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State of the Union official magazine of the union league club of chicago
Annual Report
2021
State of the Union
CONTENTS
June 2021 Volume CI
Officers
REPORT OF THE GENERAL MANAGER
3
OFFICERS & DIRECTORS
4–5
John L. Donnelly
Joseph A. Sheils
President
Treasurer
Thomas F. Karaba
Richard P. Beem
First Vice President
Secretary
Cynthia L. Doloughty
OFFICERS
6–7
NEW DIRECTORS
8-10
CONTINUING IN OFFICE
10–11
RETIRING FROM OFFICE
11–13
PRESIDENT’S OUTGOING REMARKS
14-15
Second Vice President
Directors Thomas P. Bernardi Sandra W. Blakemore Randall K. Blakey Erik E. Cempel Victoria G. Cheng Matthew R. Farrell
Rebecca L. Ford Virginia M. McGann Emily F. Moreno Paul W. Shade Steven D. Smutny
Communications Committee
STANDING COMMITTEE REPORTS
16–31
CHICAGO ENGINEERS’ FOUNDATION
32-33
LUMINARTS CULTURAL FOUNDATION
34–35
BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS
36–37
PREVIEW PROGRAM THANK YOU!
ON THE COVER 2021/22 Officers & Senior Managers M I SS I N G F R O M T H E COV E R First VP Tom Karaba was meeting his grandchild Arthur James Karaba for the first time! Staff: Art Director Dr. Sally Metzler, Front Desk Manager Angel Morales and Housekeeping Director Pam Payne
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38 39
Emily F. Moreno, Chair Sandra W. Blakemore Jeffrey O. Chen John L. Donnelly Ed R. Erickson
G. Stephen Frederick Laurence S. Gellen Stephen Joyce Myk Snider David J. Torres
Staff Mark Tunney
Devon Moseley
General Manager
Head Creative Designer
Jared Wike
Christine Marros
Director of Marketing & Communications
Senior Creative Designer
Correspondence should be addressed to State of the Union c/o Communications Department, 65 W. Jackson Blvd., Room 909, Chicago, IL 606043598. All mail inquiries, including notices of change of address and orders for subscriptions, may be sent to the above address. The Union League Club of Chicago publishes the materials presented in these pages as interesting information for its members and for readers of State of the Union. It neither sponsors nor is committed to any matter expressed in this publication without official action by the Board of Directors of the Club. State of the Union (USPS 648-500) is authorized to be published one time a year (in June) by the Union League Club. Subscription is by membership only. Periodical postage paid at Chicago, Illinois. Postmaster, send address changes to State of the Union, 65 W. Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL 60604-3598. Copyright June 2021, the Union League Club of Chicago.
Report of the GENER AL M ANAG E R Annual Report of the General Manager What a year! Last year, as our Club year was ending, I was so optimistic that the Governor’s “shelter in place” directive was going to subside before the end of May, which is what was indicated. Who knew that this pandemic would disrupt our lives so much and take such a toll on the Union League Club? Before I get too far along, thank you! Thank you for staying with the Club as members, thank you for supporting our staff through the Employee Relief effort that went to those who were not able to work. Thank you to those of you who gave to the Holiday Gift Fund for many of the staff that did work this year. Thank you to the many of you who gave to the COVID ask to help get the Club through some challenging months and thank you to those of you who pre-paid your dues. Although we will not be able to publish our financials during this edition, we will get to them after our audit is conducted sometime this summer. Before COVID, our revenues were expected to reach $30 million dollars for the first time ever. We fell short last year finishing at $27 million after losing out on half of March and all of April’s revenues. This year, we are expecting to finish a little over $12 million. With no guest room revenue, no banquet revenue and very little a la carte revenue, it was your dues, take out and eat in that kept the Club going this past year. We also had to make some very difficult decisions, and we were so sorry to have to lay off so many of our great associates. Many of our staff who had been here for years, some as many as 20, had to move on to other jobs as we were unable to bring them back. We thank them, wish them well and we move forward but with a much leaner staff. As a side note, some of the staff will return when we get busier, mostly in banquets, culinary and a la carte, but not everyone can return. It has been good to see many of you return to the Club, to enjoy the Rendezvous, work out or attend one of our many
hybrid events (in-person and virtual). Our team has worked very hard to keep you participating through various programs. They have been very innovative, creative and motivated to keep you as members engaged in your Club. I must give thanks to this great staff who have stepped up: James D., Lindsey, Katie, Jared, Devon, Christine, Debi, Talibah, Kim, Debbie, Kelsey, Brian, Josh S., Cheryl, Josh V, Pam, Domi, Espie, James, Fred, Ray, Angel, Jackie, Bobby, Ted, Tony and Carmy. Sally Metzler did a truly remarkable job handling a very delicate assignment with the art sales. But, most of all, our culinary team did a remarkable job led by the very creative Chef Ponzio along with Poncho, Roberto, Raymundo, Jesus, Francisco, Rafael, Jaimie, Jeff, Betty, Guillermo and Vonetta. But a special shout out to Juan, Brandon, and Gerardo. This latter group was here all the time, busting their tails to make events happen. But they were led by Zak Dich who spent countless hours working on new ideas with Chef Ponzio and they made some great things happen for your Club. Great teams make things happen, and I truly believe that this is a great team. I also think your Board deserves a great deal of thanks. This is a Board of dedicated volunteers. They do not get paid, there are no “real” perks, and there certainly were not this year. No chance to celebrate a special Club event, to enjoy a George Washington’s Birthday dinner or even a Homecoming. Yet they worked to keep the Club going, to make tough decisions to cut back to close the Club when needed and the toughest decision of all, to sell art. This was more difficult than people know, but the longevity of the Club was at stake. Nancy Ross did not have anything close to a typical presidency of the Union League Club. While many of her counterparts at golf courses celebrated banner years due to a rise in golf activities or even her predecessors who may have developed something new for the ULCC, like the Rendezvous, the Wigwam or Café ONE. Nancy steered the ship and got us through, battered but not broken. My hat is off to her. As we look ahead to the years to come, I remain an optimist and I am proud to work for a great organization and with a great
group of people, serving great members. Stay healthy!
Mark D. Tunney General Manager
IN MEMORIAM Richard L. Ackman B: 9/23/1927 M: 10/28/1986 D: 7/29/2020 Ardell Arthur B: 1923 M: 7/10/1972 D: 3/5/2020 Stephen S. Beitler B: 10/1/1956 M: 8/29/2000 D: 4/30/2020 Kevin J. Cooney B: 9/18/1951 M: 3/28/1978 D: 3/14/2021 Frank G. Furcich B: 5/16/1929 M: 5/20/1969 D: 4/12/2018 Rosemarie B. Harnack B: 12/29/1929 M: 2/20/1962 D: 1/28/2021 J. Phillip Harney B: 11/23/1924 M: 7/11/2007 D: 4/15/2020 Fred W. Ide B: 3/9/1948 M: 10/27/2009 D: 8/16/2020 James Kiefer B: 3/17/1943 M: 4/27/1991 D: 5/11/2021 Larry E. Leonard B: 9/8/1943 M: 9/21/1995 D: 6/28/2020 Sharon Marlin B: 4/30/1948 M: 11/25/1980 D: 9/4/2020
Charles L. Milett B: 8/27/1941 M: 6/24/2008 D: 4/3/2020 John J. Moroney III B: 9/11/1938 M: 1/25/2005 D: 3/17/2021 James Narsete B: 7/30/1952 M: 1/24/2012 D: 4/6/2021 Margaret J. Nobis B: 6/27/1925 M: 10/26/1993 D: 1/23/2021 James S. Pennington B: 4/2/1941 M: 2/27/1979 D: 8/6/2020 Cyril Pinder B: 11/13/1946 M: 10/26/1976 D: 1/22/2021 Sidney G. Saltz B: 6/15/1937 M: 1/27/2004 D: 10/23/2020 John G. Satter B: 6/29/1933 M: 4/27/1982 D: 7/8/2019 Herbert A. Vance B: 1/2/1917 M: 11/27/1990 D: 6/21/2020 Frank J. Waldeck B: 5/14/1922 M: 2/20/1973 D: 2/12/2021 Peter C. Wind B: 3/12/1950 M: 11/22/1977 D: 10/24/2020
John P. Marlin B: 9/19/1986 M: 1/28/2020 D: 9/14/2020 3
O F F I CE R S & DIR E C TORS 2021 – 2022
4
John L. Donnelly
Thomas F. Karaba
Cynthia L. Doloughty
PRESIDENT
FIRST VICE PRESIDENT CHAIR, PERSONNEL & ADMINISTRATION
SECOND VICE PRESIDENT CHAIR, PUBLIC AFFAIRS
Joseph A. Sheils
Richard P. Beem
TREASURER CHAIR, FINANCE
SECRETARY
Thomas P. Bernardi
Sandra W. Blakemore
Rev. Randall K. Blakey
CHAIR, MEMBERSHIP
CHAIR, LIBRARY
DIRECTOR AT LARGE
Erik E. Cempel
Victoria G. Cheng
Matthew R. Farrell
DIRECTOR AT LARGE
CHAIR, ANALYSIS & TECHNOLOGY
CHAIR, HOUSE
Rebecca L. Ford
Virginia M. McGann
CHAIR, ART
CHAIR, ADMISSIONS COMMITTEE
Emily F. Moreno
Paul W. Shade
CHAIR, COMMUNICATIONS
CHAIR, ATHLETICS
Steven D. Smutny CHAIR, MEMBER ENGAGEMENT & EVENTS
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N EW B OARD 2 02 1 – 2 022
O FF IC E RS John L. Donnelly 132
nd
PRESIDENT
Donnelly (‘82) was elected president. Donnelly previously served on the Board from 1994 through 1997 where he chaired the Members Activities, Membership and Entertainment Committees. He served as Treasurer from 2010 through 2012. He has also chaired the Audit Committee for two years. In addition, he has served as a member of the Finance, Public Affairs, Communications, Long Range Planning, House and Athletics Committees. Donnelly is also a past chair of the ULCC Jazz Union. Donnelly has been active with all three of the Club's foundations and was president and treasurer of the Chicago Engineers’ Foundation, Luminarts and the Union League Boys & Girls Clubs. He also served on various national and regional committees of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Donnelly is president of Donnelly & Associates, an elevator consulting group offering consulting services to building owners, as well as litigation support to attorneys. Donnelly has a Bachelor of Science in Electric Engineering from Northwestern University, where he met his wife Connie in the marching band. John and Connie reside in Glenview. They have three adult, married children and four grandchildren.
Thomas F. Karaba FIRST VICE PRESIDENT
Karaba (’88) was elected first vice president. He will chair the Personnel & Administration Committee. Karaba was introduced to the Club in the early 60’s as an active participant in the Saturday morning 6
swimming and Athletics program for members’ sons. He served as Club secretary from 2015 to 2017 and was a director from 2012 to 2015. Karaba’s committee work has included: Public Affairs (chair), Personnel & Administration (chair), Admissions, Athletics, Audit, Communications, Finance, House, Membership, Nominating and numerous task forces. He is a director of the Luminarts Cultural Foundation and a member of its Finance and Governance Committees. Karaba is a sole practitioner attorney. From 1980 to August 2016, he was a shareholder of Crowley Barrett & Karaba, Ltd. He is a graduate of Northwestern University (Bachelor of Science, Speech) and the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law (JD). Karaba concentrates his practice on the areas of corporate and commercial law, banking and employment. Karaba is also a director of ColorDynamics, Inc.—a commercial printing company in Allen, TX. Karaba served as the president of the Village of Clarendon Hills from 2007 to 2015. Karaba is married to Marsha K. Hoover, who is a principal and group chair of the Intellectual Property practice of Goldberg Kohn Ltd. Hoover is also a member of the ULCC and is a trustee of the Union League Boys & Girls Clubs. They have two children, Andrew and Julie, who are also graduates of Northwestern University. Andrew and his wife Sara received their M.D. and Ph.D. degrees from the Northwestern University Feinberg School. They are both assistant professors at Johns Hopkins University. They have two children, Owen Thomas and Arthur James. Julie and her husband Peter B. Siegal received their law degrees from the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law. Julie completed a clerkship with Chief Justice of the United State, John G. Roberts, Jr., and is now a partner at Kirkland & Ellis.
Cynthia L. Doloughty SECOND VICE PRESIDENT
Doloughty (’08) was elected second vice president. She will chair the Public Affairs Committee. Doloughty was born and raised in Chicago. She received her undergraduate degree from DePaul University and attended John Marshall Law School. She has spent most of her career as a small business owner and running a certified woman owned business specializing in public affairs. Doloughty is a former ULCC Director and served on the Board from 2015 through 2018. She chaired the Admissions Committee during the entire three years she served on the Board. In addition to her work on the ULCC Board, she has also served on the House, Personnel & Administration and Public Affairs Committees and currently is a member of the Audit Committee. Doloughty has served as a Union League Boys & Girls Clubs officer for the past eight years. She is currently the board president of the foundation that currently operates 17 clubhouses, including a program in the Juvenile Detention Center in Chicago and a 250-acre camp in Salem, Wis. Cindy has served on the foundation’s Nominating, Camp, Scholarship and Resource Development Committees. She has also chaired the Resource Development Committee. In 2021, Doloughty was responsible for leading the Illinois State Boys & Girls Clubs Days of Advocacy representing more than 126 locations in Illinois and advocating for more than 60,000 youth. Doloughty is the mother of three amazing sons and the proud “Nana” of three amazing grandchildren. Her passions are family, politics and golf.
Richard P. Beem
Joseph A. Sheils
SECRETARY
TREASURER
Beem (’03) was elected secretary.
Sheils (’04) was elected Treasurer. He will chair the Finance Committee.
Beem previously served as a Club director and chair of the Library Committee. He recently has served on the Race Relations Subcommittee and the Athletics, By-Laws and House Committees. Beem also is a past president of the Chicago Engineers’ Foundation. Beem is founder and managing partner of Beem Patent Law Firm. He has previously been a partner in other Chicago law firms, and he served as law clerk to a federal appeals judge in Washington, D.C. Before becoming a lawyer, Beem worked as an engineer for Amoco in Texas, where he made gasoline, and for Grain Processing Corporation in Iowa, where he made vodka. Beem has served as president of the U.S. Group of the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI). He is a fellow of the American Bar Association (ABA). Beem is active on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram. He has a YouTube channel on patents with more than 150,000 views. He is also the author of the blog “Beem on Patents.” Beem was born in Chicago. He grew up on a dairy farm in Wisconsin, where he attended a one-room country school. As a senior in high school, Beem won the Wisconsin state championship in wrestling at 126 pounds. Beem earned a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering from Iowa State University and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Houston. He and his wife Rebecca reside in Chicago’s Printers Row neighborhood. They enjoy ballroom dancing and spending time with their many nieces and nephews.
he is just as comfortable on the family farm in Kulm, North Dakota, handling cattle or harvesting wheat. He is planning a road trip this summer if anyone is interested.
Sheils has been an active Club member since he joined. He has served on various committees during his tenure as a member, including Analysis & Planning, Communications, Audit, House and now Finance. Sheils stepped into the role of Board Treasurer in December 2020. Sheils is the president of Commonwealth Consulting LLC, a boutique firm that provides professional expertise in the areas of design and execution of strategic plans, including business development, organizational structure, marketing and financial management. He brings nearly 30 years of financial services experience to his current role, most recently as head of retail banking for MB Financial Bank in Chicago (prior to its acquisition by Fifth Third Bank in March 2019). Previous positions include commercial banking leadership with MB Financial Bank and LaSalle Bank. Outside of the Club, Sheils is a member of the Loyola University National Alumni Advisory Board and Loyola's College of Arts and Sciences Dean's Advisory Council; a member of the Board of Directors of Stage 773 (Chicago); and president and co-founder of the St. Ignatius College Prep Business Society. Sheils received his BA degree in English from Loyola University Chicago, and his MBA from the University of Chicago, Booth School of Business. He resides in Chicago with his wife Kate Evert (also an active Club member and committee devotee); and they are the parents of two children Margaret (24) and Ted (20), who have celebrated almost every personal milestone at the ULCC. While Sheils enjoys the trappings of the big city and the amenities of his city club, 7
New DIRE C TOR S Thomas P. Bernardi Bernardi ('15) was elected to a three-year term on the Board of Directors. This year, he will chair the Membership Committee. Bernardi has served on the Membership and Member Engagement (2017-2020), Admissions (2018-Present), Finance (2020-Present) and House (2019-Present) Committees. Last Club year, he served as the interim chair of the Analysis & Technology Committee. He was part of the Membership Classification Subcommittee in 2019 and is a co-founder of ULCC Monday Night Trivia. Bernardi is actively involved in the Union League Boys & Girls Clubs. He is a member of the ULBGC Associate Board and, most recently, served as the Associate Board’s first vice president and chair of the Membership and Fundraising Committee. Bernardi is vice president, director of portfolio management at Bernardi Securities, Inc. He assists in the management of the firm’s individual and institutional municipal bond portfolios and helps design the firm’s approach to broader market conditions. He previously worked as a securities analyst in the Wealth Management Department at MB Financial Bank. Bernardi is a CFA® charterholder. He is on the Board of Directors of the Bucknell Crew Association, a member of the Lake Forest Caucus Committee and member of the CFA Society of Chicago. Bernardi graduated from Bucknell University with a B.A. in economics and history. He and his lovely wife Catherine reside in Lake Forest with their one-year-old daughter Elle. Another little one is on the way, due October 2021!
