Speakers

Brian Whittaker is the founder and executive director of Humans of Public Service. He is also a Bloomberg Public Innovation Fellow with the  Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at JHU. An Afro-Latino tech leader, Brian grew up watching family members serve as a teacher, nurse, and police officer, and eventually found his own way into public service after starting his career in the private sector.

In the federal government, Brian led 18F and the Centers of Excellence, where he used technology to make government services more equitable and accessible, working on everything from streamlining farm loan applications to revamping how civil rights claims are submitted and processed. He later served as Chief Innovation Officer at the FDIC, where he built the agency’s Innovation office and guided its exploration of emerging technologies.

Today, Brian’s focus is on a different kind of infrastructure: trust. Through Humans of Public Service, he has documented public servants across 34 states, building a community of nearly 10,000 people who see government differently, as a place filled with people worth knowing.

Dr. Kate Albrecht is an Assistant Professor of Public Policy, Management & Analytics who specializes in network analysis, collaborative governance, and interdisciplinary approaches to understanding complex social systems. Her research explores critical areas including collaborative interactions between government and nonprofit organizations for community health, network evolution methodologies for understanding policy challenges, and innovative strategies to improve access and equity in public service delivery. She has produced significant translational research through her engagement with the Institute for Policy and Civic Engagement and the Government Finance Research Center in CUPPA.

Since 1993, Kari Branham has been a key member of the Illinois Department of Human Services, focusing on the public social sector. Her expertise lies in monitoring and setting benchmarks for workload, staffing, and productivity, along with spearheading initiatives for program and process enhancements. Over her three decades at IDHS, Kari has taken on multiple administrative positions, including the last two years as Senior Projects Administrator. In this capacity, she played a pivotal role in organizing and executing program activities vital for the successful implementation of the Reimagine Public Safety Act. Kari’s professional development includes certifications like Conflict Resolution/Mediation Skills Training from Northwestern University, and she’s a two-time recipient of the Social Security Administration Disability Program national awards.

Clarisol A. Duque

State Director for U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin

Clarisol Duque serves as State Director for U.S. Senator Richard J. Durbin.  In this role, Clarisol leads all aspects of Sen. Durbin’s State office operations and personnel.  Clarisol works on a wide-range of federal issues including healthcare, education, environmental justice and violence prevention and immigration.  Clarisol’s focus is on serving the needs of all communities in Illinois by working closely with community-based organizations, advocacy groups and partnering with elected officials and agencies at all levels of government.

Clarisol led the launch of Sen. Durbin’s Chicago HEAL (Hospital Engagement, Action and Leadership) Initiative, a collaboration between Senator Durbin and 10 major Chicago hospitals to reduce violence and improve health.  The Chicago HEAL Initiative addresses the root causes of violence through three main areas of impact: economic strategies, community engagement efforts and clinical practices.  The Chicago HEAL hospitals have committed to advancing these efforts in 18 neighborhoods on the West and South sides of Chicago.

Clarisol has dedicated much of her career to supporting Sen. Durbin’s efforts to pass the Dream Act.  She’s worked on the Dream Act since before it was introduced in Congress.  Sen. Durbin is the author of the Dream Act, and he has reintroduced the bill in every session of Congress since 2001, working tirelessly for its passage.

In addition to serving as a community advocate in her professional life, Clarisol serves on the Board of Directors for the Big Shoulders Fund, the largest scholarship provider in Chicago.  And she also serves on the Board of Directors for the Illinois Women’s Institute for Leadership Training Academy, whose mission is to grow the number of Democratic women who run for elected office.

Clarisol is a former member of the City Colleges of Chicago Board of Trustees, where she served as Secretary of the Board and Chair of the Finance and Administrative Services Committee.  The City Colleges of Chicago is one of the largest community college systems in the nation.

A Chicago native, Clarisol was raised in the Humboldt Park neighborhood, and is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Emily A. Egan, AICP, is the Director of Community Development for the Village of Wilmette, IL, where she leads initiatives in long-range planning, zoning, land use, and business development. With more than a decade of experience in municipal planning across the Chicago region, Emily has played a key role in shaping community plans, guiding development processes, and engaging a wide range of stakeholders.

