INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TEAM

 Nancy Abbate has over 30 years experience in Latino/a and Black not-for-profit human service executive management, specifically in turnaround situations, mergers/acquisitions, and employer negotiations with unions. 

She began ABBATE GROUP, LTD. in 1998, a for-profit management and consultation firm working with not-for-profits, foundations and units of government. 

Previously, Ms. Abbate was Founder and Executive Director of Youth Service Project, Inc. a model Latino and African American youth and community development organization located in Chicago since 1975. 

As a third generation Chicagoan, Ms. Abbate started a CBO in her own community where she was born and raised. She generated millions of dollars in both the public and private sectors, and was Principal Investigator on dozens of federal grants and contracts. She has created innovative programs to address community concerns, and developed youth and adult staff and volunteer leadership to oversee and manage operations in a highly effective manner. 

Ms. Abbate has honed her skills by working in multi-cultural settings, negotiating networks, and participating in and forging coalitions through collaboration. 

She deals with: revenue generation, grantsmanship and resource development; budgeting and cash flow; government, community, and public relations; recruitment, training, and retention of not-for-profit boards of directors; executive support and project research; performance-based standards and total quality management training for human service organizations; program development on children and youth issues; alternative education and literacy; employment and training issues; after-school and summer programming; and arts programming.

In addition to being Principal at Abbate group, Ltd., she is adjunct faculty in De Paul University’s Sociology Department, Chicago. 

She routinely is recruited to serve on federal review panels as chair and reviewer for various federal departments. 

An Executive Public Service leader in urban settings, with an established track record of positioning organizations for success during times of growth and crisis while also serving as a catalyst for innovative services, especially in communities of color affected by trauma and violence. 

Over 6 years experience as an Executive Director leading not-for-profit organizations. 

Exemplary not-for-profit leadership, community involvement and urban development encapsulate a career that spans over 2 decades. Passionate in my focus on minority community leadership, gender identity and youth development with consistent managerial success as a Program Director and Officer, Executive Director, Vice President of Youth Development among other leadership positions held.

Alicia's Areas of Expertise include Nonprofit Leadership, Violence Prevention, Organizational Development, Program Evaluation, Strategic Planning, Policy Development, Consensus Building, Advocacy, Crisis Interventions Youth Development

A frequent leader in her community, Alicia has worked with the following local organizations: 

Forefront Mission Sustainability Initiative Advisory Council, 2020 - current

Illinois Youth Budget Commission, 2019 - current

Leadership Greater Chicago Fellows Program, 2015-current

Illinois Children’s Justice Task Force, 2006 – 2012

Amigas Latinas, Board of Directors, 2004 – 2010; Co-Chair 2007-2008; Treasurer 2008

She has been named One of Chicago’s Top Latina Leaders in Philanthropy and Government by Make It Better in 2018;  a Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame Inductee in 2017;  and was awarded the 2015 United Voices for Children Bishop DeWitt Award and the 2013 Damen Award from Loyola University Chicago for Child Advocacy and Leadership

Alicia earned degrees from the following universities;

Loyola University Chicago Baumhart Center for Social Enterprise and Responsibility, Chicago, Illinois Certificate, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Leadership Institute, May 2021

Loyola University Chicago School of Law, Chicago, Illinois Master of Jurisprudence in ChildLaw, May 1999

Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, Illinois Bachelor of Science in Applied Psychology, minor in Women’s Studies, January 1996

An experienced not-for-profit executive, Kathy Bell has supported leaders, clients and colleagues with executive and governance acumen, executive search, interim leadership and not-for-profit expertise to build strong organizations. 

Her focus is helping organizations achieve defined outcomes. She has served as CEO of business, community, professional, philanthropic, and health care organizations.  

Before establishing her consulting practice, she spent 30 years as an association executive. A principal in the SmithBucklin consulting practice, she created the transition services and client onboarding model. 

Kathy’s leadership of volunteer-governed organizations consistently yielded growth and development. She attributes her success to well-integrated, committed leadership/staff teams focused on common goals and outcomes. 

A Certified Association Executive (CAE) and Fellow of the American Society of Association Executives (FASAE), Kathy actively serves her profession. She chaired the ASAE Fellows and the CAE Exam Writing Committee, and served on the CAE Commission Board. 

