Membership offers leadership and volunteer opportunities, exclusive networking events with our board and staff, and the chance for name and company recognition on our website and event materials.
The CELC also hosts and plans one of Chicago Commons’ signature fundraising events, “Pour Out Your Heart.”
General Membership Requirements
CELC members must meet all general requirements during each membership season (January – December), as outlined below for overall effectiveness and impact.
- $500 annual give-or-get fundraising requirement
- Participate in one volunteer opportunity and one major event for Chicago Commons
- Attend monthly CELC meetings
- Attend event planning meetings for “Pour Out Your Heart”
- Raise $500 for Chicago Commons through individual efforts
- Any donation made to Chicago Commons
- Secure in-kind donations of meeting space, food, or beverages for meetings (value of donation)
- Recruiting guests to fundraising events
- Securing ticket sales, auction items, sponsorships, or in-kind donations (value of donation, tickets sold, etc.)
How to apply
We appreciate your interest in joining the Commons Emerging Leaders Council. After completing your application, you will hear from a representative within a few business days.
Meet our current CELC Members
Evans Debeza is a licensed Architect in Illinois with over nine years of experience in large-scale affordable housing, assisted living, and market-rate housing projects. During this time, she has coordinated with design teams to guide projects from the early design phases to construction. Evans recently started her design firm, Debeza Studio, LLC, which focuses on property development, management, and design. She serves on the Board of Women in Planning + Development as the Programs Chair and is a member of ULI, PWC, AIA, and the University Club of Chicago. She enjoys baking bread, cooking, painting, and spending time with her family in her spare time.
Kanav Bhatheja is currently a partner at Cremer Law, LLC, a law firm located in Chicago. Kanav has experience with various complex litigation involving product liability, hotel/retail liability, and commercial disputes around the United States. Kanav has been helping the community and underserved populations from a very young age. Some of Kanav’s past experiences involve assisting low-income individuals with Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security disability appeals, and homeless shelter placement at Legal Services of Greater Miami; helping Veterans obtain VA benefits from the government as a United States Senate intern; advocating for minority inclusion in the Affordable Healthcare Act while working at a nonprofit in Washington D.C.; teaching health education at a community clinic providing care to underserved patients in Philadelphia; and serving on the board of a non-profit organization dealing with eating disorders. Kanav is excited to join Chicago Commons and continue his mission of promoting social and economic equality.
Ashlyne Wilson is a communications professional who is passionate about strategic storytelling that uplifts, educates, and inspires her audience. Born and raised in Akron, Ohio, Ashlyne obtained her bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Kent State University before moving to Chicago to earn her master’s degree in Public Relations and Advertising with distinction from DePaul University. Throughout her career, she has acquired experience in brand and social media marketing, public relations, advertising, and internal communications. While Ashlyne works hard, she likes to play hard, exploring the city she’s grown to love. Ashlyne enjoys brunching on Sundays in her spare time and is obsessed with House Hunters, crime documentaries on Netflix, and Häagen-Dazs coffee ice cream.
Alex Kapustka is a Senior Associate in PwC’s Cybersecurity and Privacy practice. He helps organizations implement strong security and governance. Alex is originally from St. Charles, IL, but has lived in Chicago for five years. In 2019 and 2020, he was part of “Team Commons” in the Bank of America Chicago Marathon.
Katheryn Meagher is a public policy researcher interested in improving opportunities for disadvantaged individuals and communities. She first spent 10 years in the advertising industry, focused on all aspects of digital marketing, consumer insights, and market research for household name brands. However, several years ago, Katheryn shifted careers and received her Master’s in Public Policy and Administration to pursue her interest in social policy and put her research experience to work on the social issues she cares most about. In her spare time, she actively volunteers for various local organizations in her community and enjoys exploring the city with friends and family.
Jessica has over ten years of marketing experience and currently serves as a Head of Marketing at a Chicago-based company, Enova International. Before Enova, Jessica worked in marketing for a few companies, including Capital One and Target Corporation. She has a bachelor’s from the University of Michigan and an MBA from Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management. Although she’s lived in Chicago for ten years, she’s originally from Michigan and still roots for the Wolverines (Go Blue!). In her free time, she enjoys traveling, trying out new restaurants, and spending time with friends and family.
