Adjunct Faculty

The adjunct faculty at North Park University's School of Business and Nonprofit Management are part-time faculty members who are professionals in the business, government, and non-profit sectors. These unique individuals bring a wealth of real world experience into the classroom.

Katherine Acles

Director of Operations, School of Business and Nonprofit Management, North Park University
MS, University of Michigan
MBA, University of Chicago

Ms. Acles oversees the operational function of the School of Business and Nonprofit Management. She is responsible for program course scheduling, instructor assignments, management and support of adjunct faculty, and various other activities necessary for the day-to-day operation of the school. Prior to joining North Park, Ms. Acles had an extensive career in the telecommunications industry, introducing new leading-edge technology products to the market. She began her career in R&D as a software engineer with world-renowned Bell Laboratories and advanced to senior product management roles within AT&T/Lucent Technologies/Alcatel-Lucent. In addition to her administrative role at North Park, she also teaches marketing and IT courses. Ms. Acles is very active in her church, serving as a trustee and teaching orientation classes for new members. She also volunteers with several educationally focused nonprofits.

Michelle Aronson 

Human Resources Director, Swedish Covenant Hospital
MBA, University of Illinois

Michelle Aronson has 15 years of professional experience in human resources and is currently employed as the director of human resources at Swedish Covenant Hospital, an urban, nonprofit, 230-bed teaching hospital with over 2,500 employees. Her professional experience includes benefits, compensation, recruitment, employee health, wellness, organizational development, and strategy. Michelle received national recognition for Swedish Covenant Hospital when she pursued the Gold Level Award from the Wellness Council of America, where Swedish Covenant Hospital was listed as one of "America’s Healthiest Companies." Michelle is an active member of the Society for Human Resources Managers (SHRM) where she holds a Senior Professional Certification.

Paul Backlund

Owner, Backlund Associates, Ltd. and Backlund & Crawford
MBA, Northwestern University

Paul currently owns two companies: Backlund Associates, Ltd. (a management consulting firm) and Backlund & Crawford (a marketing and relationship building company). Over the years he has enjoyed a varied and increasingly prominent career in the management of several businesses. From new product launches to mergers and acquisitions, employee benefits to education, Paul has directed sizable organizations in the achievement of their profit and performance objectives. His experience includes a range of high-level positions in human resources, higher education, strategic planning, marketing, business development and management consulting. In addition to his business career he has served on the boards of the Evanston YMCA and Covenant Village in Northbrook, Ill. He has also enjoyed an academic career having taught part-time for many years in North Park University's Graduate School of Business and Nonprofit Management and Keller's Graduate School of Management.

Henry Balani

Managing Director, Accuity NRS
MBA, Northern Illinois University
PMP, Project Management Institute

Mr. Balani is responsible for managing the professional services practice for Accuity NRS. He provides overall direction and leadership to the group, ensuring client engagements are delivered in a timely and consistent manner with the highest levels of customer satisfaction. Prior to joining Accuity NRS, Mr. Balani was managing consulting practices with some of the largest professional services organizations in the world, including Accenture and IBM. Mr. Balani was most recently with Pegasystems as the consulting director in their financial services practice. At IBM he was the director of client services in the software group where he successfully managed Lotus' delivery capability in web-application development consulting engagements. Mr. Balani is an active member of ACAMS, is CAMS certified and has spoken at various conferences on topics related to compliance and payments efficiency.

Janet Borggren

Sr. Content Strategist, Razorfish
MA, University of Chicago

Janet Borggren has more than 20 years of experience in management and technology consulting. Some of her more interesting projects were designing the user interface for an online electricity marketplace, developing a program to “re-tool” an international IT practice, managing content for a corporate website, creating business processes for an internet start-up, identifying and qualifying marketing opportunities targeted at utilities CIOs, managing a project team split between Chicago and Manila, and working with Second City to write a video mocking “consultantese.” Janet has served as chair of her local church and on the executive boards of the Covenant Children’s Home and the Central Conference, where she led the search process for a new Conference Superintendent. In addition to North Park University, she has taught at Kendall College and University of Illinois, Chicago.

