Kelly White, Executive Director, Chicago Foundation for Women

Kelly White came to Chicago and the foundation from Austin, Texas, where she led SafePlace, a nationally-recognized domestic violence and sexual assault organization.  During her 10-year tenure at SafePlace, Kelly grew its budget from $1.4 to $8.5 million, increased the endowment by over $1 million, and managed two capital campaigns that raised $35 million to build transitional and affordable housing.   Kelly has also been a United Way division director and reorganized the Citizens Crime Commission of Fort Worth, and served on the board of the Austin Community Foundation. 

Giselle Mercier, Executive Director, Pros Arts Studio

Arts educator and administrator Giselle Mercier has worked at the National Museum of Mexican Art, the Randolph Street Gallery, Performing Arts Chicago, and Columbia College Chicago where she directed community development and education initiatives at the Dance Center and managed the Community Arts Partnership’s Urban Missions program.  Most recently she was the administrative director for several departments at The School of the Art Institute.

Vladimir Sambaiew, President, The Stanley Foundation

Before joining the Stanley Foundation, Vladimir Sambaiew was the minister counselor for economic affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico.  Mr. Sambaiew’s 30-year State Department career included directing the State Department’s Office of Bilateral Trade during the time of China’s entry into the WTO and service as counselor for environment, science and technology at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow where he was in-country lead on the U.S./Russia program to control “loose” Russian nuclear materials. 

Henry Henderson, Director, Midwest Program, Natural Resources Defense Council  

As Chicago’s first commissioner of the environment, Henry Henderson created and built a department responsible for all of the City’s environmental enforcement, energy policy, and natural resource rehabilitation work.  In that role, Mr. Henderson led the City’s groundbreaking Brownfields Initiative, developed the Chicago Regional Clean Air Initiative, and established the Chicago Environmental Fund.  He later co-founded an environmental and economic policy consulting firm.  Mr. Henderson has also been an assistant Illinois attorney general.

Shawn Hunt, Midwest Regional Director,  The Community Builders  

Developer, manager, and architect Shawn Hunt was most recently the managing member of Bluegrass Development Services LLC.  Previously as managing director at Mesirow Stein Real Estate/Stein & Company,  he served as development manager both for The Glen (a mixed-use development at the former Glenview Naval Station) and for the restoration and development of the town of Fort Sheridan (on the site of the former Fort Sheridan Army Base).  Earlier in his career, Mr. Hunt was a project architect with both Skidmore Owings & Merrill and with Perkins & Will.