• • Jim Dower, Co-Founder & Executive Director, President

    Jim graduated from the University of Iowa with a B.A. in Political Science. He started his professional career as a substitute teacher at Cabrini-Green’s Byrd Academy, where the inspiration for Urban Initiatives began. Jim serves on the Governor’s Council on Health and Physical Fitness and is a member of Leadership Greater Chicago’s 2014 class. He is in his eleventh year as a professional soccer coach for the Wilmette Wings Soccer Club. Jim oversees the day-to-day external operations of Urban Initiatives.

  • Julie Chelovich, Managing Director, Vice President

    Julie graduated from Brown University with a B.A. in Political Science and has a Kellogg Executive Scholar Certificate in Nonprofit Management. She played many sports growing up and has always had an interest in youth development and health education. Previously Julie worked at Black River Farm and Ranch where she served as the Program Director. After volunteering at Urban Initiatives as an Assistant Coach, she knew she had found a great organization for which to put her professional skills to work. Julie oversees day-to-day internal operations of Urban Initiatives.

  • Joy Nelson, Chief People Officer

    A Chicago native, Joy graduated from UIC with a Master’s in Education, focusing on Youth Development. After working as a Program Manager at Urban Initiatives for 2 years, she was promoted into the role of Play with Potential Program Director, overseeing recess at 24 local schools. In 2017, she took an opportunity to work with the National YMCA and spent a year and half traveling the Midwest and West Coast, supporting out of school time programming in underserved communities. She returned to Urban Initiatives in 2019 as the Culture and Climate Director and oversaw the day to day operations of our Play with Potential and Community School’s Initiative programs. She will begin her doctorate in Educational Leadership at DePaul in the fall of 2019. Joy is fun-loving supermom with a knack for connecting to people, children, and all things under the sun.

  • Paul Boye, Chief Innovation Officer

    As Chief Innovation Officer, Paul Boye provides strategic leadership and planning in collaboration with senior leaders, staff, board members, and advisors to oversee UI’s fulfillment of its vision, mission, and strategic plan, fostering of values, and management of internal and external operations. Since earning his B.A. from Northwestern University, Paul has dedicated his professional career to improving outcomes for young people, including as a teacher, nonprofit professional and executive leader, and school district administrator. Beyond UI, Paul enjoys time with his amazing wife, Christine, and their three daughters on the South Side.

  • Kimberly Townsend, Chief Program Officer

    Kim Townsend is a Chicago native who has lived all over the US and the world. Kim’s educational background is in political Science, Peace and Justice, International Relations and Human Development. Kim has spent 22 years working in the Youth Development and Education field and is passionate about improving the human experience and ensuring equal access to resources for everyone. As Chief Program Officer Kim provides strategic leadership and planning for UI’s programs, day-to-day oversight and coordination of the Program Departments as well as assist in planning and implementation of special events and programs.

  • Andrew Neilsen, Lead Director, Learning

Ruby Dajani, Director, Learning

Ruby has been in education for the past 8 years teaching Spanish and Physical Education. She was also the head Track and Field coach. She is currently completing her Master’s at NEIU in Higher Educational Leadership through a fantastic program designed to prepare leadership that will create change responsive to the educational needs of Latinx students and an increasingly diverse college student population. Some of her interests include restorative practices, social justice, trauma-informed teaching, self-care, and collaborating with stakeholders to create change.

• • Meaghan Stanford, Director, Curriculum

    Meaghan graduated from the University of Michigan with a double major in Developmental Psychology and Gender & Health with a focus in Health Education. Meaghan has always had a passion for education and youth development — from coaching with the organization Girls on the Run to serving as the Program Director for summer camps at the Ann Arbor YMCA. Prior to joining Urban Initiatives, Meaghan spent the last 5 years working at a Detroit Public School both as an English Language Arts teacher for grades 6-8 and instructional coach for first and second year teachers. Here at UI, Meaghan leads the charge in all things learning and instruction: designing curriculum, facilitating workshops & training, and supporting staff development!

Dajuan King, Program Director, Continuum

Dajuan was born and raised on Chicago’s West Side. He is an Alum of Rowe-Clark Math & Science Academy, and received his B.A in Social Work from Wartburg College in Iowa. For the past 6 years, Dajuan has dedicated his time to working with Chicago’s under served and under privileged youth. He is excited about having the opportunity to give back to his community and positively influence youth who may be experiencing the same dilemmas he experienced while growing up.

• Arianna Bell, Program Director, Out of School Time

  Arianna earned a B.S in Community Leadership & Civic Engagement from the Northern Illinois University. She attended Howe Elementary one of the many CPS schools we serve throughout the Chicagoland area. She owes many of her successes to her ability to access extracurricular activities at a young age.

