Who We Are

Our Team

Our Staff

Mackenzie Manley Buchek

Specialist, Finance and Operations

Mélina Blanc

Lead, Nature-Based Climate Solutions

Mei F. Carter

Assistant, Development and Communications

Lucas Chamberlain

Associate, Programs

Kevin Dick, LEED AP O+M

Senior Advisor

Sidney (Sid) Freitag-Fey, CFRE

Senior Director, Development and Communications

Helen M. Hardy

Chief Financial Officer

Malcolm Mossman, AICP

Senior Specialist, Programs

Patrick T. Murphy

Senior Lead, Development and Communications

Jenny B. Par

Associate, Programs

Katherine Schultz

Senior Lead, Finance and Operations

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

Vice President for Jewish Community Impact, Third Plateau

Karl Analo, J.D.

Senior Associate, FordHarrison LLP

Ashley Bakelmun

Managing Director; RW Ventures, LLC

Jon Cheffings

Development Committee Co-Chair
EVP, Strategy, SCC&M

Eira L. Corral Sepúlveda

Commissioner, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago

Jessie Deelo

Founder, Deelo Consulting Services

David Fording, CFA

Partner and Portfolio Manager – US All Cap Growth and US Equity Sustainability Strategies, William Blair

David Freed

Chief Information Officer, MSI Express, Inc.

Niharika Hanglem

Development Committee Co-Chair
Program Director, Ed Kaplan Family Institute for Innovation and Tech Entrepreneurship at Illinois Institute of Technology

Mike Harrington, LEED GA

Assistant Director at The Tishman Environment and Design Center, New School

Allison Hannon Holly, MBA

Board Treasurer; Finance Committee Chair
Director of Strategy US East,Pattern Energy Group

Kevin Kalus

Market Executive – Illinois Middle Market, JPMorgan Chase

Ann McCabe

Commissioner, Illinois Commerce Commission

Vanessa Roanhorse

Board Vice Chair; Governance and Nominating Committee Chair
CEO, Roanhorse Consulting LLC

Sanjiv Sinha, PE, PHD

Board Chair
CEO, Corvias Infrastructure Solutions, LLC

David South

Clean Energy/Sustainability Advisor, South Ventures, LLC

Lindsey Sullivan, JD

Board Secretary
Director – Legal Affairs and Financials Operations at 57 Stars, LLC

Ethelbert Williams

Head of eCommerce, US Customer Development, Johnson & Johnson Consumer Health 

Join Our Board

Delta Institute’s Board of Directors provides a balanced approach to governance and oversight while actively managing and guiding all organizational facets. Board meetings occur quarterly, with Board-led committee meetings also occurring quarterly in adjacent months. All Directors sign membership agreements that cover governance and philanthropic requirements. In return, Delta Institute provides personal and professional fulfillment, networking, and the opportunity to help shape a dynamic regional nonprofit.

Delta Institute's Governing Board of Directors 2022 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.

Liz Alexander

DELs Co-Chair
Senior Consultant – Energy and Utilities, West Monroe Partners

Nitesh Bajaj

Asset Manager, Amp Americas

Chloe Bell

DELs Communications Committee Chair and DELs Liaison to the Development Committee
Law Student, Chicago-Kent College of Law
Law Clerk, U.S. EPA

Carol Brobeck, AICP

DELs Co-Chair
Senior Associate; Teska Associates, Inc.

Julia Buford

DELs Treasurer and DELs Liaison to the Finance Committee
Senior Financial Analyst, PFM

Maria Czerwonka

BOOST Event Co-Chair
ESG Solutions Architect

Diana De La Torre

Supervisor of Chicago Youth Service Corps, Back of the Yards Neighborhood Council

Madeline Demo

Green Soap Box Event Chair
Sr. EH&S Manager, Oldcastle Infrastructure
MEng student at University of Alabama at Birmingham

Cecile Dick-Calmes

Inbound Marketing Manager

Claire Howard, EIT

Partner Relations Associate, Arcadia

Hunter Federle-McCabe

DELs Outreach Committee Chair and DELs Liaison to the Governance and Nomination Committee
Product Development Analyst, McMaster-Carr Supply Company

Erin Kenney

BOOST Event Co-Chair
Senior Associate, Mass Economics

Hyunjee Lee

Digital Marketing Account Manager, 3Q Digital

Kasia Machaj

DELs Secretary
Program Associate, Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance

Ned McLean

Sustainability Analyst, ClimeCo

Conner Rettig

DELs Programming Committee Chair and DELs Liaison to the Development Committee
Vendor Manager, Illinois Solar for All

Peter Scruggs

Regional Sustainability Coordinator, Live Nation Entertainment

Grace Snider

Business Analyst, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago

Sarah Walwema

Urban Planner at GRAEF

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.

DELs volunteer with EcoShip at Reuse-a-Palooza

Careers and Internships

Full-time & part-time

Internships

Delta Institute is undertaking a fundamental incorporation of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in all recruitment efforts for staff, as well as for our governing and associate boards. We welcome learning more about organizational leaders who have diverse experience and a keen focus on equity and inclusion in their leadership. Please read more about our commitment to DEI.

Request for Proposals: Organization-wide Training for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Delta Institute (Delta) is seeking a consultant to facilitate an in-person training session in Chicago on July 26 for the organization’s staff, associate board, and governing board. Interested consultants should submit a PDF proposal using the instructions in this RFP by June 15, 2023.

Administrator, Environmental Finance Center

Delta Institute is undertaking ambitious new programmatic plans for the next five years, and seeks an Administrator to manage and provide leadership to a staff team delivering projects in one program area; to provide multiple administrative or organizational development functions; to manage the day-to-day implementation of their assigned area; to provide strategic insight and technical expertise; and to coordinate with external partners and networks for Delta Institute.

Support Us

Create a thriving Midwest for tomorrow by supporting Delta today.