Meet Our Board of Directors
Our board is dedicated to stewarding the mission, objectives, and values of City Elementary.
Jennifer Iverson
Board Chair
Jennifer Iverson is a parent to autistic children, a researcher in music and disability studies, and an associate professor at University of Chicago. Together with Michele Friedner, she teaches “Disability and Design,” an interdisciplinary undergraduate course focused on disability access, justice, and universal design principles. At City Elementary, she facilitates Music Sociality, a cooperative music-learning program that pairs UChicago students with City middle schoolers. Jennifer believes in holistic, child-centered education, nurtures collaborative ways of working, and enthusiastically supports the growth of City Elementary
Susan Lawson
Board Vice Chair
Susan Lawson is a native of Chicago having grown up in Hyde Park and currently resides in the South Loop. Throughout her sales professional career, she has worked in multiple industries including hotel management, staffing and real estate. She works at Newmark, a multi-faceted real estate firm, as a Senior Managing Director. She obtained her Master of Business Administration from Loyola University after receiving an undergraduate degree from University of Wisconsin, Madison. Susan is married with two children ages 22 and 25.
Penny Visser
Treasurer
Penny Visser (Ph.D., Ohio State University, 1998) is a social psychologist who began her career at Princeton University with faculty appointments in the Department of Psychology and the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. In 2001 she was recruited to the University of Chicago where she held positions as Assistant, Associate, and Full Professor in the Department of Psychology. Much of Penny‘s scholarship has explored the psychology of political attitudes and behavior. In 2014 Penny left academia to spend more time with her family.
Stacey Austin
Board Member
Stacey also enjoys speaking and writing on employee benefit related topics, including health care reform, executive compensation, and retirement plan compliance.
Josh Cohen
Board Member
Joshua R. Cohen, CFA, is a Managing Director, Head of Client Solutions for PGIM DC Solutions. Josh provides thought leadership to large Defined Contribution plans on investment issues ranging from plan design, Qualified Default Investment Alternatives (QDIA), implications of regulatory change and implementation. Josh works on developing innovative solutions and thought leadership to help plan participants accumulate the wealth needed for their retirement.
Trina Rizzo
Board Member
Dr. Onnie Rogers
Board Member
Dr. Onnie Rogers is an Associate Professor at University of Chicago. As a developmental psychologist she researches human development, identity, diversity and equity, and education. Her research, funded by the National Science Foundation amongst others, centers the experiences of racially and ethnically diverse children, exploring social and educational inequalities and ways to rectify them. She also enjoys practicing yoga, eating chocolate, and shuttling her daughters (ages 9 and 13) to various activities.
John Spiers
Board Member
John Spiers is the Assistant Dean and Senior Director of Academic Affairs for the Biological Sciences Division at the University of Chicago. His work focuses on optimizing the experience of faculty and other academic appointees through academic human resources leadership. John previously worked at Brigham and Women’s Hospital before relocating with his family to Chicago. Earlier in his career, he was an academic historian, earning a PhD in history from Boston College. John has a son that attends City Elementary.
Kate Stetsko
Board Member
Kate is a senior counsel at Perkins Coie LLP and the mom of a City Elementary student. Her professional work centers on complex product liability and commercial litigation. Working with multi-disciplined teams, Kate serves as a case manager for multimillion dollar disputes from inception through trial and post-trial activities. Kate received her JD cum laude from Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law and an AB in Classics, magna cum laude, from Harvard College. Watching her kid bloom and grow at City Elementary turned Kate into an advocate for the power of neurodiversity-affirming environments and strength-based education.
George Wu
Board Member
George Wu is the John P. and Lillian A. Gould Professor of Behavioral Science at University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He studies the psychology of decision making and teaches MBA courses in negotiation and decision making. He earned a B.A. and S.M in applied mathematics and a PhD in decision sciences, all from Harvard, and was previously on the faculty of the Wharton School of Business and Harvard Business School. Wu was the inaugural faculty director of Chicago Booth’s Harry L. Davis Center for Leadership and a faculty advisor for the school’s Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation. Dr. Wu was named the 2020 recipient of the Chicago Urban League Humanitarian Award.
University of Chicago Booth Fellows (2024-2025)
Taylor Cosme
Booth Fellow
Taylor Cosme is a first-year MBA student at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, focusing on finance and strategic management. Before Booth, Taylor worked at Kinderhook Industries, a private equity firm in New York City, where she dedicated three years to investments in business services, light manufacturing, and healthcare services. Taylor began her career in investment banking at Macquarie Capital and holds a B.A. from Brown University, where she competed on the varsity tennis team and served as team captain.