Laura Lopez is a VP Community Manager in Chicago for Community and Business Development with Chase. She is a local ambassador for Chase who builds relationships with key community leaders, nonprofit partners, and small businesses at the neighborhood level. Laura hosts financial health workshops, facilitates non-profit partnerships, and offers community programming. She is helping to advance racial equity by supporting Black, Hispanic, and Latino communities with tools and resources to help them improve their financial well-being. As a former Branch Manager and with over 15 years of experience, Laura hopes to inspire many to join the journey to financial health. Her success is due to hard work and great mentors. Her passion for community engagement activities does not go unnoticed. Laura serves as a board member of Business Resource Group Adelante; is currently serving her fifth year as a Mentor for The JPMorgan Fellowship Initiative; and often takes part in Good Works community activities. Laura recently attained her MBA through Arizona University. She is a proud Latina who grew up in the south side of Chicago. In her free time, she enjoys rooting for the Chicago Cubs next to her husband, Daniel, and two boys, Gabriel and Leo.
Sharon Moy is an asset to work with creative minds and detail-savvy business management. She is a lead analyst at Peoples Gas in Chicago. Before that, she was an experienced project specialist on various utility regulatory matters. She also worked on multiple events and committees on diversity and inclusion. She has been a Chicago Commons Emerging Leaders Council member since 2015. She coordinated the Peoples Gas school supply collection drive for five years for Chicago Commons’ early childhood education program graduates. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a Master’s in Business Administration from Keller Graduate School of Management. Sharon enjoys listening to music, dancing, gardening, and floral design outside work.
Sam Lincoln is a Portfolio Banker in the Global Family & Private Investment Offices Group (GFO). He was formerly a Senior Credit Portfolio Manager and member of the Rotational Development Program in 2018. He has worked across all regions of GFO to support clients in various credit needs. More recently, he has worked to grow the EMEA credit portfolio and continues to manage most of the risk and portfolio reporting metrics for the GFO Lending group. Before joining Northern Trust, Sam graduated from the University of Southern California with a degree in Economics and Finance. He grew up in Chicago and attended the Latin School of Chicago for high school. Sam is an avid golfer and reader.
Clint Mefford is a Senior Relationship Manager in Global Family & Private Investment Offices (GFO), a specialized unit of Northern Trust Company which addresses the complex financial requirements of U.S. and international families who utilize multiple money manager investment programs and have complex investment, reporting, and planning needs. In his current position, Clint oversees and delivers a broad range of investment advisory, investment management, custody, banking, fiduciary, and tax services to family office staff and principals. Clint’s ultimate responsibility is client satisfaction. He serves as his client’s strategist and facilitator by managing Northern Trust’s commitment to the client, addressing client issues to ensure appropriate resources are dedicated to the relationship, and establishing a solid business relationship. Prior to this role, Clint was a manager of account managers for two years leading 15 team members who support the daily needs of GFO clients. He also participated in projects to drive efficiencies across the GFO practice. Before joining GFO, Clint led a team of analysts in the Client Valuation Reporting department. He was responsible for the accurate and timely delivery of monthly accounting to over 100 Corporate and GFO clients.
Chelsea is a manager of account managers in the Global Family & Private Investment Offices (GFO). GFO is a dedicated Northern Trust Wealth Management group focusing exclusively on the wealthiest families and their private investment offices, businesses, and charitable entities worldwide. In her current position, Chelsea manages a team of account managers who support family offices to deliver and oversee a broad range of banking and lending services. Before joining GFO , Chelsea held positions as a Loan Service Representative, Personal Banking Investigator, and several other positions throughout her 24 years of service at Northern Trust.
Prior to joining the CELC, Jaime spent five years volunteering with Spark Program Chicago. Spark Program Chicago was a Career Exploration and Self-Discovery Program that gave middle school students opportunities to understand, experience, and pursue all that is possible for their future. She was a co-ambassador for the relationship between Spark and LGIM America, which included recruiting mentors for students at LGIM America and coordinating logistics with Spark Program professional staff. Jaime was also a mentor to various students throughout her time with Spark.
Jaime Rehm is a financial services professional focused on managing clients’ pension liabilities. She is a Portfolio Manager at LGIM America. As part of the Active Fixed Income team at LGIM America, Jaime supports strategies within Credit Solutions, with a focus on the firm’s ‘Buy & Maintain’ strategies.
Jaime is originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she earned an undergraduate degree from Marquette University. She is a proud basketball fan of the Milwaukee Bucks and Marquette Golden Eagles. Jaime enjoys audiobooks and podcasts, likes traveling, and loves trying new Chicago restaurants.
Allison Carroll
Allison Carroll