Her previous positions include Development Services Director for the Village of Oak Park, Director of Community Development for the Village of Brookfield, and Assistant City Planner for the City of Elmhurst. She holds a Master of Urban Planning and Policy from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a B.S. in Liberal Studies from Grand Valley State University.

Emily is a certified planner, President of the Illinois Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA-IL), and an active member of several professional organizations, including Lambda Alpha International (Ely Chapter), Women in Planning and Development (WP+D), and the Municipal Design Review Network (MDRN). She is passionate about creating vibrant, inclusive communities and fostering collaboration across the planning profession. In her free time, she enjoys spending time outdoors—biking, hiking, or camping with friends and family.

Kevin Jackson is the Village Manager of Oak Park, IL and has served in this capacity since March 2022.  Prior to assuming his role as Oak Park’s Village Manager, he served for more than four years as Deputy City Manager of Long Beach, California.  Kevin also spent more than nine years as Neighborhood Services Director for the City of Champaign, IL., after serving in progressive roles with the cities of Phoenix and Glendale, Arizona.

His career in local government spans more than 28 years, reflecting a combination of general administration and community development experience,  facilitating successful community, interagency and public-private partnerships and innovations in affordable housing; neighborhood  development; community reinvestment; police-community relations; economic development; public infrastructure; public health and community safety; youth development; public engagement; equity and inclusion; sustainability; cultural heritage initiatives; and, oversight of intergovernmental relations and public affairs  and various water quality and transportation initiatives.

He holds a Master of Public Administration and bachelor’s degrees in psychology and sociology from Arizona State University and maintains memberships with the ICMA and NFBPA.

Rene Leyva is a library leader and advocate for lifelong learning, a strong supporter of intellectual freedom, and dedicated to promoting equitable access to library services throughout Illinois. He currently serves as Executive Director of the Fossil Ridge Public Library District, supporting communities across Will, Kankakee, and Grundy counties, where he works to remove barriers to library resources for both residents and non-residents.

Rene has been a consistent champion for all types of libraries throughout the state. He previously served on the Board of Directors for Reaching Across Illinois Library System (RAILS), representing over 1,200 libraries in northern and west-central Illinois, where he also held the role of President. He is now the Vice President/President-Elect of the Illinois Library Association, an organization that supports nearly 2,000 individual members and more than 500 institutional members throughout Illinois.

As a first-generation college graduate, Rene earned his MLIS degree from Dominican University. He has actively advocated for expanding continuing education opportunities across library systems, helping create more equitable pathways for professional growth and long-term success in the field. His work centers on strengthening the library profession, supporting library workers, and ensuring libraries remain essential pillars of public service and civic life.

Rebekah has built a career tackling challenging urban development issues through her work in both the public and private sectors. She is President and CEO of Civic Consulting Alliance, a nonprofit organization bringing together collaborative, pro bono investments to get big things done for the Chicago region. Prior to joining the organization in March 2020, Rebekah spent years contributing to the organization’s mission: as a partner that provided pro bono consulting services, and as a client who leveraged those services to improve the region’s transportation.
From 2014 – 2019, Rebekah served as Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Transportation, where she spearheaded many of the Emanuel Administration’s key transportation initiatives. Her achievements include overseeing the Vision Zero Chicago traffic safety plan, the Riverwalk, the 606, the Loop Link, the Union Station Transit Center, new CTA elevated stations at Washington-Wabash and Cermak Road, new pedestrian and bike bridges over Lake Shore Drive at 35th and 41st Streets, the transportation planning process for improvements needed for the Obama Presidential Center, and the citywide “smart” street lighting modernization.

Rebekah also served as the Chief Planning Officer and a Senior Vice President at the Chicago Transit Authority, where she handled strategic planning for major capital projects including the Red Purple Modernization and Red Line Extension, and introduction of Bus Rapid Transit service improvements. Before that, she worked as an attorney at Mayer Brown, representing public and private sector clients on major infrastructure and transportation projects. Earlier she worked in real estate development specializing in affordable housing and public housing redevelopment.

