Delta Institute is pleased to welcome two new members who have been elected to serve on our Governing Board and 12 new Delta Emerging Leaders (DELs) Associate Board members for our fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024.
New Governing Board 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.
Paige Graham
Senior Vice President of Social Impact & Sustainability – Edelman
Paige Graham serves as Senior Vice President of Social Impact & Sustainability at Edelman and previously volunteered on the Delta Emerging Leaders (DELs) Associate Board from 2023 to 2024. Paige joined Delta to be inspired, challenged in her current way of thinking, pushed to broaden her perspectives, and to engage more closely with the Chicago impact community from a sustainable agriculture, food security, and food systems transformation standpoint. She is fortunate to come from an agricultural background (her family has a farm in Southern Indiana) and works on sustainable food systems initiatives with companies and organizations of all sizes along the food value chain. Paige is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Natural Resources from Virginia Tech University and holds a B.A. in Communication from Purdue University.
Tyler Strom
Managing Director – Illinois Agri-Food Alliance
Tyler Strom is the Managing Director of the Illinois Agri-Food Alliance (ILAFA), a nonprofit organization fostering cross-sector collaboration to address economic, environmental, and societal challenges across Illinois’ diverse agri-food ecosystem. Previously, he was a fellow of global agriculture and food at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and has spent time in Germany as a McCloy Fellow and in Sweden as a Rotary International Ambassadorial Scholar. His expertise includes agri-food systems, sustainability, multi-stakeholder collaborations, and systems thinking. Tyler also regularly advises and consults on various local, regional, and national efforts, and currently serves on the Midwest Climate Collaborative, the Illinois Leadership Council for Agricultural Education, the Chicago Wilderness Agriculture Committee, and the Office of Illinois Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton’s Equity and Food Insecurity Initiative. A fourth-generation farmer, he operates a specialty crop farm and apiary in Kane County, IL. He holds an M.S. in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science from Lund University and a B.S. in Agricultural Business and Economics from Iowa State University.
New Delta Emerging Leaders
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. The DELs organize like Delta’s annual live, crowd-funding pitch competition for emerging entrepreneurs in sustainability called BOOST. The DELs organize Green Soapbox panel discussions each Spring, convening regional experts to discuss a pressing environmental topic in a virtual setting.
Lucia Bosacoma
Strategy Analyst, Growth Marketing – GoHealth
Lucia joined the DELs because she is interested in expanding her community to meet like-minded Chicagoans who are interested in sustainability, equity, and community engagement. She wants to contribute to an organization that she feels does incredible meaningful work. Prior to her work at GoHealth, Lucia served as a Junior Associate for Client Experience at dna Communications. Lucia also interned at Delta Institute, supporting development & communications activities for the organization. Lucia holds B.S. degrees in both Journalism and Environmental Science from Northwestern University.
Jessica Chen
Sustainability Associate – CC Industries
Jessica joined the DELs because she is passionate about making a positive impact at the intersection between environmental and social issues. While she is grateful she gets to do this in her day job, she enjoys exploring different pathways for making change that are grounded in her community. Prior to her work with CC Industries, Jessica served as a consultant with WholeWorks, LLC. Jessica holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies with Minors in Engineering and Geography from Dartmouth College.
Paige Curson
Supply Chain Manager – Cyclopure
Paige joined the DELs in order to contribute time toward helping improve not just the environment but also the community on a greater level. Paige has hands-on experience synthesizing a variety of materials including semiconductors, nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes, and polymers. Prior to working with Cyclopure, Paige served as a Research Associate at Hydrophilix and as a Research Associate at UCLA Materials Lab. Paige holds an M.S. in Materials Science from UCLA and additional degrees in Chemistry from UCLA and in Economics from Moorpark College.
Linda Derhak
Renewable Energy Outreach Associate – University of Illinois Extension
Ever since she relocated to the Midwest a couple of years ago, Linda has been inspired by the impactful work happening in this region. She decided to join the DELs to join a community of other professionals that are passionate about improving community well-being, fostering resilience, and climate adaptation. Linda’s prior experience includes working to foster an equitable energy transition in Illinois where she worked as an environmental justice research assistant with Illinois Extension, and research assistant at the Climate Jobs Institute. Linda has earned a Master’s degree in City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a degree from the University of Utah in Health Society & Policy with Minors in Political Science and Spanish.
