VANDERCOOK COLLEGE OF MUSIC ASSOCIATE BOARD

MICHAEL TADIN, JR., President Bio forthcoming

BETH CARLETON Beth Carleton graduated from Indiana University with a Bachelor of Science in Arts Management and a minor in Studio Art with distinction. Currently she is the Development Assistant at American Theater Company and a Visitor Services Associate at the Richard H. Driehaus Museum. She is also a member of the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network, Women in Green, and Chicago Great Lakes Bioneers.

PHYLLIS CAVALLONE-JUREK Phyllis is the principal of St. Therese Chinese Catholic School, a Catholic elementary school in the Archdiocese of Chicago, focused on Chinese language, culture and STEM initiatives. She helped lead St. Therese to a 2011 U.S. Department of Educational National Blue Ribbon Winner, a 2012 School of Distinction Middle School Mathematics Finalist, and one of four 2012 Leader of Year Winners – Tech & Learning Magazine. A former high school and college mathematics instructor, she has also been involved in the review of

four middle school mathematical textbooks, and she is a frequent presenter and project manager for grants in the area of mathematics, science and technology instruction. Phyllis is currently involved in initiatives which support Just and Fair Assessment Practices, Singapore Mathematics Principles, International Educator Exchanges and is a licensed facilitator for educators regarding Common Core Mathematics.

AMY CHAN Amy is the Director of the Community Service Center and Associate Dean of Students at the University of Chicago. She has dedicated her career to student and community development through educational organizations in Washington DC, Boston, San Francisco, and Chicago. Prior to her current work at UChicago, she served as the Director of Youth Programs at the Coro Center for Civic Leadership in San Francisco, a national nonprofit founded in 1942 that provides intensive leadership training for students and professionals interested in public

affairs. She created partnerships with more than 200 community organizations to offer project-based internships for Coro participants. Under her leadership, Coro Youth Programs

received the 2010 Organization Award from the San Francisco Human Rights Commission. A Chicago native, Amy received her B.A. from Carleton College and her M.Ed. from Harvard University.

MICHAEL DONNELLY Michael is the founder of Red Suede Shoes, a national event management and consulting company. Michael graduated from the University of Colorado in 2009 with an honors degree in Communication and earned her MBA from the University of Phoenix in 2014. She is a native of the Chicago south side and no stranger to the arts. Prior to Red Suede Shoes, Michael worked as a Senior Account Executive and Event Coordinator with Techweek, the largest technology and innovation festival in the Midwest, securing local and national

sponsorships, managing event logistics, and aiding the growth of the conference from one to five cities in under two years. Michael is currently an active member of the Board of Directors at the Valentine Boys & Girls Club of Chicago and the Young Adults Board at the Beverly Arts Center.

STEPHANIE A. FITZPATRICK Stephanie is a second-generation owner and operator of Freddie’s Pizza in Chicago’s Bridgeport neighborhood. Stephanie studied business management at UIC and culinary arts at the Art Institute of Chicago. She applied her diligent business ethic and expertise in the kitchen to bring her family’s mom and pop shop into the 21st century. Stephanie attended St. Ignatius College Prep and St. Jerome School where she has recently become an active member of the school board. Stephanie has lived in Bridgeport her entire life and recently purchased a home in there with her husband Patrick.

MIKE GALLAGHER Mike is a three-dimensional: guitarist, keyboardist, and vocalist. A versatile artist educated by everything from books to the Blues. To accompany the compilations of sound at the core of his alternative rock style, audiences can hear remnants of country, R&B, and soul. Mike has been enlisted to perform with many of the industry’s most notable performers. This repertoire of artists range from different genres of music: Yolanda Adams, Bebe Winans (gospel), Roy Ayers (jazz), George Clinton (funk), Kindred and the Family Soul (R&B), Carole King (folk),

M.C. Lyte, Rhymefest (hip-hop) Rick Nielsen {Cheap Trick}, Jim Peterik {Survivor} (rock). While collaborating with this eclectic ensemble of artists, Mike has acquired great depth in his playing style as well as his writing. His versatile composing style has also afforded him the opportunity to create music for television shows such as “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” “Dr. Oz,” and MTV’s “Sixteen and Pregnant.” Carrying the legacy of his rocker dad, musical mentors, and all the gifted artists who have collaborated with him in his music, Mike continues to create, perform and develop his own musical footprint. Follow Mike Gallagher on Facebook/MusicMikeG and Twitter - @MusicMikeG