Rebekah has a BA in Urban Studies from Brown University and both her JD and MBA from Northwestern University. She is on the Board of Directors for the Civic Federation and Woodstock Institute, as well as a member of the Economic Club and The Chicago Network. She lives with her family in the Logan Square neighborhood of Chicago.

Deanna Shoss has served as the director of communications and outreach for the City of Chicago Office of Inspector General since November 2022.

Deanna joined the OIG with tremendous experience in media, communications, and community engagement across the public, private, and not-for-profit arenas. Previously, Shoss founded Intercultural Talk, Inc. a digital, intercultural, and real-life marketing agency. She enjoyed eleven years in City government (notably, she personally got the dinosaur at O’Hare International Airport through security), being past President of the League of Chicago Theatres, leading Public Relations for McDonald’s Owner/Operators of Eastern New England, and directing marketing and communications for Jewish Child & Family Services and JVS Chicago.

She holds a BA in comparative literature from Indiana University-Bloomington, an MA in integrated professional studies (anthropology/marketing) from DePaul University, and is an AFAA Certified Group Fitness Instructor.

Drew Williams-Clark is the Director of Build Up Cook in the Bureau of Asset Management at Cook County (Illinois). Build Up Cook builds municipal capacity to address capital and infrastructure needs through technical assistance providing project management, asset management, fundraising, engineering, and construction support. He has a background in urban planning, water infrastructure, green infrastructure, and affordable housing. He has held leadership positions at the Metropolitan Planning Council, Center for Green Technology, Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, and Village of Oak Park. In his spare time, he enjoys gardening and leading his son’s Cub Scout den.

Katie Bell, P.E. is a civil engineer with over 18 years of experience in the transportation industry. She has worked on a variety of multi-modal projects in the planning, design, and construction phases throughout her career. In her current role as Associate Director of Project Development at the Cook County Department and Highways (CCDOTH), she oversees the development of CCDOTH’s capital budget and multi-year program as well as provides leadership and oversight for technical Divisions which fall within CCDOTH’s Bureau of Project Development (Programming, Project Studies, Traffic Studies, and Mechanical/Electrical). Prior to joining CCDOTH, Katie also worked at the Chicago Transit Authority and AECOM.

Dr. Karlia N. Brown is a Senior Research Specialist at the Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy (IRRPP) at the University of Illinois Chicago, where she began over two years ago as a Postdoctoral Research Associate. Karlia is a trained researcher specializing in qualitative methods with experience conducting research in policy, nonprofit, academic, philanthropic, and tech sectors. She received her M.A. and Ph.D. in Sociology from Northwestern University, after completing her B.A. at Vanderbilt University. Karlia works to balance her lifelong passion for service with research positions centered in advancing equity and community development.

Karlia began her career working in the nonprofit sector at a small reentry organization, before returning to her native Chicago for graduate school. From 2018 to 2022, she worked with the Center for Neighborhood Engaged Research & Science (CORNERS) Lab at Northwestern University where she evaluated the multi-year Chicago Neighborhood Policing Initiative and collected data for the National Violence Interruption Workers Study. Karlia has also explored research opportunities outside of the academic and policy realm, including working with the MacArthur Foundation’s Chicago Commitment team, the Market Research team at Thumbtack, Inc.

Karlia continues to use her research skills and sociological expertise to influence policy that improves the lived experiences of overlooked and underserved populations including returning citizens; low-income families; unhoused individuals; and survivors of violence and abuse. Through her work at IRRPP she has helped publish three reports with the Illinois Department of Human Services Office to Prevent and End Homelessness addressing racial inequity and food insecurity among unhoused individuals in the state.

When she isn’t conducting research, Karlia spends her time reading witchy fiction books, napping in the sun, and drinking matcha lattes by the gallon.

Liz has spent more than 25 years as a trusted partner to businesses, communities, and local governments building stronger local economies across the U.S. As Assistant Director of Economic Development for the Village of Schaumburg, she specializes in business retention and attraction, TIF district management, grant administration, and marketing. She works hand-in-hand with businesses and developers to drive growth across four TIF districts that have collectively generated over $400 million in new development for the village.

