James Farrell is currently the Vice President, Operations for Merrick Ventures, a financial technology holding company based in Chicago. Mr. Farrell came to Merrick Ventures after holding various roles with increasing responsibility at Illinois Tool Works (ITW), including sales and marketing positions with Wilsonart International and Paslode. Most recently, Mr. Farrell was the Business Manager for ITW Duo-Fast Construction, a manufacturer and supplier of fastening systems for the residential construction market. He has additional sales experience from his tenure at EMC Corporation, a leading supplier of hardware, software and services in the data storage industry.  Civic and professional affiliations include the Rush Hospital Associates Board, the Economic Club of Chicago, the President’s Council of the Museum of Science and Industry, and the Chicago Club. Mr. Farrell received his Bachelor of Science in Management from Purdue University and his Masters of Business Administration from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. 

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Susan G. Gallagher
Vice Chair, Audit Committee
Audit Committee Member
Co-Chair, Tiffany Circle Initiative (FY07, 08, 09)
Former Vice Chair, Financial Development
Former Chair, Financial Development Committee
Volunteer since 2005

Susan G. Gallagher is the Managing Director of Huron Consulting Group where she is in charge of Strategic Development. She is the former head of Client Relationship Development at the 250-partner Chicago office of Arthur Andersen LLP and the former partner in charge of professional services and government services industry sector. Ms. Gallagher has over 20 years experience consulting with legal counsel on complex financial matters including litigation, damages and investigations. She was one of the founding partners in Andersen’s initiative to attract and retain women and is the founder of the Senior Businesswomen’s Forum, an organization of Chicago’s leading businesswomen. She holds a BBA, from St Mary’s College in Notre Dame Indiana and is a Certified Public Accountant.

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Dr. Larry J. Goodman
Governance & Nominating Committee Member
Former Service Delivery Committee Member
Volunteer since 2006

Dr. Larry J. Goodman is President and Chief Executive Officer of Rush University Medical Center and holder of the James A. Campbell, M.D. distinguished service chair. Prior to this appointment, Dr. Goodman was the senior vice president for medical affairs of the Medical Center and Dean of Rush Medical College where he serves as Professor of Medicine. He also served as Medical Director of Cook County Hospital. He received his medical degree from the University of Michigan Medical School in 1976, having previously graduated with distinction from the University of Michigan undergraduate program. He is the recipient of numerous honors and awards including being named Outstanding Medical Resident in 1979 and Medical Attending of the Year in 1984. In addition, Dr. Goodman’s research has focused on infectious diseases, particularly gastrointestinal infections.

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John Hines, Jr.
Audit Committee Member
People Resources Committee Member
Former Vice Chair, Audit
Former Chair, Audit Committee
Former Finance Committee Member
Air Incident Response Team, National
Disaster Relief Operations Assistant Director, National
Former Chair, Disaster Services
Volunteer since 1991

John J. Hines, Jr. is currently the President of the Will County Board. He is also retired from Firestone Europe, Inc., where he served as Director of Financial Services from 1989 until 1991. He joined Firestone Tire & Rubber Company in Salinas, California as Controller in 1976. From there he served as Financial Director and Director of Financial Services for Firestone International, Inc. in England, Mexico City, France, Spain and Brussels, Belgium. Prior to 1976 Mr. Hines held various accounting and auditing positions in Indiana and Ohio.  Mr. Hines has a BS in Business Administration from Indiana State University. He is married and resides in Joliet.

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Raymond Orozco
Service Delivery Committee Member
Volunteer 2008

Raymond Orozco is the Executive Director, Office of Emergency Management & Communications a position to which he was appointed by the Mayor of Chicago in June, 2008.  Prior to that he served as the Fire Commissioner of the Chicago Fire Department and appointment by Mayor Daley in May, 2006. He also served as the Assistant Deputy Fire Commissioner and coordinated several emergency incidents such as the LaSalle Bank Fire and the Metra train derailment. He began his career as a firefighter in 1980 and has successfully risen through the ranks of the CFD holding various positions such as Lieutenant, Captain and Battalion Chief, respectively.  Commissioner Orozco attended Western Illinois University were he received a BA. He is a certified EMT-B.

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Jerrold Martin
Service Delivery Committee Member
Volunteer since 2005

Jerrold Martin is Vice President—IT Energy Delivery for Exelon Business Services where he leads the areas of customer/marketing, operations, asset management, support services and real time operations. Prior to joining ComEd in 1998, Mr. Martin held multiple IT senior management positions at Ameritech and Accenture. He holds a master’s degree in business administration from Roosevelt University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and business from Eureka College. He has also served as an adjunct professor of MBA programs at Roosevelt. Mr. Martin resides in Frankfort, Illinois with his wife and two children.