Joey McDarrah
Senior Associate, Investment Management – Proxy; William Blair
For Joey McDarrah, sustainability peaked his interest in 2020 during lockdown. As travel and in-person consumption slowed during that time, Joey was interested to see how our environment responded. The realization that an un-sustainable environment would greatly affect (and is currently affecting) every aspect of our lives and the future we hope to have has made him increasingly aware of how the environment is changing both in his community and around the world. Prior to joining William Blair, Joey worked as a group fitness instructor in the Chicagoland area and as an Associate at Guggenheim Partners. Joey holds a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from DePaul University.
Humble Mohammed
Product Manager – Data Platform – Sunrun
Having worked in the renewable energy field since 2019, Humble strongly believes in our collective responsibility to leave the planet in a better state than we found it. Humble’s previous experience includes serving in Technology & Strategy Consulting with Peterson Technology Partners and as the Lead Technical Product Manager at GE Renewable Energy. He holds an M.B.A. in Business Analytics & Strategic Management from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a Bachelor of Technology in Engineering from Mahatma Gandhi University.
Molly Needelman
Staff User Experience Researcher & Strategist – Google
Molly continuously seeks ways to leverage her skills in design thinking, research, and strategy to bring forth more desirable futures. New to Chicago, she was introduced to Delta as a way to make an impact locally. A founding member of the Visioning team at YouTube, a part of Google, she has spent the past 10 years leading foundational, people-centered research to inform long-term product strategy for viewers and creators around the world. She holds an MBA from the Johns Hopkins University Carey Business School, an MA in Design Leadership from the Maryland Institute College of Art, and a BFA in Visual Communications from Washington University in St. Louis.
John Prisby
Energy & Utilities Consultant – West Monroe
John joined the DELs because he wanted an opportunity to create tangible environmental impact while building meaningful and lasting relationships with other members of the organization as well as with external partners. As a Midwest native, he hopes to find value in giving back to the community that has given him so much. Prior to joining West Monroe, John’s experience includes being a Clean Transportation Intern with Argonne National Laboratory and being a CDO Consulting Peer Coach at the University of Michigan – Stephen M. Ross School of Business. John holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Strategy from the University of Michigan.
Manju Rupani
Principal Consultant – R Impact Consulting, Inc.
Manju is an experienced principal consultant with a strong background in strategic thinking and advanced analytics. She is skilled in implementing business intelligence and AI solutions on cloud platforms, with experience in SaaS products, data warehousing, and data modeling. Manju joined the DELs because she wants to manifest innovative solutions in alignment with the right minds and resources. Manju holds a Masters of Engineering in Bioengineering and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Medical Technology, both from the University of Illinois Chicago.
Anya Salnikova
Independent consultant (strategy, sustainability, operations)
Anya joined the DELs because she is passionate about promoting sustainability and hopes to support Delta in the efforts to make Chicago a more sustainable city. She believes we need to work as a community to take on a broader systems approach in enabling a sustainable transformation. Anya’s past experience includes serving as an analyst for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and a Supply Chain Consultant for Deloitte. Anya holds an MBA in International Business from IE Business School, a B.S./B.A. in Business Administration and Psychology from the University of Southern California.
Anusha Shaktawat
Recent Graduate at the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy
Anusha’s interest in joining the DELs stems from a profound commitment to environmental sustainability, bolstered by her diverse background and experiences. Having been actively engaged in policy research, impact assessment, and strategic planning with a focus on clean energy transition and community development, both in the United States and India, she brings a unique perspective to addressing climate change and sustainability challenges. Anusha’s prior experience includes serving as a Policy Advisor Intern to Commissioner Michael T. Carrigan, a consultant with Invest India, and a Strategy Analyst with the Ministry of Rural Development for the Government of India. She recently earned a Master of Public Policy in Energy & Environment from the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago and also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a Minor in Economics from Hindu College at Delhi University.
Becca Sita
Project Management Professional
Becca joined the DELs because she is inspired by Delta Institute’s mission and commitment to diversity and inclusion. She has spent spent the bulk of her career in commercial video production and is currently seeking project management opportunities with nonprofits that center equitable solutions to climate change. As a DEL, she looks forward to continuing her education on the sustainability sector and on Delta’s ongoing projects. Becca holds a B.S. in Film and Television from Boston University and is currently pursuing a Nonprofit Management Certificate at University of Illinois Chicago.
If you or someone you know might be interested in making a difference by joining Delta’s Board of Directors, please consider emailing us for more information. Or if you know of an emerging professional who would be interested in joining the Delta Emerging Leaders Associate Board, you can click here to learn more.