Velma (Lisa) Brown

Immediate Consumption Manager, Walgreens
MHRM, Keller Graduate School of Management
MBA, Keller Graduate School of Management

Lisa Brown has been with Mars, Inc. for 21 years. She is currently responsible for $100 million in Mars Chocolate retail sales at Walgreen's stores in North America (including Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and Alaska) as well as managing a national broker responsible for $11 million in regional drug customer sales. She serves on the Metro Advancement Council, a committee of the Board of Directors of the Midtown Educational Foundation.

Juan Calixto

Owner and Principle Consultant, Ideation First
MPA, Roosevelt University

Juan Calixto, CFRE, is owner and principle consultant for Ideation First, a firm that provides management and fundraising counsel to nonprofit and public agencies. He launched his fundraising consulting practice in 2007 after working for 20 years in the social service sector. He was the former director of development for Mujeres Latinas en Acción and Spanish Coalition for Jobs. He also was a center director for Chicago Youth Centers. Calixto is co-founder of Latinos in Development and served as the first president of this professional association. He is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and was awarded the Chicago chapter's President's Award. He has conducted training for various organizations, helping them to increase their philanthropic opportunities. He has presented workshops at the national/local level and has organized various conferences on fundraising and nonprofit management.

Emile Cambry

Social Entrepreneur
MBA, Northwestern University

Emile Cambry, Jr. received his bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Chicago and his MBA from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management. Emile has experience in Investment Banking for J.P. Morgan Chase, was the Interim CEO of a Certified Public Accounting firm, and co-founder of MetroWorks, an award-winning film production company. Emile is the Founder and CEO of social entrepreneurship projects, the 21st Century Youth Project and the Chicago Film Group, and Festival Director of the Chicago International Social Change Film Festival. Emile is an Ideas Award Fellow, recognizing "leaders and change agents of the world tomorrow, who are making a huge impact on their local and regional communities today."

Alese Campbell

Executive Director, GLMV Chamber of Commerce
MBA, North Park University
CPA

Alese Campbell, CPA started her career with Touche Ross, now Deloitte, as a staff auditor and moved on to become a successful entrepreneur for 14 years. Alese owned two convenience store franchises with sales in the top 10 percent. She followed her entrepreneurial path directing a SBA funded program as director of the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at the College of Lake County. The SBDC program is designed to assist prospective and current entrepreneurs jump-start or expand their business. Currently, Alese is the executive director of the GLMV Chamber of Commerce with over 500 members serving the communities of Green Oaks, Libertyville, Mundelein, and Vernon Hills. Alese served on the Mundelein Economic Development Commission for six years, and serves on the advisory boards for local nonprofits BENNU and YWCA.

Mae Elise Cannon

Adjunct Faculty, North Park University
MA, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
MDiv/MBA, North Park Theological Seminary and North Park University
Doctoral Studies, University of California—Davis

Mae currently serves as the senior campaign and policy analyst—Jerusalem/West Bank for World Vision USA. She is a pastor, writer, activist, and academic who cares deeply about God's heart for the world through righteousness and justice. She is the author of Social Justice Handbook: Small Steps for a Better World (IVP, 2009), which won the 2010 Outreach Magazine Resource of the Year Award in the category of justice. Cannon previously served as a consultant to the Middle East for child advocacy issues for Compassion International. She is an ordained pastor in the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC) and worked as the executive pastor of Hillside Covenant Church located in Walnut Creek, Calif. She has also served as director of development and transformation for extension ministries at Willow Creek Community Church in Barrington, Ill. Cannon is on the board of Evangelicals4Justice and the Theology Task Force for Christian Community Development Association (CCDA).

Marie Carr

Partner in Financial Services, PricewaterhouseCoopers
MBA, University of Chicago
PhD, Hope Bible School and Seminary

Ms. Carr has worked management consulting for the past 15 years and is a principal at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). She is a member of the leadership team for the US financial services advisory practice as the co-lead of the insurance growth and revenue team (strategy practice) and the market awareness team (intellectual capital). In addition to her work in management consulting, Ms. Carr is on the ministerial board of Christian Heritage Training Center where she serves as the minister of music and as the president of Finance: According to Your Faith (FATYF), which is a Christian financial education ministry. Since 2006, FATYF has been seen in more than 100 countries and the teachings, workshops, and classes have helped a broad range of audiences such as churches, conferences, youth programs, and universities. In 2010, Ms. Carr was awarded the Outstanding Women in Finance and Philanthropy award by Dorothy Brown, Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County.