A recipient of the Association Forum’s John C. Thiel Distinguished Service Award, she was a board member, as well as vice chair of the Forum Foundation. Past chair of Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Chicago, she was a national Epilepsy Foundation Board member and on the Affiliate Affairs, Diversity and Executive Committees. She chaired United Way of Chicago’s Human Capital Development Priority Grants Committee, and served the Allocations and Women’s Initiative Committees. 

Currently, she chairs the Association Forum’s Professional Practices Committee, is a board member of The Center for Women’s History and Leadership in Evanston, IL and a member of the Governance Committee of the Association of Consultants to Nonprofits. 

Kathy earned her bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York at New Paltz and her Master of Business Administration from Northern Illinois University.

 Laura Stokes-Gray launched her management consulting practice in January of 2000 after two decades as a senior level financial services marketing executive and four years as the Chief Executive Officer of a Chicago-based nonprofit organization. She specializes in enlightened strategies for the nonprofit sector - both 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(6) - including: intentional interim CEO leadership and transition management; operational restructuring; mergers and acquisitions; financial analysis and oversight; revenue generation; strategic planning; capacity building; operational audits; sustainability audits; complex project management; community outreach; and board governance counsel. She enjoys taking on particularly challenging engagements involving crisis intervention, difficult board and staff situations, deficit reduction, and organizational turnarounds.

Stokes-Gray has successfully worked within a wide range of nonprofit concerns of various sizes, structures, cultures and circumstances. Her clients have included the Chicago Crime Commission; the John Howard Association; DePaul University; Visit Oak Park; the Barat Education Foundation; the St. Philip Neri School Foundation; the Meadville Lombard Theological Seminary; the Chicago Children's Advocacy Center; and EnVision Life. She also served as Interim Executive Director/CEO for the International Society for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect; the Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights; North Shore Youth Service (Angles); Lincoln Park Conservancy; and the Chicago Center for Arts and Technology. She has been a member of Executive Service Corps of Chicago’s Interim Executive Director Practice Group for 13 years. 

She recently served on the Board of Directors of the Association of Consultants to Nonprofits and is a member of the Society for Nonprofit Organizations, and the West Suburban Philanthropic Network. Currently serving on the Board of the Naperville Astronomical Association, she has also served on the boards of the Glen Ellyn Food Pantry, St. Philip Neri School Board, the Barat College Alumni Board, and the Barat Education Foundation.
Stokes-Gray received a B.A. in Political Science from Barat College and attended graduate school at the University of Chicago.
An accomplished public speaker, she has lectured on business, marketing, finance and nonprofit management.  

 Kathye Gorosh's Chief Executive Officer and Board of Directors roles provide experience and a perspective that ensures quality traditional leadership that impacts organizations for long-term sustainability and growth.

Kathye provides a solid focus on strategic innovation, leadership development, program integration and addressing social determinants of health.   

She excels in leading major organizational change, establishing highly efficient business infrastructures and operational processes, while building consensus among diverse networks. Kathye has a proven ability to innovate and strengthen organizations to ensure both sustainability and growth with a focus on health and racial equity. 

Areas of expertise & experience:

• Adults - primarily

• Board of Director role/s

• Strategy Planning

• HIV - public health

• Behavioral Health: Substance Use Disorders/Addiction & Mental Health

• Clinical & Social Service settings

• Vulnerable populations

• Medicaid/Medicare/Duals populations

• Housing: unhoused; supportive housing

• Work with Managed Care Organizations, CBOs, people with lived experience (HIV, BH, and Parkinson's Disease)

• Sectors: nonprofits; small businesses; government entities

• Infectious Disease programs: HIV/STI/COVID: Business Development and Project Management

After serving as the President and Chief Executive Officer for over 18 years Diane Williams was named President Emeritus of the Safer Foundation, one of the nation’s largest not for profit community criminal justice organizations. While workforce development is a focal point for Safer Foundation the 10,000 individuals accessing Safer services each year during Diane’s tenure also had access to housing, mental health and substance abuse treatment, healthcare, and other supportive services. Under contract with the Illinois Department of Corrections Safer also managed two large residential transition facilities for those returning from prison to community.