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Rev. Randall K. Blakey Blakey (’17) was elected to a three-year term on the Board of Directors. Last Club year, Blakey served as chair of the Subcommittee on Race Relations, where he has served as a committee member since 2017. He has been a regular participant in the Club's photography competition and his work was showcased in the Club's Photography Exhibition in 2018 & 2019. Blakey also played an instrumental role in the renaming of the ULCC Library to the George N. Leighton Library. Since 2011, Blakey has served as the executive pastor of LaSalle Street Church (LSC) on Chicago’s north side where he shares in the ministerial responsibilities of the pastoral staff and functions in a chief of staff capacity. He is also executive director of the Near North Unity Program (NNUP), a community-based organization founded to strengthen community cohesion between existing and new north side residents as the historic Cabrini Green housing development transitioned into a new and diverse mixed income community. From 1987 to 2010, Blakey served the Faith Community of St. Sabina on Chicago’s south side as pastoral associate and director of ministries. He is an Emmy Award winning television network news photojournalist whose most notable work was covering the release of Nelson Mandela from a South African prison in 1990. Blakey is a graduate of Tennessee State University, McCormick Theological Seminary, The Divinity School of Harvard University, Northwestern University and University of Chicago’s Civic Leadership Academy. His passion for ministry includes social justice, racial righteousness, pulpit diversity and pneumatology. He is a Village of Lynwood Trustee whose been married to Sonya M. Blakey for 27 years and they have two beautifully gifted young adult children. He enjoys large kite flying, fishing and scuba diving as spare time activities and looks forward to radio and television station ownership and syndication in the near future.
Erik E. Cempel Cempel (’18) was elected to a three-year term on the Board of Directors. Cempel currently serves on the ULCC Subcommittee on Race Relations, has participated in the Transportation Subcommittee and served on the House Committee. He has been part of the Chicago Engineers’ Foundation for nearly a decade, and in fact was a recipient of the high school award himself. He is the immediate past president of the foundation and has served in many board and committee positions. Cempel is president of Cempel International Transportation Consulting, a firm he established in 2019. He also is a transportation policy advisor at the DePaul Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development. Previously, he served as program manager for the implementation of the $1 billion master plan for Chicago Union Station. Prior to that, he was a principal and regional manager for Cambridge Systematics. In that role he helped agencies plan and implement transportation infrastructure and policy. Cempel also worked at the Korea Transport Institute for two years. In addition to community involvement through the ULCC and CEF, Cempel is president of the Rotary Club of Chicago, where he raises money and volunteers for dozens of causes in Chicago and around the world, including the Club’s jobs and scholarships program for Chicago’s youth. He is the founder and past chair of the Young Professionals in Transportation Chicago Chapter. He was a long-time board member for the Illinois Section of the Institute of Transportation Engineers, where he served as scholarship chair. Cempel’s family has been rooted in Chicago for many generations; currently he and his wife live in Lakeview. He received his engineering degrees from Cornell University. His wife Pil Bin is a doctor at Cook County Health. Cempel will have travelled to all 50 states as of June 2021; his extensive global destinations include places such as Myanmar and North Korea.
Victoria G. Cheng
Rebecca L. Ford
Virginia M. McGann
Cheng (’15) was elected to a three-year term on the Board of Directors. This year, she will chair the Analysis & Technology Committee.
Ford (’02) was elected to a two-year term on the Board of Directors. This year, she will chair the Art Committee.
McGann (’17) was elected to a two-year term on the Board of Directors. This year, she will chair the Admissions Committee.
Since joining the Club, Cheng has served on the Admissions and the Member Engagement and Committees. She is a trustee for the Union League Boys & Girls Clubs and currently serves as the assistant treasurer and Program Committee chair. She is a member of the Finance and Safety Committees. Previously, she served on the Audit Committee. Cheng is a managing director at Crowe LLP and focuses on IT Risk Management. She consults with multi-national clients on IT security, compliance and operational challenges—to identify issues and design solutions to increase information security and efficiency, while addressing regulatory compliance requirements. She specializes in cloud computing governance and system implementation reviews. At Crowe, she is part of the Women Leading @ Crowe, the Asian Business Resource Group and has represented the firm at national Ascend (Pan Asian business) diversity conferences. Prior to joining Crowe, Cheng was a management consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers and IBM and a project manager in business development at Walgreens. Outside of Crowe, she serves as the vice president of the ISACA Chicago chapter. Cheng is the director of extracurricular activities at Naperville Chinese School supporting cultural and language development. Additionally, she is a past board member and treasurer of the Academy for Global Citizenship Chicago charter school. Cheng graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy and concentrations in Finance and Management Information Systems. She is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA). She resides in Oak Brook with her husband Jeff Chen and sons Henry and Miles. Cheng enjoys baking on the weekend.
Ford has been a member of the Union League Club of Chicago since 2002. Her father was elected the first African American member of the Club in 1969 and became the Club’s first African American president in 1986. She has served on the Art Committee, the Membership Committee, and the Public Affairs Committee. Ford is counsel at the Scharf Banks Marmor law firm. Her practice concentrates on corporate transactions, contracts, corporate governance and compliance. She also has extensive experience managing litigation and managing government and stakeholder relationships. Ford has also served as executive vice president for litigation and intellectual property at the MGM movie studio and as general counsel and corporate secretary at Draper and Kramer, Incorporated. She is the current or former trustee of numerous civic and cultural institutions, including the Goodman Theatre, the Field Museum, the Chicago Humanities Festival, the Renaissance Society, Injustice Watch and the Art Institute of Chicago. Ford received her B.A. from Harvard College, J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School, and L.L.M. in Real Estate from John Marshall Law School. She is a member of the bars of Illinois, New York, Massachusetts, California, District of Columbia and the U.S. Supreme Court. A published writer and accomplished public speaker, she has published articles in The Milken Institute Review, The American Lawyer, The Chicago Reader, The New York Law Journal, The Chicago Tribune and IICLE. Ford is a contributing columnist and movie critic for the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, WCPT AM820 and Variety.com.
Since joining the Club, McGann has served on the Membership, Finance and Admissions Committees. McGann is the founder and president of Value Management Resources, which started as a back-office outsourcing option for small professional services firms. The firm has grown to serve clients in the public, private and nonprofit arenas. McGann’s professional history spans from government work, media and construction to privately held publishing and financial services firms. Her career at Value Management has included coaching start-up firms to scale up successfully and struggling firms to stronger financial footing. McGann spent many years as the finance chair of the Board of Margaret’s Village Homeless Shelter and more recently as the treasurer of the Pediatric Oncology Treasury Chest Foundation. She was a founding member at her parish of the SPRED program: religious education of developmentally disabled adults. McGann currently serves as the finance principal for Chicago, St. Mary’s University’s Celebration of Excellence Committee. She is an active member of the Near South Planning Board of Chicago and the foundation chair of Rotary District 6450. McGann is a member of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) Boardroom Exchange, and the Enterprising Women magazine Advisory Board. McGann is the proud mother of two engaging young women who are early in their professional careers. She shares her South Loop home with her two furry friends, Ernie and Miss Kitty. A former brass instrument player, McGann now limits her musical contribution to choruses. McGann enjoys a glass of good Scotch after a great game of golf with friends. She holds an MBA in finance from Loyola University, Chicago, and a BA in English and Spanish from St. Mary’s University of Minnesota.
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Continuing in O FFI C E Steven D. Smutny
Sandra W. Blakemore
Smutny (’19) was elected to a two-year term on the Board of Directors. This year, he will chair the Member Engagement & Member Events Committee.
Blakemore completed her first year as chair of the Library Committee. This year, she will again chair the Library Committee.
Smutny has served as a member of the ULCC Membership Committee for two years. He has coordinated new reciprocal arrangements with national and international clubs. He is also the current chair of the ULCC Real Estate Group. Smutny is a principal of Dearborn Architects and maintains architectural licenses in Illinois, Minnesota and Washington. He is co-owner of Dearborn Sourcing, a custom construction materials, door and window hardware and custom clothing importer. He is co-owner of City Loft LLC, guiding small and medium size businesses to appropriate web-based productivity solutions. Smutny serves as treasurer on the executive board of the Near South Planning Board (NSPB) and has served on multiple committees within the NSPB, including the Printer’s Row Lit Fest. He has served in many roles in Rotary International District 6450, including: director-at-large on the district board of directors, two-time president of the Chicago Near South Rotary Club, assistant-governor, chair of empowerLEADERS and Zone Assistant Rotary Public Image Coordinator. He has served as technical advisor on the City of Chicago Forward Together Central City Recovery 20212024. Smutny is committed to enhancing the vibrancy of our community and supporting organizations that encourage civic engagement. In 2021, Smutny celebrates the 20-year anniversary to his husband Eran. For the last 15 years, he has resided in Chicago’s Printer’s Row neighborhood. Smutny graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago with a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture and a Master of Architecture. He enjoys travel, world cuisine, performance arts, sing-a-longs, squash, racquetball and cooking for friends and family.
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Blakemore has served on the Communications Committee since 2017 and the Public Affairs Committee since 2019. She was also a member of the Diversity Membership Subcommittee. Blakemore is the Managing Deputy for the City of Chicago’s Department of Assets, Information & Services. She is responsible for the budget management and contract procurement for one of the City’s largest infrastructure departments. In addition, she leads the management and purchase of all the City’s utilities and fuel. Blakemore grew up in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. She was educated at Stuart Hall, a historic all-girls school in Staunton, Virginia. She received her B.A. in Government from Harvard University. After graduation she was a Rotary Fellow in Queensland, Australia where she received a graduate diploma in anthropology from James Cook University. She worked in consulting at a boutique firm in Washington, D.C. before enrolling at the University of Maryland for her M.B.A. After business school, Blakemore enjoyed a 20-year career with Fortune 500 firms in brand management before entering public service. She and her husband Mark reside in the Fulton Market neighborhood in Chicago.
Emily F. Moreno Moreno (’09) completed her second year as chair of the Communications Committee. This year, she will chair the Communications Committee. Moreno is a legacy member as her father, Jaime Moreno, became a member in 1973. Moreno is a Loyal Heart and has served multiple years on the Art, Communications and Athletics Committees. She has also served on Membership, Library, Admissions and Member Events. She also served on the
Analysis & Technology Committee, focusing on metrics discovery supporting ULCC reporting goals, which in turn support membership recruitment and retention. Moreno was a board member of the Chicago Engineers’ Foundation (2015) where her primary contributions were in the review of and recommendations for the customer records management system and fundraising. Moreno is principal consultant at Adobe, focusing on digital marketing strategy development and creation of supporting software solution architectures. She guides organizations in defining and achieving their new strategic digital marketing goals. Moreno, an established thought leader at Adobe, has assisted more than 20 companies with their digital marketing transformations. Her community involvement includes: St. George Philoptochos, Rivendell Theatre Ensemble and Hellenic American Women’s Council (HAWC). Moreno is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English (with art and math minors) and Master of Science in information and library science. Born in Chicago, Moreno grew up in a Colombian and Greek household with frequent travels abroad to visit relatives. Her early travels and family culture created an almost insatiable wanderlust in her. She has visited 55 countries. When she’s not working, she’s typically hiking or cycling her way through some remote part of the world to experience the natural landscape, cuisine and music. When at home in Logan Square, she can be found outside in her garden growing tasty things to grill.
Matthew R. Farrell Farrell (’11) completed his second year as chair of the House Committee. This year, he will chair the House Committee. Farrell previously chaired the Member Events Committee. He has also served on both the House and Communications Committees and is dedicated to supporting the initiatives of the Union League Boys & Girls Clubs, where
Retiring from O F FICE he serves as a trustee, chairs the Wine Dinner and spearheads fundraising initiatives through his involvement with the real estate industry. Farrell is the managing partner at Urban Real Estate, a full-service brokerage that integrates cutting-edge technology with elite concierge services for local and out-of-town clients. Urban's services include residential luxury sales and new construction, investment sales and portfolio management and leasing, as well as corporate and international relocation. Farrell is one of Chicago’s premier luxury brokers and represents high-net-worth individuals who seek him out for his discerning taste, discretion and understanding of fiscal complexities. Farrell is a past president of the 14,500member Chicago Association of Realtors. He regularly travels to Washington, D.C. on behalf of the housing industry to liaise with members of Congress on matters of homeownership and to consult with lawmakers on any unintended consequences of proposed bills currently in committee or on the floor. Farrell also oversees several marquee commercial buildings for the National Association of Realtors, including 430 N. Michigan Ave. in Chicago. Farrell earned a BA in computer science from DePauw University and resides in Chicago’s New East Side with his wife Rebecca and their 3-year-old son James. He is a mediocre golfer with a great sense of humor and an appetite for steak and potatoes and a penchant for fine wine.
Paul W. Shade Shade (04’) completed his second year as chair of the Athletics Committee. This year, he will again chair the Athletics Committee. Shade has been actively involved at the Club over his course of membership and has most recently served on the House and Audit Committees. Shade has also served on the Finance Committee where he chaired various subcommittees. He is a past Loyal Heart and is an active trustee and board member at the Union League Boys & Girls
Clubs. In addition, Shade serves as a board member of the Shade Family Foundation
Nancy A. Ross
and also serves on the board of the Miami University men’s hockey program, which is a Division I, nationally ranked collegiate hockey team.
Ross (’99) completed her term as president.
Shade is a managing partner in the business valuation practice at Principle Valuation with nearly 15 years of experience assisting hospitals and health systems with a myriad of transactions. He has also been an active participant and leader in the firm's business development strategies and execution. Shade is a third-generation member of the Club. His grandfather joined the Club in 1955, and his father David joined in 1977 and is a past president of the Club. Shade’s wife Heidi, mother Charlotte, brother DJ (past board member) and sister Lisa are also members of the Union League Club. Shade holds a Bachelor of Science in finance from Miami University and a master’s in business administration from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. He resides in Crystal Lake with his wife Heidi, daughter Lillian (9), son Luke (7) and daughter Lena (9 months). The Shades are also members of Boulder Ridge Country Club in Lake in the Hills, IL and the Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, FL.
131st PRESIDENT
Ross served as treasurer from 2006 to 2008. Previously, she served on the Club Board from 2003 to 2006 and chaired the Athletics and House Committees. She also chaired the Budget Subcommittee and Audit Committee and served on the Admissions, Membership, Member Engagement and Nominating Committees and the Retirement and Benefits Subcommittee. Ross is a past president of the Union League Boys & Girls Clubs Foundation and has served as an active trustee for 12 years. She was also treasurer and then president of the Chicago Engineers’ Foundation of the Union League Club from 2010 to 2014. Ross is a founding partner at High Ridge Partners LLC, a Chicago-based turnaround consulting firm of senior business and financial advisors. Ross received a Bachelor of Science in commerce with a concentration in accounting from the University of Virginia in 1978. She is a Certified Public Accountant (’78) and a Certified Insolvency and Reorganization Advisor (’92). Previously, Ross served as CFO for a national specialty retail chain headquartered in Chicago and assisted in its successful bankruptcy reorganization. Her earlier work experience included 16 years in public accounting in audit and consulting. Ross has served on other boards in leadership positions including the Family Service Center of Wilmette, Glenview, Kenilworth and Northbrook (president), The Fairway Network (chair), Association of Insolvency and Restructuring Advisors (first vice president), American Bankruptcy Institute (director and member of the Endowment Committee) and Chicago Foundation for Women (member of the Finance Committee). Ross' right arm is her husband of 40 years, Phil L. Dodson. They are very proud of their three adult children Joseph A. Dodson IV, Philip A. Dodson and Mary Ann E. Dodson, all of whom are involved in education. Phil has also been very involved with the Club and its foundations. Ross reads voraciously and loves the ULCC Library. She also enjoys cooking, playing bridge and traveling. 11
Retiring from OF F I C E Robert D. Kreisman SECRETARY
Kreisman (’85) completed his term as Club secretary. Previously serving on the Board of Directors (2011-2014), Kreisman chaired the Technology, Public Affairs and Athletics Committees. Since 2008, Kreisman has served as a member of the Public Affairs Committee and was chair of its External Relations Subcommittee and Administration of Justice Subcommittee (chair since 2014). In addition, Kreisman has served and continues to serve on the Finance and Admissions Committees. Kreisman was an advisory counselor for what was then the Civic & Arts Foundation from 2010-2012. He was nominated for the Luminarts Cultural Foundation’s board, where he has served since 2012. He is now a life trustee and serves as the foundation’s general counsel. Kreisman has practiced law since 1976. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Missouri. Kreisman graduated with honors from the UICJohn Marshall Law School and obtained a master’s in tax law (LLM) from DePaul University College of Law. He is principal of the Chicago law practice Kreisman Law Offices, where he is engaged in civil litigation with a concentration in medical negligence matters, nursing home negligence and commercial litigation. From 2003-2005, Kreisman handled a case to completion, pro bono, for a 9/11 victim who was severely injured at the World Trade Center Towers. Kreisman has authored many legal pieces including, “Case Themes with Impact: It’s a Great Time to Fly” and a recently published article for the Illinois Bar Journal. Many of Kriseman’s law articles have been republished by other state bar associations. Kreisman has also lectured extensively for various legal organizations. He has been the chair of the Chicago Bar Association’s Public Affairs Committee since 2017 and has been an active member of the Illinois and Missouri bars since 1976. 12
Kreisman is married to Diane Marie Johnson, who is a retired school administrator. Kreisman has two children: David, who lives and works in Portland, Oregon as a communications director and is a graduate of the University of WisconsinMadison, and Alex, a graduate of Indiana University and IIT-Chicago Kent Law School who works in Chicago in the digital marketing field.