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Judy Boler McCormack
Governance & Nominating Committee Member
Co-Chair Tiffany Circle Initiative (FY08, 09)
Volunteer since 2005

Judith (Judy) Boler McCormack is a Trustee of the Boler Family Foundation. Her background and training is in physical therapy and athletic training. She has held related positions with the Fort Collins Sports Medicine Clinic, Rush University Medical Center and Lutheran General Hospital where she became certified to teach Red Cross CPR and Water Safety. She was a volunteer with the Junior League of Chicago and the Hinsdale Community House Antiques Show Committee. Ms. McCormack has a B.S. Degree from Bradley University and a Master’s in Science from Colorado State University as well as A.T.C. Board Certifications. She is married with two children and resides in Hinsdale.

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Leo Olper
Vice Chair, Marketing Committee
Marketing Committee Member
Volunteer since 2008

Leo Olper is Senior VP and Chief Operating Officer, LAPIZ , a Hispanic agency for Leo Burnett. Mr. Olper has more than 15 years of advertising experience. He started his advertising career at Leo Burnett Mexico in 1992 as an Assistant Account Executive on the Kellogg account. Mr. Olper was first introduced to the US Hispanic market during a stint in the US working on the Hispanic business for Kellogg’s. Returning to Mexico, he and his team won the Mexico McDonald’s business and in 1998 was promoted to Account Director on the business. Returning to the US in 2000, he became the VP, Account Director for Lapiz and later rose to his current position. Mr. Olper earned bachelor degrees in both History and Political Science from Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. He also earned a minor in International Relations and a General Course Study degree from the London School of Economics. His outside interests include Board member for the US-Mexico Chamber of Commerce Mid-America Chapter. He is also an educator speaking at various local universities imparting his excitement for the industry and exposing students to careers in Hispanic marketing.

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Julian Posada
Chair, Marketing Committee
Latino Initiative Committee Member
Founder and first Chair of the Chapter’s Auxiliary Board
Volunteer since 2000/03 -- 2006

Julian G. Posada is Founder and President of CAFÉ Media. He was formerly General Manager & VP of Business Development for Hoy a Tribune Publication and served as their Director of Sales and Marketing in Chicago and Los Angeles. Prior to joining Hoy, he was a Principal with J.C. Williams Consulting Group, General Manager/Director of Marketing for Ethnicgrocer.com and Director of Business Development for Citibank in Bogota, Columbia. He was instrumental in starting two national non-profit organizations:  Public Allies and Campus Outreach Opportunity League. He is a member of the board of the Academy for Urban School Leadership, Public Allies, as well as the McCormick Tribune YMCA among other committees within the Hispanic community in Chicago. Mr. Posada was also a Professor of Marketing Strategy at San Martin University in Colombia, SA and a visiting marketing faculty member at DePaul University in Chicago. He holds an MBA from the J. L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management and a Bachelor of Science in Food Systems, Economics and Management from Michigan State University. In 2006 he was named as a McCormick Tribune Media Fellow.

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Janis K. Tratnik
Governance & Nominating Committee Member
Former Board Chair (FY 07 – 08)
Former Chair, Heroes Breakfast (FY05)
Former Co-Chair, Strategic Planning Task Force (FY06)
Volunteer 2003

Janis (Jan) Tratnik is the Director, Global Communications and Public Affairs at W. W. Grainger, Inc. headquartered in Lake Forest. Prior to her position at Grainger, she held a number of management positions at the former Morton International including Director, Corporate Communications. Ms. Tratnik has nearly two decades of experience in crisis communications and emergency preparedness and was a member of a Chemical Manufacturers’ Association taskforce charged with creating communications guidelines for the industry. She is familiar with the volunteer programs of the American Red Cross through her volunteer experience with the St. Louis Chapter and her leadership of corporate United Way campaigns. She recommended Grainger’s adoption of the Red Cross “Ready When the Time Comes” program and is responsible for its management at Grainger. Ms. Tratnik graduated cum laude with a B.A. in Psychology and Sociology and an M.Ed in Counseling from the University of Missouri. She also holds an M.A. in Psychology from National-Louis University and is an adjunct instructor there. Ms. Tratnik resides in Evanston with her husband and daughter. 

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Nancy Wright
Financial Development Committee
Volunteer 2009

Nancy Wright is President of Blue Plate. She began her career with the company in 2007 and is responsible for day-to-day operations while overseeing the company’s restaurants, including Blueprint, an imaginative American Restaurant and lounge situated inside the Merchandise Mart and Rhapsody, the critically-acclaimed restaurant located at Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Symphony Center, as well as supporting the operational efforts at Park Grill operated by Blue Plate and Mainstay Hospitality. Recent posts included Aramark, the globally known professional food, hospitality and facility management company, as well as Chicago Botanic Gardens and The Museum of Science and Industry. Wright holds more than 25 years of consulting, management and customer relations expertise. She is also an active member with the Catering Executives Club of America. Most recently, Wright served as a consultant to businesses, restaurants, cultural institutions and nonprofits. She specialized in providing operational analyses and delivering business-building solutions related to human resources, strategic planning, customer service and staff training and development.