Greg Crawford

Vice President, Human Capital Management, American Westbrook Insurance Services
MA, Governors State University

As a certified professional in human resources, Greg Crawford brings more than 20 years of human resources management experience to his current position as vice president, human capital management. In addition to Greg’s human resources background, he has held sales and marketing positions with the Signature Group as vice president—employer marketing, Adecco as area vice president, and with the TJ Adams Group as vice president—human capital management. He has also been a guest lecturer at the Axelson Center for Non-Profit Management’s “BootCamp” for new non-profit CEO’s, and has served as a member of North Park University’s board of trustees for 10 years. Greg has held leadership positions that include director of employment for Empire BlueCross/BlueShield of New York, and director of human resources for the start-up operations of National Futures Association and manager—human resources for the Chicago Board of Trade.

John DeFoggi

Independent Consultant
MBA, Olivet Nazarene University
DBA, Anderson University

Dr. DeFoggi has been a lecturer at North Park University since 2007. He is the president of Business Process & Technology Management, LLC, which is a consultancy that serves the medical industry with both technical and marketing medical device expertise. His professional interests are in innovation, product development, market research, user and use assessment, and product market introductions. He is named in two medical device patents and has published a journal article in Journal of Applied Business and Economics. John is a member of the human factors engineering committee with AAMI (Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation), which is a national standards committee.

Christa Beall Diefenbach

Associate Director, The Axelson Center for Nonprofit Management, North Park University
MBA, North Park University

Christa has worked for over 15 years in development, communications, and event management for nonprofits that range in size from small to multi-million dollar institutions. She launched successful major gift campaigns at two human services organizations, raising over a million dollars through major gifts and grants. Christa currently serves as associate director of the Axelson Center for Nonprofit Management, Chicago’s premier nonprofit leadership development organization. At the Center, she teaches nonprofit management workshops, organizes educational programs such as the annual Symposium for Nonprofit Professionals and Volunteers, and leads all grant writing and marketing activities. Diefenbach is also the executive director of the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance program at North Park University, where she helps to educate the next generation of nonprofit leaders. She volunteers for several nonprofit organizations, including The Bridge Youth & Family Services in Palatine, Ill.

Jeff Dillard

Attorney, Dillard and Noel, Attorneys at Law
JD, Illinois Institute of Technology-Kent College of Law

Jeff serves on the board for National Covenant Properties where he offers counsel and advice to this quarter billion dollar lending affiliate of the Evangelical Covenant Churches of America; the Advisory board for North Park University's School of Business and Nonprofit Management; and the Charles Stepney Foundation, a music and arts organization. He formerly served a two-year term as moderator for the Annual Meeting of the Evangelical Covenant Church and chairman of their Urban and Ethnic Committee. Mr. Dillard received the Chicago-Kent Scholarship, which paid for his first full year of law school, and the Bar and Gavel Award at graduation. As an attorney, Jeff has represented Grammy Award winning musical artists, NBA and NFL players, as well as produced or given counsel for feature films, television shows, and documentaries. Jeff is also a frequent speaker at numerous career days, graduations, and mentoring programs.

Elise Dixon-Roper

Attorney at Law, Barclay, Dixon & Smith, P.C.
JD, Northwestern University School of Law

Professor Elise Dixon-Roper has been practicing law for over 18 years. She began as an associate with Mansker & Barclay in 1993 and is currently the managing partner of Barclay, Dixon & Smith, P. C. where her areas of expertise are corporations, including not for profit entities, Real Estate, and Elder Law/Estate Planning. Professor Dixon-Roper is a frequent speaker at churches, conferences, and organizations. She enjoys educating people on the importance of "putting their house in order." She is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, the National Network of Estate Planning Attorneys, Cook County Bar Association, and a member of the board of Little Brothers/Friends of the Elderly. She is married with two teenaged children.

Judith Donor

Independent Consultant
MBA, North Park University

Judith Donor is a licensed Illinois Real Estate Broker. She has more than 25 years of experience in the business world, primarily in the areas of custom home building (design and sales) along with international sales and development in almost every country. She has utilized multicultural skills in working across these cultures, and implemented an ISO program throughout an entire organization and its subsidiaries. She is a management and organizational development consultant whose specialty is in human resource issues and management development to create forward thinking workplaces. Judith is the manager for the Arlington Heights satellite campus for North Park University where she acts as liaison and aides in the planning and development of the campus and activities. Judith also serves as a Quality Matters reviewer for the Office of Distributed Learning at North Park University.

