public collections of The Art Institute of Chicago, International Center of Photography, the Illinois State Museum, The Museum of Contemporary Photography at Columbia College Chicago, LaSalle National Bank, the National Gallery of Art and the Museum of Fine Arts in Caracas, and the New Orleans Museum of Art, among others. One-woman exhibitions of her work were held at the Galeria de Arte Nacional (The National Gallery of Art) in Caracas (1990), The Art Center in Hargate at the St. Paul's School, Concord, New Hampshire (1993), the Rachel Adler Gallery in New York (1994), reviewed in Art in America, (August 1994), and the group shows Illinois Photographers in the 90s: The Midwest Photographers Project (1996), Portraits: An Examination of Identity (1996), both at the Museum of Contemporary Photography, and American Photographers - Recent Acquisitions at The Art Institute of Chicago (1993).  She is listed in Who's Who in American Art. 

Until 1995, she served on the exhibition panel for Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs.  Currently she serves on the acquisition committee of The Museum of Contemporary Photography and on the Committee on Photography at The Art Institute of Chicago.  She has been active in Columbia College Chicago's alumni affairs for over 20 years.

She lives in the South Loop with her husband, Clarence, an attorney who concentrates his practice in intellectual property, commercial, and international law, and who was a United States diplomat in Caracas when they met in 1969.

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Robert A. Wislow and Camille Julmy founded U.S. Equities Realty in 1978 as a Chicago-based commercial real estate firm providing a full range of services to property owners, government entities, lenders, and tenants.  The company has grown to now include offices in Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Sao Paulo, Brazil, and Santiago, Chile. As chairman, Wislow spearheads U.S. Equities' ongoing expansion and oversees strategic planning for continued growth.  He has participated in real estate transactions valued at more than $4.0 billion, including more than 5 million square feet of office leases and 7 million square feet of developments. 

U.S. Equities developed the Harold Washington Library Center, the largest municipal library in the United States, and the 1.2 million square foot John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County, rehabbed and repositioned the John Hancock Center, and is currently overseeing the Millennium Park Donor Enhancement projects.  The firm also recently completed the development of new headquarter buildings for Bank Boston in Buenos Aires and Sao Paulo, and is currently developing a 1.6 million square foot headquarters for Compuware Corporation in Detroit.  U.S. Equities won unprecedented back-to-back ULI Awards for Excellence in 1998 and 1999 for the Harold Washington Library Center and the John Hancock Center projects, and in 2005 for Millennium Park. 

In addition to his business interests, Wislow is a community and civic leader.  He is the first real estate entrepreneur to serve as the Chairman of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce where he chaired the Chamber's Economic Development Committee for the past four years.  As co-chairman of the Chicago Development Council, he helped repeal the 1987 lease tax on office tenants and introduced a progressive new income tax formula to the Illinois legislature in 1988.  

Mayor Richard M. Daley appointed him to serve on the Mayors Fellow Program, FRAC (Financial Research and Advisory Committee),Civic Consulting Alliance, and the board of Metra.  He is a director of the Arts Club of Chicago and of the Marwen Foundation, which supports arts education for inner-city students.  and He also serves on the board of directors for The Chicago Public Library Foundation; the board of overseers for Rush Medical College; and the board of trustees for Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center, and North Central College. 

Wislow, a lifelong Chicagoan, joined Columbia College Chicago's board in 1993.  He and his wife, Susan, have two daughters and live in Lincoln Park.

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