Our Board of Directors and leadership team work together to ensure that Communities In Schools of Chicago cements its position as the nonprofit with the depth, breadth, and presence to empower Chicago’s students to succeed.
Jane Mentzinger
Chief Executive Officer
Since 2001, Jane has served as the Chief Executive Officer of CIS of Chicago, guiding the organization in developing strategies and tactics to create sustainable partnerships with schools and community organizations.
She is responsible for raising and managing our annual budget, as well as managing the CIS team of professionals who build relationships with Chicago Public Schools and community organizations, both key partners for our organization. Jane also works with the Board of Directors to develop and implement long-range organizational goals and fundraising strategies.
Overall, Jane sets our organizational vision for identifying, connecting, and sustaining high-quality and much-needed services in schools to create better futures for Chicago’s public-school students.
Jane has a strong background in nonprofit management, previously serving as Senior Vice President at Common Cause, a DC-based nonpartisan grassroots organization dedicated to building a strong democracy. She is a graduate of Princeton University.
Mark brady
Board Chair
Mark Brady was named Board Chair in 2021. He is a retired partner of William Blair & Company.
Mark joined William Blair in 1991 and was named partner in 1996. He successfully completed over 150 acquisition and financing transactions with companies domiciled in over 20 different countries. Mark also served on William Blair’s Fairness Opinion Committee.
Read Crain’s Chicago Business’s Q&A with Mark Brady: William Blair’s Banner Year and watch Mark in roundtable discussions with The Deal on the cross-border deal-making environment and how to make sure deals close.
Mark was awarded the 2012 Mergers and Acquisitions Magazine: Dealmaker of the Year and 2008 Investment Dealers’ Digest: Mid-Market Banker of the Year.
In addition to CIS of Chicago, Mark also serves as a Board Member of Mercy Home.
Mark has an MBA from the University of Chicago and a BA from Northwestern University in Economics.
Our Board of Directors
| Name | Company / Organization |
|---|---|
| Dr. Sherron J. Bibbie | Retired, Chicago Public Schools |
| Don Bielinski | SMB Interim Management |
| Craig A. Bondy | Bondy Capital |
| Mark Brady | Board Chair | Retired, William Blair & Company, LLC |
| Michelle Brown | Encore |
| Mary Capasso | PPM America, Inc. |
| Janel Daley | Board Secretary | Protera |
| Josh Gray | Vista Equity Partners |
| Jonathan Guryan, PhD | Northwestern University |
| Ryan D. Harris | Kirkland & Ellis LLP |
| Ralph Leslie | The Pew Charitable Trusts |
| Robin Letchinger | Brown & Brown IG, LLC |
| Bradley H. Meyers | GCM Grosvenor |
| Brian Moncrief | Board Treasurer | Ares Management Corporation |
| Marisa Murillo | Greenberg Traurig LLP |
| Jim Parsons | Retired, The Brinson Foundation |
| Adrian Perkins | Prospect Park, LLC |
| Matt Spiegel | TransUnion |
| Doug Warshauer | Retired, Kessler Warshauer Ventures |
| Jim Welch | Board Vice Chair | Nexgen Packaging LLC |
Our Leadership Council
The Leadership Council at CIS of Chicago builds our organization’s presence as a leader in Chicago’s nonprofit sector and supports brand-building activities and resource needs. The Leadership Council also provides feedback on how to position CIS of Chicago with companies, foundations, and community groups to help us reach our annual goals.
| Name | Company / Organization |
|---|---|
| Kage Brown | Hubbard Street Group |
| Ellen Carnahan | Machrie Enterprises LLC |
| Jodi Caro | Ulta Beauty |
| Robert Coulton | CIBC Private Wealth |
| Ada Dolph | Seyfarth |
| Alex Feld | The Pritzker Organization |
| Dinaz Mansuri | The Mayer and Morris Kaplan Family Foundation |
| Russ Monco | PwC |
| Brian Moncrief* | Ares Management Corporation |
| Evan Palenschat | Sidley Austin |
| Jim Parsons* | Retired, The Brinson Foundation |
| Paige Ponder | The University of Chicago Urban Education Institute |
| David Schuppan | Vistria Group |
| Stephen D. Smith | UBS Financial Services, Inc. |
| Maurice R. Swinney | Chicago Beyond |
| Natalie Tessler | Nonprofit and For-Profit Independent Strategy Consultant |
| Elizabeth Vaughan | Gallagher |
| Carmen Vega | NBCU Local Chicago |
| Georgia Vlamis | USG Corporation |
| Jim Welch* | Nexgen Packaging LLC |
*CIS of Chicago Board of Directors