Kellogg Board Fellow 2026
Paul Esslinger is an MBA candidate at the Kellogg School of Management with six years of experience in consulting and international disaster relief. A Midwest native now calling Chicago home, Paul is passionate about investing in his local community and empowering those on the margins. As a Board Fellow, he is eager to support The Night Ministry’s important work serving those struggling with homelessness and poverty in the city.
Elected in 2022 | Chair, Learning & Impact Committee; Executive Committee
Jarrod is an economist and a Principal at Charles River Associates, a consulting firm that specializes in the application of economics to law and regulatory matters. He has a PhD in economics from the University of California, San Diego, and has lived in Chicago since 2013. He lives with his wife, daughter, and two dogs in Lakeview. Jarrod is also a sailing instructor at Sail Chicago, a volunteer-run, non-profit sailing club in Chicago that focuses on teaching and providing access to sailing in an equitable and inclusive environment, providing affordable sailing opportunities to the Chicago area community.
Elected in 2016 | Board Governance Committee, Learning & Impact Committee
Mark is Senior Client Partner at Point B Management Consulting where he’s a leader in their Financial Services practice. Mark works with senior executives to adapt their organizations to fast paced technology changes. He earned a BA degree from the University of Virginia, and supports several community and non-profit organizations in Chicago. Mark lives in Chicago’s Bucktown neighborhood.
Elected in 2019 | Finance Committee
Ted was most recently Global Head of Finance for the Value & Risk Advisory Group and Global Head of FP&A for the Capital Markets Group at JLL, a commercial real estate services firm. He earned a BA degree in Accounting from Michigan State University, where he had previously served as adjunct professor in a hotel real estate valuation class and as a member of the School of Hospitality Business Real Estate & Development Advisory Council. Ted and his husband, Luke, are proud parents of Philip and Sophia and their Bernedoodle Oskar.
Elected in 2020 | Chair, Board Governance Committee; Executive Committee
Sonesh is the Vice President of Marketing and the Head of Digital at the Robert Bosch Tool Corporation, where he oversees Digital Transformation and Marketing for the US and Canada. He has also consulted for various non-profits, in the areas of governance, strategic planning, and data management. He received his B.S. in Industrial Engineering and Economics from Northwestern University and lives in Wilmette with his wife and two young boys.
Elected in 2018 | Chair, Philanthropic Engagement Committee
Dana is Vice President of Financial Strategy at CommonSpirit Health. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Master’s in Public Policy and Administration from Northwestern University. Dana is currently President of the Bauler Park Advisory Council and has served as President and remains a board member of both the Chicago Municipal Analyst Society and Women in Public Finance. Dana and her husband, Jacob, live in Chicago with their three young children.
Elected in 2021 | Endowment Committee, Philanthropic Engagement Committee
Laura is an Executive Vice President and serves as the Chief Fiduciary Officer for The Northern Trust Company. Laura received her Bachelor of Arts degree with honors from Loyola University of Chicago in 1984 and attended both Georgetown Law Center where she was on the Dean’s List and Loyola School of Law where she received her J.D. in 1987. Laura is admitted to the bar of the State of Illinois and to the bar of the United States Supreme Court.
Elected in 2023 | Finance Committee | 50th Anniversary Committee
Harris Kay has practiced law for thirty years. He provides counsel and advice to businesses and members of the financial services industry in a variety of formation, compliance, investigation, enforcement and litigation matters. Harris also serves as President of Donblas.AI, a legal technology firm. He received his BA from the College of William & Mary and his JD from the University of Richmond School of Law. He has served on several for-profit and nonprofit boards and is currently a board member and Treasurer of the Oz Park Baseball Association. Harris and his wife, Reatha, live in Lincoln Park with their son and daughter.
Elected in 2021 | Philanthropic Engagement Committee
Erica is an arts and community advocate. She works in Civic Relations and Partnerships at the Art Institute of Chicago, where she serves as a “connector’ to the diverse communities of the city. She currently serves on the boards of 3Arts and Harriet’s Daughters. Erica received her BA in journalism from Howard University in Washington, DC, and lives in the Bronzeville neighborhood.
Elected in 2024 | Finance Committee
David serves as Executive Vice President, Compliance, Audit, and Risk for Exelon Corporation, the nation’s largest utility company and the parent company of ComEd. He graduated from the University of Chicago and Stanford Law School and spent much of his career in public service, including with the United States Attorney’s Office in Chicago and as Regional Director of the Securities and Exchange Commission. He also served as an adjunct instructor at the University of Illinois College of Law, where he taught a course on cybersecurity law. He and his wife live in Chicago.
Elected in 2024 | Board Governance Committee
Jodi Glickman is the CEO and founder of Great on the Job, a leadership development and communication training firm. Jodi writes for Harvard Business Review, teaches the popular course Selling Yourself & Your Ideas at Kellogg School of Management and is the author of the critically acclaimed Great on the Job, What to Say, How to Say It, The Secrets of Getting Ahead. In a former life, Jodi was an investment banker at Goldman Sachs’ and a Peace Corps Volunteer in Southern Chile. Jodi lives in Chicago with her husband and three children. She enjoys hiking, biking and eating hot fudge sundaes, not necessarily in that order.
