Board of Directors
Perspectives is governed by a Board of Directors who help ensure the success of our mission. Members of Perspectives Board of Directors are listed below:
Larry Ashkin, Chairman
President, Centrum Properties
For Perspectives, Mr. Ashkin headed the effort to secure a permanent home for the school. Currently he chairs the External Affairs Committee, is Chairman of the Perspectives Board, and serves on the Executive and Facilities and Committees. For more than 30 years, Mr. Ashkin has been involved in the real estate and construction industries. After practicing law in New York and serving as a JG in the U.S. Navy, he founded Centrum Properties, Inc. Currently he also serves on the Board of Directors of Illinois Network of Charter Schools (INCS).
Joel M. Stender, Vice-Chairman
President, Futures Route, Inc.
For Perspectives, Mr. Stender serves as the Vice-Chair of the Executive Committe, co-chairs the School Life Committee and serves on the Operations & Finance, and Governance Committees. Mr. Stender has had a career working in trading, consulting and clearing services. He is currently President of Futures Route, Inc. an electronic brokerage firm that assists broker-dealers integrate electronic futures. He is also a partner with Boutique Hospitality, Inc., a company that owns and operates Chicago restaurants and a Senior Advisor to Asian Development Ventures, which facilitates strategic relationships for companies seeking Asian business relationships.
Deborah Stevens, Treasurer
Footprint Retail Services
For Perspectives, Ms. Stevens serves on the Operations & Finance Committee. Prior to joining the YMCA, Ms. Stevens worked as a Corporate Finance Advisor & Relationship Manager for Chicago/NBD/Bank One. Her volunteer activities include serving as a Board member of Lutheran Social Services, leading the fundraising efforts for the YWCA of Metropolitan Chicago for three years, serving as an active Board Member for the YWCA, and most recently launching and serving on the YWCA's President's Advisory Council. She has also served as a VISTA Volunteer 25 years ago.
Kimberly Waller, Secretary
Relationship Manager, Aon Corporation
For Perspectives, Ms. Waller serves as the secretary of the Executive Committe and sits on the School Life and Human Resources Committees and recently co-chaired the 10th Anniversary Benefit Committee. She is a Relationship Manager/Consultant at Aon Corporation and brings her vast managerial, strategy development and team-building skills to Perspectives, serving on the School Life and Human Resources Committees. She has over 15 years of experience in the industry. She began her career as an underwriter at Aon and steadily moved onto roles of increasing responsibility throughout the company. Currently Kim leads insurance and risk management professionals dedicated to providing insurance solutions to Aon clients. In addition to her role as a business leader, Kim serves as the National Lead for Aon's African American Business Networking Group. Kim has served as a corporate leader in the roles of mentor, teacher and advocate. She also serves as a Campus Champion providing leadership in Aon's strategic initiative to attract the best and the brightest talent from universities throughout the country. In addition, she serves on the board of Family Focus. Kim married to Tony Waller, Sr. and they have a son together, Tony Waller, Jr. She has served as Parent Club president for her son's school, as baseball mom for her son's baseball league, and participates as an active parent in the ACOG Make a Joyful Sound program orchestral string program.
William Anspach, Jr.
Principal, Much Shelist
For Perspectives, Mr. Anspach co-chairs the School Life Committee, and serves on the Executive and Human Resources Committees. Mr. Anspach heads the employee benefits practice at Much Shelist. He has extensive experience in all areas of employee benefits as well as labor law matters. In addition, Mr. Anspach also lectures on employee benefit topics to various local and national groups. He is a member of the American Society of Pension Actuaries and the American and Chicago Bar Associations. He also serves on the Budget and Finance Committee at Francis Parker School.
David E. Baker
Vice-President for External Affairs. Illinois Institute of Technology
Mr. Baker was named Vice President for External Affairs in March 1995. He is responsible for the University's governmental relations, technology park development, and trustee relations. Over the past five years he has worked to create the University Technology Park at IIT of which he serves as Executive Director. Most recently he helped led the university's 2010 planning and re-accreditation process with the Higher Learning Commission. From September 1993 through March 1995, he served as the Executive Director for the National Commission for IIT. Prior to joining the University, Mr. Baker served as President of The Illinois Coalition, whose mission is to strengthen the Illinois economy through science and technology. From 1980 to 1989, Mr. Baker served as the Executive Vice President of the Illinois State Chamber of Commerce, the state's largest business advocacy organization. Mr. Baker holds an M.A. from Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies, and an A.B. in History, with a minor in Economics, from Stanford University. He is married, has two children and lives in Chicago.