CONOR GEE Conor Gee is a Lead Marketing Communications Consultant for Health Care Service Corporation (which operates as Blue Cross and Blue Shield in five states including Illinois), the largest customer-owned health insurance company in the United States. Previously, he worked in marketing at Elmhurst Memorial Healthcare and as the Director of Marketing for Hearing Health Center. Conor is an active member of Rotary One, the world’s first Rotary Club and service organization, serving on its Board of Directors. He also serves as a member of the National Alumni Association Board for Spring Hill College, his alma mater, the Associate Board for the Chicago International Film Festival,

and the Associate Board for Vandercook College of Music. Prior volunteer involvements include Common Threads Associate Board, Chicago Coalition for the Homeless Associate Board, host committee member for Macy's Glamorama and mentor for Old St. Patrick's Church youth ministry programs. He has been mentioned in the book "Manager 3.0: A Millennial's Guide to Rewriting the Rules of Management" discussing his experiences as a Millennial manager. Conor received a bachelor’s degree from Spring Hill College, a MBA from Dominican University and is currently working on his Certificate in Non-Profit Governance at North Park University.

AAMER GHAFFAR Bio forthcoming

MATTHEW GIERUT Matt is Chief Operating Officer at Codal - an established global consulting firm focusing on business intelligence, design, development and compliance testing. He is heavily involved in driving long-term sales as well as developing and implementing innovative marketing efforts for Codal and its clients. As COO, Matt is tasked with making high-value decisions that affect Codal in a manner that promotes growth for the company and for its clients.

Matt is also very active in a program he helped co-found called Kickstart Chicago. This program helps provide the knowledge and education many small businesses need; offering expertise and guidance to businesses that lack necessary technology or are operating with outdated systems and provide them with the necessary financial and technological support. Through Kickstart Chicago, Matt hopes to help build the city’s reputation as a supportive and lucrative environment for business, no matter how small. Matt also co-founded KBMG Capital, which helps entrepreneurs establish a more technical presence through market leading technology. In his free time, Matt loves to play golf, engage in sports, and indulge in the best that Chicago has to offer.

MIKE GRILL Michael is a commercial litigation attorney with Holland & Knight, LLP. His practice centers on disputes among owners of closely held companies, actions involving financial and insurance products, breach-of-contract actions, and business torts. He dedicates significant time to pro bono legal services. Prior to his legal career, Mr. Grill worked at the Chicago blues label Alligator Records. He also spent several years on the Associate Board of the Merit School of Music.

KHARI MATTHEW HUMPHRIES Khari serves as Director of Community Life for the Community Builders, Inc. at Oakwood Shores, located in the Bronzeville community. At the Community Builders, he leads the planning and execution of programs that assist more than 2,000 residents of mixed-income housing in the areas of financial stability, asset development, youth development, education, workforce development, and community engagement. Khari earned a bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts in Sociology from St.

Xavier University. In addition, his other credentials or organizational affiliations include: Certified Trainer for Advancing Youth Development (AYD) and Supervising of Youth Development Practice (SYDP) of the National Training Institute of Community Youth Work; Certified External Assessor; Coach; and Youth Methods Trainer for the David P. Weikart Center for Youth Program Quality; Member of the City Club, Illinois Afterschool Network, Illinois Park & Recreation Association; Board member for the Youth Development Professional Association and the Kenwood Oakland Community Organization.

MATT JACOBSON Matt is currently a Group Sales Representative with the Chicago Fire Soccer Club. He attended the University of Northern Colorado where he received his Bachelor’s Degree in Recreation, Tourism and Hospitality and later attended Old Dominion University where he received his Master’s Degree in Sports Management. Matt was born and raised in Illinois and spent time living in both Colorado and Virginia. In his free time, Matt enjoys following all Chicago sports teams and spending as much time as he can outdoors.

ROCKY LANE

Rocky graduated from the University of Evansville in Evansville, IN, with a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science. He currently works for Direct Fitness Solutions where he is a sales representative for the northwest Indiana and Indianapolis areas. Prior to working at Direct Fitness Solutions, Rocky was general manager for a private health club in downtown Chicago for 10 years. He’s been involved in the fitness industry for over 20 years. He grew up in Chicago on the southwest side and attended De La Salle Institute. Rocky enjoys sports, music,

hunting and fishing. He resides in Valparaiso, IN, with his wife and three boys.