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Emeritus Members 
 
William Clark
Former Board Chair (FY 77-79)
Former First Vice Chair
Former Vice Chair
Former Vice Chair
Former Chair, Long Range Planning Committee
Former Chair, Nominating Committee
Former Chair, Disaster Services 
Former Nominating Committee Member
Former Budget & Finance Committee Member
Former Long Range Planning Committee Member
Former Financial Development Committee Member
Former Human Resources Committee Member 
Former National Board of Governors Member
Former Chair, National Convention Committee on Nominations
Volunteer since1968 / Emeritus Member awarded 1988

Mr. Clark is a former Executive Director of the McCormick Charitable Trust.  In addition to supporting grant-making in community programs; working to improve early childhood education in the Chicago area; supporting journalism and free press in the Americas; and encouraging active citizenship and volunteerism at the Trust, Mr. Clark served on the Chapter’s Board of Directors for 13 years.   

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Sidney (Sid) Doolittle
Former Board Chair
Former Audit Committee Member
Former Health & Safety Advisor, National
Volunteer since 1982

Mr. Doolittle was the founding partner of McMillan & Doolittle Retail Planning Partners, specializing in retail strategy. He has served on various boards of the Northwestern Memorial Medical Group, as well as on the Board of Elders at Presbyterian Church.  He is also a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers.  Mr. Doolittle received a Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnical Institute and later a Master’s of business administration in advance management from Harvard Business School.  He currently resides in Evanston, Illinois with his wife.

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John Grube
Former Board Chair (FY 94-97)
Former First Vice Chair
Former Chair, Financial Development Committee
Former Audit Committee Member
Former Budget & Finance Committee Member
Former Board Development Committee Member
Former Financial Development Committee Member
Former Chair, Capital Campaign
Volunteer since 1985 / Emeritus Member Awarded 2006

John P. Grube serves as the Executive Vice President for Northern Trust Company.  He has held numerous senior management positions with Northern Trust Company since joining the bank in 1983 as Vice President in the Metropolitan Department.  Before joining Northern Trust, Mr. Grube was the Assistant Dean of Students at Stanford University.    Mr. Grube holds an undergraduate degree from Stanford University and an MBA from Harvard University.  John and his wife reside in Hinsdale. 

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Urath P. Thornton
Former Board Secretary
Former Chair, Volunteers
Former Board Development Committee Member
Former Budget & Finance Committee Member
Former Human Resources Committee Member
Former Nominating Committee Member
Former Service Committee Member
Volunteer since 1965 / Emeritus Member Awarded 1986

Urath Thornton is a former teacher with the Chicago Board of Education.  Mrs. Thornton has also had a long career with the American Red Cross of Greater Chicago where she was a member of the Board of Directors for 18 years.  Mrs. Thornton combined her interests when she served as the chair for many years of the Chapter’s Holiday Knit Shop Fundraiser.  Furthermore, Mrs. Thornton was a member of the National Convention Nominating Committee and was the Coordinator of Volunteers during the 1979 Houston floods. 

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James Unnerstall
Financial Development Committee Member
Former Board Chair (FY91-94)
Former, First Vice Chair
Former Vice Chair Financial Development
Former Chair, Financial Development Committee
Former Chair, Long Range Planning Committee
Former Chair, Program and Evaluation Committee
Former Chair, Services Committee
Former Board Development Committee Member
Former Member National Resolutions Committee
Former Member National Board of Governors Strategic Planning Committee
Volunteer since 1982 / Emeritus Member Award 1999

Mr. Unnerstall is the former Vice President of Planning and Administration of the Amoco Oil Company.  He later served as executive director of crisis management planning for Amoco Corporation, a position he held from 1990 until his retirement.  Mr. Unnerstall is a graduate of the University of Missouri-Rolla with a BS in chemical engineering.  He has served on the boards of the Illinois State Chamber of Commerce; Chicago Association of Commerce and Industry; the United Way, Rotary Club and Lions Club.  Mr. Unnerstall currently resides in Olympia Fields with wife.  He has two grown sons.

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Maureen Mulvihill
Auxiliary Board Chair

Maureen Mulvihill is the Community Affairs Manager, W. W. Grainger, Inc. She is the current member of the Auxiliary Board of young professionals who undertake various fund raising events during the year. To provide more support and recognize their efforts, the Board several years ago approved that the current President of this group be appointed by the Board Chair for the duration of their chairmanship to sit ex-officio on the Chapter Board. Maureen is the fourth Auxiliary Board Chair to serve as a Liaison to the Board. The others were Kimberly Carris, Laurie Metanchuk and Kimberly Wong Hartmann. Prior to joining Grainger, Ms. Mulvihill served in the non-profit field for five years, most recently as a fundraising consultant for Latz Bruni Partners, LLC, a boutique social services, religious and education-based consultancy in Oak Park, IL. She also held roles of increasing responsibility in the resource development department at the American Red Cross of Greater Chicago, overseeing some of the chapter’s largest fundraising events and ending her tenure as Manager, Donor Relations and Special Events.  Ms. Mulvihill received a B.A. in Communication Studies from the University of Iowa in 2001 and is currently applying to Chicago-area schools for her MBA.

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