Elected in 2025
Francine Dower, a first-generation college graduate from Chicago’s South Side, serves as Manager of Customer Compliance for Peoples Gas, overseeing 200+ employees and ensuring regulatory compliance. Since joining the company in 2016, she’s held various leadership roles, including Assistant to the President. Francine holds a BA and an MBA from the University of Illinois. She serves as Treasurer of the AABE Chicago chapter, has chaired Peoples Gas’s African American Employee Resource Group, and received the 2022 Women’s Energy Summit Rising Star Award. A 2019 Chicago Urban League IMPACT fellow and Young Women Professional League inductee, Francine mentors emerging leaders and remains active in community service.
Elected in 2025 | Learning & Impact Committee
Dr. Amish Desai serves as the Chief Medical Officer of Population Health at Northwestern Medicine, where he leads efforts to enhance clinical outcomes, promote disease prevention, and address social determinants of health. He earned his BA from Washington University in St. Louis, his medical degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and a Master of Science in Healthcare Delivery from Dartmouth. Dr. Desai completed his Internal Medicine training at Yale. With a deep commitment to health equity, Dr. Desai has held leadership roles focused on rebuilding healthcare systems to better serve communities. He resides in Chicago with his wife and two children.
Elected in 2025 | Philanthropic Engagement Committee
Stephanie’s professional experiences are grounded in Marketing and Advertising where she served clients in the CPG, liquor and grocery categories. Most recently she has served as Co-Chair of the Francis W. Parker Parents’ Association where she is actively involved in all aspects of the life of the school. Stephanie has also completed training programs at a number of Chicago Improv institutions including The Second City, The Annoyance and iO. She and her wife live in Lakeview with their two young children.
Elected in 2012 | Former Board Chair; Board Governance Committee, Finance Committee
Kiantae is Director of Global Sourcing with BMO Financial Group. He earned a BBA degree from Saint Xavier University and an MBA from the University of Phoenix. Previously he served on the board of Storycatchers Theater.
Elected in 2012 | Philanthropic Engagement Committee
Dave is Senior Trader in the Chicago offices of Group One Trading, specializing in the options market. He holds a BA degree from Duke University. He formerly served on the Associate Board of CJE Seniorlife and volunteers with Urban Initiatives and Beth Emet Synagogue. Previously he was a founding member of the Young Professionals of Chicago and served as inaugural chair of its Board of Directors, as well as a member of The ARK’s Young Leaders Committee. Dave and his wife, Nicole, are parents of two children.
Elected in 2018 | Chair, Endowment Committee | Executive Committee
Dan is Executive Director at JP Morgan Private Bank. He holds a BA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He and his wife, Leslie, are parents of two young daughters.
Elected in 2002 | TNM Asset Management Organization
Gordon is a retired executive from a national career in sales and marketing for firms including Berkey Photo, Phototron, and Walgreens. He attended the University of Houston and is a United States Army Veteran. Currently he also serves as board member for the Antique Advertising Association of America and as board member and Treasurer of the Plaza on Dewitt Condo Association. Gordon and his wife, Paula, are parents of two and grandparents of six.
Secretary | Elected in 2020 | Executive Committee, TNM Asset Management Organization,
Kristen is a Regional Bank Product Manager at Toyota Financial Savings Bank, an FDIC insured Industrial Loan Corporation. She earned a BA degree in Studio Art and Photojournalism from St. Olaf College and an MBA in Marketing Management from DePaul University. She also serves as a board member of Invictus Theatre Company. She lives in the West Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago with her husband, Lee, and their daughter Faye.
Board Treasurer | Elected in 2024 | Executive Committee, Learning & Impact Committee, Finance Committee
Ralitza Todorova is Vice President of Investor Relations & Rating Agencies at CNA Financial, a commercial property and casualty insurance company. Ralitza is a graduate of Northwestern University where she earned Bachelor degrees in Economics and Communication Studies. Ralitza also earned a Master degree in International Finance from Amsterdam Business School, and she is a Chartered Financial Analyst. Ralitza is a member of the Civic Federation Council of Advocates, and she previously served on The Night Ministry’s Associate Board.
Vice Chair | Elected in 2019 | Executive Committee, Philanthropic Engagement Committee
Ben is an attorney at Applegate & Thorne-Thomsen whose legal practice focuses on the financing and development of affordable housing and other community development initiatives. He earned a BA degree from Boston College, a JD from Northwestern University’s Pritzker School of Law, and an MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management. Previously he served The Night Ministry as Kellogg Board Fellow, and currently he is a member of the American Bar Association’s Forum on Affordable Housing and Community Development. Ben and his wife, Jen, are happy dog owners.
Michael V. Borromeo, Board Chair | Elected in 2018 | Chair, Executive Committee, Learning & Impact Committee, Finance Committee
Michael is Vice President of Data Protection at WM Healthcare Solutions, where he is responsible for the company’s global privacy compliance program. He earned a degree in Operations Management from Northern Illinois University. In addition to The Night Ministry, Michael works with American Corporate Partners to serve as a career mentor to recently returned veterans who are transitioning from the military, and as a board member of My Best Friends Foundation, an organization dedicated to assisting those impacted by cancer. Michael and his wife, Michelle, are parents of three sons and live on Chicago’s Northwest side.