• Tiffany Wilson-Washington, Program Director, Community Schools Initiative

  Tiffany Washington is an experienced people leader who’s passionate about growth and development. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Illinois @ Champaign, and spent the last decade of her career building and leading high performance teams at Kaplan University. Tiffany is from the Austin neighborhood on the West Side of Chicago and is proud to be contributing to the community through her work as the Director of 21st Century Learning 

• Samantha Suh, Director, Special Projects

  Sammy earned her B.A in Elementary Education at the University of Michigan and taught 2nd grade at a CPS school on the northwest side of Chicago. She wanted to continue growing her passion for education and youth in Chicago so she joined the Urban Initiatives team as a Special Projects Manager. In her free time, Sammy frequents many cafes throughout Chicago and believes coffee is an essential part of any day.

• Nicole Meunier, Director, Special Events

  Nicole graduated from Oakland University with a Bachelor of Integrated Studies concentrations in Music – Vocal Performance and Communication, from Oakland University. A Detroit native, Nicole has held positions within nonprofit Development teams for over a decade in Chicago and Detroit. Nicole also enjoys volunteering with local government to help build commerce and community. During her time in Detroit, she was honored to hold several positions of leadership that were crucial to Detroit’s current renaissance.In her free time, Nicole enjoys traveling, cooking and exploring everything Chicago has to offer.

• Linda Galib, Director, Research & Evaluation

  Originally from Rhode Island, Linda holds a B.S. in Exercise Science from Ithaca College, and an M.P.P and M.P.H. with a focus in health behavior and health education from the University of Michigan. Prior to UI, she conducted federal health program and policy evaluation, volunteered for a child and family services agency in Chicago, and interned in Quito, Ecuador, where she worked to empower youth using PhotoVoice. Her love of sport AND data stem from her childhood, as she played soccer through high school and softball into college, and grew up eagerly programming her grandfather’s computer in Basic (for example, to make the screen color change)! Linda manages program evaluation for Urban Initiatives.

• April Lillstrom, Director, Program Administration

  

• Liz Rodriguez, Lead Manager, Talent Acquisition

  Liz Rodriguez was born and raised on the Southside of Chicago. She is currently attending UIC and pursuing her BA in Public Policy with a minor in Nonprofit Management. She has a strong passion in after school programs, which she was a part of while attending CPS. Prior to joining Urban Initiatives, Liz was a Program Manager for a Nonprofit organization and was fulfilled with the impact that she was making to her childhood community and is passionate about Nonprofit work. Liz will be the Manager of Talent Acquisition and excited to welcome others to the Nonprofit world.

• Gina Laguzza, Lead Manager, Employee Engagement and Retention

  Gina Laguzza was an actor for 17 years, previously taught ESL and theatre to children, and around seven years ago, started honing in on talent development and employee engagement. She is passionate about coaching people in her work and personal life to reach their potential and achieve their dreams. She can think of no better way than to spend her time supporting our inspiring staff in fulfilling Urban Initiative’s mission to empower Chicago’s youth to become community leaders!

• Amy Buscemi, Lead Manager, Board Engagement

  Amy Buscemi is a graduate of Northeastern Illinois University with a degree in Communications and Media. Her past includes managing a non-profit radio station and a small start-up business of which she was the first employee. Amy has volunteered for various Chicago organizations and is excited to be back on the other end of the spectrum as Urban Initiatives’ Lead Manager of Board Engagement. When not working or volunteering, Amy’s favorite activities include cycling and attending live music events.

• Adrians Cleveland, Lead Manager, Individual Giving & Campaign

  Adrians is an Indianapolis, IN native. She graduated from Butler University with a B.A. in Journalism. Prior to joining the UI team, she worked for Sigma Nursing. In her free time, she enjoys traveling and spending time outdoors with her pup, Monte.

• Rebecca Daaleman, Lead Manager, Data

  Rebecca grew up in New Jersey and graduated from University of Michigan with a B.A. in Psychology. Prior to her time at Urban Initiatives, she served as an AmeriCorps Member and a Team Leader at City Year Chicago.

• Andrea Serna, Lead Manager, Data

  Andrea received her B.A. in Psychology from Concordia University Chicago, and for the past 6 years has worked with south and west side communities to support families experiencing homelessness. As a sports and wellness enthusiast, she looks forward to using her data and nonprofit skills with Urban Initiatives.

• Aziz Tahir, Lead Manager, Programs, Soccer – Out of School Time

  Aziz Tahir is originally from Ethiopia but spent most of his childhood years in Minnesota. He graduated in December 2019 from Western Illinois University with a master’s in Sports Management and moved to Chicago to start his career in 2020. He started coaching soccer right after graduating from high school because it’s a great way to be involved in the sport and positively impact the confidence, health, and well-being of young people.

