Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced appointments to more than a dozen boards and commissions on Tuesday. Here is a breakdown of those appointments, starting with nominations that will require City Council approval.

Appointments Requiring City Council Approval

Nominated to Police Board

Purpose: To oversee various matters of the Chicago Police Department, including: deciding disciplinary cases involving police officers and other department members and nominating candidates for Superintendent of Police.

The board has nine members. Positions for two members, Melissa Ballate and Rita Fry, expire next month. Mayor Rahm Emanuel will replace them with John Simpson and Claudia Valenzuela. William Conlon will be re-appointed.

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  John Simpson is a partner at Broadhaven Capital Partners with over 30 years of experience as a head investment banker and financial services executive, according to his company bio. Before joining Broadhaven, he was Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer of Canyon Partners and a former Vice Chairman of Wasserstein Perella & Co. He donated $52,800 to Chicago for Rahm Emanuel and $25,000 to Chicago Forward this past election cycle.

  
  


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  Claudia Valenzuela is an Associate Director of Litigation at the Heartland Alliance National Immigrant Justice Center, an organization that provides legal services to immigrants. She represents non-citizens facing deportation before the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) and in federal court.

  
  


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  William Conlon (re-appointment) is a partner at Sidley Austin LLP.

  
  

Nominated to Chicago Plan Commission

Purpose: The Chicago Plan Commission isresponsible for the review of proposals that involve Planned Developments (PDs), the Lakefront Protection Ordinance, Planned Manufacturing Districts (PMDs), Industrial Corridors and Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Districts. It also reviews proposed sales and acquisitions of public land as well as certain long-range community plans.

The board has 22 members, 9 members are Mayoral appointees and the other 13 are ex officio members, like aldermen.

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  Laura Flores is the lead project architect for Epstein, a global design and construction company that designed the $300 million Medical District Gateway Project near Damen & Ogden. Flores worked on projects in Mexico. [LinkedIn]

  
  


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  Sarah Lyons is a research analyst for UNITE HERE Local 1, a labor organization that represents garment and textile workers across the country. She is a former board member of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Board of Zoning Appeals.  [LinkedIn]

  
  


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  Doris Holleb (re-appointment) is a professor of Geographical Studies at the University of Chicago .

  
  

Nominated to Zoning Board of Appeals

Purpose: To hear appeals of decisions by the Zoning Administrator.

Members: The is made up of 5 members appointed by the Mayor. Blake Sercye is the only new appointment.

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  Blake Sercye, is a litigator for corporate law firm Jenner & Block and also has a pro-bono practice in Austin that focuses on fair housing, prisoner rights and criminal defense.  Sercye was unsuccessful in his bid for the Cook County Board of Commissioners last year, even after getting endorsements from Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle. He served on the Illinois Medical District Commission and Chicago’s Community Development Commission.

  
  


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  Sol Flores (re-appointment) is the executive director for La Casa Norte, a nonprofit in Humboldt Park that serves homeless youths and families.

  
  


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  Jonathan Swain (re-appointment) is the Zoning Board of Appeals Chairman and president of Kimbark Beverage Shoppe, a liquor store in Hyde Park.

  
  

 

Nominated to Commission on Chicago Landmarks

Purpose: To recommend to the City Council that individual buildings, sites, objects, or entire districts be designated as Chicago landmarks; and to review proposals for the alteration, demolition, or new construction affecting individual landmarks or properties in landmark districts as part of the permit review process.

Members: The board has nine seats, eight are appointed by the mayor and one seat in an Ex-Officio. Mayor Emanuel has recommended two new members to the board.

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  Gabriel Ignacio Dziekiewicz is the president and principal of design for DesignBridge, an architecture, interior design and graphic design firm. Prior to joining DesignBridge, Gabriel worked for two Chicago architectural firms, Solomon Cordwell Buenz and Destefano+Partners, Ltd., where he worked on the design for One South Dearborn, the downtown office tower where law firm Sidley Austin, LLP is stationed.

  
  


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  Juan Moreno is the president and founder of JGMA (Juan Gabriel Moreno Architects), a self-described progressive architecture and design firm founded in 2010 and based in Chicago. Moreno was born in Bogota, Columbia and studied architecture at California State Polytechnic University Pomona. He has won several awards for his designs.

  
  


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  Carmen Rossi is a commercial lawyer and restaurateur. He owns the Hubbard Inn in River North and Barn & Co. in Lincoln Park.

  
  


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  James Houlihan (re-appointment) The former Cook County Assessor, he also is the senior advisor/president of Houlihan Consulting. He previously served in the state legislature and in the Harold Washington administration.

  
  


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  Rafael Leon (re-appointment) is currently Board Chairman and executive director of the Chicago Metropolitan Housing Development Corporation.

  
  


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  Mary Ann Smith (re-appointment) is a former 48th Ward Alderman, who retired her seat in 2011.