Cherilyn G. Murer Murer (’15) completed her third year as a director and chair of the Art Committee. Murer previously served as chair of the Libray and Personnel & Administration Committees. She also serves as president of the Luminarts Cultural Foundation. Murer has a long history of supporting professional and civic organizations. In keeping with her devotion to higher education and the arts, she accepted an appointment as a member of the Board of Governors of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and currently serves as chair of the Advancement Committee, championing internship programs. She is also a member of the prestigious Fashion Council of the SAIC. In January 2017, Murer received a gubernatorial appointment to the Illinois Board of Higher Education. She previously served for 12 years on Northern Illinois University’s board of trustees where she was elected chairman for two consecutive terms (2007-2009 and 2011-2013). In September 2015, Murer was elected to the 24-member board of trustees of the Lebanese American University. A year later, she was chosen as its first woman officer and in 2018 she was elected vice chair. She served on the advisory council of the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy and was chair of its internship program. In November 2017, Murer was appointed to the executive editorial board of Chicago Woman magazine. Murer is a public speaker and educator who has authored seven healthcare-related textbooks and written more than 180
articles on issues related to healthcare and higher education. In December 2020, Murer was unanimously elected to the board of directors of the Sinai Health System, Chicago. In March 2018, she was also elected to the board of directors of Surgical Solutions, a health care portfolio company owned by the private equity firm of Sterling Partners. She now serves as a member of the board of advisors of Healthwell, a newly established SPAC. The president and CEO of CGM Advisory Group LLC, Murer previously founded and was president and CEO of Murer Consultants, Inc. a firm she sold in January 2017. Murer has won numerous awards for her business success, including the 2019 Legacy Award from the PRNEWS Group at Access Intelligence Inc. and the 2018 Chicago Business Journal's Women of Influence award. She was inducted into the 26th annual Chicago Area Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame at the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies. Murer received a JD with honors from Northern Illinois University College of Law and maintains homes in Downers Grove, Chicago and Costa Brava, Spain. She has two adult children and three grandsons.
Laurel A. Rundle Rundle (’13) completed her third year as a director and chair of the Membership Committee. Rundle is a legacy member (Father, Barry Rundle, ‘71) and lifelong visitor of the Union League Club. She has served on several committees including Member Events and House and is actively involved in the Club’s activity groups including the Entrepreneur, Network, Advertising & Marketing and Wine Groups. Rundle is the founder and CEO of Aha! Marketing, a consumer promotions and marketing services firm focused in health and wellness. Prior to launching her own company, she was senior vice president at a global advertising agency. Rundle serves on the national alumni board of directors at Drake University in Des
Moines, Iowa. She is on the executive committee and chair of admissions. Rundle is actively involved in nonprofits ranging from land preservation to women’s leadership, serving in various capacities. In addition to volunteerism, Rundle has a passion for art, modern design and architecture and travel. Rundle received a degree in journalism from Drake University and is a recent graduate of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program. She currently resides in the Old Town neighborhood in Chicago and enjoys spending time at her second home on a former dairy farm in Michigan City, Indiana.
Robert J. Ryan Ryan (’11) completed his third year as director and chair of the Membe Engagement and Events Committee. Ryan has served on the Analysis & Planning, Members Engagement, Audit, Admissions and Personnel & Administration Committees. He is also a board member of the 786 Club. Ryan is a partner with Shields Meneley Partners, a unique and specialized consulting firm where he helps senior executives with career transition and leadership development. He is also a managing partner of the Sierra Institute, an association of chief human resource officers from blue chip companies across the nation. Ryan’s international leadership expertise takes him worldwide yearly to teach human resource skills and techniques in the Middle East, Asia and Africa. Ryan brings a unique perspective with an education in engineering and several decades of experience as a human resources leader. Ryan began his career with Procter and Gamble as a shift production manager, moving through a business assignment at the company’s headquarters in Toronto and on to a development role in human resources. From there, Ryan was recruited by Griffith Foods, where he worked as vice president of human resources in Canada
and the U.S. He was also the general manager in the U.K. and set up a new executive team and HR function in the European headquarters in Paris, France. Ryan returned to the U.S. and was recruited by Bombardier Recreational Products in Racine, Wis. He then moved to Chicago, where he worked for Kimball Hill Homes and then Tate & Lyle, a British food ingredient company. Ryan joined Shields Meneley Partners in 2014 and became a partner in 2015. Ryan is an ICF-certified coach, graduating from the Hudson Institute of Coaching in Santa Barbara, Calif. He has held numerous not-for-profit board positions in the arts, economic development and human resources and is currently a board member of the British-American Business Council. He served as a director of Madison, Wis. based firm Madison-Kipp until that firm was sold in 2020. He is a member of the Executive Club of Chicago and Human Resources Management Association of Chicago. He became a U.S. citizen in 2016 and lives in Chicago with his wife Viki, a wellness coach. Ryan’s two daughters work in human resources in Chicago. A native of Montreal, Ryan attended McGill University and Carleton University in Canada, where he graduated with a degree in mechanical and aeronautical engineering.
Steven G. Schermerhorn Schermerhorn (’09) completed his third year as a director and chair of the Admissions Committee. Since joining the ULCC, Schermerhorn has been active on multiple committees having spent six years on the Membership Committee and six years on both the Admissions and House Committees, where he served on the First Floor Redevelopment Task Force in 2017-2018 and the Washroom Redevelopment Task Force in 2020. He also currently serves on the Personnel & Administration Committee. He has also been involved with the Luminarts Cultural Foundation since 2009 and has served on its board of directors from 2012 until 2019. Schermerhorn
has also been extremely active in the Field & Stream Group and was one of the Top 5 Guns for the City Club Cup XVIII ULCC Cup Championship in 2014. Schermerhorn has sponsored nearly 30 new Club members and has been a Loyal Heart multiple times. After graduating from Illinois State University, Schermerhorn began his career as a schoolteacher in Plainfield in 1990, where he taught middle school history and English and was the varsity boys soccer coach. He is a certified tour guide for the city of Washington, D.C. While teaching, he was also a contracted speech writer for the United States Department of Energy affiliated with Argonne National Laboratory. Schermerhorn has been a partner in the supply company Park Ridge Stationers since 2000. The company sells office, janitorial, kitchen, computer and print supplies. Schermerhorn has been extremely involved in the local community for more than 20 years. In 2009, he was appointed to a three- year term as a board member of the Workforce Board of northern Cook County, a governing board that oversees the distribution of the funding for the United States Federal Workforce Investment Act of 1998. He has been involved with Rainbow Hospice and Palliative Care since 2005 and has been an associate board member from 2014 until 2019. From 2003 until 2018, Schermerhorn served as the fundraising chairperson of the Park Ridge Charity Classic 5K foot race, which has raised more than $250K for nonprofit organizations in the city of Park Ridge. Schermerhorn has also been a member of the Park Ridge Rotary Club since 2000 and has helped to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for local, national and international causes. He has also traveled to Guatemala with Rotary to work in a local school outside of the extremely remote village of Livingston. Currently, Schermerhorn is on the board of the Park Ridge Holiday Lights Foundation which raises private funds necessary to decorate the City of Park Ridge during the winter holidays. Schermerhorn makes his home in Park Ridge.
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Outgoing Remarks from the P R ES I D E N T
• Improvements to Athletics—low— cost upgrades in the exercise areas; relocation of spa services (massage and nails) to inviting and peaceful spaces in converted 17th floor guest rooms. •C apacity for virtual programs— including recordings available on the website and/or YouTube. •M ember Mobile App—Also long in the making and completed during COVID. •M ore member remote work areas— Selected guest rooms on the 10th floor have been repurposed as private offices. Members may rent these on a monthly, annual or daily basis. Expanded work areas added to Library (4th floor) and Presidents Hall (2nd floor) Other accomplishments during COVID: Welcome fellow members to our Annual Meeting. We are accommodating 250 members at this Annual Meeting. It is truly a pleasure to see so many members again in person; many of whom I have not seen in over a year. I hope you are enjoying this as much as I am. The past 16 months have been a time like none other. COVID-19 separated families, closed our Club for three months, intensified unrest in our city, state and nation, and affected our whole world in unexpected ways. It is truly a black swan event—an event difficult to conceive of, let alone plan for. But adversity breeds strength, courage, creativity and the will to change. Adversity separates the wheat from the chaff. We are weathering the storm and preparing for the future. This year was a true team effort. The loyalty and financial support of the members, the clear and unwavering focus of the directors and officers on what is best for the members and the Club, and the dedication, creativity, enthusiasm and positivity of management and staff were all huge contributions to the Club’s survival through the pandemic. What did we accomplish during this pandemic (some of which have been long considered)?
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• Member cards—who would have thought it would take a pandemic to implement this long considered, “radical” change.
•U pdated weekly forecasts of cash receipts and disbursements to anticipate and plan for cash needs. •E xpense reductions through employee layoffs commensurate with Club activity, as well as in other nonessential expenses. •D evelopment of additional member benefits as well as revenue sources such as ULCC Market, virtual wine tastings, expanded Library programming. Public Affairs Committee recommended, and the Board endorsed, statements which supported: •P roposal to form an advisory redistricting commission to propose a revised and fairer ward map to the Chicago City Council (March 2021) •A mendments to governmental accounting standards to account for long-term liabilities and related expenses at the General Fund level (February 2021) • Illinois bill to provide for parole for elderly and long-term prisoners to be paroled with conditions. • Improved security and access through first floor; additional security door on Federal and Jackson St doors. •A s of June 1, Athletics privileges are included at no cost to all resident members. This will be a significant
benefit to resident members and a drawing card for new members. Committees are setting goals and action plans for next year to be approved by our new Board. Goals and action plans help the Board and management allocate resources to where they will best support our strategic pillars. I am pleased that President Donnelly is committed to advancing the Club’s goal planning structure. Membership shows improvement. Inactive members are transferring back to active status. The Membership Preview Program continues to attract potential new members to try our Club. The diversity of new elections is also encouraging, particularly younger members. President Donnelly has worked hard on the membership issues this year, together with our devoted and hard-working Membership Department and management. He will have more to say in his remarks. Many people join the Club to be involved and contribute to our community and country. There are plenty of opportunities for members to participate in civic and community actions. The three foundations are the best known—Union League Boys & Girls Clubs, Luminarts Cultural Foundation and Chicago Engineers’ Foundation. The foundations support and work on the advancement of our most disadvantaged youth, aspiring artists and future engineers. The military groups provide aid and support to families of the soldiers and sailors in three nuclear submarines and 502 Infantry Regiment based at Fort Campbell Kentucky. I urge you to get involved. We all joined the Club to enrich our lives. Consider joining a Club committee, participating in a foundation or military group or explore an activity group. The Wine Society, Golf Society and Field & Stream group are extremely popular and a great way to meet and get to know your fellow members. I joined for a place to work out and ended up meeting lifelong friends through my Club involvement. Get involved. You will get more out of it than you can imagine. I wish to thank all the members who have supported the Club this past year. Your loyalty, your participation in Club events and activities and your financial support are crucial to the Club’s future success and
continued existence. I particularly thank all the members who sent me personal messages of support, suggestions and criticisms. I read them all and paid attention. Members are what make the Club a community. Thank you. I also want to shout out my Board and Officers. We went through a lot this year. Most months we had two or three Board meetings. But we worked well together and had a cohesive, responsible recovery plan. All oars were pulling on this Board. I cannot thank you enough for your service to your Club. And this Club would not be where it is today without our excellent management and staff. And the Board and Officers have put together a special thank you to management and staff. General Manager Tunney, could you please join me up here? Mr. Tunney, the 2020-2021 Board has issued the following proclamation in recognition of management and staff: (Resolution Read) Mr. Tunney, please accept this recognition of your management team and staff. It has been framed for suitable display in the Clubhouse. I close by saying to President Donnelly that I have full confidence in you and your Board’s ability to continue the recovery and growth of the Club. Embrace the problems; adversity makes us stronger. Thank you all for your support in this roller coaster year.
R e s o l u t i o n Whereas, The Union League Club of Chicago is now undergoing one of its most difficult and challenging episodes in its 141-year history owing to the COVID19 pandemic.
Whereas, The Union League Club of Chicago’s management, spearheaded by general manager Mr. Mark Tunney, responded urgently to the voluble regulations mandated by the State and the City of Chicago. While in-person programs, meetings, and events were incrementally curtailed, the Club held hundreds of virtual events to create and maintain member engagement for the members. Among the many were happy hours, author’s book presentations, chef demonstrations, grand holiday to-go meal options, wine tastings and sales, market food sales, and the Halloween party. The Club also created opportunities for members to sponsor meal packages that were made available to COVID19 first responders in our community including hospital employees and police and fire departments. The Club building was quickly modified, taking all available safeguards to making it now one of the safest environments in the area.
Whereas, The management and staff of the Union League Club has responded to each challenge, maintaining the highest levels of service while making exceedingly difficult decisions concurrently, including furloughing and reductions in staff. At the same time, the Club’s management has risen to the challenge of reducing costs at all levels, including voluntary pay reductions at the senior staff level.
Whereas, As General Manager, Mr. Mark Tunney has provided effective and proactive leadership in managing the operations of the Club during the pandemic and has strongly encouraged the creativity of the senior staff in establishing new revenue sources, reducing expenses, and creating events and services for member engagement, all while during an economic depression in the hospitality business.
Be it resolved, The Board of Directors of the Union League Club of Chicago enthusiastically tributes the exemplary leadership of Mr. Mark Tunney, General Manager. It is with that pride and honor that the Board shares its gratitude to Mr. Mark Tunney in words that are difficult to express. Let the long history of the Club reflect that gratitude on behalf of the Board of Directors and the members of the Union League Club of Chicago.
Be it further resolved, Nancy A. Ross 131th President
The Board of Directors of the Union League of Chicago, with both pride and honor, resoundingly express its gratitude to the Club’s senior staff and all Club employees, who have devoted themselves to the lasting successes of this Club and its sterling community reputation. To all of you, many thanks and let the enduring history of the Club reflect their tireless work, devotion, and support.
COMMITTEES The Union League Club is governed by committees that meet regularly to review policies, procedures and issues and make recommendations to the Board concerning various Club operations. These committees work closely with the management team to make the ULCC one of America’s premier clubs. Committees are chaired by an officer or director, and more than 200 Club members participate in this important process. A report from each standing committee, as well as a listing of committee members, follows.
ADMISSIONS Admission Committee Mission The Admissions Committee shall investigate, consider, and make a recommendation to the Board of Directors concerning each proposal for membership, each application for transfer from one membership class to another, or from one sub-class to another and each application for reinstatement. During the 2020-2021 Club year, the Admissions Committee consisted of 18 committed and passionate members who donated their time and talents to interview new and former members with the utmost care and attention. The Admissions Committee members met each month and were charged with vetting each prospective new member. This was accomplished by conducting one-on-one interviews with candidates as well as providing recommendations on reinstating former members, members transferring categories and requests for inactive status and resignations. During the pandemic, the Committee continued to meet monthly through virtual communication platforms. The Committee was able to use these platforms to interview candidates for membership which allowed us to meet all critical deadlines. The Committee motioned to recommend more than 682 16
resignations. Although it was a difficult year, the Admissions Committee interviewed 93 new members. The Club introduced a new program called the Preview Program which allowed prospects to join the ULCC without a sponsor and fast tracked them into the Club. This program stipulated that an admissions interview must be conducted prior to their membership starting. The Admissions Committee was tasked with scheduling these calls throughout the entire month since prospects were given the opportunity to start at any time. The Committee handled this new program with such enthusiasm and professionalism. The Admissions Committee is consistently looking for ways to enhance the interview process to ensure each candidate receives valuable information during the admissions process as well as how to become immediately engaged within the ULCC community. Many times, a member of the Admissions Committee is one of the first members the candidate meets and therefore acts as a Club ambassador before and after the candidate is elected. The Admissions Committee played an important role in introducing prospects to the Club even though it was mostly virtual. On behalf of the entire Club, I would like to thank my fellow Committee members
for donating their time and talents in vetting and welcoming new members to the Club. The work of the Admissions Committee is vital to the success and prosperity of the Club. Steven G. Schermerhorn
ADMISSIONS Committee Steven G. Schermerhorn, Chair Alison B. Bean Thomas P. Bernardi Matthew J. Carinato Lauren Cicero Duane C. Clark Edward L. Cooper III Matthew J. Dennett Celine M. Fitzgerald Steven Goodwin Robert D. Kreisman Thomas P. Lawler Kyle A. Mackey Virginia M. McGann Kathryne E. Miecyjak Anastacia X. Pavich Robert J. Ryan Jeffrey A. Sacks Junilla Sledziewski
ANALYSIS & TECHNOLOGY The Analysis & Technology Committee had three main goals to align with the Club’s strategic initiatives. These goals focused on 1. Mobile Application, 2. Club Website and 3. Data Metrics. Given the onset of COVID-19, the Club also rolled out the membership card scanning system which became another focus area throughout the past year.
Mobile Application The mobile application successfully launched in November of 2020. Members can access various Club-related items via the app, including membership cards, Club events, reservations and statements. Currently, more than 600 active members have utilized the mobile app which we hope will continue to increase. In the next iteration of the website, a planned feature will notify and encourage mobile device users, accessing the Club’s website, to download the app. We hope this drives more traffic to the app.