JIM LUCAS Jim is the president and principal of the Evanston Consulting Group. Jim has always been an avid student of human behavior, and has been very engaged in the development and practice of marketing for over 25 years. He has been a frequent author and speaker both domestically and globally in the area of shopper marketing and retail. Jim has held executive positions in planning, analytics and shopper marketing at DDB Needham, Campbell Mithun Esty, Frankel/Arc, Havas-Euro. Most recently was Global Director Retail Insights & Strategy at Draftfcb, and subsequently at Schawk.

Jim has also been very active in the academic/teaching community on consumer behavior and marketing in Chicago. He is a member of the adjunct faculty at Columbia College Chicago, University of Chicago, DePaul University, and at Lake Forest Graduate School of Management. Jim is a life-long resident of Chicago, and avid Cubs fan! He received his PhD from the University of Chicago in Sociology & Statistics and his MA and BA from Loyola University of Chicago. PAUL LUU

As the Chief Executive Officer of the Vietnamese Association of Illinois, Paul is a nonprofit advocate who is committed to building the capacity of the Vietnamese Association of Illinois (VAI). Paul works to strengthen the organization’s resource and development, board governance and development, and strategic planning to better serve the Uptown/Edgewater community and greater Chicagoland area. Paul offers a diverse range of approaches to VAI, drawing from 15 years experience in nonprofit management, organizational practices and

trainings, and nonprofit best practices. He is truly humble to serve those who need us most. SOPHIA MADANA

Bio forthcoming

JEAN-MARIE MINTON

Jean-Marie has served as a Chicago Real Estate Broker since 2002 after working briefly as an assistant to residential and commercial real estate appraisers. A Massachusetts’s native she is a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, with a degree in German. She continued her studies to become an opera singer at Boston's New England Conservatory and subsequently lived and worked in New York City, London and Florence. Moving to Chicago in 1985, she continued her career singing with Chicago Lyric Opera, The

Opera Factory, Chicago Opera Theater, the Grant Park Chorus and William Ferris Chorale until retiring officially in 2001. As a business person, with entrepreneurial and legal experience, she brings a high level of competency to marketing, contractual review and

negotiation. As a classically trained singer, Jean-Marie has consistently focused on attention to detail and excellence in performance. As a traveler, she is proud to call Chicago "home", where she and her husband raised two beautiful daughters. For the record, she hasn't entirely stopped singing... Look for her video recording of The National Anthem for the Washington Redskins in FedEx Field. KARL MAURER

Karl is a financial advisor working in Oak Brook, IL, where he assists families, business owners, and not-for-profits with investments and planning related services. He earned a BA in History and Accounting from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and an MBA in Finance from DePaul in Chicago. He has been a member of the Illinois CPA Society since 1984, and earned his Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA) designation in 2008. Karl is the former President of the Lurie Children’s Hospital Family Advisory Board, and helped in the design and

construction of the new hospital. He currently serves on the board of Lurie Hospital Legacy Partners (professional advisors who support the mission of Lurie). He has served as a director at the Will County Community Foundation since 2009, as a director of the Memphis-based Blues Foundation since 2012, and as a trustee of the University of St. Francis (Joliet, IL) since 2013. Other charitable interests include the Misericordia Home, the Miracle League of Joliet, and the Ronald McDonald Houses of Chicagoland. Karl is an avid guitar player, band leader and blues music ambassador, and enjoys performing for local schools and charities. He lives in New Lenox with his wife Gayle and their four boys. JENNIFER McCRACKEN

Jennifer is Vice President of Marketing for Lakeside Bank, where she is responsible for directing marketing strategies to increase profitability through in-depth marketing analysis and a comprehensive approach to achieving advertising, branding, event management and product development goals. Her marketing industry expertise includes banking, finance, real estate and asset management. Since she started with Lakeside in 2005, the bank has undergone a major re-branding and advertising campaign, launched numerous new products,

and developed several community outreach events that have contributed to the bank’s growth from $588 million to $1.1 billion in assets. Jennifer is also a licensed real estate broker, and is owner and CEO of Superior Improvements LLC, where she manages subcontractors for various remodeling projects, including rehab and rental of personally owned properties. An animal lover, Jennifer lives in Orland Park with her two dogs, and has volunteered for Peoples Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) for several years. SAMANTHA OWENS

Bio forthcoming

YOLANDA PEREZ Yolanda is an Account Representative at GE Capital Rail Services in Chicago. At GE she serves on the community service board for the Hispanic Forum Affinity Network. She is also a member of the Women's and Veteran's Network and an active participant with the Junior Achievement of Chicago organization. Born and raised on the south side of Chicago and a White Sox fan, she is a mom to two boys who are in college.