David Enquist

President, Enquist and Associates, Inc.
MBA, DePaul University

David W. Enquist has over 30 years of lending experience to entrepreneurial companies across the United States. David left fulltime employment as a commercial banker in 1989 to form his own lending and consulting business. Over the years, David has been responsible for originating nearly $1 billion in commercial loans of all types. David is a recognized authority in the packaging and utilization of Small Business Administration guaranteed loans. In addition, David has been an owner and involved in the operation of a number of small businesses. He speaks the language of the entrepreneur by bringing a wealth of lending expertise and the knowledge to creatively structure a broad range of financial solutions. David graduated in 1980 from North Park University with a degree in business administration and from DePaul University in 1983 with a MBA in finance.

Lauren Fisher

Controller, Jeff McClusky and Associates
MAFM, Keller Graduate School of Management

After spending five years in public accounting as a senior accountant for a small CPA firm in Evanston, Fisher moved on to corporate accounting, currently working part-time as a controller for a music promotion company. She spends time teaching and taking care of her three boys, husband, and dog. Fisher earned a master's degree in accounting and financial management from Keller Graduate School of Management, following an undergraduate in finance from DePaul University. A Chicagoan through and through, she grew up in the suburbs and now makes her home on the Northwest side.

Jennifer Franklin

Assistant Dean for Career Services, Southern Illinois University School of Law
JD, The University of Akron School of Law

Jennifer D. Franklin is the Assistant Dean for Career Services at Southern Illinois University School of Law. Prior to joining SIU School of Law, Ms. Franklin was an Assistant Attorney General in the Office of the Illinois Attorney General, where she is a member of the Predatory Lending Unit in the Consumer Fraud Bureau. Prior to joining the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, Ms. Franklin worked in the Akron Regional Office of the Ohio Civil Rights Commission. She serves on the Diversity Committee of the American Bar Association Business Law Section and the Standing Committee on Law Related Education for the Public of the Illinois State Bar Association. She is also currently Co-Chair of the Law Student Outreach Committee of the Black Women Lawyer’s Association of Greater Chicago.

Leigh Ginther

Director of Marketing and Community Relations, Swedish Covenant Hospital.
MA, DePaul University

In her position at Swedish Covenant Hospital, Leigh is responsible for using all marketing channels to reach consumer and physician audiences. She has a keen interest in consumer behavior and trying new techniques to reach consumers in ways most meaningful and helpful for them.

Gary Grace

Executive Director and Dean, University Center of Lake County
PhD, Florida State University

Dr. Grace came to the executive director and dean position with over 30 years of higher education experience in both public and private higher education. He has served as a vice president of student affairs or enrollment management at four colleges and universities, most recently as vice chancellor for Student Affairs at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Other previous positions held include ones at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, Morehead State University, Miami University, Florida State University, and Illinois Wesleyan University. Grace is an accomplished author, consultant, and presenter at the national level, in the areas of collaborative partnerships, enrollment management, strategic planning, information technology, student learning and retention. For fourteen years, Grace served as a visiting faculty member in the Summer Institute for Women in Higher Education at Bryn Mawr College.

Tim Hargesheimer

Client Services Supervisor, United Airlines Mileage Plus Account, The Lacek Group
MBA, North Park University

Tim Hargesheimer has 12+ years of professional marketing experience that includes consumer rewards, specialized products, project/product management, operations in ecommerce, business strategy, P&L management, creative solutions and unique affiliate/loyalty marketing program initiatives. In his current role, Tim manages the on-site client relationship between The Lacek Group and United Airlines and helps to drive strategic customer-facing marketing solutions. Prior to this position, Tim managed Restaurant.com’s Partner marketing initiatives for multi-unit establishments and Discover Card’s exclusive online shopping portal (ShopDiscover). In addition, Tim worked on various loyalty-based transit programs while at the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA). He is a member of both North Park University’s Delta Mu Delta chapter and the American Marketing Association’s Elmhurst College Alpha Mu Alpha chapter. Tim also served as the North Park University’s Graduate Career Club’s co-chairperson in 2009-2010.