  
  


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  Rev. Dr. Richard Tolliver (re-appointment) is a rector at St Edmund's Episcopal Church.

  
  


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  Ernest Wong (re-appointment) is a founder and principal at Site Design Group, Ltd.

  
  

 

Nominated to Community Development Commission

Purpose: To review and recommend action to the City Council on the establishment of new Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts, Redevelopment Area designations, and appointment of members to Community Conservation Councils. In addition, to review and recommend action on the sale of city-owned property located in TIF districts or redevelopment areas, and the provision of TIF financing to assist private redevelopment projects.

Members: The Board is made up of 15 mayoral appointees. Mayor Emanuel plans to replace four board members with the following appointments.

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  Gwendolyn Butler is vice chairwoman and chief marketing officer for Capri Investment Group, LLC, a global real estate investment manager. She specializes in raising capital for the firm’s global investments. Prior to Capri, Butler worked for UBS Global Asset Management, Bear Stearns, and SEI. She is the former Chair of the national Association of Securities Professionals and a past President of the Board of Directors of the YWCA Metropolitan Chicago. [LinkedIn]

  
  


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  Cornelius Griggs, Managing Partner, GMA of Illinois

  
  


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  Celena Roldan Moreno is the wife of Ald. Joe Moreno (1) and the executive director of Erie Neighborhood House, a social services agency. She has held previous positions in the Emanuel Administration, including a spot on the Mayor’s Education Transition team and the Mayor’s Early Childhood Task Force. [LinkedIn]

  
  


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  Philip Alphonse is a partner for the The Vistria Group, a private equity firm focused on education, healthcare, and financial services. The Vistria Group was founded by Marty Nesbitt, who also founded the airport parking company The Parking Spot with U.S. Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker. Alphonse also worked at private equity firm Sterling partners for ten years. [LinkedIn]
  

  
  

Nominated to Chicago Low Income Housing Trust Fund Board of Directors

Purpose: To supervise the business of the Low-Income Housing Trust Fund, a non-profit organization established to provide Chicago's low-income residents with secure, safe, sound and affordable housing.

Members: The Board is made up of 15 mayoral appointees.  Mayor Emanuel requests four new members and the re-appointment of six current members.

New appointments to the board:

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  La Toya Dixon is an attorney advisor for the Social Security Administration.

  
  


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  Elise Doody-Jones is a community organizer, volunteer manager and small business owner. She is the former treasurer of First Ward First, the independent Democratic political organization Ald. Joe Moreno (1) founded in 2011. She also made an attempt to unseat Ald. Scott Waguespack (32) in the most recent municipal election.

  
  


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  Bishop Horace Smith is a pastor at the Apostolic Faith Church on Chicago’s South Side and a physician at the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital.

  
  


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  Jennifer Welch is the first deputy commissioner for the Department of Family and Support Services.

  
  

Reappointments to the board:

• Levoi Brown, Managing Director, BMO Harris Bank (re-appointment)


• Malcolm Bush, Affiliated Scholar / Chapin Hall, University of Chicago (re-appointment)


• Sol Flores, Executive Director, La Casa Norte (re-appointment)


• Rev. Wayne Gordon, Lawndale Community Church (re-appointment)


• Thomas McNulty (President), Partner, Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg LLP (re-appointment)


• Kristin Nance, Director, Lewis University Stahl Center for Entrepreneurship (re-appointment)

Nominated to Chicago Community Land Trust Board of Directors

Purpose: To govern the Chicago Community Land Trust.

Members: The Board can have up to 17 Mayoral appointees. Mayor Emanuel has only requested one new member, Michelle Morales.

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  Michelle Morales is an associate director for the Alternative Schools Network (ASN), a nonprofit that oversees a network of community schools for high school dropouts. [LinkedIn]

  
  

Reappointments to the board:

• Patricia Abrams, Executive Director, The Renaissance Collaborative, Inc. (re-appointment)


• Joel Bookman, President, Bookman Associates Incorporated (re-appointment)


• Timothy Hughes, Real Estate and Facilities Director, ComEd (re-appointment)


• Edward Jacob, Formerly Executive Director, Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago (re-appointment)


• Guacolda Reyes, Vice President, The Resurrection Project (re-appointment)


• William Towns, Assistant Vice President, Neighborhood Initiatives, University of Chicago (re-appointment)


• Marva Williams, Economic Development Director, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago (re-appointment)


• Jeffrey Wright, Business Banker, Urban Partnership Bank (re-appointment)


• Eva Brown, Vice President, Government and Community Relations, U.S. Bank (re-appointment)

Nominated to Board of Ethics

Purpose: To administer and enforce the City of Chicago Governmental Ethics and Campaign Financing Ordinances.

Members: The Board can have up to 7 members, all appointed by the Mayor. There are currently two vacancies on the board. Zaid Abdul-Aleem and Juan Calderon would fill those seats.