Rick Callahan
Owner, R.R. Callahan Company
He is the owner of R.R. Callahan Company, which owns, develops and manages property in the Pilsen community. He's been involved with that community since 1968. He has worked as a photographer, a high school teacher, a clown and a plumber and lived in Greece for several years. He has also been instrumental in identifying possible facilities for new Perspectives campuses. He lived in the Pilsen community for more than twenty years and currently resides in Evanston with his wife Bic. Mr. Callahan serves on Perspectives' School Life and Facilities Committees.
Michelle M. Hughes
Attorney at Law, Law Offices of Michelle M. Hughes
For Perspectives, Ms. Hughes serves on the School Life Committee. Ms. Hughes is a graduate of the University of Chicago Law School and an attorney whose practice focuses in adoption. She is a member of the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys and the Co-chair of the Confidential Advisory committee to the Director of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. She serves on the Board of the Association of Multiethnic Americans (AMEA). She is co-founder and owner of the Bridge Communications, Inc., an organization specializing in diversity education with a focus on adoption.
Lisa Koch Kornick
Co-owner, mk The Restaurant
For Perspectives, Mr. Kornick serves on the School Life Committee and served as the co-chair of the Benefit Committee in 2006. Ms. Kornick is co-owner of mk restaurant with her husband. Prior to working in the restaurant business, Ms. Kornick worked at Rush Hospital in Chicago doing research and policy work on refugees and violence prevention.
William D. Mack
Executive Director, Tax-Exempt Securities Division, Morgan Stanley
For Perspectives, Mr. Mack serves as Treasurer of the Executive Committee. He also chairs the Operations & Finance Committee and serves on Governance Committee. Mr. Mack is responsible for providing investment banking services to state and local governments, as well as major universities and not-for-profit organizations. He also serves on the Boards of Family Focus, an organization that promotes the well being of children through supporting and strengthening their families, and the Civic Federation.
Paul O'Kelly
For Perspectives, Mr. O'Kelly chairs the Human Resources Committee and serves on the Executive Committee. Mr. O'Kelly is a financial services attorney and previously served as President and Chief Operating Officer of the Chicago Stock Exchange and as general counsel of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. He is also a Board Member of the Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois.
James A. Peyser
Partner, NewSchools Venture Fund
Jim Peyser is a Partner at NewSchools Venture Fund, where he brings to bear a strong hybrid background in education policy, charter school development and business management to lead NewSchools' East Coast initiatives. From 1999 through 2006, Jim served as Chairman of the Massachusetts Board of Education. Prior to joining NewSchools, Jim was Education Advisor to two Governors of Massachusetts, where he helped shape outcomes-focused policy at the state level on standards, charter schools and school accountability. He also spent more than seven years as Executive Director of Pioneer Institute for Public Policy Research, where he supported public education innovations, including early charter schools. In 1995, he served as Under Secretary of Education and Special Assistant to the Governor for Charter Schools. Prior to joining Pioneer Institute, Jim held various positions at Teradyne, Inc. in Boston, an electronic test equipment manufacturer.
Tony A. Robinson
Senior Manager, Ernst & Young LLP
For Perspectives, Mr. Robinson serves on the Human Resources Committee and as a male mentor. Tony is a senior manager at Ernst & Young LLP in the Lake Michigan Area State and Local Tax Practice focusing on tax consulting. Tony is the National Leader for the Lookback Review Income and Franchise Process and the Lake Michigan Area Director of Income and Franchise. Tony has presented lectures on state and local tax issues for varying audiences, including tax executives institute professionals, tax practitioners, Chicago Tax Club, Illinois Federation of Taxation and members of industry. He currently volunteers with adolescent males leading one mentor/mentee group in Aurora.
Loren Weil
Partner, Corporate Department, Winston & Strawn
For Perspectives, Mr. Weil chairs the Governance Committee and serves on the Executive and Operations & Finance Committees. He also has been instrumental in making sure that Perspectives bylaws are reviewed and amended on a regular basis. Mr. Weil's practice at Winston & Strawn focuses upon the representation of banks and other financial institutions in corporate financing matters. Winston & Strawn is an international law firm.
Advisory Board Members
Anne Bent
Robert Blackwell, Jr.
John D. Chavez
Howard Davis
The Rev. Wilfredo de Jesus
Luis Diaz-Perez
Fay Ferguson
Barbara Fosco
Roby Frankel
Janice MacVicar
Steve Milter
Johnita W. Mizelle
John Musachia
Rebeca Nieves Huffman
Nick Rosa
Steven Turckes
Steven L. Washington
Stephen Willis