WOODLAWN — The Obama Foundation on Tuesday appointed 17 people to a new council to make sure the development of the president’s library includes a diverse mix of people.
The council will be the public face for the foundation’s efforts to bolster diversity and inclusion through “detailed input, analysis and recommendations,” though it’s still not clear whether the council will be in charge of things like hiring standards or involvement by local and minority-owned contractors.
Marty Nesbitt, chairman of the foundation, said right now the council’s job is to uphold the values of diversity and inclusion while Barack Obama’s presidential library is developed in Jackson Park.
“The foundation is committed to maintaining an environment in which diversity and inclusion are valued and respected in all aspects of its operation, and the inclusion council will help us accomplish that goal,” Nesbitt said.
A spokesman for the foundation was not immediately available to outline any specific issues the council would tackle.
The council includes executives from major corporations such as Exelon and financial institutions such as Loop Capital in Chicago, as well as academic institutions such as the University of Chicago and nonprofits such as Access Living.
Connie Lindsey, one of three co-chairs of the council and head of corporate social responsibility and global diversity and inclusion at Northern Trust, laid out some of the work the council would do.
“The work done by the inclusion council will provide support and engage the mission of the Obama Foundation to inspire young people and citizens across the world to take on our big challenges,” Lindsey said.
The other co-chairs include Melody Spann Cooper, chairman of WVON Radio, and William Von Hoene Jr., senior executive vice president and chief strategy officer at Exelon.
“Solving tough social challenges requires diversity of thought and action,” Von Hoene said. “It requires us to inform, empower and connect with others to reach actionable solutions. Experience demonstrates that a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion fuels success and drives better business and community outcomes.”
The full council is:
- Melody Spann Cooper, chairwoman, WVON Radio; co-chair
- Connie Lindsey, executive vice president and head of corporate social responsibility and global diversity and inclusion, Northern Trust; co-chair
- William A. Von Hoene Jr., senior executive vice president and chief strategy officer, Exelon; co-chair
- Ken Bennett, senior adviser on public policy and community affairs, Choose Chicago
- Marca Bristo, president and chief executive officer, Access Living
- Ellen-Blair Chube, managing director and client service officer, William Blair
- Jamie Citron, development chief of staff, the Barack Obama Foundation
- Evelyn Diaz, president, Heartland
- Sidney Dillard, partner and head of corporate investment banking, Loop Capital
- Brett Hart, executive vice president, United Airlines
- Perri Irmer, president, Du Sable Museum
- Weldon Latham, principal, Jackson Lewis; council lead attorney
- Langdon Neal, principal and owner, Neal and Leroy LLC
- Nadia Quarles, assistant vice president for business development, University of Chicago
- Laura Ricketts, owner, Chicago Cubs
- Eli Williamson, co-founder and president, Leave No Veteran Behind
- Bernarda Wong, founder and president, Chinese American Service League
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