Club Website Enhancements to the Club website continue to be made. The current focus is on the new Grab N Go feature which is in the beginning stages of live testing for certain members. This feature will be accessed through the browser (for testing) and once ready will be available through the mobile app for all members.
Membership Cards Enhancements With the pandemic changing the landscape of how the Club operates, the rollout of the membership card system was very smooth, given the circumstances, and COVID-19 gave the push to implement quickly. The Club now can provide tableside POS to limit contact and make the ordering process more efficient. We can also track data metrics about Club use which will help us better meet our members’ needs. Membership cards can be accessed via the mobile app while physical cards can still be used.
Other Items Brian Williams, IT Director, helped Athletics with updating the Athletics boards to include Les Mills videos and bios. Lastly, I would like to recognize Brian Williams for all the hard work he has put in over the last year. Given the ongoing pandemic, and the Club being forced to reduce staffing, Brian has been the only full-time IT professional on staff for much of this Club’s fiscal year. He was ready, willing and able to step into all IT related roles. Brian never complained and took all his work in stride. The Club is lucky to have an employee like Brian and I look forward to seeing the Club’s use of technology continue to improve under his leadership. Thomas P. Bernardi
Data Metrics With the various technology upgrades over the past two years, the Club now gathers data pertaining to website use, mobile app use, membership card use and (non-PII) Club Wi-Fi use. These sources provide a unique opportunity for the Club to see how its members are using the Club and provide appropriate programming, improvements and enhancements to meet its members’ needs. A new data warehouse tool, Qlik ClubPulse, was implemented in 2020 to pull all Club data sources into one dashboard thus making the data much more useful. An ongoing goal of ours will be to use these metrics to improve communications, increase member engagement and to enhance member development.
ANALYSIS & TECHNOLOGY Committee Thomas B. Bernardi, Chair Paul A. Barter John H. Berchem Gregory B. Cook Arijit Das Michael F. Driscoll James C. Goss Thomas P. Lawler Terry G. Muldoon Jordan D. Sacks 17
ART The Art Committee benefited from the leadership of two successive chairs: Ann Saltz (served until December 2020) and Cherilyn Murer (current chair). In the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic, during the shutdown and stay-athome order, the Art Department and Committee successfully transitioned the exhibitions program, art programs and docent training for the virtual world. The Members Invitational exhibition, curated by exhibitions chair Susan Aurinko and Dr. Sally Metzler featured select art creations by members in a variety of media including paintings, prints and photographs. The gallery exhibition Cydney Lewis: Waking in the Side of the Shade was hung as usual on the third-floor walls but the Meet the Artist reception was virtual. In addition, a virtual tour of the exhibition was created and offered through an inventive software platform, available for all to view for a year. The sales for Cydney Lewis, even though members were prohibited for much of the time to enter the Club, were robust! Sarvin Haghighi’s exhibition Love in any Language, followed and her work has been received with great acclaim. Vice Chair of Exhibitions, Jane Stevens, has given her time to continue the success of the third floor initiative. Two new subcommittees were created: the Garden Subcommittee and the Photography Subcommittee. The Garden Subcommittee, chaired by Fern Allison, offered several stimulating events, including virtual flower-arranging, sharing garden tips and photos of one’s own garden, and illustrious garden personalities. Leatitia Maklouf entertained members September 16 all the way from her London garden with The Five Minute Garden and on April 14, 2021, Ben Lenhardt presented Gardens of the North Shore. The Art Committee charged $10 for these and most of their virtual events. The Photography Subcommittee, chaired by Tinsley Preston III and Vice Chair Sidney Saltz (who sadly passed away last year) engaged members with photography tips when using your cell phone, among other events.
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The ULCC Docents remained strong supporters during the Covid-19 pandemic and Zoomed for training with Dr. Sally Metzler on a regular basis. They gave several live private tours and virtual ones including Famous Faces and Celebrating Women Artists.
halls of the Club, and foremost we thank the Art Committee members who stood by through a challenging year. Cherilyn Murer and Dr. Sally Metzler
We organized two virtual behind-the scenes tours of the blockbuster exhibition Monet and Chicago at the Art Institute, once with Curator Dr. Gloria Groom in fall 2020 and early spring 2021 with researcher Dr. Kathyrn Kremnitzer. The art collection experienced advances and setbacks. An important donation came in through the generosity of members Thomas and Joyce Leddy: "Portrait of Sadie Waters," a 6-foottall exquisite pastel that now hangs in the Lincoln Ballroom. In keeping with the tradition of generosity, 2019-2020 ULCC President Ms. Martha Jahn Martin donated an engaging swimscape painting by Samantha French titled "Soak In, Stillness," celebrating Martin’s legacy. In November 2020, the ULCC Board voted to approve the sale of Claude Monet’s "Apple Trees in Blossom." They also voted to deaccess for sale the following works of art and set aside for a year the usual deaccessions policy: Jim Nutt, "Look this Way;" After/School of Rubens, "Artemisia Drinking the Ashes of her Husband Mausolus;" Walter Ufer, "Near the Water Hole;" George Inness, "Picnic;" Eastman Johnson, "Portrait of Alexander Hamilton;" William Wendt, "In the Shadow of the Grove;" Victor Higgins, "Moorland Gorse and Bracken." These decisions to sell works of such high quality were based on the financial crisis imposed on the Club by the Covid-19 pandemic. Pro forma deaccessions were carried out under the leadership of Deaccessions Subcommittee Chair William Richards and Vice Chair Douglas Walker.
ART Committee Cherilyn G. Murer, Chair Fern Allison Fred Drucker Mary Go Angela L. Green Brian T. Herbstritt Mary A. Herbstritt Kyle Mackey Michele M. McCrillis James V. Noonan Seaton T. Preston
Finally, the art collection was featured on the television show Chicago Tonight last summer and fall during an interview with Dr. Sally Metzler, and broadcast twice.
William E. Richards
We thank everyone for their support of the beautiful art that adorns the walls and
Mario Wilson
Lynne Rinkoski Jane Stevens Douglas K. Walker Milton M. Wood
ATHLETICS Thank you to Club management and staff for keeping us safe during the pandemic and adhering to State and City guidelines. With several limitations placed on athletic facilities during the pandemic, we were able to make some great improvements in our spaces and service offerings this past year. Please know that many, if not all, of these improvements were done with very few dollars, a lot of paint and a lot of hard work from our athletics and engineering team members. Thank you for your creativity and dedication. It is great to see people excited about being back up in Athletics and noting the improvements. You can almost see people smiling behind their masks. Speaking of masks, who would have thought we would be working out in them! So, what has changed in our physical space plan? As you may recall last year, in our Athletics Committee review, we spent a considerable amount of time working on how we could maximize our space and associated service offerings. While COVID certainly delayed many of the upgrades, we were able to rework some of our spaces and the services offered in those areas. For example, the 20th floor historically offered free weights and strength training while the 19th floor offered cardio and spin. The 20th floor is now home to our new Group Fitness Studio and the 19th floor now offers free weights, strength training and cardio (in the former spin room). All these areas look refreshed with new paint on the walls, ceilings and floors. In addition to the paint upgrades, the ventilation systems were cleaned and new filters were installed. The ceiling tiles and grid were also removed in the 19th floor Cardio Room to offer more ceiling clearance for our members with a new coat of paint to the now-open ceiling look. After your workout, please feel free to cool off with a eucalyptus towel that are located in refrigerators throughout the Athletics Department. Further, as part of the of the space design, there are now maps on each floor letting a member or guest know what services can be found on that floor. We hope this assists everyone with navigating around the various Athletics floors.
The Committee has also been actively looking at programming for our membership. As you may have read in E.Line, the Club has partnered with Les Mills for in-person and virtual programming. Les Mills is a premier firm focused on group fitness and offers its services to gyms and clubs around the world. Currently, we are offering two in-person classes: RPM (cycling) and Body Flow (combination of yoga, Thai Chi and Pilates). These classes are all offered in our new Group Fitness Studio. Further, with our partnership with Les Mills the ULCC will be offering 25 weekly virtual instructional classes. Some of these classes include Bodyflow and Body Combat, Core and RPM. Lastly, ALL Union League Club members have access to Les Mills virtual library of more than 200 classes so you can complete your workout at home or on the road.
with working the ever-changing COVID-19 guidelines. You all worked tirelessly with frequent cleaning of high-touch areas, spacing of equipment and clearly marking what items are sanitized and which ones are not. Thank you for keeping us all safe and your positive attitudes. Paul W. Shade
As some of you have seen and noted, the Spa has temporally been relocated to the 17th floor. The engineering team has been working on the 21st floor with general maintenance in the current spa space. With the temporary move, the department has received numerous positive comments on the spa experience they are having. Having a little more space has allowed for a dedicated relaxation lounge and larger more inviting treatment rooms. The Committee continues to evaluate options for the spa space and there will be more to come shortly. As Athletics continues to garner new members, we are excited that potential Union League Club members in the Preview Program are offered three free months of Athletics as part of the program. And for all the golfers at the Club, we have re-registered the CDGA golf handicap system in Athletics. I would like to thank the Athletics Committee members for their support to our Club and athletics program.
ATHLETICS Committee Paul W. Shade, Chair Rich P. Beem Michael M. Chioros Timothy J. Cunningham Edward L. Cooper Robert C. Horton
The Committee would like to thank the Board of Directors for their support and guidance during the year.
Sean M. Jucas
The Committee would also like to recognize our Athletics staff members who did a phenomenal job this year; especially
Emily F. Moreno
Zach Leonard George G. Maragos Lynne Rinkoski Marne Smiley 19
AUDIT We are once again fortunate to have team members with extensive audit, accounting and business acumen on our Committee this year. The Audit Committee is tasked with the annual review of the performance of the Club’s independent auditors. The Committee’s central responsibility is to monitor the integrity of the financial statements and related disclosures. This responsibility encompasses risks related to financial reporting, fraud, compliance with laws and regulations, information technology and privacy. In fulfilling our committee’s responsibilities we hold a series of meetings, initially with committee members only to discuss key operating issues of the Club, and later with our Club’s audit firm to discuss the results of the annual audit. Our discussions with the audit firm will include topics such as the strength of our internal controls, implementation of prior year’s recommendations and a comparison of our financial performance with the operating performance of other city clubs. The Audit Committee is also responsible for ensuring that our Club is in compliance with its various tax and legal filings, including the Club’s tax returns as well as the pension and 401K plan filings. We also review the returns and have discussions with our tax advisors to be certain that the tax positions taken are supportable, pursuant to the tax rules. This past year was a very unusual year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For the first time in Club history, the audit was conducted virtually. The Audit Committee met virtually with the audit team and analyzed and critiqued the management letter from our auditors. In closing, I want to thank the members of the committee who have given their time and financial talents this year.
AUDIT Committee
Kathleen E. Manning Kathleen E. Manning, Chair Cynthia Doloughty John L. Donnelly Patrick Gleason Paul W. Shade Joseph A. Sheils 20
COMMUNICATIONS This Club Year was one of the most trying and challenging in the ULCC’s history. But with every challenge comes an opportunity and the Communications Committee did its best to capitalize on every opportunity. One of the COVID challenges was the financial impact to the Club. Communications opted to temporarily move all publications to digital and to double (and in some cases, triple) the amount of E.Lines sent per week to reduce operating costs. The ULCC is aware that email is not the preferred method of communication for all our members; however, with limited staffing and budgetary restrictions, it was the best option available. The Club continues to explore additional communication channels while balancing with a reduced operating budget.
Mobile App One new communication channel is the Club’s new mobile app (search Union League Club of Chicago’ in the Apple or Google Play stores). The app allows the Club to send push notifications. You can opt in on these ‘direct-to-your-phone’ messages allowing the Club to get information out to you faster. The app also has a digitized version of your membership card. No need to carry and dig into your wallet for the physical card! This added convenience allows you to quickly scan your membership card at the entrance and in the outlets and Athletics. The app provides access to reservations, the reciprocal club list, requesting letters of introduction, member directory and paying your bill. Coming soon, you will be able to pre-order food for pick-up via the app.
Communications Channels The Club understands that in this digital age, every member has a different preferred communication channel. Over the course of the last year, the Club has increased our digital communications beyond E.Line expanding content sharing via Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube. If you haven’t yet explored our communications on these channels, check us out and share your favorites in your feed. Did you know, we also increased the number of videos we were producing? Perhaps you missed out on a virtual event?
Check out the member (login) side of our website to watch recordings! In addition, Chef Ponzio has also been recording biweekly announcements of what is coming up in the ULCC culinary world.
Defining the Club Experience To guide what the Club is communicating and where, the Committee continued its work on the development of interestbased ‘experiences.’ Defining experiences helps to establish the different needs and expectations for each group in Club programming. Aligning Club programing and amenities to the experiences achieves the goal of creating an effective customer journey for members and prospects.
Club’s continued success, we must help it grow by constantly communicating on public channels about who we are, what we stand for and why, if you are not a member of the ULCC, you are missing out on amazing experiences. Emily F. Moreno
Experience development resulted in transforming Presidents Hall into a mobile professional’s work destination (supporting many of the entrepreneurs and remote workers who don’t have a permanent office space). It has also resulted in creating offices on the 10th floor that can be rented daily or leased monthly. Data we have been collecting tells us we attract members interested in the Club's social community, health & wellness services, arts programming, remote working spaces, civic engagement, and family programming.
Website Content Refresh Due to reduced staff this past year, the Communications Committee stepped in to provide updates in website content. Last year, we found that updates in content resulted in a 400 percent increase in leads coming from the website. Additionally, the content updates had a positive impact on Search Engine Optimization (SEO). The Club was positioned at 130 when searching for “social clubs in Chicago” and has now consistently been in the top three.
COMMUNICATIONS Committee Emily F. Moreno, Chair
Thank You A huge thank you to the Committee members for volunteering their time and talents to help the Club define where and how the Club fits into our members’ and prospective members’ lives. You have demonstrated how, as part owners of the Club, the ULCC can transform to meet the needs of the changing landscape. For our
Sandra W. Blakemore Jeffrey O. Chen John L. Donnelly Ed R. Erickson G. Stephen Frederick Laurence S. Gellen Stephen Joyce Myk Snider David J. Torres 21
FINANCE Fiscal Year 2020-2021 was a very unusual year for the Club, its staff and its members, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Executive Orders by the Mayor and Governor severely restricted the normal activities of the Club, with amenities either being closed or subject to limited capacity for most of 2020 and into 2021. Despite strong fiscal management, the Club finished the year with a deficit of $2,481,500. The Club stopped all capital projects for the fiscal year to preserve cash. The debt obligation of $18,000,000 was serviced as agreed. Our membership remained steadfast throughout this difficult period. Members contributed $550,000 to the COVID Ask and $850,000 has been prepaid by members doing what they can to assist the cash flows of the Club. Attracting and engaging new members and encouraging a return to our members’ usage of the Club are critical to maintaining a vigorous, successful Club capable of providing outstanding services, great value and premier facilities. The main revenue lines of the Club are dues, food and beverage in our outlets, room revenue and private dining revenue. As the Club reopens, it is critical that members come back and avail themselves of all that the Club continues to offer. Our elite staff is ready to serve. I would like to thank the Finance Committee for their commitment to the Club and for their excellent work during this tumultuous year. The Finance Committee would like to thank our General Manager Mark Tunney and Chief Financial Officer Deborah Fogel, along with their staff for their hard work, strategic thinking and dedication to our Club.
Joseph A. Sheils
FINANCE Committee Joseph A. Sheils, Chair Thomas P. Bernardi Wendy J. Betts David L. Cavicke Barry R. Cesafsky Robert D. Kreisman Virginia M. McGann Lee M. Neubecker William E. Richards David J. Torres Douglas K. Walker
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HOUSE The 2019-2020 House Committee drafted strategic goals with action plans for the 2020-2021 House Committee to carry out. These key goals that are linked to the Club’s strategic pillars include:
Long Term Facilities Plan The facility plan should serve as a driver for Club growth. With management, prepare a draft comprehensive facilities plan. Define the facilities plan; Create a task force, review strategic plan—how the Club will look in 5 years. Action taken: 1. Due to the uncertainty of the financial impact brought by the COVID pandemic, this initiative was put on hold. 2. T he 2nd & 6th floor bathrooms projects were placed on hold but were recently reviewed to see what could be started and the timing reviewed for a later date of completion.
Building Security With management, explore security, physical access to the building. Coordinate with Analysis & Technology. Action taken: 1. The Club added a security check-in desk and implemented I.D. cards for all members. 2. O n September 14, 2020, the House and Finance Committees and the Board approved capital funding of Door Security Improvement (Rolling Steel Doors). 3. The Club also received a comprehensive security overview on the Club that was performed by the Lake Forest Group. They conducted a review of the Club, its security procedures and policies and made recommendations for certain areas to be improved. Management is working on the plan.
Engineers' Building Increase utility, or monetize value, of the Engineers' Building to the Club and its members. Task force to provide options 1st quarter 2020-2021.
