SUMMIT SPEAKERS

Forefront was proud to welcome leaders from government, philanthropy, operating nonprofits, and more as speakers for our 2021 Virtual Summit. Thank you to everyone who joined our statewide conversation!

Heather McGhee

Keynote Speaker

A renowned expert on the American economy, Heather McGhee is one of the most brilliant and influential thinkers exploring inequality today. Both her viral TED talk and her instant New York Times bestseller The Sum of Us reveal the devastating true cost of racism—not just for people of color, but for everyone. Deeply stirring, intelligent, and compassionate, McGhee’s talks offer us an actionable roadmap during one of the most critical—and most troubled—periods in history.
As the former president of the inequality-focused think tank Demos, McGhee has drafted legislation, testified before Congress, and become a regular contributor on shows like Meet the Press and Real Time with Bill Maher.

She also led Demos’ own racial equity organizational transformation, resulting in a doubling of the organization’s racial diversity and growth across all measures of organizational impact. McGhee’s riveting talks communicate this with passion and seriousness, “challenging the paradigm of racial competition in this country.” Racism doesn’t just hurt us on a personal level. It divides and alienates companies and their employees, employees and their clients, clients, and brands. The trickledown, explains McGhee, is far-reaching. Her talks address this with clear takeaways, like how to make the process mission-critical, how to get buy-in from your teams, and how to do it all with joy.

McGhee holds a B.A. in American Studies from Yale University and a J.D. from the University of California at Berkeley School of Law. She is the Chair of the Board of Color of Change, the country’s largest online racial justice organization, and serves on multiple other boards of trustees, including the Rockefeller Brothers Fund and Demos. For the latest updates on Heather’s writing, speeches, and media appearances, visit www.heathermcghee.com.

Welcoming Speakers

Monique B. Jones

President & CEO - Forefront

Monique B. Jones, LCSW is a visionary leader with an extensive background in mental health, violence prevention, philanthropy, and gender & racial equity. With over 20 years of experience in her career, her civic interests span the intersections where the lives of those most vulnerable fall victim to structural oppression and inequity. Monique most recently served as the President & CEO at the Evanston Community Foundation (ECF), making her the second CEO and first African American since its founding in 1986. During her tenure, she was successful in diversifying the board, staff, and community investments to reflect the voices of the community. Monique also served as Director of Programs for the Chicago Foundation for Women, leading the establishment of the 100% Project for gender equity. Monique is a graduate of The University of Arkansas at Fayetteville with a B.A in Social Work and The University of Texas at Austin with a M.S. in Social Work. She completed the Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management executive program at the Harvard School of Business.

Greg DiDomenico

President & CEO, Community Memorial Foundation

Greg serves as President and CEO of Community Memorial Foundation and Chairs Forefront’s Board. During Greg’s tenure the Foundation has become a regional leader in philanthropy, launching new initiatives that include a Leadership Institute focused on strengthening grantee capacity and a Regional Health and Human Services Agenda rooted in a collective impact strategy that improves positive local health outcomes. Greg joined the Foundation team as Vice President in January 2009 after serving as Executive Director for a number of years at local nonprofits the Rich Port YMCA (now the Greater La Grange YMCA), and Hinsdale Center for the Arts.

Panel Speakers

Eva Anthony

President - Black Student Union of Millikin University

Eva Anthony is a Herrin, IL native. She is the President of the Black Student Union, the Membership Chair and Secretary of Sister Circle, EDGE Mentor, and a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. She formally was a Residential Academic Peer Mentor, a Millinette Dancer, and Communication Coordinator for the Student Housing Council. She is active in many student organizations as well as in the Decatur community. Eva is graduating from Millikin University in May of 2021 with her Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice. After leaving Millikin University, Eva is moving to Nashville, Tennessee to complete her Master of Social Work. This will allow her to work closely with families struggling with hardship and domestic abuse victims.

