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Co-founded the Chicagoland Autism Connection: CAC (formerly known as the Chicago Southside Autism Support Group) in 1997. CAC has supported hundreds of families in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. She also served as President and Board President of the organization. Wanda is the loving mother of four children, Shavonne, Steven, Kristen and John. She has been a member of CSO’s board for the past ten years and currently serves as Secretary. She served as a board member and an officer for the Autism Society of Illinois served for six years. She was one of the original parent members of The Autism Program (TAP) and served for seven years. She was a parent consultant for Easter Seals and advocated for the opening of an autism therapeutic day school on the Tinley Park Mental Health Center’s campus where she was employed. In May, 2013 she received “The Advocate of the Year Award” from the State of Illinois Interagency Committee on Employees with Disabilities (ICED) for her advocacy on behalf of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and spoke at the “Illinois Inclusion Conference”. Wanda received her BS in Medical Technology from North Park University and a MBA in Healthcare Administration (Honors) from St. Xavier University. She is a Senior Public Administrator-Laboratory Manager –Northern Region for the Illinois Department of Human Services.
Is managing partner at Adekoya Law Group, a division of Adekoya & Associates, LLC, and principal at Flipside Realty, a division of Flipside Group, LLC. A practicing attorney and licensed certified public accountant (CPA), Mr. Adekoya concentrates primarily on U.S. immigration law and general transactional matters, including corporate/business, real estate exchanges and asset protection strategies. More recently, Mr. Adekoya has devoted his practice to defending low and moderate-income Americans and immigrants, who face major barriers to fair housing and fair lending opportunity. Immediately prior to private law practice, he was a senior consultant within the Internal Auditing & Enterprise Risk Management group of a major U.S. manufacturing conglomerate, during which stint he earned the Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) and Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) certifications. He is Treasurer of the Community Service Options, Inc. Board and a committee member on the District 230 School Board. Mr. Adekoya recognizes the importance of helping those less fortunate and was a regular volunteer laborer at the Greater Chicago Food Depository, a major Chicago area food bank dedicated to helping feed Chicago’s hungry, where his dedication to volunteer work earned him the Volunteer Service Award in 1997. A graduate in accounting from Chicago State University, Mr. Adekoya earned his Juris Doctorate degree from DePaul University College of Law, and his MBA from DePaul University’s Kellstadt Graduate School of Business. An ardent critical theorist and “radical epistemologist,” he is a research doctoral candidate in education (EdD) with lifelong learning and research interests in Transformative Learning Theory, Critical Social Theory and Gender Role Identity.
Recently retired from the Social Security Administration after 43 years of service, John was formerly the Chicago Metropolitan/Northern Indiana Area Work Incentives Coordinator and was also the SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access, and Recovery: SOAR and Homeless Coordinator for the same geographical area. His expertise is with policies regarding helping people with disabilities who wish to work and in assisting agencies looking to help individuals with disability in obtaining employment. He is an expert in Retirement, Survivor, Medicare, Medicaid and Disability policies and procedures for the Social Security Retirement/Survivors/Disability/Health Insurance (RSDHI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) programs.
Is an Associate Professor at Chicago State University in the Masters Social Work Program. He also teaches doctoral-level courses in the Loyola University Chicago Social Work School. He is editor of the Child & Adolescent Social Work Journal, and maintains a private practice providing clinical services and organizational consultation to service agencies. Areas of scholarly and advocacy concern include re-entry from prison, police torture, and reduction in youth violence. He is Vice President of the Community Service Options Board. He is on the Board of the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, and is involved with a Re-Entry Committee of that organization in its initiative to change policies of the Chicago Housing Authority, to make housing more accessible to individuals with criminal backgrounds. He also serves on the Board of the American Board of Examiners in Clinical Social Work.
Brings a distinguished career highlighted by her accomplishments in US and international markets as a strategic marketing and management executive and consultant across four industries: health care, health and beauty aids, human services, and higher education. Her work has opened new markets and grown existing ones for Fortune 500 Company American Hospital Supply Corporation and leading African-American hair care products manufacturer Soft Sheen Products, Inc. Her most recent role was Vice President of Marketing and Communications with Chicago-based ChildServ, a 116-year old social service organization. In this post, Collier was responsible for expanding ChildServ’s client base and service areas into new markets, revitalizing the agency’s brand as well as promoting the agency’s wide variety of programs and facilities. Collier is an adjunct faculty member in the Business Departments at South Suburban College in South Holland and Harold Washington College, one of the City Colleges of Chicago. Previously, Collier worked as Director of Marketing for the Chicago-based Anixter Center. Collier earned an M.B.A. in marketing and finance from the Kellogg School of Management of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois and a Bachelor’s degree from North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, North Carolina. She gives back to the community serving on the Board of Directors for Community Services Options, Inc. on Chicago’s south side since 2008.A native of Wilmington, Delaware, Collier resides in South Holland and is a mother of two children.
Obtained his degree in Medicine from Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria before he moved to the United States where he conducted his residency training. He is a Board Certified Family physician and presently practices in Munster, Indiana. He is married to Olufunmilayo Gbenro and they are blessed with three children and one granddaughter. Pastor Gbenro and his wife pastor The Redeemed Christian Church of God (Household of Faith) in Lansing, Illinois.
Has been the Mayor of the Village of Lynwood for nearly nine years. Prior to becoming Mayor, he served for ten years as a Village Trustee, and before then he was the Fire & Police Commissioner for the village. Mayor Williams is a Journeyman Sheet Metal Worker and a former Chicago Public Schools teacher. He taught the sheet metal trade at Chicago Vocational High School and at Washburne Trade School for the Sheet Metal Workers Apprenticeship Program. Mayor Williams is a past president of the South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association (SSMMA) where he still serves on the Legislative Committee, the Transportation Committee, and the Little Calumet Watershed Planning Council. He is also a Vice President of the Illinois Municipal League, and a member of the CMAP Council of Mayors.