Previously, as Economic Development Coordinator for the Village of Winnetka, Liz attracted 50 new businesses and helped drop the commercial vacancy rate from 25% to 2%. Her earlier work at the North River Commission in Chicago’s Albany Park community secured over $200 million in public and private investment and earned national recognition as a finalist for the State Farm/LISC Spirit of Revitalization Award. She launched her career as a LISC AmeriCorps member, and her experience spans from downtown revitalization in Beloit, WI to community development for underserved colonia communities on the Texas-Mexico border.

Liz holds an MPA from CUPPA at UIC and is a candidate for IEDC’s Certified Economic Developer designation. She is passionate about creating vibrant, resilient local economies where businesses and communities grow together. Off the clock, she’s a devoted champion of Chicago’s most underrated export: tavern-style thin crust pizza, cut in squares, the way it was always meant to be.

Lindsay Hollander has more than two decades of experience in data‑driven analysis and fiscal policy.  In her role with Cook County’s Office of the Chief Financial Officer, she leads financial planning and forecasting efforts and develops policies that strengthen the County’s fiscal sustainability.  Prior to joining Cook County, she served as a policy analyst for the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, focusing on transportation funding, tax policy, and economic development.  Lindsay began her career as a fiscal analyst with the Michigan Senate Fiscal Agency, where she developed a lasting interest in government finance and public policy.

Joe serves as Executive Director, leading the south suburban land bank’s operations and strategic planning. He has over a decade’s experience in public service with expertise in planning, redevelopment, public policy, and economic development. Before joining the South Suburban Land Bank & Development Authority, Joe worked as a public policy advisor in the Pacific Northwest with a focus on housing and homelessness. Prior to that, he spent eight years in Gary, IN as Executive Director of the Gary Redevelopment Commission, Director of Planning, and as a senior advisor to the Mayor. Joe has also served as an at-large board member on the Tacoma Community Redevelopment Authority and as the inaugural Chair of the Land County (IN) Land Bank Authority. He holds a graduate degree in Urban Planning and Policy from the University of Illinois at Chicago and an undergraduate degree from Fordham University.

Ana Maria Vasquez-Gomez is a  Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in the state of Illinois with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. Ana currently serves as Associate Manager of School-Based Services at the Marjorie Kovler Center, Heartland Alliance International (HAI), where she lead and coordinate all school-based programs within Chicago Public Schools (CPS). In this role, I ensure the delivery of high-quality, trauma-informed care for immigrant and refugee youth and their families, including individual and group therapy, faculty training, caregiver psychoeducation and psychosocial support.

About Heartland Alliance International & Marjorie Kovler Center:  HAI is a

global human rights organization advancing the health and human rights of marginalized communities. HAI

provides trauma-informed mental health care, access to justice for survivors of rights abuses, and stigma-free

health services. Through innovative, equity-driven approaches, HAI promotes human rights protections and

gender equality across its global and U.S.-based programs.

HAI’s Marjorie Kovler Center (MKC), based in Chicago, is a nationally recognized treatment center for survivors of

torture and severe trauma and their families. Serving individuals from more than 60 countries, MKC provides

trauma-informed, culturally responsive mental health, medical, and social services. The center also advocates for

the end of torture worldwide and for the rights of immigrant and refugee communities.

Reuben Waddy currently works SomerCor 504, Inc., a financial institution that provides SBA loans in the State of Illinois and administers two grants for the City of Chicago. In his role as Vice President and NOF Program Director, Reuben oversees the administration of the Neighborhood Opportunity Fund (NOF), a grant that supports businesses on the South and West sides of Chicago. To date, the program has successfully disbursed over $20 million dollars in grant financing to 131 completed projects whose project costs total over $80 million. In the past, he worked for the Housing Development Consortium of Seattle-King County as a Racial Equity Initiative Coordinator and World Business Chicago as a Business Relationship Associate for the Chicago Anchors for a Strong Economy (CASE) initiative.