Board & Leadership

Stacey has been a member of the JCFS Chicago staff for more than 20 years. Most recently, Stacey served as Chief Operating Officer.  She previously served as Chief Development Officer with responsibility for grants, individual giving, events, volunteers and marketing. She also served as the coordinator of volunteers and as a group home childcare worker. Stacey began her career at The Cambodian Associations of Chicago teaching GED and ESL classes, providing court advocacy, outreach and gang intervention. During her tenure at the YMCA of the USA, she coordinated a nation-wide youth worker training and retention program and served as a consultant for youth volunteerism. She is a graduate of Northwestern University and the Alliance/University of Michigan Executive Leadership Institute. She completed her MBA with a focus in Non-Profit Management from National Louis University.

Prior to joining JCFS Chicago, Karen worked in both the public and private sectors, with an extensive focus on education. She is passionate about and committed to equity and service to the community, specifically through social services. Most recently Karen held the position of First Deputy Superintendent for the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE). In her role, she served as a strategic thought partner to the Superintendent and led ISBE’s process for organizational learning.

Prior to joining ISBE, she held the position of Deputy for Operations Management with the Chicago Public Schools. As a former high school special education teacher and department chair, she has a long and personal commitment to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She brings a unique and comprehensive perspective to her work, combining an Ed.M. and M.B.A. with years of practical experience in education and business. Karen believes deeply in the importance of social-emotional well-being as a critically important lever in fostering and supporting a healthy community.

Karen holds an M.B.A. from Stanford Graduate School of Business where she also earned a Certificate in Public and Nonprofit Management. She holds an Ed.M. focusing on teaching and curriculum from Harvard Graduate School of Education and a B.A. in Public Policy from Brown University.

Judd oversees fundraising for JCFS Chicago and is passionate about human services, social justice, and Jewish communal services. Prior to joining the organization, he spent over a decade scaling philanthropic programs at multifaceted organizations. Judd served as the Director of Advancement for the Chicago Region of the American Jewish Committee and was the Director of Philanthropic Leadership for the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington. He also served as the Executive Director of Link Community Development USA, the US division of a global organization working to improve education for children in Africa.  For this work, he received the Charles C. Stewart International Humanitarian Award. Judd obtained his Master’s in Anthropology & Development Studies from the London School of Economics and his Bachelor’s in Religious Studies from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He also studied religion at the University of Oxford as a year-long Visiting Student. 

Carman is responsible for providing strategic guidance and leadership for all aspects of human resources at JCFS Chicago. Carman comes with a wealth of experience in human resources management. Her areas of impact include strategic human resources planning, performance management, labor relations, talent acquisition, training, leadership development and management coaching in both nonprofit and corporate environments. Carman is passionate about social services and mentoring young professionals. For the past five years, she has served as Chief Human Resources Officer at Chicago Commons, a nonprofit offering early childhood, adult learning and senior services. Her prior leadership experiences include LEARN Charter School Network, International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, Vanguard Health Systems, The Family Link and Advocate Healthcare. Carman holds a master’s degree in industrial/organizational psychology from Roosevelt University.

Kathleen is responsible for overall strategy, program development and execution of plans for career services, Pharmacy Technician Training, citizenship and immigration services, and other workforce development initiatives, and facilitates agency projects to improve operational efficiency and effectiveness. She is passionate about finding meaningful employment for people with disabilities, and since starting at JCFS Chicago in 2016 has overseen career and employment services, business services that connect clients to employers and the Business Advisory Council. Prior to JCFS, Kathleen worked at the Ray Graham Association for People with Disabilities, leading their residential department as a member of the Executive Leadership Team, and has consulted nationally with The Council on Quality and Leadership (CQL) on best practices in providing human services. Kathleen holds a B.S. in Special Education from Indiana University Bloomington, and a M.A. in Public Policy and Administration from Northwestern. She was also a Peace Corps Volunteer in Kenya, East Africa teaching in schools for the Deaf.

Marlies has been with JCFS Chicago for 18 years. She currently oversees disabilities services across the agency, including pediatric therapies, residential supports and recreation and customized employment. She is guiding new program development, including our meaningful day initiative, to further the strategic mission of broadening and strengthening support for individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities. Prior to this role, she was the director of outpatient services overseeing pediatric therapies, psychological testing and evaluation, and counseling. Trained in the treatment assessment of children and adults with autism and related disabilities through use of the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule and the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised, her continuing education includes topics such as Floortime, TEACCH, the Kaufman Intervention, Sensory Integration, feeding therapies, the Impact of Gastrointestinal Disorders and Nutrition in people with special needs and Augmentative Communication Systems. Supervision of multidisciplinary teams and coordinated care is an expertise she continues to use within the agency. She received her B.S. in Neurobiology and Communication Disorders and her M.A. in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Cincinnati.

Genève holds a PhD in International Psychology with an Organization and Systems concentration.  Her clinical focus has been rooted in trauma-informed care and she is a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional. She comes to JCFS Chicago from Lakeshore Hospital where she served as Director of Clinical Services overseeing inpatient and outpatient services. Prior to that position she was Director of Therapy and Case Management for Maryville Academy, Scott Nolan Hospital.  In her current role, Genève has oversight of the therapeutic day school (Knapp School & Yeshiva), counseling and psychological services for children, adults, teens and families; child welfare services, and programs for the Jewish community.

Pam joins JCFS Chicago with over 20 years of non-profit marketing and communications experience. She previously served as the Director of Creative Services and the Senior Director of Communications and Special Events at Lutheran Social Services of Illinois (LSSI). In the latter role, Pam oversaw the creative development, communications, and branding at LSSI. As part of a fundraising team, but always with an eye on marketing, the focus on brand identity, consistent messaging, along with strategic communications allowed Pam to shape the public view of LSSI. She also served on the board of Carlson Community Services, a non-profit providing after-school programming for children in at-risk Chicago neighborhoods. Pam holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Bowling Green State University.

With 25 years of progressive leadership experience, Sandee has spent her professional life in healthcare and human services. Having served as Vice President for Home and Community-Based Services at a local senior service agency, she has a deep appreciation for working with staff across locations, shifts and the challenges of engagement and compliance without direct contact.  Prior to that, Sandee spent 11 years in program administration at CJE Senior Life, giving her a strong understanding of the affiliated environment in the Jewish Federation. Sandee holds a Master's degree in public health, and brings significant experience in quality improvement, accreditation and compliance, with a strong focus on evidence-based practice and outcomes. 

Craig has held several positions with JCFS Chicago, but he currently focuses on shaping the agency’s vision and implementation of its technology to gain maximum effectiveness, efficiency and agility. He has also worked with other businesses and nonprofit organizations to optimize, expand and modernize their technology environments.

Prior to joining JCFS Chicago, Craig managed networked computing for the Galvin Library at the Illinois Institute of Technology. He is also a recovering Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer. Craig’s volunteer work includes coordination of several user groups and forums relating to software, computing, cloud technology and their use in the public/not-for-profit sectors. Previously he has provided services and expertise to local arts, music and literary organizations. Craig holds a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from the University of Illinois.

For 25 years, Dana has worked in the Chicago Jewish community in the areas of resource development, strategic planning and program development. Prior to coming to JCFS, Dana served as Assistant Vice President of Grants and Community Services at the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago. She earned her MSW and Certificate in Jewish Communal Service from the University of Michigan and BA from the University of Illinois.