Daniel O. Ash

Associate Vice President, Community Impact - The Chicago Community Trust

Daniel O. Ash is associate Vice President of Community Impact at The Chicago Community Trust. He is responsible for the Building Collective Power (BCP) strategy, which aims to advance equitable, livable, and resilient neighborhoods within under-invested Black and Latinx communities. Grant making from the BCP portfolio supports community organizing, local journalism and storytelling, and resident designed and driven campaigns. Ash previously served as the Trust’s Chief Marketing Officer from 2013 to 2019. In the role, he directed brand strategy and communications, spearheading the development of On the Table, an ongoing civic engagement and dialogue platform design to center and amplify resident voices and create greater civic connectedness across the Chicago region. Prior to joining the Trust, Ash spent 10 years as Vice President at Chicago Public Media. Ash was responsible for the organization’s two largest revenue categories—corporate sponsorship and individual giving—and led double-digit growth during his tenure. He was a key voice in shaping Chicago Public Media’s overall strategic focus.

Natalie Beck

CEO - The Community Foundation of Macon County

Natalie provides the vision and leadership for shaping the Community Foundation's role as a civic leader, grantmaker, philanthropic partner, and charitable giving vehicle. She identifies and addresses issues key to the quality of life in the community and oversees the Community Foundation's daily operations. Natalie is an Illinois native and graduate of the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign where she received her Bachelor's in Journalism and Master's of Science. She is a board member with the state-wide Alliance of Illinois Community Foundations and the Decatur Boys & Girls Club. She lives in Decatur with her husband Matt and has three daughters and 11 grandchildren.

Sunshine Clemons

Co-Founder and Co-President - Black Lives Matter SPI

Sunshine Clemons is a lifelong community advocate who has spent most of her life in Springfield since moving from East St. Louis at an early age. Sunshine co-founded the local Black Lives Matter SPI chapter in Springfield along with Khoran Readus. They established BLM-SPI, galvanized by the hurt and anger that the murders of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile incited. These tragic events inspired them to lead a rally that eventually led to the creation of the local chapter, with the goal of making a concentrated effort here in Springfield to implement changes to local law enforcement, the community at-large, and the day to day lives of Black people in the city of Springfield. Sunshine is also a founding member of Springfield Call to Action, a coalition of organizations committed to justice, including racial, religious, gender, economic, social, & environmental.

Ashley Grayned

Executive Director of Innovative Programs & Strategic Planning - Decatur Public Schools District 61

Ashley Grayned is the Executive Director of Innovative Programs and Strategic Planning of the Decatur Public School District. She is a liaison between the school district and the community at large to ensure that extended learning opportunities are offered to prepare students for all of life beyond school. A Decatur native, Ashley received her undergrad degree from Robert Morris University in Springfield, IL and went on to earn her MBA from Columbia University. Ashley went through the Decatur Leadership Institute in 2014 and is the proud Vice President of the Balk Talk Board of Directors. Community is important to Ashley, but her favorite titles are wife of Braden and mom of Ashlen and Olivia. In their free time, they enjoy fitness and traveling.

Teresa Haley

President - Springfield Branch NAACP

Teresa Haley is the President of the Springfield Branch NAACP as well as the Illinois State Conference President. Teresa is a longtime passionate civil rights activist, public policy advocate, professional trainer, and dynamic speaker; In October 2020, Teresa will begin her 3rd term as the first female President of the Illinois NAACP State Conference and is serving her 6th consecutive term as President of the Springfield Branch NAACP. Teresa is a Springfield native and graduated from Springfield High School. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Communication and Master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Illinois at Springfield. In February 2020, Teresa received the first-ever NAACP Activist of the Year Award in Hollywood, CA.

Tony Holly

Director of Strategic Grantmaking - The Community Foundation of Macon County

Decatur native Tony Holly is Director of Strategic Grantmaking at The Community Foundation of Macon County. As a senior member of staff, Tony provides leadership, strategic oversight, and execution of the Foundation's grant funding and nonprofit engagement. Tony is responsible for the external facing side of the Foundation ensuring that its strategic initiatives are well supported and enhanced through strong community relations, robust philanthropic programs, and collaborative programs. Tony has had a lengthy career in nonprofit fundraising, most recently as Community Development Manager in the Indiana and Illinois territories for The American Cancer Society. Tony completed his undergraduate degree from Illinois State University (Normal, IL) and went on to graduate with his Master's in Business Administration from Millikin University.