Kasthuri Henry

Financial Consultant
MBA, Indiana University
PhD, Walden University

Kasthuri is an international finance professional and a Six Sigma Black Belt with over 20 years of corporate experience. Kas is the president of KasHenry Inc, a consulting and training firm serving the corporate finance space. She balances consulting with public speaking, teaching, and publishing. Her experiences include the roles of Regional CFO at Aon Risk Services, VP of Continuous Improvement at CEC, Director of FP&A at HSBC, Global Treasury Consultant at Hospira Inc., and Regional Finance & Business Operations Manager at AT&T. A Certified Treasury Professional since 1997, Kas has been a Board Director for the Chicago Treasury Management Association and member of Association of Financial Professionals. Kas was the winner of Financial Executive of the Year Award-2006 for Mid-America region. She served on the SBNM Advisory Board for NPU and is currently the VP of Education for the Institute of Management Accountants, MAC.

Shannon Hensel

Human Resource Consultant, Hensel HR Consulting
MS, Capella University

Shannon Hensel is president and principal consultant of Hensel HR Consulting. She founded the company in response to a growing need for small and mid-size companies to either build or enhance their Human Resource functions, without adding staff or breaking their budgets. She is an active speaker on Human Resource issues and “best practices” as a member of the Business Improvement Team, a consulting consortium of small business owners in the metro Detroit area. Shannon also has several years experience providing pro bono HR consulting working with a variety of nonprofit board of directors and organizations. She received her PHR certification in January 2011, and is currently a member of the following organizations: Michigan Business & Professional Association (MBPA), Sterling Heights and Troy Chamber of Commerce, and Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM). Shannon also serves as a strategic HR consultant and project manager for Tap Roots Foundation, Chicago, IL.

Penelepe Hunt

Vice Chancellor for Development, University of Illinois at Chicago
MM, Northwestern University

Penny Hunt is a professional fundraiser, trainer, management consultant, and executive coach with twenty-five years of experience in the development field. Since 2004 she has served as vice chancellor for development at the University of Illinois at Chicago, leading UIC’s $650 million campaign. In her private practice, Penny specializes in training, executive coaching, and professional development for boards, presidents, deans and other senior leaders, and development staff. Penny has trained over 2,000 academics and development professionals in the theory and practice of fundraising. Prior to joining UIC, Penny spent 13 years at Northwestern University, where she directed the university’s $1.5 billion comprehensive campaign.

Brian Jackson

Capital Planner, Kraft Foods
MBA, Northwestern University

Brian Jackson has over 14 years of financial experience working in public accounting, investment and corporate banking, and consumer products. Brian began his career as a Certified Public Accountant with Arthur Andersen. Wanting to broaden his background, Brian transitioned into leveraged finance and worked for BMO Capital Markets where he focused on companies in the food industry. Brian continued to leverage his past experience and joined Kraft Foods working in various management positions in corporate finance. Brian is married to a loving woman and has three wonderful children. He enjoys spending time with his family.

Brady Josephson

Strategic Director, Charity Express
MNA, North Park University

Brady is passionate about improving and changing charities to improve and change people’s lives. After receiving his master of nonprofit administration degree from North Park University's School of Business and Nonprofit Management, he was the director of resource development at Spark Ventures in Chicago before moving to Vancouver, British Columbia, to work for Opportunity International Canada. There he held the position of national director for marketing and communications before his move to Charity Express. Brady serves on the board of the Seacrest Foundation, as well as the advisory council for Spark Ventures and Diamond Club executive committee for North Park University. He is an active member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals in Vancouver, British Columbia, where he lives with his wife, Liz.

Jonathan Lind

Vice President of Operations, Swedish Covenant Hospital
MBA, University of Chicago

Jonathan Lind is a fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives and has worked in the healthcare industry since 1999. He currently serves as the Vice-President of Operations for Swedish Covenant Hospital, a large community and teaching hospital. Responsibilities include project management, ensuring organization’s operational excellence, and contract negotiation and management. Jonathan formerly served as the executive director of the Galter LifeCenter, a manager with DSSA property management, and as a short-term (one year) missionary to Mexico. Academic interests include operations, healthcare management, accounting, and finance. Jonathan has served on a number of nonprofit boards, including his local church and the North Park Friendship Center food pantry.