• Annie Waldoch, Lead Manager, Programs – Out of School Time

  Annie grew up in a soccer-mad house with her five brothers in the west suburbs. After graduating from Michigan State, she worked with the Peace Corps in the Dominican Republic for over two years teaching Spanish literacy and building a community basketball court. Now, she loves biking to schools all around the city to see the coaches she manages in action. The best part of her work day is hearing the kids yell “GOOOAAAALLLL” at practice.

• Ebony Stallworth, Program Manager, Out of School Time

  Ebony graduated from North Central College in Naperville with a Bachelors in Exercise Science. She was a 6x National Qualifier in Shot Put and a 4x All-American in Shot Put. After undergrad she began a career in coaching Track & Field at Lincoln Way East H.S. and then later a coach at St. Laurence H.S. In addition to coaching, she continued to further her education at St. Thomas University in Miami, Fl., where she earned two master degrees- Master of Science in Educational Leadership & Sports Administration. Along with coaching, Ebony is a part of a nutrition club where promoting healthy treats and consistent routines is beneficial to help improve one’s physical & mental confidence. Ebony’s passion and goal in life is to become an Athletic director and continue coaching youth/young adults not only in a track & field setting but in other sports as well.

• Lakita Chandler, Program Manager, Out of School Time

  Lakita Chandler is a mom of 3 intelligent, beautiful young ladies. Her passion and joy for working with youth goes back to her childhood when she was always the teacher or mom. She’s been a volunteer and cheer coach with CPS for 6 years. She is so excited to be apart of the UI team and to continue to fulfill her passion of empowering our youth.

• Marlo Passmore, Lead Manager, Community Schools Initiative

  Marlo is a lifelong learner and is passionate about serving marginalized and under-resourced communities. Having earned her B.A in Sociology and her M.S in Human Services, She has over 25 years of experience, working in many different capacities, from youth services to adult reentry. It is always her goal to strengthen the communities we serve, while positively impacting the lives we touch.

• KyJuan Hardin, Vendor Manager, Community Schools Initiative

  Born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, KyJuan attended Kenwood Academy and immediately began working with youth sports programs after graduating. He believes that sports play an essential role in both physical and emotional development- sport has been a safe haven in his own life. He started with Urban Initiatives in 2016 and has continued his growth and development by taking on new roles. He is now excited for his new role as a leader for the CSI team.

• Mia Jackson, Program Manager, Continuum

  Born and raised on the Southside of Chicago, Mia spent her first two years at Spelman College in Atlanta, Ga and later returned home to complete her B.A. in Sociology at Roosevelt University. There she was able to continue developing a strong passion for art, social justice, educational reform and activism. Being a first generation graduate only fueled Mia’s passion to become more involved in her community.  She understands how important it is to bridge fun, equitable and quality opportunities for marginalized youth, and is a strong believer in community pride and support. More so, Mia believes the biggest opportunity as leaders is the need to work on giving one another, especially our youth, spaces to develop personal autonomies in a safe and non- judgmental environment. 

• Daniel Serna Geitz, Program Manager, Continuum

  Daniel played soccer and water polo while studying Sociology at Carnegie Mellon University. After college he worked in Family and Community Engagement for Denver Public Schools, where his passion for school support and community outreach flourished. He is excited to bring his interests together to serve Chicago students and families!

• Jackson Boleky, Program Manager, Continuum

  Jackson first attended Loyola and then graduated from Tulane with a degree in International nonprofit management and Economics. Prior to his time at Urban Initiatives, he worked in Argentina and worked with the Catholic Charities of Chicago. Jackson is now excited for his new role as take the lead program manager.

• Christina Valencia, Program Manager, Continuum

  Christina was born and raised in the Southwest side of Chicago. She was a very active participant in many after school programs throughout her childhood which led to the importance of being an advocate for youth programming in the Chicago-land area. Throughout the past 8 years she has been in leadership positions for communities, schools, and non-profit organizations ranging from youth sports, empowerment, leadership, and workforce development. She is now a Manager for the CFS program at UI leading 11-12th graders throughout their high school and college pathways.

• Adrianna Barnett, Program Manager, Innovation

  Adrianna grew up in Jacksonville, FL and moved to Chicago in 2016 to study sociology. In her free time, she enjoys yoga, riding her bike, and hiking, so she knows the importance of spreading healthy habits to Chicago’s young people.

• Olivia Ravenscroft, Operations Manager

  Born and raised in Madison, WI, Olivia came to Chicago in 2016 to attend DePaul University. She started at Urban Initiatives in October of 2020 as an AmeriCorps VISTA HR Associate. After completing her service term, she stayed on the team and is now the Operations Manager.