Our Team
Illinois Humanities is powered by a dedicated team of Board and staff members whose care and commitment have helped to increase our impact across the state. Get to know the people who make our work possible and browse available opportunities at Illinois Humanities below.
Our Board
For information about our Board, please contact us at development@ilhumanities.org.
Jai L. Winston, Chair
Rikeesha Phelon, Vice Chair*
Laurence (Larry) Sophian, Treasurer
Bridget Hayman, Secretary
Jennifer M. Brier
Antoinette Burton
Myriam Del Angel
Aarón Díaz Bianco, JD/CFA
Mark Denzler*
Sylvia Ewing
Erica S. Hubbard*
Brian C. Johnson*
Susan Manning
Tawa Mitchell*
Heather L. Norman*
Julio Paz
Lou Sandoval
Nakea West
*Denotes Gubernatorial Appointee
Lifetime Directors
Deborah Epstein
Consultant to
Foundations and Not-for-Profit Organizations
Alton B. Harris
Partner
Nixon Peabody
J. Paul Hunter
Professor Emeritus
The University of Chicago
Our Staff
Contact Illinois Humanities staff by emailing [first name].[last name]@ilhumanities.org. Photos by GlitterGuts.
Fairouz AbuGhazaleh
Director of Statewide Programs
Rebecca Amato
Director of Teaching and Learning
Jane Beachy
Senior Director of Public Engagement
Jessica Brown
Development Manager
B.B. Cooper Browne
Grants Program Officer
Madeline Cruz
Administrative Coordinator
Michael Foley
Senior Manager of Operations and Human Resources
Vicki Garza
Senior Director of Finance and Operations
Mark Hallett
Director of Grants Programs
Morven Higgins
Senior Director of Development and Communications
Kurt Kindt
Staff Accountant
Martin Matsuyuki Krause
Manager, Special Initiatives
Margy LaFreniere
Program Manager, Teaching and Learning
Dr. Gabrielle Lyon
Executive Director
Matt Meacham
Program Manager, Statewide Engagement
Antonio Pizarro
Program Manager: Envisioning Justice
Nicole Prahin Rodriguez
Senior Manager of Community Conversations
Brooklyn Rue
Program Operations Coordinator
Hannah Sugarman
Foundation and Corporate Relations Coordinator
Zerline Thompson
Program and Grants Coordinator
Diego Ivan Villegas
Manager of Marketing and Communications
Robert White
Senior Director of Programs
Tia K. Williams
Digital Communications and Database Manager
Photos by GlitterGuts
Contact Us
General Information
info@ilhumanities.org
(312)422-5580
Staff members share ideas at a retreat in Chicago.
Board member Rikeesha Phelon (left) and Director of Statewide Programs Fairouz AbuGhazaleh present an award at the 2023 Public Humanities Awards (Photo by Glitter Guts Photography).