Action taken: 1. On July 28, 2020, the President, with the consent of the Board, appointed a task force to explore the sale of 314 S. Federal St. (also known as the “Engineers’ Building”). The House Committee Chair was assigned to lead the task force. The task force presented their plan on August 11, 2020 and the Board approved to retain Colliers International as the broker to market and sell the Engineers’ Building. While the Club has received 2 offers to be considered, both offers were below what the Club deemed acceptable. With the market soft for building purchases, the task force is evaluating other scenarios.
position was eliminated. The House Committee members wish Dino well in his next career opportunity. Matthew R. Farrell
The House Committee also approved the following this Club year: The sale of 8 unused pieces of athletic equipment which includes: 4 Precore treadmills, 3 Precore elliptical machines, and 1 Precore AMT machine. The sale of the equipment was offered to members of the ULCC via a Zoom auction. The conversion of the 10th floor guestrooms to office spaces for members to lease on a daily, weekly, monthly or yearly basis. •T o date, we have 2 offices on leases and 5 under discussion. •O ffices are also being used for day use as well. An amendment to House Rule Article VI, Section E.5 as follows: The ULCC Athletics Department has exclusive authority to determine service personnel for the Athletics Department. Only Personal Trainers employed by the Club may conduct training sessions, whether in-person or interactive, in the Athletics Department. Any member who wishes to arrange for such services at the Club must contact the Athletics Department. The House Committee wishes to thank Assistant General Manager Dino Simoncelli for his hard work and guidance over the last eight years. Dino led most of the projects at the ULCC and did a masterful job in keeping things on track and on budget. Unfortunately, due to the financial challenges of the Club this past year, his
HOUSE Committee Matthew R. Farrell, Chair Fern Allison Thomas P. Bernardi Sandra W. Blakemore Barry R. Cesafsky Jeffrey O. Chen Margaret Jahn Charles H. Jesser Laurel A. Rundle Paul W. Shade Joseph A. Sheils Brooke M. Wiseman 23
LIB RARY & ARCHIVES After a three-month, Club-wide COVID-19 shutdown, the ULCC George N. Leighton Library and Business Information Center reopened in June 2020 to welcome back members displaced from business offices or needing a respite from their home work space. The pandemic created an opportunity for us to reimagine how the Library could be utilized and make it a safe and quiet work destination for our members. Though the Library has always been that for many members, we were able to push this benefit out to the forefront so more members could realize the true value of the space. The Library and Business Information Center has remained staffed since June, Monday-Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with numerous COVID-19 protocols to maintain our high standard of safety for members and guests. Although library material circulation has been understandably less than in previous years, ULCC members have checked out close to 1000 library materials to date with an additional 446 eBooks and audio books from Axis 360 and 331 eBooks, audio books and streaming video from hoopla. The 2020-2021 Library Committee began working toward a primary goal: to engage individuals (new members and existing members) who value intellectual pursuits in the areas of historical study and contemporary issues. Committee members gained insight into each other’s personal reading preferences by a series of presentations on “What’s in Your Library?” Created through the Archives Subcommittee, the ULCC’s “Outstanding Book on the History of Chicago Award” was designed to recognize major contributions to our understanding of the city’s rich history and to serve as a capstone ULCC occasion. It was also intended to highlight ULCC member involvement in the significant events that shaped the city of Chicago. As the only Chicago history book award program, this initiative has been enthusiastically embraced by members of the Club and the community of writers, publishers and scholars of Chicago history. Ten books published between 2019 and 2020 were nominated in this inaugural year of the award. The Outstanding Book 24
on the History of Chicago 2021 Award was presented to Dr. Simon Balto for “Occupied Territory: Policing Black Chicago from Red Summer to Black Power” with Honorable Mention going to Dr. William Sites for “Sun Ra’s Chicago: Afrofuturism and the City” in a virtual ceremony held on April 7, 2021. The $500 award was supported by ULCC member donations as well as a donation from the Luminarts Cultural Foundation. This initiative achieved its goal of bringing the ULCC together with premier cultural and educational institutions in Chicago to celebrate Chicago and our continuing engagement with the city’s evolving history.
reserved for a program to share the recording link, encourage feedback, and promote membership. I wish to expressly thank Cheryl Ziegler and the members of the Library Committee for their tremendous leadership and innovative thinking during this year. Sandra W. Blakemore
In response to the COVID19 shutdown and to keep members engaged, the Literary Subcommittee successfully pivoted from planning in-person events to providing a wide array of free Zoom virtual events designed to keep ULCC members engaged and to provide outreach to non-members. Notable events were: •O ctober program series on “Black Entrepreneurship in Chicago: Past, Present & Future” •F ebruary program series on “Exploring Chicago’s Black History” •T he Chicago Tradition: John Schmidt on “Hidden Chicago Landmarks” •S pecialty Book Discussion Series: Graphic Novels 101
LIBRARY & ARCHIVES Committee
•C ocktails & Conversation Series: athleen Rooney & Donna Seaman °K on “Cher Ami & Major Whittlesey”
Sandra W. Blakemore, Chair
iles Harvey & Charles Baxter °M on “The King of Confidence”
Dea Brennan
•A variety of ULCC and Caxton Club collaborative programs such as: eil Harris on “Chicago Lakefront °N Apartments” ichelangelo Sabatino & Susan °M Benjamin on “Modern in the Middle” nn Durkin Keating on “The World °A of Juliette Kinzie” ° Craig Fehrman on “Author in Chief” There is now a follow-up process in place to reach out to people who have
Nikki Alexander Elene M. Cafasso Rosanne Ciambrone Dr. Lisa C. Freeman Mary Go Michael C. Goode James R. Grimes Robert C. Horton Robert L. Joynt Neal R. McCrillis Corinne S. Morrissey Beverley A. Paonessa Frank R. Patton Timo Rehbock Stephen J. Schlegel John R. Schmidt
MEMBER ENGAGEMENT & EVENTS Creative. Reimagined. Adaptive. These are all words that can be used to describe how the events offered during the past Club year provided members with memorable experiences despite the challenges presented by the COVID-19 mandates. It is hoped that the events gave members a sense of normalcy in these less than normal times. It was the first year that the Member Events Committee & the Member Engagement Committee were one committee. The idea behind combining the two committees, was to work together to enhance our engagement and create memorable events for our members. Many beloved traditions were either held virtually, featured a reimagined in-person experience or were a combination of both. Some highlights from these traditions: • The traditional August Summer Camp became a virtual Summer Camp offered from June through mid-August. Throughout the summer, members’ children participated in cooking classes with Chef Ponzio, fitness games with Coach Craig, art classes with Luminarts Fellows and so much more. • The Family Halloween Party featured a to-go boxed lunch, crafts and games as well as a “Spooky Neighborhood” on the 13th floor for trick or treating. • The Wine Extravaganza became Wine Week in November. The week featured a Far Niente Wine Dinner, Prisoner Wine Tasting and an Orin Swift Wine & Small Plates Pairing. • The Gingerbread House Craft Class was held virtually. BBC Hollydays shared tips and tricks for creating candy penguins, reindeers and trees among other ideas. Members submitted photo entries of their creations for the Gingerbread House Competition and the winning entry for each category received an Amazon gift card. • Breakfast with the Easter Bunny is not complete without the Easter Egg Hunt, and this year did not disappoint. Families were assigned to individual hunt areas in place of the big group hunt that usually takes place.
New virtual experiences were created for families to enjoy. The feedback received from these events was overwhelmingly positive and consideration will be given to making some of them future in-person experiences. •P olar Express Holiday Sweets Decorating Class, Magic Show & Storytelling •G rinchmas Snacks Class & Storytelling with Mrs. Claus •H arry Potter Magic Potions & Science Class An ongoing goal was to engage members and create a community through interactive virtual activities. Trivia Nights, Bingo Nights and game show nights featuring Family Feud, Jeopardy or Wheel of Fortune brought members together for fun. The Chopped Competitions in August, September and December provided members with an outlet to show off their culinary skills while competing for the title of ULCC Chopped Champion. Members also participated in virtual flower arranging classes with Alice’s Table, virtual drawing and painting classes and virtual candle making. A gourmet chocolate tasting was conducted by Cocoa + Co. A partnership with Little Lion featured Mindfulness Stretch Breaks, Improv Game Nights and a Family Art Night. The culinary experiences offered during the winter and spring months were immensely popular. Members learned tips and techniques from top chefs in the Chicago area including Chef Khalid Kamal of Shokran Restaurant, Chef Tony Priolo of Piccolo Sogno, Chef Eric Lees of Spiaggia and Chef Brad Hudetz of Station One Smokehouse. Wine tastings, scotch tastings and spirit tastings abounded. In addition to Wine Week, virtual tastings were hosted with: •G lenrothes Scotch Whisky Tasting •C raft Beer Tasting with Maplewood Brewery •W oodford Reserve Tasting with Master Distiller Chris Morris •P ahlmeyer Wine Tasting with Cleo Pahlmeyer
•A utumn Cocktail Class with Koval Distillery •S onoma-Cutrer Tasting with Winemaking Director Mick Schroeter • Herradura Tequila Tasting • 70 Years of The Dalmore •C harles Krug Wine Tasting with Peter Mondavi Wine Group programs generated strong interest and participation. All members are welcome to participate in Wine Group events. Last fall, the Wine Society was rebranded to the Wine Group 100 Pointers. Members who join the Wine Group 100 Pointers will enjoy additional benefits including special pricing to attend wine events and a pre-selected monthly bottle of wine. The Golf Society continued its efforts to create a “Town and Country” club experience as well as a community for ULCC golfers. For the 2021 season, Flossmoor Golf Club and Davenport Country Club have been added as partner clubs in addition to returning partners Aurora Country Club, Pottawattomie Country Club, Riverside Golf Club and Royal Melbourne Country Club. The Jazz Union performances filled the Club with live music. Members were thrilled to be able to attend the evenings in-person or watch virtually via Zoom. The Entrepreneur Group held a Members Speaker Forum in March focused on gratitude. The stories shared by the speakers allowed audience members to take a step back and reflect on the good that could still be found in these times. The Craft Beer Group was revitalized and held a virtual tasting with Moody Tongue Brewery in April. The Advertising & Marketing Group as well as the Network Group have also relaunched regular meetings for each group. The Scotch Whisky Group held a Whiskey 101 Master Class and a Macallan Master Class to celebrate International Whisky Day in March. Plans are also underway for additional programs.
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The Authors Group featured programs with Terry Savage, Brad Thor, Senator Sherrod Brown and Lynne Cheney, among others. The Brass Ensemble, Cigar Group, Conservatives Forum, CPA & Accounting Roundtable, Environmental Group, Field & Stream Group, Real Estate Group, Technology Group, Women’s Roundtable and Younger Members Group continued to hold programs and events to keep the members engaged. The Member Engagement & Events Committee created several goals for the Committee starting May 2020. One of the goals was measuring member engagement. At the start of the pandemic, the ULCC set a policy to enforce membership cards for all members. This has been well received by the members and has been a fantastic way to track member engagement within the Club. Staff can check daily check-ins and see how our members are utilizing the Club. In addition to all our incredible events that the Club hosted throughout the year, the Committee worked extremely hard to engage with our new members virtually and in person. Members from the Committee were assigned a new member each month and were tasked with reaching out and inviting them to an event, the Club or simply introducing them to their new home. The Union League Club remains a strong community as we set forth on welcoming more members to the Club. Thank you to the wonderful Member Engagement & Events Committee for their support and dedication throughout the year.
MEMBER ENGAGEMENT & EVENTS Committee Robert J. Ryan, Chair Patrick F. Barron
Karen M. Jones
Victoria G. Cheng
Ante S. Kovacevic
Vlad V. Chirica
Lisa Kennedy
Duane C. Clark
Curtis A. Linder
Stacy L. Fleming
Courtney B. Murtaugh
William M. Hill
Lynne Thomsen Rinkoski
Sherri L. Holthof
Coe D. Rost
Margaret Jahn
Jacob M. Wilkoff
MEMBER ACTIVITY GROUP Chairpersons Advertising & Marketing
James R. Gillespie
Blockchain & Digital Asset
Lawyers
Jason P. Urban
Vlad V. Chirica Nora Devine Thomas L. Hogan
Brass Ensemble John Alberts
Business of Philanthropy Gregory A. Frezados Marne Smiley Myk Snider
J. Alexander Cestero
Railway Supply Timothy P. O'Donnell
Real Estate
Matthew J. Dennett
Steven D. Smutny
Civil War Roundtable
Sailing
Richard G. Howser Frank R. Patton
Thomas E. Payne
Conservatives Forum John D. Bergholz
William Michael Hill, Jr. Anne Marie Miles
CPA & Accounting Roundtable
Technology
David J. Kupiec
Craft Beer
Scotch Whisky
Jeffrey O. Chen
Toastmasters Michael Franklin Driscoll
Cycling
Vintage Movie
Robert A. Gallo
Beverly A. Paonessa
Entrepreneur
Wine
Marne Smiley
Environmental Kenneth G. Anspach James T. Harrington
Field & Stream Curtis A. Linder
Financial Markets & Economics Benton Howser
Golf Society Thomas B. Bennett Declan M. Cooney
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Network
Cigar
Jacob M. Wilkoff
Robert J. Ryan
Jazz
Jon D. Roketenetz
G. Stephen Frederick Pamela Russell
Women’s Roundtable Rebecca Beem Lynne Thomsen Rinkoski
Young at Heart Beverly A. Paonessa
Younger Members Vlad V. Chirica Flavia Pocari Scott Robert Charles Williams
MEMBERSHIP Membership Committee Mission The Membership Committee develops and implements plans to ensure a strong, stable and dynamic membership and develops policies with respect to the maintenance and retention of the various categories of membership and privilege holders. It assists members in recruiting candidates for membership, disseminates information about the Club and sponsors monthly prospective member receptions. It receives members and guests of the Club on the occasion of public or social functions and maintains the Club's guest book of distinguished guests. It also investigates, makes recommendations regarding, and oversees the Club's reciprocity with other private clubs around the world. During the 2020-2021 Club year, 14 members volunteered their time and dedication for the benefit of the Union League Club of Chicago. These members met each month and were charged with meeting the Committee’s goals: 1. Increase membership and support staff in their strategies and tactics. 2. Raise awareness of the Club in appropriate targeted communities. 3. Create and execute new quality prospect experiences. During the pandemic, the Committee continued to meet monthly through virtual communication platforms along with the support of the committed staff members of the Membership team, Membership Director Lindsey Youngling and Membership Coordinator Katie Thompson. The Committee began the year by focusing on ways to retain current members and attract new members during a global pandemic. The Committee started by implementing the Standard Club Privilege Holder Membership to encourage current members of the Standard Club to join the ULCC. This membership was launched on July 1, 2020 and is slated to end on September 30, 2021. When the program ends in September 2021, the Standard Club Privilege Holder members will either need to join the Club or end their program with the ULCC. This program has brought in 25 Standard Club members.
The Committee's number one goal is to increase membership. With the Club closure and restrictions related to COVID-19, membership was at an all-time low. With the assistance of the ULCC staff, the Committee introduced The Preview Program that allows prospects to experience the Club before committing to a full membership. The 12-month Preview Program is outlined below: •D eferred initiation fee for 12 months • If Preview member joins within 6 months, they receive a 50 percent discount on their initiation fee •P ays going rate of monthly dues for their associated category •S implified admissions process and no sponsors required •M ust have one-on-one interview with an Admissions Committee member •C annot vote or sit on a committee •R eceives three complimentary months of athletics, pays additional for locker •M ay use reciprocal clubs and alliances
The Indus Club | The Harbour Club | The Tampa Club The Membership Committee was proud to include the Diversity Subcommittee that conducted research with Club members and non-members, with the mission of diversifying the Club through programs and amenities. The Club saw a significant increase in resignations due to COVID-19. However, on a positive note, there have been 119 new members that have joined the Union League Club. The Membership Committee is optimistic that our Club is uniquely positioned to meet the needs of current and future members and provide a safe home away from home! On behalf of the Membership Committee, I would like to thank our staff for its exceptional leadership, especially during a particularly challenging year. We are also grateful for each and every member of the Union League Club of Chicago for their incredible support and continued commitment throughout the year. Laurel A. Rundle
•E ffective until September 30, 2021 The Preview Program has been a tremendous success by allowing prospects to experience the Club before transitioning to full membership. To date, the Preview Program has brought in 60 new members since October 1. We are already seeing a great conversion rate to Resident members. The Membership Committee partnered with the Communications and the Member Engagement & Events Committees to focus on the Club’s personas and marketing to ensure we are effectively positioned to attract future members. The Committee focused on the following personas: Mobile Professional | Art Enthusiast | Family | Foodies | Health and Wellness | Lifestyle Connoisseurs | Civic Engagement | Sports Enthusiast In addition, the Committee reviewed and approved the addition of several new reciprocal clubs which our members can use throughout the year: Nashville City Club | University Club of Memphis |
MEMBERSHIP Committee Laurel A. Rundle, Chair Laurie Barry Thomas P. Bernardi Sandra W. Blakemore John L. Donnelly Celine M. Fitzgerald Lafayette J. Ford Kathy Hatseras Charles H. Jesser Leo J. Latz Thomas R. Livergood Lisa Shade Steven D. Smutny Myk Snider David J. Torres Thomas E. Turkot Mario Wilson 27
PERSONNEL & ADMINISTRATION The Personnel & Administration Committee principally operates through its subcommittees: Retirement Benefits, Risk Management, Health Benefits & Wellness and Holiday Gift Fund. Kathleen Manning chaired the Retirement Benefits Subcommittee. The subcommittee has oversight for the defined benefit plan, which was frozen to new entrants in 2004. The subcommittee members are Cynthia Doloughty and James Scherzinger. The Club’s 401(k) plan, which offers our employees the ability to contribute a portion of their income and develop an individual investment strategy from a diversified menu of investment options, is available to all full-time employees. The subcommittee spent the year following all relief legislation regarding retirement plans. The Club will be evaluating options for defined benefit plan contributions based on pending interpretation of recent legislation. Matthew Dennett chaired the Risk Management Subcommittee, which reviewed the Club’s Property/Casualty Insurance coverage, insured principally with the Chubb Insurance Company. The Club has engaged HUB International as its principal broker. The subcommittee was able to obtain mid-year price reductions on important insurance policies due to the decrease in employees and revenue caused by the pandemic. These discounts continued with the favorable renewals for the upcoming year. The subcommittee supports the Club’s Safety Program, which took on a new meaning during the pandemic. We appreciate the continued efforts of the Safety Committee and the safety programs carried out by Director of Engineering Kevin Hanley. Dr. Richard Balsamo chaired the Health Benefits and Wellness Subcommittee again this year. The subcommittee continued to work with staff and USI, the Club’s insurance broker, ensuring the best possible insurance renewals. The subcommittee members were Raymond Drymalski, James Gatziolis and Robert Karton. Due to the drastic loss of employees compared to previous years, the subcommittee faced challenges with insurance renewals. However, the subcommittee members’ exper28
tise was an enormous asset to the renewal process. They examined options to control costs, but also provide an exceptional level of benefits for the Club’s employees again this year, a year when medical insurance was of the utmost importance to our employees. The subcommittee’s commitment and dedication to the employees and their benefits are to be commended. Brooke Wiseman headed the Holiday Gift Fund Subcommittee this year. The subcommittee members Kate Evert, Mary Lee Montague, Steve Schermerhorn and Rebecca Thompson focused on a relief program for employees who were out of work due to the pandemic last spring. Our generous members contributed $217,000 which enabled many full-time employees to receive a payment of $1,200. This occurred during the early stages of the pandemic at a time when the future seemed very scary for our out-of-work employees; the members’ generosity was overwhelmingly appreciated by all. The subcommittee then examined the feasibility of holding a Holiday Gift Fund drive in the fall. When multiple members inquired about the Gift Fund, the subcommittee decided to do an informal “ask” through E.Line. Members again generously contributed $77,000, which was distributed to employees, excluding senior managers, just before the holidays. The Holiday Gift Fund tradition is a wonderful way for members to say thank you to our employees each year for their superior service. This year, it was especially meaningful and appreciated.
