Lisa is a co-founder and board chair of WIND. After a corporate career in finance and marketing, Lisa found her calling in the nonprofit arena where she advises local organizations in fundraising and marketing. She has BS and MBA degrees in Finance from Fordham and New York University respectively. Lisa’s passion for social justice, with a focus on helping women and families build stronger futures, led her to create WIND with her talented group of co-founders.
Tracy is a co-founder and vice chair of the board. Tracy leads a family homeless shelter agency. She has a Master’s degree in psychology and is a Community Psychology doctoral student doing research on homeless families and the barriers faced by homeless mothers released from incarceration. Tracy has a passion for working with at-risk vulnerable populations and has a heart of service for mothers.
Kelly is a co-founder of WIND. She helps with programming and leads the volunteer program, collaborating with others to bring the best possible experiences to the women who receive WIND services. With over 25 years of experience in teaching and consulting in design and innovation, she has shifted her focus to mission-driven organizations and nonprofits. Kelly splits her time between running her own design consultancy, Panorama Innovation, and teaching at Northwestern University and at the Institute of Design at IIT in Chicago.
Penny is a founding board member of WIND and was associate director of the Cook Family Writing Program at Northwestern University. Penny designed and taught courses in writing, engineering design communication, and project management. Her first-year seminars, like her volunteer work, focused on inequities in the criminal justice system and ways to help formerly incarcerated women return to their communities.
Margaret serves as WIND’s secretary and focuses on governance. She has over 25 years of experience in not-for-profit and association management, with a focus in governance and legal operations. Margaret holds a BA in Communications and Business from John Carroll University; an MBA from the Keller Graduate School of Management; and an MS, Information Technology and Privacy Law, with Honors from The John Marshall Law School, Chicago. Margaret believes strongly in mentoring other women and giving back to her community and feels fortunate to be able to do so by participation on the WIND Board.
Steve is president of Jefferson Cook Associates, Ltd., a risk management consulting firm for banks and brokerage firms. His 30 years of experience in the Chicago financial community includes extensive market and credit risk management leadership in large international banking and brokerage firms. He was a co-founder of Family Promise Chicago North Shore and has served in leadership positions in other Chicagoland nonprofits. Steve has an MBA from the University of Chicago and his CFA Charter was awarded in 2002.
Nicole has built a distinguished career in education, strategic expertise, and a commitment to fostering inclusive organizational cultures. Her experience includes multiple roles at the Schuler Scholar Program and programmatic responsibilities at Writers’ Theatre, the Goodman Theatre, and several other arts and education nonprofits. Throughout her career, Nicole has provided curriculum and program leadership, operational support, and strategic vision. Nicole is a people-centered leader who finds great fulfillment in contributing her skills and passion to mission-driven organizations. She is excited to expand the positive impact that WIND has on women with a history of incarceration, in prison, or at risk of incarceration.
Contact: nicole.oconnell@windprogram.org
Victoria is a designer and educator from the northwest side of Chicago. She has a passion for the intersectionality of identity; specifically, she is interested in how women manifest their unique narratives. Her passion for intersectionality comes from a devotion to social impact and a desire to make design, education, and future thinking more accessible to women who are not afforded the opportunity to dream. She has a BFA in Graphic Design from DePaul University, a masters degree’s in Public Policy & Administration from the Stuart School of Business, and a master’s degree in Design from the Institute of Design.
Contact: programs@windprogram.org
Barbara is professor of Instruction Emerita in Writing at Northwestern University’s Cook Family Writing Program and also the Managing Principal of Communication Partners, a communication consulting firm headquartered in Evanston that she runs with her husband, Karl Keller. She is committed to improving educational access, opportunities, and support to people who have been underserved. She is a volunteers faculty member in the Northwestern Prison Education Project and on the Board of Directors of Youth and Opportunity United, a youth development organization in Evanston.
Sally a professor at Northwestern University, previously held appointments at the University of Pennsylvania, Harvard University, and Princeton University. In her award-winning books, film, papers, and research, she focuses on the ways in which biased educational policies and practices limit opportunities especially for black women and girls. Her work sits at the intersections of race, gender, public schools and political behavior. She was recently named one of Forbes Magazine’s “30 Under 30.”
Ryan spent most of his professional career in higher education as an English professor, Academic Dean and President at various colleges and universities. He later served as president of The Near East Foundation, an international development organization in New York City. He retired as president of the James S. Kemper Foundation in Chicago, a non-profit that focused on helping college students prepare for organizational leadership.
Mia completed her undergraduate studies at Harvard University, received her medical degree from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and completed her residency at New York Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center. She is part of the WESTMED Medical Group, where she also served on its operating board of directors. Mia is committed to empowering women around health issues, especially those with a history of incarceration.
Kathy guides development of strong organizations. During her career as an Executive Director, Kathy served health care, business, professional, technology and philanthropic organizations.
Honor is an Executive Editor at National Geographic Learning. For 25 years, she has developed language and literacy programs for K-12 students. She did her undergraduate work at the School of the Art Institute in Chicago and at Univ. of Montana. She then joined the Peace Corps and served as an English teacher for three years in Cameroon. Honor holds an MFA in Writing and Rhetoric from DePaul, and is currently working on a second MFA in Writing at Northwestern.
After completing WIND’s Bridge program and becoming a WIND Lived Experience Leader (LEL), Latrice has participated in a variety of WIND activities. She has been a “feedback coach” in Writing for Empowerment courses for women at Cook County Jail and has co-facilitated several workshops at Grace House. An avid writer herself, she finds these opportunities “wonderful and amazing” and is “looking forward to new areas, learning and assisting even more women.”
Queen was a resident of Grace House and now is a WIND Lived Experience Leader (LEL). She co-facilitates numerous workshops including Money Matters, Writing for Empowerment, and the correspondence courses with Cook County Jail. She is currently writing a book called ‘A Cry for Help’. She describes how “WIND has been very supportive in all areas.”
While she was a resident at Grace House, Ana took a number of WIND workshops. Now she is WIND’s newest Lived Experience Leader (LEL). She joined WIND to “help and guide women who have gone through difficult times” and believes that “a good support system and guidance are one of the keys to succeeding in this world again.”
Inspiring women with a history of incarceration or at risk of incarceration to design a thriving life journey using newly learned tools and strategies for success.
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