Terry Lindsay

Dean of Diversity and Intercultural Programs,
North Park University
EdD, Argosy University

Terry Lindsay earned his BA in African American studies and EdM in counseling and educational psychology from the State University of New York at Buffalo, and a doctorate in educational leadership from Argosy University. He joined North Park University in 2008 as dean of diversity and intercultural programs and associate professor of cultural studies. Terry previously served as associate professor and dean of student development at Harper College. His areas of interest are diversity in higher education and retention of underrepresented students.

Gregg Lunceford

Director and Wealth Advisor, Harris Private Bank
MBA, Washington University

Gregg Lunceford is director and wealth advisor for Harris Private Bank in Chicago, Ill. Mr. Lunceford serves as an advisor to high-net-worth individuals and families, assembling the appropriate team of professionals to provide a full range of wealth services as part of an overall wealth management strategy. He joined Harris in 2008 and has over 19 years of experience in the financial services industry. Mr. Lunceford is a certified financial planner and an active member of the Chicago Estate Planning Council. He also serves as director and secretary for the Flossmoor Board of Education. Mr. Lunceford is a board member of Chicago Scholars, a program designed to assist first-generation college educated students overcome the barriers to their collegiate access and success. He is married and has two children.

Lisa Moultrie

Executive Director, Teach America's Children
MA, University of Chicago

Ms. Moultrie has nearly 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector and has worked in the areas of education, the arts, and community development. She founded a nonprofit consulting firm that she led for five years, and for over three years Ms. Moultrie was director of arts for Learning/Chicago, a professional development program for teachers using the arts in classrooms. For nearly eight years, Ms. Moultrie worked in the philanthropic field as senior program officer at the Chicago Annenberg Challenge and program officer at The Hitachi Foundation in Washington, D.C. Additionally she has worked in educational research studying issues such as school governance and desegregation.

Judith Mucheck

President, Carmel Catholic High School
MS Ed, University of Dayton
PhD, Georgia State University

Having studied educational policy at the post-graduate level, Judith Mucheck offers over 25 years of experience as a reflective practitioner and administrator at the local and central offices of Catholic schools across the country. Prior to becoming the President at Carmel Catholic High School in Mundelein, Illinois, Judith served as the superintendent of schools in the Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta. Coordinating 18 schools (15 elementary and 3 secondary) provided real-time experience in finance and budgeting, human resources, planning and constructing new facilities, strategic planning, and assisting schools in the articulation of their mission. She will act as the facilitator of the round table for strategic planning during the CASE V Conference in December 2011. She served on the Board of Trustees for the University Center of Lake County from 2007-2010.

Nichole Nabasny

Lecturer, School of Business and Nonprofit Management, North Park University
MNA, University of San Francisco
EdD, University of San Francisco

Nicki Nabasny is a nonprofit professional with expertise in higher education fundraising. For eight years Dr. Nabasny worked in development at the University of San Francisco; specifically she has experience in annual giving, major gifts, volunteer management, stewardship and donor relations, alumni relations and strategic planning. This past summer Dr. Nabasny left her role as director of development at USF to relocate to Chicago.

Christopher Nicholson

Director of Admission, Graduate and Continuing Education,
North Park University
PhD, Loyola University Chicago

Chris Nicholson has nearly 20 years of experience in higher education enrollment management, marketing, and academic administration. Currently, he is director of admissions for graduate and continuing education at North Park, where he oversees student recruitment and marketing for 10 degree programs and 21 adult continuing education programs. He possesses significant experience in curriculum development and program management, and has served as an adjunct faculty member for over 10 years. A former associate consultant for Noel-Levitz, Inc., Nicholson routinely lectures and presents at universities and conferences on topics in higher education. He currently serves as a board member of the Swedish American Museum in Chicago, and each March he co-leads the SBNM’s International Experience

Timothy O'Brien

Principal, Mutuality Associates, LLC
MA, John F. Kennedy University
PhD, Union Institute and University

Tim O’Brien is an adjunct professor of nonprofit finance at North Park University’s School of Business and Nonprofit Management. He also serves as an adjunct professor at Spertus College and Saybrook University where he advises PhD candidates. In addition to being a part-time faculty member, Dr. O’Brien is the general manager of Mutuality Associates, LLC which provides consulting and training services to faith-based and nonprofit organizations. Tim serves as board member for Passionists International (UN NGO), as chair for the investment advisory committee for the Passionist Congregation, and as a member of the advisory board for The Axelson Center at North Park University.