PERSONNEL &
This was an unusual year for our committee, as it was for most Club committees. The P&A Committee focused on our employees as they navigated keeping the Club open, safe and welcoming to all. For those who worked so hard, especially those who worked when the rest of the City was staying at home, we thank you.
ADMINISTRATION Committee
COVID-19 hit the Club hard, as it did with most businesses. I thank you for the support you’ve shown our second family—the Club employees—and I know the employees appreciate your generosity and care as well.
Cynthia L. Doloughty
John L. Donnelly
John L. Donnelly, Chair Craig M. Antas Richard R. Balsamo Matthew J. Dennett Kyle A. Mackey Mary Lee Montague Steven G. Schermerhorn James K. Scherzinger Rebecca S. Thomson John P. Vaile Brooke M. Wiseman
PUBLIC AFFAIRS The Club’s By-Laws assign to the Public Affairs Committee (PAC) the responsibility of bringing to life the ULCC’s “commitment to community and country.” The PAC proudly fulfilled this important duty during the 2020-2021 Club year, focusing on issues that affect our city, state and nation, and presenting programs and engaging in advocacy on important public policy matters. Recall that during the prior year, PAC developed a strategic plan for the public affairs mission of the Club, and adopted a plan based on three pillars: programming, partnerships and advocacy. Despite the many challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic year, programming continued to be offered via Zoom video conferencing, and in partnership with the Lincoln Forum. The online Zoom platform proved to be a valuable resource enabling our members to attend PAC’s programs regardless of a member’s remote location. Programs via Zoom are recorded and are available on the Club’s website for later viewing by members.
Programs Programming highlights included several programs in partnership with the Lincoln Forum about the impact of COVID-19, including a conversation with U.S. Senator Dick Durbin; a program on the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic on state revenues; a panel discussion with leaders in Chicago’s movement toward becoming a global leader in socially responsible tourism and hospitality; four university chancellors and presidents discussed how university leaders are actively developing and implementing plans on how to safely reopen their campuses for in-person classes; a conversation with Rocky Wirtz about the challenges of owning a major sports franchise during a global pandemic and how COVID-19 created ripple effects across many industries; a conversation with Illinois State Comptroller Susana A. Mendoza about the Illinois state budget and the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Illinois; and a panel discussion on the impact that the loss of trade shows has on tax revenue, the hotel and restaurant industries and the approximately 15,000 Illinois jobs the
convention industry supports—and when will conventions return to Chicago. With 2020 being an election year, PAC offered several programs about issues facing Illinois voters, including state and local pension reform, the graduated income tax proposal and a program on cyber security and the election that was presented in partnership with the League of Women Voters of Chicago. Candidate forums were also presented by @65West and featured former Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran who was a Republican Party candidate for U.S. Senate; and candidates for Cook County State’s Attorney—Judge Patrick O’Brien and Kim Foxx. A postelection analysis that featured Alan Greenblatt was presented in partnership with The Standard Club. With the end of Michael Madigan’s time as speaker, newly elected Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch was interviewed about what is next for Springfield. Drawing an audience from six continents, @65West presented “Preserving a Place of Terror,” a three-part series featuring Director General of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation Wojciech Soczewica, interviewed by Club member Michael Traison. Parts one and two explored the physical enormity of Auschwitz-Birkenau’s 20 separate camps, the events that occurred there in pursuit of “The Final Solution,” their continuing importance in contemporary life—particularly given last year’s global increase in anti-Semitic attacks, and the mission of the Foundation to preserve the sites for future generations. Viewers were given live, guided walking tours of the camps. The series, presented in collaboration with The Standard Club and more than 30 other distinguished not-for-profit organizations, culminated on Holocaust Remembrance Day (Yom HaShoah) with a live, guided walking tour of the former Warsaw Ghetto, and concluded with a special commemoration including dance performances, singing and prayer.
Advocacy Following the tragic death of George Floyd and the peaceful and violent protests that followed, and in response to President Ross’ petition to renew our mission to
community and country, to take on the issue of racial inequality and racial justice, the PAC prepared “A Call to Action” and asked members to join the work of the Subcommittee on Race Relations as we seek effective, lasting ways to reduce inequalities that, left unaddressed, will continue to corrode the bonds of our society. The Club quickly responded to the events of January 6 at the U.S. Capitol and issued a statement reaffirming our belief that “there is no document more important to the nation or to the future of the Free World than our Constitution. We vigorously support it, including the Bill of Rights— especially the people’s right to free speech and to free assembly. Yet, we remind all citizens that with these powerful rights come great responsibility. We may assemble, but we are obliged to do so peacefully, lawfully and orderly. We may speak freely, but we cannot separate our words from their consequences. Whether in Portland, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Chicago, Detroit, New York, Baltimore or Washington, D.C., we must renounce violence, destruction and bloodshed. The Union League Club of Chicago calls on every citizen, and especially our elected officials, to de-escalate their rhetoric, suppress their contempt for the views of others and moderate their personal conduct.” Also, on the advocacy front, the ULCC Board of Directors authorized support of passage of the “Older Adult Parole Bill” (HB 2399) that focuses on reintroducing possible parole for incarcerated persons 60 years and older who have served a 20year sentence, or those who are younger but have served 30 years (these groups have low recidivism rates, and keeping older adults incarcerated through the end of their lives is very expensive). PAC continued fighting against the practice of “gerrymandering” in collaboration with the CHANGE Illinois coalition. While the focus for redistricting reform shifted from a constitutional amendment to legislative reform, it has been expanded to include reform in the way Chicago’s ward boundaries are drawn. To help advance these reforms, PAC member Richard “R.D.” Yant testified before the House Redistricting 29
Committee on behalf of the Club reaffirming the Club’s support for the Redistricting Principals (developed in 2017 by the Illinois Redistricting Collaborative Principles Working Group) that call for the establishment of a non-partisan redistricting process that is transparent, accountable and open to meaningful public participation. The ULCC Board of Directors also authorized support of the CHANGE Illinois proposal to form an advisory commission to propose a revised and fairer Chicago ward map. A comment letter was also submitted to the Governmental Accounting Standards Board that urged for amendments to the accounting standards for governments at the general fund level.
Celebrations & Special Events Unfortunately, neither the celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr., nor the annual George Washington’s Birthday Celebration could be held this year because of the pandemic. We look forward to the return of these events in 2022. In September, the Club virtually hosted a program that honored U.S. Army Sgt. Major Thomas P. Payne who was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Trump after SM Payne helped save more than 70 hostages from the Islamic State. The conversation was led by Allen James Lynch, Vietnam War Medal of Honor Recipient, member of the ULCC and American Legion Post 758.
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In October and November, the Committee drew attention to the ULCC Library Series about Black entrepreneurship in Chicago, that was developed by the Library Committee with assistance and in partnership with the Subcommittee on Race Relations. And in February, the Committee drew attention to Black History Month and the programming developed by the Library Committee, which was highlighted by a program featuring Black Metropolis Research Consortium (BMRC) Executive Director Marcia Walker-McWilliams on “The Black Metropolis Research Consortium: Fifteen Years of Documenting and Sharing Black Chicago’s History.” The BMRC is a Chicago-based membership association of libraries, universities, museums, community/arts organizations and other archival institutions.
Chicago 502, 721 Club, 786 Club, Legion Post #758 The Chicago 502, 721 Club and 786 Club continued their efforts on behalf of the active-duty military units they support – the 502nd Regiment/101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and the U.S. Navy submarines USS Chicago (SSN-721) and USS Illinois (SSN-786), respectively. Again, this year, ULCC members responded to President Ross’ letter seeking contributions for these support groups, which make a profound difference in the lives of military service members and their families.
USS Hyman G. Rickover Commissioning Committee The USS Hyman G. Rickover (SSN-795) Commissioning Committee was formed in 2020 and is chaired by former Club President and PAC Chairman William Nissen. SSN-795 is a new Virginia Class submarine now under construction with commissioning expected in the middle part of 2022. The boat is named in honor of the “Father of the Nuclear Navy,” who has strong Chicago ties. A graduate of Chicago Public Schools, Hyman Rickover designed the world’s first nuclear powered vessel, the USS Nautilus, thereby ushering in the era of nuclear-powered warships. The Committee presented discussions with Vice Admiral Jay Donnelly (USN, Ret.) of U.S. naval power in managing the geopolitical challenges of the 21st Century, and with Admiral Cecil D. Haney, USN (Ret.) of the operational readiness of the U.S. naval fleet. These programs were in collaboration with the Naval Submarine League; Navy League of the United States and its Illinois Chapters: Aurora Council, Chicago Council, Glenview Council and Lake County Council; The Standard Club; United States Naval Institute and U.S. Submarine Veterans, Inc.
SUBCOMMITTEE ACTIVITIES Administration of Justice Robert Kreisman, Chair
The subcommittee focused on criminal justice reform matters. The subcommittee has worked with federal judges overseeing the James B. Moran Second C.H.A.N.C.E. (Court Help and Assistance Network for Community Entry) Re-entry Program. The subcommittee, the PAC and the Chicago
Bar Association co-sponsored a virtual program on the Second C.H.A.N.C.E. Reentry Program on June 9, featuring federal judges Cox, Coleman and U.S Congressman Danny Davis. The subcommittee continues to advocate for juvenile and criminal justice reforms including the passage of an elderly prisoner parole bill.
@65West Brian Daley and Christopher Robling, Co-Chairs
In addition to the series “Preserving a Place of Terror,” featuring Wojciech Soczewica, Director General of the AuschwitzBirkenau Foundation, @65West, the Club’s public affairs forum, presented a series of topical programs including three forums featuring candidates for the U.S. Senate and Cook County State’s Attorney races. It also co-sponsored with The Standard Club “A Supreme Court Discussion: What to Expect from the Court in the Coming Term.”
Education Mark Arvin, Chair
The Education subcommittee focused this year on the many challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic including the impact of remote learning on students and teachers, how and when to re-open schools safely and the how to address the financial inequalities and funding of K-12 public schools that have only become more acute because of the pandemic.
Health & Life Sciences Marco Martino, Chair
The Health & Life Sciences Subcommittee hosted numerous public health programs focusing on the COVID-19 pandemic. One session reviewed the basics of the coronavirus, while another program discussed how people can best prepare their businesses for future global health disasters. Another session featured a member of the public health community to discuss how Chicago has specifically been affected by the pandemic. The Health & Life Sciences Subcommittee also partnered with the Foxglove Alliance to co-host several programs, including an important session on the Occupational Stressors affecting First Responders.
Subcommitee on Race Relations Rev. Randall K. Blakey, Chair When the first meeting of the subcommittee was held on July 20, it was an extremely volatile time in our nation as the country had just witnessed the televised death of George Floyd, which prompted national outcry and protest from all sectors of our society. The subcommittee had the responsibility of being a sounding board and voice of understanding for the Club at large. This was done both through discussion and the use of effective video vignettes. It was also during this time that President Ross relied on the subcommittee to assist with a public statement in response to what was being experienced throughout our country. The subcommittee continues to meet monthly to formalize our efforts and determine how to best be of service to the Club, our city and our country. Presently, the subcommittee is drafting and proposing a Club wide survey that will serve as an on ramp towards an expected town hall meeting at the Club for the purpose of educating on the topic of race, with the goal of increasing the Club's membership diversity.
of our former Executive Director of Public Affairs David Kohn. In response to the financial crisis brought on by the pandemic, Dave was furloughed in May 2020 and his position ultimately had to be eliminated. During his 15+ years with the Club, Dave was the face of the Club throughout many of the public policy institutions of Chicago and he greatly contributed to the growth and development of the PAC. I hope this report, which offers only highlights of the Public Affairs Committee’s work during this Club year, provides greater insight into how the PAC continues to uphold our “commitment to community and country.” Thomas F. Karaba
Subcommittee on State and Local Government Sheila Weinberg, Chair
Chaired by Sheila Weinberg, a CPA and founder of the non-profit government accountability organization Truth in Accounting (TIA), this subcommittee leads the PAC’s advocacy of transparent, fiscally responsible government. The subcommittee’s activities include redistricting, government budgeting and ethics reform.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS Committee
Conclusion It has been an honor to serve again as chair of the PAC this year. I am deeply grateful to the many Committee and subcommittee members who worked so diligently to sustain our civic affairs mission during this difficult year. I also thank President Nancy Ross, the ULCC Board, our General Manager Mark Tunney, former Chair Gerry Kern, James Delegencia and Kathy Hurley for their contributions, strong support and assistance. I also thank and recognize the innumerable contributions
Thomas F. Karaba, Chair Mark A. Arvin Brian H. Boyle Brian P. Daley Cynthia L. Doloughty Rebecca L. Ford Marco Martino Kenneth G. Meuser William J. Nissen Lisa A. Shade Cyrus J. Walker Sheila A. Weinberg 31
CHICAGO ENGINEERS’ FOUNDATION
Members of the CEF Class of 2020
On behalf of the Chicago Engineers' Foundation (CEF) Scholars, thank you to everyone who gave their time, talents, and resources to enlighten students across Chicago to the value and excitement of engineering. Our volunteers, donors, and friends make up an incredible community dedicated to providing K-12 engineering activities, scholarship awards, and career development opportunities for the future problem-solvers and innovators of Chicago. This has been a year unlike any we have experienced. Fortunately, with amazing support, CEF adapted its programming to continue empowering students across Chicago. When schools and businesses shut down, CEF made all programs virtual. These virtual opportunities continue to expand to meet community interest, and will remain available to students of all ages, even when our inperson activities resume. Our successful expansion to virtual programming is due to the strength of the CEF community. Many Union League Club of Chicago members, associations, and corporate partners selflessly stepped up, and the results exceeded all expectations. With your support, CEF accomplished so much: •C EF volunteers set a new outreach record for the academic year, making more than 50 virtual visits to schools, community organizations, and STEM events, impacting over 1,500 students. 32
•T he Incentive Award program thrived this year, extending deadlines and adding virtual workshops to help students seeking scholarship opportunities. The results were a plethora of excellent applications, and 76 high school and college students receiving nearly $100,000 in awards.
network for Chicago’s future engineers. Thank you for your dedication to our mission and the Chicago students we proudly serve. You are supporting our city’s next generation of engineers when they need it the most. Together, we are creating opportunities for students with remarkable potential and promising futures.
•T he Student Success career development program finished the year stronger and more important than ever given these challenging times. We developed an array of online resources, available anytime. CEF also debuted monthly student/professional networking, a LinkedIn group for all of our Scholars and alumni, mentoring opportunities, resume evaluations and mock interview practice, as well as assistance to students seeking internships and full-time engineering positions.
With gratitude,
It is a true honor to be part of the Union League Club of Chicago. CEF is proud of our home within ULCC. With generous support of CEF and other nonprofit initiatives, the Union League Club creates an indelible stamp on the community, preserving and enhancing its proud civic and philanthropic legacy in Chicago. As we all continue to navigate this unprecedented time, know that the Chicago Engineers' Foundation will continue to be a resource, and a community, Chicago students can reach out to anytime as they pursue their engineering career goals. Support from the Union League Club of Chicago membership creates an incredible
Rebecca Wingate President
CHICAGO ENGINEERS' FOUNDATION MISSION To encourage and empower young people to become the next generation of engineers though scholarship opportunities, outreach to educational institutions and promoting interest in engineering careers.
