(Chicago) … The Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC)—a nonprofit that partners with business, communities and governments to make the greater Chicago region a better place to live and work—has elected 11 new members to its 60-member Board of Governors, the largest incoming class ever.
“MPC’s long history of building strong partnerships across the region speaks to the depth of our Board,” said MPC President MarySue Barrett. “Our volunteers help us forge dynamic, productive dialogues between businesses, governments and communities, and we look forward to working with new Board members in 2014.”
The new Board members are:
Carol Ross Barney, Principal, Ross Barney Architects Inc. Ross Barney’s internationally recognized firm designs institutional and public buildings and spaces. Current projects include the new Chicago Transit Authority Cermak Station and the Chicago Riverwalk. She joins the Housing and Community Development Committee.
George Bilicic, Vice Chairman of U.S. Investment Banking, Lazard Ltd. Bilicic oversees Lazard’s Midwest investment banking business and global efforts in power, energy and infrastructure. He is a member of the Firm’s Investment Banking Committee and Deputy Chairman Committee. He joins the Regional Planning and Investments Committee.
Monique Brinkman-Smith, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, Northern Trust. Brinkman-Smith leads a team of Wealth Management professionals in Chicago's Gold Coast area. Specializing in Investment, Trust and Banking services to high net worth individuals and businesses, she is responsible for management, business development strategies, and oversight. She joins the Sensible Growth Committee.
Olga Camargo, Managing Partner, Toroso Investments. At New York based Toroso Investments, Camargo provides investment advisory and retirement plan advisory services to clients, which include high net worth individuals, business owners, public and private corporations, public sector entities and nonprofit entities and foundations. She joins the Regional Planning and Investments Committee.
Chris Conley, Chairman, Gravitytank. Conley co-founded and built Gravitytank into a leading innovation consulting firm. He works with Fortune 500 leadership teams to cultivate a more innovative culture within their organizations. He is a regular speaker at industry summits that focus on innovation and organizational culture. He joins the Housing and Community Development Committee.
Alan Gordon, Chairman and CEO, Richland, Gordon and Company; Co-CEO, ALDA Capital, LLC. Gordon has had significant investing and operating experience, having served as chairman and CEO as well as a board member of a number of successful private and public companies. He also holds, or has held, a number of charitable board positions. He joins the Regional Planning and Investments Committee.
Lerry Knox, CEO, Hilco Innovation Partners. Knox leads two areas of The Hilco Organization: Hilco Innovation Partners, an asset management company that invests in technologies that advance critical infrastructure assets; and Governmental Solutions, which helps government agencies and nonprofits maximize their capital asset values. He joins the Regional Planning and Investments Committee.
John Poth, Partner, Greater Chicago Market Assurance Leader and Midwest Region Private Company Services Leader, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. As an assurance partner for 15 years, Poth has experience in leading PricewaterhouseCooper’s delivery of audit services and has been responsible for coordinating diverse teams with global reach and service capabilities. He joins the Sensible Growth Committee.
Howard M. Radzely, Vice President and Assistant General Counsel, The Boeing Company. Before joining The Boeing Company, Radzely served in several senior positions in the federal government, including Deputy Secretary of Labor, where he oversaw overall management, policies and relations with Capitol Hill. He joins the Sensible Growth Committee.
Smita N. Shah, CEO, SPAAN Tech. Shah founded SPAAN Tech in 1998 and has pioneered its growth into a prominent engineering, construction management, and project management firm with special expertise in infrastructure projects. She is a graduate of northwestern university and MIT, and completed post graduate work in management studies at Oxford, writing her thesis on public private partnership. She is a long-time member and current co-chair of the Regional Planning and Investments Committee.
Zandra Zuno, Multicultural Practice Leader and Co-Leader, Diversity & Inclusion, GolinHarris. Zuno leads GolinHarris’ national multicultural marketing practice and was recently charged with helping the agency elevate its diversity efforts. Zuno created the agency’s multicultural marketing practice six years ago, and previously led the agency’s marketing efforts and led global account management and branding efforts across her 13 years at GolinHarris. She was previously a member of MPC’s Resource Board and will be an important advisor on MPC’s communications strategies.
In addition, MPC has appointed five new Executive Advisors: Nicholas Alexos, Madison Dearborn Partners, LLC; John M. Dionisio, AECOM; Kathy Hopinkah Hannan, KPMG LLP; Jeff Malehorn, World Business Chicago;and William A. Mynatt, Dovenmuehle Mortgage, Inc. Madeleine Condit, Madeleine Condit & Associates LLC, has been appointed to MPC’s Resource Board. For more information, contact Mandy Burrell Booth, MPC communications director, at 312-863-6018 or mburrell@metroplanning.org. Photos are available upon request.
About MPC
Since 1934, the Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) has been dedicated to shaping a more sustainable and prosperous greater Chicago region. As an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, MPC serves communities and residents by developing, promoting and implementing solutions for sound regional growth.