Melissa Patterson

Operations Assistant, School of Business and Nonprofit Management,
North Park University
MBA, University of Chicago

Melissa Patterson is the operations specialist and graduate advisor at the School of Business and Nonprofit Management. Her responsibilities include providing academic advising to graduate business students and assisting the Dean with the assessment and accreditation process. Her past positions include manager, corporate finance at RR Donnelley; manager, international sales and market planning at United Airlines; and senior auditor at Ernst & Young, LLP. Melissa earned an MBA from the University of Chicago (marketing and finance) and a bachelor's degree from Miami University in accountancy. She serves as a co-chair for the Arts Partnership Board at her children’s school and is also a member of the Auxiliary Board of the Chicago Architecture Foundation.

Martin Paulson

Chief County Assessment Officer, Lake County
MBA, DePaul University
MS, DePaul University

Marty Paulson is a resident of Wadsworth. He has worked in the property tax arena for twenty years and for the last eight years has been the chief county assessment officer for Lake County; previously he had been in his family’s hospitality business. He was appointed by the General Assembly to the State Property Tax Reform and Relief Task Force; appointed by the Illinois Attorney General to the board of the Healthcare Foundation of Northern Lake County; and he served on the board of trustees for St. Martin des Porres High School – a Cristo Rey School. In the past Paulson also served as president of the Lake County Board of Health, and a board member for the Lake County Community Health Centers and Consumers Credit Union in Waukegan.

Kurt H. Peterson

Deputy Commissioner, Human Resources
Consolidated Departments of General Services and Fleet Management, City of Chicago
MS, Regis University
MDiv, North Park Theological Seminary

Kurt Peterson has over 18 years of experience in the private, not-for-profit, and public sectors. He has provided leadership to educational institutions and corporate consulting firms, as a teacher, administrator, human resources manager, and consultant. In his current position with the city of Chicago, he is responsible for the human resources division, which manages payroll and personnel services, training, safety and environmental compliance, and labor/employee relations for a 1200-employee department. As the city’s facility and asset manager, the department operates and maintains approximately 425 buildings (City Hall, fire/police stations, libraries, government offices, etc.) and procures, maintains, and fuels a fleet of approximately 13,000 vehicles (police cars, fire trucks, snow plows, garbage trucks, heavy duty equipment, etc.). The majority of Kurt’s professional experience resides in the fields of organizational behavior, training, and human resource management.

Robert Shafis

Director of Major and Planned Gifts, Museum of Science and Industry
JD, Valparaiso University

Robert Shafis has been a successful fundraiser, speaker, and attorney for over 20 years. He began working in fundraising with the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod Foundation, where as senior vice president he and his staff raised over $100 million a year for various ministries. He was also director of planned gifts for the National Alzheimer’s Association, and Alexian Brothers Health System Foundation. Shafis is currently director of major gift planning at Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry, where he recently participated in a successful campaign, which raised over $200 million. Mr. Shafis has also spoken to many national and local groups about planned giving, estate planning, charitable tax issues, and the process of fundraising, and he teaches major and planned giving at North Park University in Chicago.

Marlon Smith

Managing Director, Investment Banking Division - Corporate,  Loop Capital Markets
MBA , Harvard Business School

Marlon Smith is a managing director in the Investment Banking Division of Loop Capital Markets, and advises large and small companies on mergers and acquisitions. Prior to joining Loop, he was a vice president in the Investment Banking Division of Goldman, Sachs and Co. and began his career as a certified public accountant with Arthur Andersen. Marlon has over 14 years of experience advising companies on a wide range of strategic and financial matters. Marlon sits on the board of trustees for Merit School of Music and the advisory board for the Village Leadership Academy.

Shannon Stubblefield

Director of Individual Giving, Greater Chicago Food Depository
MA, University of San Diego

A certified fund raising executive (CFRE), Shannon Anglea Stubblefield is the director of individual giving for the Greater Chicago Food Depository, which distributes more than 69 million pounds of food to a network of 650 member agencies in Cook County, Ill. This position builds on her previous work with the McCormick Foundation, a public foundation and 501(c)(3) agency, where she raised funds through national partnerships and local individual donor relationships. Before relocating to Chicago in 2006, Shannon was the evaluation and development manager for a social service organization that grew out of a department of United Way to become “2-1-1 San Diego.” In this capacity she managed all aspects of fundraising, including government contracts, grants, and individual giving. Shannon also led program evaluation and database projects during her five years with the organization.