THANK YOU On behalf of Chicago’s future engineers, the leadership of the Chicago Engineers’ Foundation extends its gratitude to the individuals, corporations and organizations who contributed to our efforts this year. Thank you for your generosity and support of our mission.
Corporate & Foundation Partners Amazon Smile Foundation | Applied Research | APWA-Chicago City Branch | AMVETS Post #66 | Audio Visual One | Bank of America Charitable Gift Fund | Beem Patent Law Firm | Cambridge Systematics | CBM Meetings Plus | CCJM | Christopher B. Burke Engineering | CISCO | Cless Family Foundation | ComEd | David Mason & Associates | Double Good | Exelon | Focus Group Holdings, Inc. | Golden Square | Greeley and Hansen | HBK Engineering | Helix Engineering | HNTB Corporation | Illinois Tool Works Foundation | IEEE-Chicago | Jacobs Engineering | KDM Engineering | Leydig, Voit, & Mayer | Liston Legal Group | Microsoft | Primera Foundation | Riley Intellectual Property Law | Rotary One/Chicago | Salas O’Brien | Siemens | Talman Consultants | The Will Group | Timken | TranSystems Corporation | TTX Company | UL | Union League Club of Chicago | USG Foundation
Incentive Award Sponsors Gifts of $1000 and Beyond Anonymous | Mr. & Mrs. Richard Beem | Mr. & Mrs. Sid Bennett | Ms. Joan Berry | Mr. Erik Cempel and Dr. Pil Bin Im | Mr. Stephen Cless | Mr. Nicholas Conrardy | Mr. & Mrs. Mark & Joni Croll | Mr. & Mrs. Armond Dinverno | Mr. Phil Dodson & Ms. Nancy Ross | Mrs. Arlene Eckmann In Memory of Donald Eckmann | Mr. James Gillespie | Mr. & Mrs. Lionel Go | Ms. Sharon Harmsworth & Ms. Diane Ferrari | Mr. & Mrs. Stephen Hoover | Mr. Thomas Karaba | Mr. Van Lear | Mr. Michael Lev | Mr. & Mrs. Andrew Levenfeld | The Curtis Linder Family In Memory of Glenna & Wm. D. Linder | Mr. John Liston | Mrs. Martha Jahn Martin | Mr. & Mrs. Anthony McGuire | Ms. Emily Moreno | The Murtaugh Family | Mr. John Nelson | Mr. & Mrs. William J. Nissen | Mr. Thomas Penn | Mr. Don Pries | Mr. Martin Ross | Mr. Thomas P. Riley | Francis & Anne Roche | Mr. Stephen Schlegel | Dr. Erin L.D. Sibley w/family & friends In Memory of Bernard James Dillon, Jr. | The Sinka Family | George & Judith Thomas | Ms. P. Kay Whitlock
Sustaining Donors Gifts of $250 - $999 Anonymous | Mr. John Alberts | Ms. Fern Allison | Mr. Paul Barter | Mr. John Berchem | Ms. Wendy Betts | The Birrell Family | Mr. Joel Buchanan | CEF Associate Council | Mr. William Cisar | Mr. & Mrs. Dan Dillon | Mr. John Donnelly | Mr. Michael Driscoll | Mr. Justin Dyer | Mr. Bruce Foudree | Mr. John Grivetti, III | Mr. Richard Handley | Mr. Paul Juettner | Mr. Michael Just | Mr. John Lemker | Mr. Chris Lucaci-Oprea | Mr. Jerry Manne | Mr. Mark McClain | Mr. & Mrs. Philip Mergener | Mr. Michael Nauman | Mr. Martin Owens | Mr. & Mrs. Richard Packman | Ms. Elizabeth Anne Peters | Mr. Donald Pries |
Col. Jennifer Pritzker | Mr. Timo Rehbock | Ms. Lynne Rinkoski | Ms. Erin Sibley | Mr. Louis Siracusano | Dr. James Treleaven | Ms. Kelsey Watterworth | Mr. Richard Westerfield | Mr. David Whitehurst | Mr. William Wigoda | Mr. William Yurek
Supporting Patrons Gifts of $100-$249 Anonymous | Mr. Ronald Amato | Mr. Brian Baker | Mr. Ronald Barliant | Mr. Lee Baur | Mr. John Blew | Mr. Michael Bransfield | Mr. Jay Bronec | Mr. Robert Browne | Ms. Gretchen Burch | Mr. & Mrs. Robert Bures | Mr. Robert Carroll | Mr. David Cavicke | Mr. Barry Cesafsky | Mr. Pedro Cevallos-Candau | Mr. Jeffrey Chen | Mr. Linton Childs | Mr. Michael Chioros | Mr. Natanael Cristea | Mr. Daniel Crnkovich | Mr. Tilden Cummings | Mr. Christopher D’Andrea | Mr. Dennis Demoss | Mr. A. Dillon | Mr. Michael Dimedio | Dr. Peter Doris | Mr. & Mrs. Allen Edwards | Mr. Matthew Farrell | Ms. Sara Disney Haufe | Ms. Cynthia Doloughty | Mr. John Donnelly | Mr. Dave Dunning | Ms. Stacy Fleming | Mr. Gregory Frezados | Mr. Philip Fuentes | Mr. Frank Furcich | Mr. Steve Goodwin | Mr. James Grimes | Mr. David Hanson | Mr. Karl Haraldsson | Mr. Terry Hendrickson In Memory of Richard Rauch | Mr. Michael Hensler | Ms. Kimberlee Herold | Ms. Deborah Hodges | Ms. Pamela Hollis | Mr. Samuel Hord | Mr. Howard Hush | Mr. Daniel Kadjan | Ms. Lisa Kennedy | Mr. Gerould Kern | Mr. John Kern | Mr. Matthew Kirby | Mr. Charles Korcz | Mr. Robert Kreisman | Mr. Mat Kresz | Mr. Michael Kucharski | Ms. Mary Lage | Mr. Dennis Lamont | Mr. Dietmar Lantz | Mr. John Lemker | Mr. Richard Lindrooth | Mr. John Long | Mr. Cosmin Lucaci | Mr. & Mrs. Allen Lynch | Mr. Mark Macleod | Ms. Sherryl Malanao | Ms. Anne Malec | Mr. Jerry Manne | Ms. Kathleen Manning | Mr. Mark McClain Mr. Anthony McGuire | Mr. James Messmore | Mr. Kenneth Meuser | Mr. Matthew Miller | Mr. Richard Moore | Mr. R. Morris | Ms. Corinne Morrissey | Mr. Terrence Muldoon | Mr. Joseph Mulhern | Mr. David Murdoch | Ms. Cherilyn Murer | Mr. Bogdan Muresan | Mr. Christopher Naese | Mr. Theodore Nebel | Mr. Peter Newman | Mr. Frank Niederman | Mr. Michael O’Rourke | Ms. Lynn Otte | Ms. Beverly Paonessa | Mr. Eric Parker | Dr. James Patterson | Mr. Thomas Payne | Mr. Jay Pierce | Mr. Neil Prendergast | Mr. Matt Reese | Mr. George Relias | Mr. William Richards | Mr. & Mrs. Harry Robertson | Mr. Alan Rodriguez | Mr. Monroe Roth | Ms. Ellen Rubert | Ms. Laurel Rundle | Mr. Robert Ryan | Mr. Keith Sandefur | Mr. Steven Schmerhorn | Mr. John Schladweiler | Mr. Hugh Schwartzberg | Mr. John Scully | Ms. Stephanie Sexhauer | Ms. Lisa Shade | Mr. Paul Shade | Mr. Jeffrey Sharp | Ms. Monica Shei | Mr. Paul Skowronski | Mr. George Sladoje | Mr. Mark Smith | Mr. Robert Subkowsky | Mr. Michael Sutton | Mr. Theodore Tabe |
Mr. John Tierney | Mr. Charles Thompson | Mr. John Totten | Ms. Francis Tuite | Mr. Mark Tunney | Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Vickniskki | Mr. Cyrus Walker | Mr. Douglas Walker | Mr. Gerald Warner | Mr. John Weiss | Mr. Richard Weiss | Ms. Mae Whiteside | Mr. Dickson Whitney | Ms. Rebecca Wingate | Ms. Brooke Wiseman | Mr. Paul Wisner | Mr. Robert Wojcik | Mr. Richard Yant
LEADERSHIP
2020‒2021 Officers Rebecca Wingate*, President Thomas Riley*, First Vice President Michael Driscoll*, Second Vice President Courtney Murtaugh*, Secretary John Liston*, Treasurer Patrick Burns*, General Counsel Erik Cempel*+, Immediate Past President
Directors Joe Avram Paul Barter* Sid Bennett* Wendy Betts* Joni Croll James Gillespie* Brian Goldman Taylor Grove Sharon Harmsworth* Deborah Hodges Lisa Kennedy* Michael Lev Andrew Levenfeld* Cosmin Lucaci* Michael Nauman* Thomas Penn* Steve Schlegel* Erin Sibley James Treleaven* Cyrus Walker* Kelsey Watterworth P. Kay Whitlock*
Emeritus Directors Walter Farrell* Terry Hendrickson* Van Lear* Anthony McGuire* William J. Nissen* Don Pries* Nancy Ross* David B. Whitehurst*
Executive Director Debbie Birrell*
Associate Council Kevin Banks + Victor Cueto + Stephen Hoover* Paul Juettner Matthew Kadus + Sue Khalifah Michael Kharouta + Jennifer Kuether Carissa Kloncz Pat Maloney + David Neary* Alan Nguyen + Uchenna Ngwe + Marty Owens Steve Rienks Martin Ross Tess Russell + George Smith + Mark Smith George Thomas* Jaylon Tucker Sasu Tuladar + William Williams Evan Wind
*Denotes ULCC Member Denotes CEF Award Alum
+
More than 1,500 ULCC members made small gifts to CEF throughout the calendar year. These donations are vital to CEF’s student programs and we are grateful for each contribution. Our apologies we cannot recognize each of these donors individually due to space limitations.
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LUMINARTS CULTURAL FOUNDATION Dear Friends of Luminarts,
Those who wish to sing always find a song ~ Swedish proverb
For many of us this has been a difficult and dramatically different year. While we have all experienced the rollercoaster of the pandemic and a nation often gripped with conflict, the arts continue to provide joy, understanding, comfort, and healing. The Luminarts Cultural Foundation continues to thrive in its support of the Luminarts Fellows, our community’s most talented emerging musicians, authors, visual artists, ballet dancers, fashion designers, and architects, in hopes of safeguarding the role that the arts play in our lives. The Luminarts Fellows continue to amaze us with their talents that even during this dark year helped us navigate to the light: • The Luminarts Fellows shared with us through the Luminarts (not so) Live series providing readings, concerts, and thoughtful discourse throughout the year. • Through the Project Grant Program, the Fellows pursued in-depth creative, scholarly, and community projects that dealt with issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion. • Luminarts identified a new class of 18 outstanding Luminarts Fellows who will continue to enrich the cultural offerings we all enjoy. The Luminarts Cultural Foundation’s patrons helped the Foundation meet the challenges of this year head-on by ensuring that the Foundation had the capacity to support Chicago’s young creative community like never before and we could not be more grateful. This year our support to the Luminarts Fellows and the larger cultural community expanded:
Mr. & Mrs. John & Connie Donnelly | Mr. & Mrs. Tom & Lisa Fitzgerald | Ms. Sharon Furiya & John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation | Mr. Patrick Gleason & William Blair | Mr. David L. Hanson | Mr. Andrew Robert Harrison | Mr. David A. Helverson | Mr. & Mrs. Jock G. Howland | Mr. George L. Jewell |
Sincerely,
Mrs. & Mr. Jennifer & Curtis Krizek | Mr. Zach Leonard |
Cherilyn G. Murer Jason Kalajainen
Ms. Diana Levin | Mr. Kerry James Marshall &
Board President
Ms. Cheryl Lynn Bruce | Mr. John Q. McKinnon |
Executive Director
We thank our generous donors for the following contributions made between 1.1.20–12.31.20
Mr. Gary Metzner & the Metzner Family Foundation | Ms. Mara Mills Barker | Ms. Corinne S. Morrissey | Mrs. & Mr. Iris & Steven Podolsky | Mr. Seaton Tinsley Preston III | Mr. Richard Ryan | Ms. Kelly Sassi |
Champions | $10,000+
Shade Family Foundation | Ms. Joan M. Solbeck |
BMO Wealth Management | Mr. Tilden Cummings Jr. |
Mr. Christopher Taylor | Mr. & Mrs. Thomas & Linda
Mr. Frank M. De Vincentis | Ms. Roxanne J. Decyk &
Teichgraeber | Mr. David B. Whitehurst | Mr. & Mrs.
Dr. Lew Watts | The Edward S. Sprague
Joseph & Kelly Wicklander | Mrs. Helen Zell
Foundation | The Elizabeth Morse Charitable
Supporters | $500‒$999
Trust | Ms. Myrna W. Kaplan | Dr. Sally Metzler & George Dunea, MD | Ms. Cherilyn G. Murer | Mr. Matt R. Olaveson & Mr. Adam G. Vitale | Mr. William E. Richards & North Star Family Office | Mr. Douglas K. Walker | Wintrust
Mr. Bruce Jay Baker | Mr. Gerald Bauman | Mr. William M. Beckemeier | Mr. Greg Cameron & Mr. Greg Thompson | Mr. Linton J. Childs | Mrs. Terri D'Ancona | Mr. John DeBlasio | Mr. Fred Drucker | Mr. James Dugan |
Major Gifts and Fellow Sponsors | $5,000‒$9,999
Mr. & Mrs. Gregg & Wendy Elstien | Mr. Daniel
Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Illinois | Mr. and Mrs.
Hagberg | Mr. Keith A. Hebeisen | Mr. & Mrs. Brian
Mike & Cheryl Del Campo | Fitzgerald Family
& Mary Herbstritt | Ms. Karen M. Jones | Mr. & Mrs.
Foundation | Mr. & Mrs. Scott & Edie Fortman &
Gerould & Jewell Kern | Mr. Robert D. Kreisman |
Gibbons, Fortman & Associates | Mr. & Mrs. Lionel
Mr. John F. Lemker Jr. | Judge Benjamin S. & Mrs.
& Mary Go | Mr. James F. Kinoshita & Ms. Merrillyn
Carol L. Mackoff | Mr. Jerry Manne | Ms. Margaret
J. Kosier | Mrs. and Mr. Lindsay & Kyle A. Mackey |
McCoy | Mrs. & Mr. Michele & Neal McCrillis |
Ms. Leslie McMillan | Mr. Jay Morton & Mr. Michael
Mr. & Dr. William J. & MaryAnn McGrath |
Phillips | Ms. Kimberly A. Palmisano |
Dr. Sam Mikaelian | Mr. James Mitchell | Ms. Emily
Mr. Stephen J. Schlegel | Mr. Hunt R. Tackbary &
F. Moreno | Mr. & Mrs. Jaime & Anna Moreno |
Ms. Mackenzie Madsen | TAWANI Foundation |
Mr. William J. Nissen | Mr. James V. Noonan |
Mr. & Mrs. Brian and Robin Velo
Mr. Todd Petersen | The Philip M. Friedmann
Benefactors and Project Grant Sponsors | $2,500‒$4,999 Mr. and Mrs. Mark and Lynne Arizmendi and Northwestern Capital Partners | Mr. Eric E. Boyd | Mrs. Gretchen Anne Burch | Ms. Sarah de Blasio |
N. Epstein | Mr. Thomas L. Gahlon | Mrs. Karen
Family Charitable Trust | Mr. Randy Reeves | Mr. Robert J. Ryan | Mr. Hugh J. Schwartzberg | Mr. Ronald Seliga | Ms. Gloria Brooks Shapiro | Mr. Martin J. Stock | The Strobel Family Charitable Fund | Mrs. & Mr. Kay & Craig Tuber | Mr. Lance Wahl
Mr. Richard D. Doermer | Mr. James R. Gillespie |
Advocates | $250‒$499
Mr. Michael C. Goode | Ambassador Fay Hartog-
Ms. Maggie Annerino | Ms. Julia Antonatos |
Levin & Mr. Daniel Levin | Ms. Martha Jahn Martin
Mr. James B. Begley | Mr. John H. Berchem |
& Mr. Lee Martin | John R. Halligan Charitable
Mr. John Blang | Ms. Marion Clemens | Mr. Mark W.
• Luminarts provided struggling young artists with Emergency Relief Funding to offset the loss of income suffered at the onset of the pandemic.
Fund | Mr. Jason Kalajainen & Mr. Joshua Shames |
Coe | Ms. Cynthia L. Doloughty | Ms. Marilyn Beth
Mr. Thomas Karaba & Ms. Marsha Hoover |
Dresser | Mr. Michael Edward Simons |
Mr. Ken Norgan | Mrs. & Mr. Julianna & Tom Tancredi |
Mr. Robert Feldgreber | Ms. Kathleen M. Flanagan |
Thompson Coburn LLP | U.S. Bank Private Wealth
Mr. Michael W. Franke | Dr. Lisa Freeman and Dr.
Management | Mr. William S. Wigoda & Ms. Linda
Doug Rose | Mr. Aron Gent | Mr. Brian Golinvaux |
•Next Begins Now was both a fantastic celebration of the Luminarts Fellows and a successful fundraiser generating meaningful resources in support of their work.
