Choose Chicago counts some of the city’s most accomplished professionals among our board members, each committed to promoting Chicago as a premier leisure, meetings, and events destination. In conjunction with the Choose Chicago Executive Office, the Board of Directors serves as a primary source of communication, decision-making, initiative leadership, management, and execution to better serve the Chicago tourism industry.
Board of Directors
Officers
Glenn Eden
Board Chair
Choose Chicago
Strategic Communications Advisor
Marilynn Gardner
Vice Chair
President & CEO, Navy Pier
Liz Lombardo Stark
Treasurer & Chair of the Finance Committee
Director of Marketing & PR, Gibsons Restaurant Group
Chevy Humphrey
Secretary
President & CEO, Griffin Museum of Science & Industry
Board of Directors
Board
Jeff Bethke
Managing Partner, Ingenuity Advising
Ivan Capifali
Acting Commissioner, Business Affairs and Consumer Protection
Phil Clement
President & CEO, World Business Chicago
Catherine De Orio
Executive Director, Foundation for Culinary Arts
Lisa Duarte
Partner, Croke Fairchild Morgan & Beres
Richard Gamble
Founder, Realized Value Collaborative LLC.
Devin Griffith
Global Head of Asset Management, Hyatt Hotels Corporation
Nina Grondin
Co-Founder and Partner, Curioso
Ayesha Jaco
Executive Director, West Side United
Michael Jacobson
President and CEO, Illinois Hotel and Lodging Association
Arthur "Art" Johnston
Co-Founder, Equality Illinois and Co-Owner, Sidetrack Bar
Kevin McLaughlin
Executive Secretary-Treasurer, Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council
RJ Melman
President, Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants
Eve Rodriguez Montoya
President and CEO, Rodriguez Media Communications, Inc.
Artesha Moore
President & CEO, Association Forum
Vinnie Polito
CEO, VP International, LLC
Michael Reinsdorf
President & Chief Executive Officer, Chicago Bulls
Robert G. Reiter, Jr.
President, Chicago Federation of Labor
Kristen Reynolds
President and CEO
James Rondeau
President & Eloise W. Martin Director, The Art Institute of Chicago
Juan Salgado
Chancellor, City Colleges of Chicago
Alexandra Sims
President & Founder, APS & Associates
Michael Strautmanis
Executive Vice President for Civic Engagement, Obama Foundation
Cherryl Thomas
Chief Strategy Officer, Ardmore Roderick
Lisa Timbo
Area General Manager, Sheraton Grand Chicago Riverwalk
Jorge Valdivia
Executive Director, Chicago Latino Theater Alliance
John Wells
Area Vice President, Northern Midwest Region Hilton Chicago
Rodney Williams
President, Diageo Beer Company and Diageo Canada
Elizabeth "Betsy" Ziegler
CEO, 1871/CEC - Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center
Board
Ex-Officio
Doreen Burse
SVP Worldwide Sales, United Airlines
Larita D. Clark
CEO, Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (MPEA)
Jason Ervin
Alderman, 28th Ward, Chicago City Council
Clinée Hedspeth
Commissioner, Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events
Benjamin Humphrey
Vice President of ORD Operations
Patrick Kelly
President & Business Manager, International Union of Operating Engineers Local 399
Rich Levin
Managing Director, Consumer and Retail Corporate & Investment Banking, Bank of America
Kristin Richards
Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO)
Ex-Officio
In Memoriam
David Jacobs
General Manager, Hyatt Regency McCormick Place
Myrna Salazar
Co-Founder & Executive Director, Chicago Latino Theater Alliance
