The women’s Business Development Center is governed by a Board of Directors, consisting of women business owner, corporate and supplier diversity executives, and community leaders. The 23 current members are shown below
Chairperson
Debra Jennings-Johnson, Senior Director, Supplier Diversity, BP America, Inc.
Vice Chairperson
Linda Chaplik Harris, Partner, Dentons US LLP
2nd Vice Chairperson
Michelle Blaise, Senior Vice President, Technical Services, ComEd
Secretary
Alison Chung, President, TeamWerks
Assistant Secretary
Cassandra Sanford, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, KellyMitchell Group, Inc.
Treasurer
Sandra Rand, Retired Director, Supplier Diversity, United Airlines
Audit Committee Chair
Beth Kieffer Leonard, CPA, Managing Partner, Lurie, LLP
Audit Committee Vice Chair
Rona Fourte, Senior Director, Business Enterprise Program & Supplier Development, IlliniCare Health
Members
Laurel G. Bellows, Principal, The Bellows Law Group, P.C.
Linda Boasmond, President, Cedar Concepts Corporation
Amanda Brinkman, Chief Brand and Communications Officer, Deluxe Corporation
Eva Brown, Vice President, CED Lending and Investment Manager, Fifth Third Bank
Risa R. Davis, Vice President, Corporate Development, United Way of Metropolitan Chicago
Emilia DiMenco, President and Chief Executive Officer, Women’s Business Development Center
S. Carol Dougal, Founder and Co-President Emeritus, Women’s Business Development Center
Patty Greene, Manager, Community Affairs & Grassroots, Southwest Airlines
Mary Houpt, Manager, Community Partnership, Peoples Gas & North Shore Gas/WEC Energy
Michelle Kantor, Member, McDonald Hopkins
Jennifer Mariani, Senior Vice President, Sales Performance, Small Business, Bank of America
Hedy Ratner, Founder and Co-President Emeritus, Women’s Business Development Center
Arabel Alva Rosales, President, AAR & Associates, Ltd.
Renee Sang, Marketing Director, Accenture
Amy Yuhn, U.S. Chief of Marketing & Head of Communications , CIBC