J. Jakubs
Mr. James C. Green | Mr. Lewis B. Greenblatt |
• Thanks to the contributions of many, Luminarts distributed over 10% more to emerging artists than the previous year. 34
Thank you for your support of the Luminarts Cultural Foundation and your investment in the art, literature, designs, and songs that sustain us and the amazing individuals who create them.
Patrons | $1,000‒$2,499
Mr. Richard L. Handley | Mr. Terry R. Hendrickson | Ms. Kimberlee S. Herold | Ms. Andrea F. Hoeschen |
A. N. & Pearl G. Barnett Family Foundation |
Ms. Bobbie Huskey | Mr. TJ Johnsrud |
Ms. Susan Marie Aurinko | Ms. Peggy N. Boyer |
Mr. D. Carroll Joynes & Ms. Abby McCormick O'Neil |
Mr. Bruce W. Breitweiser | Mr. & Mrs. Barry & Marcia
Mr. Thomas Koltun | Ms. Tammy Lemke | Mr.
Cesafsky | Dr. Muhammad Munir Chaudry &
David May-Stein | Mr. James J. Morgan | Ms.
The Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America |
Caroline Moyer | Mr. Robert L. Murphy | Mr. Frank R. Niederman | Mr. Daniel North | Mr. Thomas
F. Olenick | Mr. Frank P. Orzel | Ms. Catherine R. Paddock | Ms. Nancy A. Ross | Mr. Jason M. Schoettmer | Mr. Michael Edwards Simons | Mrs. Joan L. Stansberry | Mr. Mark Tecotzky |
LUM I N A RTS C ULT UR A L FO UN DAT IO N
Mr. Andrew Turczyn | Ms. Andrea Vitale |
MISSION
Mr. Clark L. Wagner | Ms. Brooke M. Wiseman | Mr. Paul J. Wisner | Ms. Susan Zucker
Members | $150‒$249 Mr. K. Stephen Anderson | Mr. James O. Berry | Ms. Wendy J. Betts | Mrs. Joan H. Blumenthal |
The Luminarts Cultural Foundation cultivates Chicago's vibrant arts community by supporting exemplary young artists through its competitive programs that offer financial awards, artistic opportunities and mentoring that bridge the gap between education and career.
Msgr. Michael Boland | Ms. Andrea Louise Brown | Dr. Martin C. Burke | Judge Michael Thomas Caldwell | Mr. Kenneth Paul Caniglia | Mr. Jeffrey O. Chen & Mrs. Victoria Cheng | Mr. Thomas Robert Corsiglia | Mr. Christopher R. D'Andrea | Ms. Amy Starr Feder | Mr. William C. Glynn | Mr. Thomas M. Hazlett | Mr. Jeff Heise | Mr. Dennis Hughes | Mr. Matthew J. Iverson | Dr. Albert O. Jacobson PhD | Mr. & Mrs. Jagjit & Rani Jain | Mr. Charles H. Jesser | Mr. David J. Jolivette | Ms. Diane Kordecki | Mr. William N. Krucks | Mr. Timothy Larocca | Mr. Andrew W. Levenfeld | Mr. Ronald G.
OFFIC E R S A N D D IR E C TOR S 2 0 2 1 ‒ 2 0 2 2
| Mr. Tony B. McGuire PE | Mr. Barry Mendel |
Officers President :
Rev. Craig Biddick Mousin | Mr. Bert C. Nicholson |
Mr. William E. Richards
Mr. John A. O'Connor | Mr. Michael D. Olesen |
First Vice President :
Dr. Melanie K. Patrick | Mr. Ronald Pfeiffer |
Dr. Sally Metzler
Mr. Neil J. Prendergast | Mr. Mark H. Prince |
Second Vice President :
Lindenberg | Ms. Tanya Lux | Mr. Douglas Marshall
Mr. Keith A. Reed | Mr. Daniel E. Reidy | Mrs. Solvig G. Robertson | Ms. Laurel Anne
Ms. Julianna Tancredi
Rundle | Mr. Richard L. Rundle | Dr. Susan W.
Sec reta r y :
Rusch | Mr. John W. Schladweiler | Mrs. Karen
Dr. Lew Watts
A. Schlueter | Dr. Emanuel Semerad | Mr. Jeffrey
Treasurer :
S. Sharp | Mr. William M. Sneed | Mr. Lawrence
Mr. Michael Del Campo
G. Staat | Ms. Jane Stevens | Hon. Jo Ann C.
Directors, 2021 – 2024
Mr. Frank Niederman
Mr. Frank De Vincentis Ms. Julia Doherty Mr. Michael Goode Ms. Linda Jakubs Ms. Myrna W. Kaplan
Mr. William Nissen
Liaison for Strategic Partnerships
Ms. Kylie Krizek Mr. Daniel North Ms. Alyssa Quinlan Ms. Tope Sadiku Mr. Stephen J. Schlegel
Life Trustees
Mr. Robert Kreisman
Mr. Michael Chioros
Thomas | Mr. Stephen P. Thomas | Ms. I.B. Weil |
Immediate Past President
Mr. Tilden Cummings
Dr. Sandra L. Williams | Mr. Richard Demarest Yant |
Ms. Cherilyn G. Murer
Swartchild | Ms. Nan Tecotzky | Mr. George M.
Mr. Keith Reed Mr. Hugh J. Schwartzberg Mr. John E. Scully Jr. Ms. Charlotte Shade Ms. Joan Solbeck Mr. Stephen P. Thomas Mr. Clark Wagner Mr. David Whitehurst
Mr. John Donnelly Mr. Jerome Gilson
Mr. Keith E. Yavitt We would like to thank donors who gave less than $150. We are grateful for your support. We apologize for the space limitation. We also apologize for any exclusions or inaccuracies that may have occurred in acknowledging our generous donors. Please email [email protected], and we will make corrections in future publications.
Ms. Cathy Pierce
Dr. Lynn Werner
General Counsel
Stevenson | Mr. Kristofer K. Swanson | Ms. Peggy
Mr. Thomas Palmen
Directors Directors, 2019 – 2022
Ms. Laura J. Hagen
Mr. Eric Boyd Ms. Gretchen Burch Mr. Scott Fortman Mr. Kyle A. Mackey
Mr. Terry Hendrickson
Mr. David Hanson Mr. Patrick Herbert Hon. Pamela Hollis Mr. Matthew Iverson Mr. Stewart Karge
Directors, 2020 – 2023
Ms. Lee Karton
Mr. Mark Arizmendi Ms. Sarah De Blasio Mr. Richard Doermer Ms. Celine Fitzgerald Mr. Lionel Go Mr. Thomas Karaba Ms. Leslie McMillan Mr. Matt Olaveson Mr. Joel Rabb
Mr. Robert Karton Mr. Thomas Knudtson Mr. Gregory Laka Hon. Benjamin S. Mackoff Mr. James Meyer Ms. Virginia Meyer Ms. Corinne Morrissey Mr. Anthony J. Mourek Dr. Karole Mourek
AT THE UNION LEAGUE CLUB OF CHICAGO
35
UNION LEAGUE BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS
AFIF N. Named Union League Boys & Girls Clubs 2021 YOUTH OF THE YEAR ABOUT AFIF
The Union League Boys & Girls Clubs Virtual Youth of the Year Celebration took place on
•M ember of Club One for 6 years.
February 25, 2021. Youth leaders shared their
•K elly College Prep
stories and competed to be named Union
•P articipated in Building Bridges Through
League Boys & Girls Clubs Youth of the Year
Basketball, Speech Club, Passport to Manhood, & SeaPerch.
and Junior Youth of the Year. The judges chose Afif as Youth of the Year and Bianca T. as Junior Youth of the Year. Afif will compete for the Boys
•P resident of Torch Club.
& Girls Clubs of America Illinois state title later
•E xperienced a 2-week Navy SEAL youth
this year; in 2020 Tiana Jackson, ULBGC Youth of the Year 2020, won for the State of Illinois.
development camp in Virginia. • Captain of his high school basketball team. •P ursuing a career in technology.
Thank you to all who attended the celebration and donated funds to support our programming through this event.
“ My name is said with pride and appreciation. My name is recognized at my Club because each and every staff member has contributed to what my name means today… As I reflect on my growth, I see now what they mean when they say “it takes a village.” My village of Club One was filled with mentors who created a world without my insecurities. Take my counselor Frank, who exposed me to two of my biggest passions of basketball and mentoring. Because of that, I participated in the Building Bridges Through Basketball program that gave me the opportunity to mentor younger club members and discuss real-world issues. I recognized that I was capable of setting an example for others, helping to grow my confidence as a leader.”” – Afif N.
UNION LEAGUE BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS EXPANDING TO REACH MORE KIDS Union League Boys & Girls Clubs continues to grow and change to meet the needs of Chicago youth. Serving more than 15,000 Chicago youths through our 12 Club locations over the past year, we are now adding an additional seven sites in Spring 2021. The Department of Education awarded us a 7 million dollar grant to use over 5 years at these new seven Clubs, which will serve over 700 more Chicago youths. This will increase our footprint to 18 total Clubs in Chicago, including Club One & Barreto Club, 15 Clubs based in Chicago public schools, and a location in the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center. We also run a summer Camp in Salem, Wisconsin that was established in 1924. The official ribbon cutting for the new Club sites will be in the Summer of 2021, but locations will open in Spring 2021 with live and virtual programming. This growth is made possible due to the commitment of Union League Club members and Union League Board of Trustees to continually grow and serve more Chicago youths. Thank you for your support of our mission to support Chicago youth! 36
We have supported Chicago youths for over 100 years since our founding by Union League Club members in 1919. Throughout the COVID pandemic we pivoted, first by providing virtual programming and then becoming a technology haven for daytime learning, while providing fresh meals daily for our kids and their families. These seven new locations will help us to continue reaching more Chicago youths.
THROUGH COVID IN 2020
200+
15,000
200,000+
MEMBERS
MEALS
INTERNET ENABLED ELECTRONIC DEVICES DISTRIBUTED for virtual learning
The Union League Boys & Girls Clubs Board of Trustees is governed by Union League Club members who serve on our Board of Directors. To learn how to get involved in our board, please contact our CEO Mary Ann Mahon-Huels at [email protected]. For more information about our organization, visit www.ulbgc.org or stop by our offices on the 2nd floor of the ULC for a copy of our Annual Report. The Union League Boys & Girls Clubs is a separate organization from the Chicago Boys & Girls Clubs.
UNION LEAGUE BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM In addition to providing after school support for Chicago youths, Union League Boys & Girls Clubs also help our Club teens with their financial needs for college. Thanks to generous trustees, Union League Club members, and other donors, 48 high school seniors and college students received $161,100 in scholarship dollars for their upcoming 2021 school year. As we look forward to our Englewood STEM High School programming and Clubs in two other high schools, the need for scholarship dollars will increase considerably in the coming years. Please contact Margie at [email protected] if you or your business would like to help Chicago youths make their dreams come true through education.
Thank you to John & Judy Scully for the newly created
JOHN & JUDY SCULLY ENDOWMENT FUND which will support Chicago youths this year and in all the years to come
OFFIC E R S & T R U ST E E S 2 0 2 0 ‒ 2 0 2 1 Officers President : Ms. Cynthia L. Doloughty
First Vice President : Mr. Thomas E. Payne
Second Vice President : Mr. Timothy J. Cunningham
Treasurer : Mr. Michael R. Ward Assistant Treasurer: Ms. Victoria G. Cheng
Sec reta r y : Mr. Lisa A. Shade
Assistant Secretary : Mr. David J. Torres
General Counsel: Mr. Stephen J. Schlegel
President & CEO: Ms. Mary Ann Mahon Huels
Trustees Mr. Mr. Mr. Mr. Mr. Mr. Mr. Mr. Mr. Mr.
Guy F. Arvia Ronald P. Bernardi Thomas C. Borders Charles Brummell, Jr. Carmen D. Caruso Jeffrey O. Chen Michael M. Chioros F. Michael Covey, III Thomas G. DiCianni Richard D. Doermer
Mr. John L. Donnelly Mr. Matthew R. Farrell Ms. Celine M. Fitzgerald Mrs. Stacy L. Fleming Mr. Richard M. Gatto Mr. James J. Gatziolis Mr. Terry R. Hendrickson Ms. Marsha Hoover Mr. Loren D. Jahn Ms. Margaret Jahn Ms. Martha Jahn Martin Mr. David Johnson Mr. Andrew B. Jones Mr. Sean M. Jucas Mr. Michael J. Koenigsknecht Mrs. Jill E. Kosonen Mr. Craig A. Labus Mr. John F. Lemker Mr. Cosmin Lucaci Mr. Zach C. Leonard Mr. Jerry Manne Mrs. Kathleen E. Manning Mr. George G. Maragos Mr. Guy N. Maras Mr. Marco Martino Mr. James P. Meyer Mr. Richard E. Moore Mr. Frank R. Niederman Mr. Kenneth E. Nordine Mr. Jeffrey L. Olin Mr. Kerry R. Peck Mr. James B. Planey Ms. Lynne Thomsen Rinkoski Ms. Nancy A. Ross
Mr. Jeffrey A. Sacks Mr. David M. Shade Mr. Paul W. Shade Mr. Matthew J. Sheahin Mr. Jonathan F. Siedlecki Dr. Jean-Paul Spire Mr. Michael L. Sullivan Mr. Michael P. Sullivan, Jr. Mr. William E. Tienken Mr. Fred K. Walz
Life Trustees Mr. Edward Bernardi Mr. John W. C. Carlson Mr. Frederick C. Ford Ms. Laura J. Hagen Mr. Clinton B. Henderson Mr. Patrick J. Herbert Mr. George G. Hunt Mr. Howard H. Hush, Jr. Mr. Matthew J. Iverson Mr. Brian M. Jack Mr. Neal Kottke Mr. Gregory G. Laka Mr. William J. McGrath Mr. Guenther M. Philipp Mr. Harry G. Robertson Mr. John E. Scully Mr. David B. Whitehurst
37
Status of
M E M B ERSHIP
Membership Classes
4/30/20 4/30/21
Resident
1,177
875
Resident Dual Spouse
35
31
Member Past President
7
24
Resident Military
29
7
Resident Suspended
24
18
Total Resident Members
1,272
955
Member Metropolitan
287
228
Member Metropolitan Dual Spouse
3
2
Member Metropolitan Suspended
12
3
Total Metropolitan
302
233
Non-Resident
882
696
Member Non-Resident Dual Spouse
5
5
Member Non-Resident Military
2
2
Member Non-Resident Suspended
6
7
Total Non-Resident Members
895
710
2,469
1,898
838
783
2,450 Board Cap
ULCC PREVIEW PROGRAM
experience excellence
As a member of one of the top five city clubs in the country, you have access to an expansive selection of premier amenities that help expand your social circle and allow you to indulge in dining, spa, sports and
Total Resident & Non-Resident Members
programming services; you have a home away from home and a first
Total Heritage Members
or second office location. Being a member of the Union League Club
of Chicago means you hold its pillars of community, country and culture
Privilege Clergy
34
29
Privilege Consular
48
51
Privilege Distinguished
38
38
Privilege Elected Official
4
4
Privilege Foreign Non-Resident
17
13
Privilege Foreign Resident
14
7
Privilege Honorary
2
2
Email [email protected] for a brochure to share with someone
Privilege Honorary Consular
3
2
interested in joining the Club.
Privilege Judicial
32
25
Privilege Medal of Honor
1
1
Privilege Military
3
3
Privilege Veteran Military
30
25
Privilege Preview Program
-
51
Privilege Standard Club Program
-
22
Privilege Surviving Spouse
136
120
Privilege Suspended
4
4
Total Privilege Holders
366
397
3,673
3,078
close to your heart and you give back to the community through the ULCC foundations and the Public Affairs Committee. Now is your chance to give your friends, family and colleagues the opportunity to preview everything you love about your ULCC!
Total Members & Privilege Holders
38
Thank You On behalf of the ULCC employees, thank you! Thank you for staying loyal to your Club through one of the toughest times in ULCC history. Thank you for supporting your Club and each one of us by attending programming and utilizing Club services such as dining, massage, guest rooms, catering and more. Thank you for ensuring the Club's work and support of its three foundations continues to serve the youth of Chicago. Thank you for continuing to build on the rich history that has made this Club an institution that others want to be a part of. Thank you for making the ULCC your office space by leasing space on the 10th floor or by utilizing the remote work space in Presidents Hall and the Leighton Library. Above all else, thank you for being a part of our ULCC Family. Thank you for being a member of the Union League Club of Chicago.
39
CLUB LIFE
PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE PAID CHICAGO. IL PERMIT NO. 4113
U NIO N LEAGUE CLUB OF CHI CAGO 6 5 W EST JACKSON B OULEVA R D C H I C AG O, I L L I N O I S 6 0 6 0 4 -359 8
Voted One of the nation's top city clubs for:
Co mm un i t y. C o un t r y. Cult ure.
Universal Recognition Excellence in Amenities and Facilities Caliber of Staff and Professional Service Levels Quality of Membership Governance & Prudent Fiscal Management Adapting to Changing Times Overall Experience
union league club of chicago O F F I C ER S & DI REC TORS 2021–2022
Cynthia L. Doloughty
Thomas F. Karaba
John L. Donnelly
Joseph A. Sheils
Richard P. Beem
SECOND VICE PRESIDENT
FIRST VICE PRESIDENT
PRESIDENT
TREASURER
SECRETARY