Darrylinn Todd

Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs, City Colleges of Chicago-Malcolm X College
MA, Oakland University
Ph.D., Northern Illinois University

Dr. Todd’s educational and business career spans over 20 years and includes district service in administration and leadership in the development of “best practice” to support the implementation of AA, AS, AAS and online degrees at the City Colleges of Chicago (CCC). Dr. Todd is committed to the mission of a learning and assessment-centered college system, which empowers students of diverse backgrounds and abilities to achieve academic, career, and personal success. She has held a number of education, business and management positions with the Chicago Public Schools, Lucent Technologies, AT&T and Bell Laboratories in Illinois and New Jersey. Dr. Todd has professional affiliations with several organizations, some of which are the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), Association of Educational Communications and Technology (AECT), Illinois Council of Community College Administrators (ICCCA), International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), and United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA).

Kathryn Vanden Berk

Attorney
JD, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Law

Kathryn Vanden Berk has successfully taken a wide variety of nonprofit organizations through the start-up process, including state incorporation and charitable registrations, and both federal and state tax exemptions. She has advised both large and small organizations on issues of governance, leadership, management, corporate structure, taxation, and employment administration. Her clients are nationwide. Kathryn is a seasoned seminar leader and has trained attorneys, accountants, and nonprofit leaders through the Nonprofit Financial Center, Chicago Bar Association, Executive Service Corps, and the Council on Accreditation. She is editor of Starting a Nonprofit Organization in Illinois: Do It Right the First Time, a handbook that is sold by the Donors Forum. Kathryn is also the author of a chapter on employment law issues in the IICLE Handbook on Not-for-Profit Corporations, and of a handbook on employment law entitled Retooling Employment Standards for the Future.

Lisa Wells 

Founder and Owner, Wells Consulting
BS, University of Illinois

Lisa is an award-winning writer turned communications strategist who spent 15 years on the ad agency side of the business. She's worked as the communications director for the Chicago offices of multi-national agencies DraftFCB, Euro RSCG, and J. Walter Thompson. She founded her own consulting company in 2002. Ad agencies and companies as diverse as Kraft Foods, Tribune365, and Bibby Financial Services turn to her for positioning and public relations strategy, speechwriting, new business and employee initiatives, as well as marketing communication. After graduating from the University of Illinois, Lisa began her career as a journalist for Advertising Age and later became a founding editor of Creativity. She is on the College of Media Board for the University of Illinois; in 2011, she helped launch a university-sponsored AdCamp in Chicago for high school students. She is also a member of the International Association of Business Communications.

Anthony West

Director, Global Treasury, W.M. Wrigley Jr. Company
MBA, University of Chicago

Anthony West has over 15 years of experience working in international corporate finance and capital markets with major financial institutions and multinational corporations across several industries including pharmaceuticals, financial services, and consumer products. Anthony began his career as a certified public accountant with Arthur Andersen LLP in Chicago. Later he joined Banc of America Securities LLC in the fixed income unit of their investment banking division where he was a marketer of bonds, credit default swaps, and asset-backed securities. Today he is a director of corporate treasury at the W.M. Wrigley Jr. Company. His expertise includes corporate finance, econometrics, and accounting. As a second degree black belt and marathoner, he is an avid sports enthusiast. His other personal interests include foreign languages, markets, music, religion, and politics.

Rick Yngve

Consultant/President, Yngve and Associates
MBA, University of Arizona

Rick Yngve is president of Yngve & Associates and works as an advisor, speaker, and teacher. He advises small businesses and nonprofits across the country, and has been a featured speaker at a variety of schools, conferences, and leadership programs. Rick teaches multiple university courses including entrepreneurship, marketing, nonprofit management, strategy, and leadership. He offers small businesses and nonprofits training and consulting on business planning, customer and competitive research, relational marketing strategies, and sales/fundraising techniques. For individuals, Rick offers advice on entrepreneurial career development. Rick has worked in entrepreneurial development, nonprofits, and higher education, and was involved in the start-ups of a software company and regional sports magazine company. Rick currently serves on nonprofit boards at Teen Parent Connection, Our Village Our World, and the Illinois Foundation for Marketing Education.