Who We Are

Our Team

Our Staff

Mélina Blanc

Senior Lead, Nature-Based Climate Solutions

Mackenzie Manley Buchek

Senior Specialist, Finance and Operations

Lucas Chamberlain

Specialist, Programs

Gillian Chesnut

Associate, Programs

Sidney (Sid) Freitag-Fey, CFRE

Chief Development Officer

Helen M. Hardy

Chief Financial Officer

William (Will) Kort

Specialist, Nature-Based Climate Solutions

Dean Lim

Senior Associate, Programs

Patrick T. Murphy

Director of Donor Stewardship

Jenny B. Par

Senior Associate, Programs

William (Willy) Pevec

Lead, Environmental Finance Center

Katherine Schultz

Senior Lead, Finance and Operations

Jamie Zouras

Senior Specialist, Nature-Based Climate Solutions

Board of Directors

Delta Institute’s governing Board of Directors provides oversight and management of Delta Institute. Board Directors serve up to two terms of three years each (for six years total) and participate in at least one of our three standing Committees: Development; Finance; and Governance and Nominating. Our Board adheres to best practices in nonprofit governance and signs an annual participation agreement outlining their roles and responsibilities to Delta Institute, as well as identifying any conflicts of interest that may impact their service.

Jaré Akchin

Development Committee Chair
Chief Impact Officer, Third Plateau

Liz Alexander

Manager, Energy & Utilities, West Monroe

Ashley Bakelmun

Board Vice Chair; Governance and Nominating Committee Chair
Managing Director; RW Ventures, LLC

Eira L. Corral Sepúlveda

Commissioner, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago

Jessie Deelo

Founder, Deelo Consulting Services

Madeline (Maddie) Demo, CSP

Governing Board Liaison to the DELs
Health & Safety Advisor, ENGIE North America Inc.

Lottie Ferguson

Vice President, Development and Donor Services, Community Foundation of Greater Flint

David Fording, CFA

Board Treasurer; Finance Committee Chair
Partner and Portfolio Manager – US All Cap Growth and US Equity Sustainability Strategies, William Blair

Paige Graham

Senior Vice President, Social Impact & Sustainability; Edelman

Bradley Grams

Regional Environmental Protection Specialist, Federal Aviation Administration

Niharika Hanglem

Program Director, Entrepreneurs, The Richard L. Duchossois Foundation

Mike Harrington, LEED GA

Board Secretary
Director at The Tishman Environment and Design Center, New School

Jannice Newson

Founder & CEO, Lillian Augusta Beauty

Vanessa Roanhorse

Board Chair
CEO, Roanhorse Consulting LLC

Tyler Strom

Managing Director, Illinois Agri-Food Alliance

Want to learn more about Board service at Delta Institute?

Delta Institute’s governing Board of Directors provides strategic and fiduciary oversight. Board meetings occur quarterly, typically in September, December, March, and June each fiscal year. Board-led committee meetings occur quarterly in adjacent months, typically in August, November, February, and May. All Directors sign membership agreements that cover governance, attendance and ambassadorship expectations. In return, Delta Institute provides personal and professional fulfillment, networking, and the opportunity to help shape a dynamic regional nonprofit.

Board Director terms begin each July 1st, and the Spring is our typical recruitment cycle. Interested persons are encouraged to learn more and apply for consideration; applications are kept until the next recruitment cycle. Please contact us if you have any questions!

Delta Institute's 2024 Annual Retreat

Delta Emerging Leaders Associate Board

The Delta Emerging Leaders (DELs) serve as the official associate board of Delta Institute and advance Delta’s mission by expanding its network of supporters, donors, and partners through events and initiatives that engage new and diverse audiences. Every year, the DELs host a live, crowd-funding pitch competition called BOOST for sustainable start-up businesses that help make Chicago a thriving, environmentally conscientious city to live and work in.

Sam Aronson

EHS Software Consultant, Arcadis

Lucia Bosacoma

Strategy Analyst, Growth Marketing; GoHealth

Jessica Chen

Sustainability Associate, CC Industries

Paige Curson

Supply Operations Generalist, McMaster-Carr

Linda Derhak

Energy and Climate Outreach Associate, University of Illinois Extension

Chelsey Faulkner

Owner & Founder, Candid Hues Cosmetics

Maya Kelly

Operations Manager, Urban Rivers

Joey McDarrah

Senior Associate, Investment Management – Proxy; William Blair

Ben Miller

Energy & Utilities Consultant, West Monroe

Humble Mohammed

Project Manager – Data Platform, Sunrun

Molly Needelman

Staff User Experience Researcher & Strategist, Google

John Prisby

Experienced Consultant, Energy & Utilities; West Monroe

Manju Rupani

Principal Consultant, R Impact Consulting

Anya Salnikova

Sustainable Supply Chain Programme Officer, UN Global Compact

Becca Sita

Development Associate, Chicago Women’s Health Center

Grace Snider

Project Management & Public Policy Professional

Jackie Spryshak

Senior Consultant, Corporate Reputation; FTI Consulting

Neha Thalpur

Scientist I, Thermo Fisher Scientific PPD

Joevita Weah

Business Architecture Specialist, Accenture

Charlie Wolfe

Sr. Manager, Business Development; Cordelio Power

Become a Delta Emerging Leader

Delta Institute recruits emerging professionals to volunteer on our associate board, the Delta Emerging Leaders (DELs). The associate board, composed of up to 25 professionals from a wide array of sectors, collaboratively work to advance Delta’s mission by expanding our network of supporters, donors, and partners through events and initiatives that engage new and diverse audiences. The DELs’ recruitment cycle takes place each spring for one-year, renewable terms beginning July 1 that last through June 30.

DELs at BOOST 2024

Careers and Internships

Full-time & part-time

Internships

Delta Institute welcomes hearing from all candidates to learn more about your background, alignment to our needs/vision, and how we could partner. Please review our open opportunities and consider applying today.

Specialist, Environmental Finance Center (EFC)

The EFC Specialist will assist with the overall implementation and coordination for Delta’s U.S. EPA Region 5 Regional Water Infrastructure Environmental Finance Center. The position will provide strategic, technical, programmatic and analytical support. The Specialist will coordinate with the EFC Administrator and provide support for the successful oversight and management to Delta’s staff and partners assisting with the implementation of direct technical assistance to communities across US E.P.A. Region 5 in planning for, applying for, and implementing Drinking Water and Clean Water State Revolving Loan Fund (SRF) projects. The Specialist will work directly with communities and provide drinking water and wastewater infrastructure technical assistance.

Lead, Programs (Administration)

Lead, Program Strategy, will provide leadership and vison to Delta’s strategic initiatives with a focus on developing concepts and funding strategies to meet our impact objectives. Leads provide deep technical, analytical and project development leadership across Delta’s strategic priority areas. A Lead manages ideation, concepting, proposal development along with coordinated related research and relationship management in partnership with other Programs hive staff and leadership.

Support Us

Create a thriving Midwest for tomorrow by supporting Delta today.