Under Diane’s leadership the number of clients placed in and retaining employment grew significantly. Her strong corporate background in marketing and sales strategy development, building successful partnerships with corporate, civic and community leaders, and recruiting and mobilizing multi-functional high-performance teams positioned Diane to strengthen Safer’s core operations, engage corporate involvement and secure significant philanthropic grants. Diane led Safer through the strategic planning process ensuring a clear vision, mission and goal setting and achievement as well as board staff alignment. City, State, County, Federal, and other not for profit agencies seek Diane’s consultation in policy development, fundraising, strategic planning, program design and implementation.

With her background of serving in board leadership roles for small and large not for profit organizations Diane is often asked to consult on board related matters. She has assisted those organizations in engaging board members, establishing board member responsibilities, assessing board strengths and weaknesses, identifying emerging trends, and formulating growth strategies.  

Gaylon comes from a long history in Chicago as an activist, organizer and champion of human rights. For more than twenty-five years, she has worked on behalf of sexual minority women, anti-violence, gender equity, health prevention, reproductive rights, as well as race and culture issues. She has consistently applied her knowledge in practice towards quality improvement, increased access, and by challenging frameworks that do not allow for the exploration of diversity across multiple dimensions when working with, and on behalf of diverse constituencies. 

Gaylon is the past Executive Director of the Chicago Abortion Fund and is a founding board member of Affinity Community Services, a past board member of the Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health and the Midwest Access Project. Currently, provides interim Executive Director services for organizations in transition.

Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois she was awarded her BA and MA from DePaul University. Gaylon holds a PhD in Community Psychology.

Michael Bennett is Professor Emeritus at DePaul University. Dr. Bennett served as executive director of the Monsignor John J. Egan Urban Center (EUC) from 1997-2008 and as Chair of the Sociology Department from 2014-2016. He taught and continues conducting research that focus on urban planning, community development, economic and social policy, and issues of race and ethnicity. 

He has degrees from Kent State University (B.A. 1968), and The University of Chicago (A.M. 1972 and Ph.D. 1988).

Over a twenty-three-year period, he held several positions with the nation’s first community development bank, ShoreBank Corporation in Chicago and Arkansas. There he served as president of The Neighborhood Institute, a non-profit community development corporation affiliated with ShoreBank in Chicago; vice-president of South Shore Bank, vice-president of the holding company, ShoreBank Corp and Vice President of the Arkansas Enterprise Group. 

He has held positions with numerous not-for-profit organizations including The African American Leadership and Policy Institute, the Asset Based Community Development Institute, the Imani Village LLC and the Endeleo Institute (both are affiliates of the Trinity United Church of Christ), the Fathers, Families and Healthy Communities initiative and, The Greater Chatham Initiative. For the past 21 years, he has served as Chair of the Board of Directors of The William E. Merritt Scholarship Fund.  

Mike Christ retired in 2011 having worked in the luxury retail industry for 45+ years. 

He held positions with Federated Stores corporate HQ as well as retail divisions. He was VP of Bloomindales in Miami, Boca Raton and Chicago and served as VP of Sales for all divisions of Federated Stores corporately. Prior to that he was a Director of Sakowitz and Godwaters stores in Scottsdale Arizona.  

Joining Tiffany & Co. as a Director in 1995, Mike was promoted to VP of the Central Region and then promoted in 1997 to Group VP/Director of Stores North America retail stores. 

In 2005, Mike was promoted to President of Tiffany Japan, located in Tokyo and charged with leading and developing the business in the vibrant Japanese luxury goods market. Tiffany Japan had 65 retail locations.  

Throughout his career, Mike was active in the communities where he resided. In Chicago he was both a business and non profit leader. He served as President of the Greater North Michigan Avenue Association, Chair of the Board of the School of the Art Institute; VP of the Chicago committee for UNICEF; served on the boards of the Better Business Bureau, the Michigan Avenue Streetscape Association, Lawson House YMCA and the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau. Mike chaired Chicago civic and charitable events including those for Urban Gateways, Joffrey Ballet, Illinois Eye Bank, Chicago Pow Wow committee, Greater North Michigan Avenue Association, and Chicago House.  

Christ attended the University of Notre Dame where he received a bachelor of business administration degree in finance and business economics. He also has an associate degree in non profit leadership from Notre Dame.