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  Zaid Abdul-Aleem is a managing director at investment banking firm Moelis & Co. He has also worked for Greenhill & Co., Piedmont Investment Advisors, and Morgan Stanley. He is a former Duke University football player and Fulbright Scholar.

  
  


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  Juan Calderon, is the Chief Operating Officer for the Puerto Rican Cultural Center in Humboldt Park. [LinkedIn]

  
  


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  Rev. Dr. Mary Carr (re-appointment) is a senior pastor at the Christian Heritage Training Center.

  
  

 

Nominated to Human Resources Board

Purpose: To conduct hearings in instances of alleged misconduct by career service employees; and to preside over appeal hearings brought about by disciplinary action taken against employees by individual city departments.

Members: The Board is made up of 3 Mayor-appointed members. Karen Coppa would likely replace one of them.

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  Karen Coppa is a lawyer and former Chief Assistant Corporation Counsel for the City of Chicago. Coppa also works as a principal for Clearbrook Consulting, LLC [LinkedIn]

  
  

 

Appointments That Do Not Need City Council Approval

Appointed to Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning Board of Directors

Purpose: To integrate the planning of transportation and land use in the seven counties of northeastern Illinois.

Members: The Board is made up of 16 members, 5 of them are mayoral appointees. Mayor Emanuel has appointed one new member, Peter Skosey.

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  Peter Skosey is an executive vice president for the Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC). He started his career at MPC as an urban development director in 1996. During his tenure at the nonprofit, he helped rewrite the Illinois Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Act in 1999, overhaul Chicago’s zoning ordinance in 2004, and passage of the Illinois’ Public pRIVATE partnerships for Transportation Act in 2011. He was also on the Mayor’s Transportation and Infrastructure Transition Committee and co-chairs the Mayor’s Pedestrian Advisory Committee. [LinkedIn]

  
  


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  Lisa Laws (re-appointment) is the Deputy Chief Operating Officer for the City of Chicago.

  
  


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  Andrew Madigan (re-appointment) is son of Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and the senior managing director for Mesirow Financial, an insurance company.

  
  

 

Appointed to Illinois Medical District Commission

Purpose: To develop and manage the Illinois Medical District on the West Side.

Members: Seven member board. Four Commissioners are appointed by the Governor, two by the Mayor and one by the Cook County Board President. Mayor Emanuel has made two new appointments.

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  Alejandra Garza is president of AGG Consulting, a marketing firm. She is also the former director of Marketing and Business Development for UnitedHealthcare, Inc., and co-founded a company that makes bilingual videos about health care. [LinkedIn]

  
  


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  Everett Rand owns Midway Airport Concessions (MAC). His twin brother, Tim Rand, is the president and CEO of the company, which owns most of the food concessions at Midway. The Rands also founded the Chicago Football Classic, a nonprofit that provides athletic scholarship to Chicagoans that attend all black colleges.

  
  

 

Other Appointments

Re-appointed to Illinois Sports Facilities Authority Board of Directors

• Richard Price, Chairman and CEO, Mesirow Financial


• James Reynolds, Chairman and CEO, Loop Capital Markets

Re-appointed to North River Expanded Mental Health Services Commission

• Joan Liautaud, Senior Director of Clinical Operations, Heartland Health Outreach


• Roger McGill, Staff Assistant, Vietnam Veterans of America Service Office

Designated as Chair of the Advisory Council on Veterans

• Victor Lagroon, Manager of Engagement and Strategic Partners, University of Illinois, Hospital and Health Sciences System

Re-appointed to Illinois International Port District Board

• Terrence Fitzmaurice, Business Manager and Secretary Treasurer of Painters’ District Council #14

 Re-appointed to NeighborSpace Board of Directors

• Michelle Boone, Commissioner, Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events


• Ald. Walter Burnett (27)

Re-appointed to Board of Examiners of Crane Operators

• John Ahlgrim, Business Representative, I.U.O.E. Local 150


• John Ricker, Safety Coordinator, I.U.O.E. Local 150


• Thomas Rottman, Jr., Business Agent, I.U.O.E. Local 150

Re-appointed to Board of Examiners of Mason Contractors

• Henry M. Leahy, Owner, Four Province Masonry


• Luciano Padilla, Jr., Union Representative, IL District Council One of the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers

Re-appointed to Board of Examiners of Plumbing Contractors

• James Majerowicz, Instructor of Plumbing, Plumbers' Local 130 U.A.


• John Rottman, Deacon, St. Thecla School

Re-appointed as a Member of the Board of Examiners of Stationary Engineers

• Bill Iacullo, President, I.U.O.E. Local 143


• William Masterson, Business Agent, I.U.O.E.  Local 399


• Jacob Preciado, Construction Manager, Archdiocese of Chicago