JAMIE PESO

Jamie is a Senior Strategist at Criteo and is responsible for managing the growth and strategic planning of some of the world’s largest retailers with a focus on increasing ecommerce revenue. She thrives in fast paced environments and enjoys providing strategic direction to her clients that make a positive impact on their bottom line. Jamie was born and raised on the south side of Chicago and attended St. Jerome School and Queen of Peace High School. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations and Marketing from Lewis University.

DARCI PINELLO

Darci is the General Manager at Tufano’s Vernon Park Tap restaurant. She is the fourth generation family member working along side her father, Joe. Darci graduated from DePaul University with a degree in Communication Studies. She also volunteers on Big Shoulder’s Auxiliary Board.

TIM POULAKIS

Tim is a sales specialist for KI Chicago where he has been recognized for Annual sales achievements, Rookie of Year, Highest Growth Year over Year. He is commonly acknowledged for his customer service skills and paying close attention to his customers’ requests. He focuses most of his time in the education and medium/large business marketplace. Tim is a sous chef by trade and his interests include, boxing, cooking, and traveling.

HOWARD RIAS

Howard is a Club Manager for the Boys & Girls Club Of Chicago, providing positive activities for students between the ages of 6 to 15 years of age. He is currently pursuing a degree in Criminal Justice with a career goal of becoming a Probation Officer. Howard has a son and when he finds the time, he loves to indulge in his favorite activities - working out and being a disc jockey.

ANDREW ROSENTHAL Andy is both a realtor for Berkshire Hathaway Home Services, and an accountant for McNabb, LLC. With experience working in the financial industry, and at a Fortune 500 company, Andy's greatest passion is helping start-up companies understand and develop their accounting systems. As a realtor, Andy most enjoys working with people to accomplish their real estate goals. Andy attended the University of Montana, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Accounting, and became an avid fly-fisherman.

DR. MARK SEDEVIC

Dr. Sedevic is a Sergeant with the Chicago Police Department. He is also an adjunct professor for the Justice, Law, and Public Safety Department at Lewis University. Dr. Sedevic was a member in the Minnesota and Illinois Army National Guard. He was called to active duty in Italy after 9/11 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Dr. Sedevic received his Doctor of Education degree from Olivet Nazarene University, his Master of Science degree from Lewis University, and his Bachelor of Arts degree from St. Mary’s University.

Dr. Sedevic’s affiliations include: Old St. Mary’s Parish Center Steering Committee member from 2013-present, Group Leader in the St. Jerome Church Youth Service Corps from 2004-2013, member of the Chicago Police Boxing Team from 2003-2004, and member of the St. Mary’s University Track and Field Team from 1996-1999. Dr. Sedevic resides in Chicago with his wife and two daughters. ROGER SCALISE

Roger has over 12 years of accounting & tax experience. He has worked with clients ranging from business startups to second & third generation owned entities in a wide array of industries including retail, commercial development and service. Roger's expertise is in assisting business owners and managers with tax planning and compliance issues. He has trained a multitude of clients on numerous accounting software programs and customized the programs to meet their individual business needs. Roger's specialties also include working with high net-worth individuals

in assisting them create estate plans to protect and grow their assets. DYANNA THOMAS

Dyanna is a Teen REACH Coordinator at Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago. She has been with the organization for over five years and working with children for over ten. She is dedicated to the advancement of Chicago's youth. She currently is a part of the strategic planning task force for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago where she provides all the input she can to ensure the youth have all that they deserve. She also serves her community and church as often as she can. ‘

TOM UNDINE Tom graduated from Loyola University of Chicago and is a licensed clinical social worker in private practice. He is experienced in working with youth, adults, and families. He has worked in an inpatient psychiatric hospital setting, as a school social worker, and in an outpatient clinic setting. He currently runs groups and sees individuals and families at his offices located in the Fine Arts Building in Chicago. He gives talks, consultation, and workshops at conferences, schools, and organizations in the Chicagoland area and elsewhere.