Evelyn Hood

Founder and CEO - African-American Cultural and Genealogical Society of Illinois

Evelyn was born in 1943 and had no choice but to attend segregated schools during the dreadful Jim Crow period in the South and the Civil Rights Era. She is one of seven children who were born to Deacon Tolson and Missionary Mother Elnora Bond of Bells, TN. She graduated from Carver High School (Brownsville, TN) and attended Brown's Business College, Richland Community College (Decatur, IL), and Rhodes College (Memphis, TN). She is the founder, CEO, and Executive Director of the African-American Cultural & Genealogical Society of IIlinois, Inc. /Museum which is the first Black Museum in Central Illinois.

Grace B. Hou

Secretary - Illinois Department of Human Services

Grace B. Hou has served under Governor JB Pritzker as the Secretary of the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) since March 2019. Grace also previously served as the Assistant Secretary at IDHS from 2003 to 2012. Grace has dedicated her career to advancing social justice by working in the non-profit and public sectors systems for change improvement through public policy development and implementation, social services provision, community organizing and engagement, and philanthropy. Grace most recently served as the President of Woods Fund Chicago from February 2012 to March 2019. She is the board chair of the Healthy Communities Foundation, a 2001 Leadership Greater Chicago fellow, a member of The Chicago Network and The Commercial Club, and a German Marshall fellow.

Michelle Morales

President - Woods Fund Chicago

Michelle Morales is the President of the Woods Fund Chicago. Michelle’s background has been in the field of alternative education, focusing on and advocating for educational justice, first as a teacher at the Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos Alternative High School in Chicago’s Humboldt Park community and then as Associate Director at the Alternative Schools Network. In addition, she was an active community organizer for 16 years in Chicago’s Puerto Rican community, advocating for community development, education justice, economic justice, and against the rapid gentrification of the neighborhood. Michelle received a BA from DePaul University, a Master's in Special Education from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Master's in Educational Leadership from Northeastern Illinois University. She is a fellow of Leadership Greater Chicago and had the privilege of participating in the inaugural cohort of Cultivate - a women of color leadership program developed by Woods Fund, Crossroads Fund, Chicago Community Trust, and the Chicago Foundation for Women.

José Rico

Director - Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation

José Rico is a community leader and educator from Chicago. He is the Director of Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation and the Chief Partnership Officer for United Way of Metropolitan Chicago, which seeks to defend the human dignity of Black and Brown people and invests in initiatives to advance human services and improve the lives of individuals and entire neighborhoods. He is also the former Executive Director of the Obama Administration’s White House Initiative On Educational Excellence For Hispanics and was the founding high school principal of Multicultural Arts School, a Chicago Public School serving the families in Little Village and North Lawndale with a focus on social justice and arts integration. He is a Chicagoan by way of Mexico, raised on the southwest side of the city.

Khoran Readus

Co-Founder and Co-President - Black Lives Matter SPI

Khoran Readus is a lifelong resident of Springfield, Illinois and has a Master's Degree in Social Work specializing in Leadership and Social Change from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. She played an integral role in the Domestic Violence Division at the Sangamon County State’s Attorney’s Office for over fifteen years. In 2016, Readus became the co-founder of Black Lives Matter-Springfield and has been active in engaging with Springfield’s Black community, becoming both a voice and protector of the unheard community. Readus is also the founder of the Brown Bag 217- Summer Food Program, created in 2016. The brown bag program collects breakfast and lunch food items from donors and delivers them directly to the homes of families with children in Springfield, IL during the summer months.

Tiffani Saunders

Lecturer of Sociology/Anthropology and African American Studies - University of Illinois Springfield

Tiffani Saunders is a lecturer of Sociology/Anthropology and African American Studies at the University of Illinois Springfield. She is a Maryland native and alum of Bowie State University, Maryland’s oldest historically black college. She attended Indiana University for graduate school and holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in sociology. Tiffani is an avid volunteer. Her commitment to both learning about and giving back to the community has lead to countless panels, workshops, and awards. Recently, she became the first Black person elected to the Ball-Chatham School Board. Tiffani is committed to making the world around her more equal, more just, and more accessible. Both her teaching and her volunteering work toward that goal.

This page will be updated as new speakers are announced. Should you have any questions about this year’s event or sponsorship opportunities, please contact [email protected].

SUMMIT SPEAKERS

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