TATYANA VAYL

Tatyana Vayl has extensive experience in budgeting, forecasting, financial modeling, communications and project management. She is currently an Operations Manager for Accenture responsible for a global travel budget of $2B and development of analytics, reporting tools, processes, communications, and management of a team of analysts responsible for tracking savings and cost reduction. Previous assignments at Accenture included Sales and Pricing analytics and reporting, and enterprise workforce cost classification modeling. As a financial analyst, Tanya helped lead the conversion of Accenture’s legacy financial system to SAP

and the set-up of the organizations’ business structure in SAP including hierarchies, cost centers, profit centers elements and projects. Tanya is well-versed in financial reporting, business modeling and forecasting, development of analytics and reporting tools, complex data gathering and analysis, and project development and implementation. Ms. Vayl received her MBA in Strategy, Execution and Valuations from DePaul University in 2005, and earned her Bachelor of Arts cum laude in Economics and Chemistry at Lake Forest College. MELANIE VILLANUEVA

Melanie has over nine years of experience in auditing, accounting and consulting. Currently, she is an Internal Audit Consultant at R&M Consulting, a boutique consulting firm in Chicago that specializes in internal audit and tax. Prior to R&M, she was an auditor at Underwriters Laboratories and National Futures Association where she enjoyed traveling to numerous international and domestic locations. Melanie also spent three years at VanderCook as the Accountant in the Business Office. She graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-

Champaign in 2004 with a degree in Accountancy and obtained her CPA in 2008. In her spare time, Melanie enjoys cheering on the Bulls and the Illini, and Yelping about all the gems she discovers in Chicago and on the road. JONATHAN WITTIG

Jonathan was born and raised in San Antonio, TX. He moved to Chicago in 2002 to attend Loyola University Chicago where he earned a BBA in Marketing. Following graduation, he volunteered for a year in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood teaching health and nutrition in community schools. He then volunteered in the Philippines with an NGO to address poverty alleviation. In 2008, he continued work with the Filipino NGO traveling and speaking at colleges and universities across the U.S. to raise awareness. In

2010, he returned to Chicago and earned a master’s degree in Public Administration from

DePaul University. He is now a Director at Catholic Charities in Chicago, working with food sustenance and nutrition education. Jonathan is married to Lisa, they live in Uptown and have a daughter. JENNIFER ZHANG

Jennifer is a well-known multi-instrumentalist, singer, model, actress and host who has performed on stages worldwide. Recently crowned as 2015 Miss Friendship Ambassador of Chicago, she is granted the honor of representing Chicago in the 2015 Miss Chinese International Pageant in Hong Kong. Jennifer serves as Music Director of the Xilin Art Academy, Music Advisor for the Meifeng Ensemble at Valparaiso University, and a

member of the popular modern Chinese music duo Jennifer & Isabelle. "Jennifer's performance is a beautiful scene in Chicago. She not only captured attention from the audience, but she also charmed fellow musicians, fans and critics, " said the Singtao Daily. She has graced the stages of many notable venues in Chicago, including the Chicago Cultural Center, the Navy Pier, and the Daley Plaza, and has traveled for performances around the world in major cities such as Los Angeles, New York, Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe, Shanghai, Beijing and Hong Kong. Invited as a judge for the Voice of Chicago Singing Contest, as well as many voice competitions at major universities in Chicago, she has been featured in numerous publications and has appeared on television in both the U.S. and China. Outside of music, Jennifer is also an award-winning model, actress and host. In 2009, she received the Emerging Star Award for China's National Print Model Competition. Jennifer has been a runway model for many fashion shows, including being invited as the opening model for the 2013 Latino Fashion Week. As an actress, Jennifer has appeared in many short films, musicals, and TV shows on major networks such as MTV and the Style Network. She is also the first prize winner of the sixth annual CCTV Outlook Talent Competition in Shanghai. Jennifer's talent for hosting was recognized at the age of three, when she was chosen as a child co-host for the Ping Pong Opening Ceremony of the 11th Asian Games in Beijing. She has since emceed at countless major events and evening galas in both Chinese and English. Jennifer graduated from Northwestern University, and is the proud owner of a fine arts company and serves as PR chair for an upcoming social media app company. Involved in numerous social and charitable causes, she founded the Northwestern University Club of China and serves as Director of the Asian and Asian American Alumni Association (NU-A5) for her alma mater. She is also a member of the Overseas China Education Foundation (OCEF). She has often volunteered, performed and fundraised for many needy children, senior citizens and under-privileged families.