Gillen Heisler
Booth Fellow
Gillen Heisler is a second year full-time MBA student at Chicago Booth focused on finance and entrepreneurship. At Booth, he interned with 53 Stations, a Chicago-based venture capital fund sponsored by The Pritzker Organization and worked at McKinsey & Company. Prior to Booth, he worked at Uber where he led US efforts for electric vehicle growth, charging infrastructure, and created the Comfort Electric product. Gillen started his career as a White House intern with the Obama Administration National Economic Council. He graduated from Georgia Tech with a major in business and concentration in Mandarin Chinese. He’s a native of Atlanta, Georgia.
Femi Orekoya
Booth Fellow
Oluwafemi (Femi) Orekoya is a dedicated finance professional and community volunteer with a passion for fostering opportunities for young people. Currently an MBA candidate at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, Oluwafemi brings a wealth of experience in strategic planning and financial management, having worked as an Investment Banking Associate at Standard Bank Group, where he led projects that spanned multiple countries across Africa. As a volunteer with the Lagos Food Bank Initiative, he has helped deliver essential resources to underprivileged communities, supporting hundreds of families in need. With a strong background in financial modeling, strategic planning, and a deep-rooted belief in the power of education, Oluwafemi is enthusiastic about contributing to the mission of City Elementary and helping create an enriching environment for enabling students to thrive.
Steve Rings
Founding Board Member
Steven Rings is a father and a passionate advocate for neurodiverse children. He co-founded City Elementary to provide a school on the city’s South Side that would nurture and support remarkable kids like his son. Professionally, he is an Associate Professor of Music and the Humanities at the University of Chicago, where he also serves as a Resident Dean. Before his academic career began, Rings was a classical guitarist in both his native Minnesota and in Portugal, where he taught at a regional conservatory in the Azores. He lives in Hyde Park with his partner Jennifer Iverson and their four children.
Leah Harp
Founding Board Member
Leah Harp, LCSW, PhD has a background in child welfare and inpatient and outpatient mental health. She currently focuses on neurodiversity awareness and mental health training. Due to her child’s interests, she has become interested herself in transportation and is an operator for the Como-Harriet Streetcar Line and a student Brakeman for the Minnesota Transportation Museum.
Jason Harp
Founding Board Member
Jason G. Harp is a lawyer with a practice focused on complex patent litigation in a wide range of scientific disciplines. Jason co-founded City Elementary to help create a learning environment that did not exist for their autistic child.
Marvin Zonis
Founding Board Member
Marvin Zonis was Professor Emeritus, Booth School of Business, The University of Chicago where he taught courses on International Political Economy and on Business Leadership. He was an expert on the Middle East and consulted and gave speeches to corporations and professional asset management firms throughout the world.
Marvin’s spirit lives on at City through kindness and resources he provided our school. His leadership was instrumental in the building a foundation we now carry forward.
Advisory Board Members
Nicole Apple
Nicole Apple works for Kimberly-Clark as the Head of Global Strategic Agency Management. She is a marketing strategist with agency, client, and consulting experience across CPG (consumer packaged goods), food and beverage, and retail organizations. She is a leader in agency pitch consulting. She is the Board Chair at the Association of National Advertisers Agency Management as well as a National Advertising Review Board Member.
Lois Beznos
Lois Beznos’s twenty-two year career with the Chamber Music Society of Detroit began as the Chair of the Board of Trustees for ten years (1988–98) and continued as its President for fifteen years (1995–2010). During her tenure, the organization more than tripled its subscriber base and its budget while launching and sustaining an endowment fund. She holds a Masters degree in the Humanities from the University of Chicago and has taught English at Wayne State and Humanities at the University of Toledo Community College.
Victoria Boateng
Victoria Boateng uses the djembe to spread awareness for the Autistic community. Victoria was diagnosed with autism when she was three years old and couldn’t speak until she was seven years old. She developed a close relationship with music which led her to study The West African drum. Victoria uses her gift of the Djembe, a rope drum that brings sound from West Africa. Victoria shares her passion with the autism community with an intention to inspire women of all races, gender, and creed. In addition Victoria has consistently practiced mastering her craft on stage with live artists throughout the city of Chicago.
Christina Fountain
Christina Fountain is the Assistant Vice President of Development and an Associate Dean of the College at the University of Chicago. After training as a classical vocalist, she worked in development and fundraising for Northwestern University and UChicago Medicine. She previously served as a Board member for City Elementary in 2014–19, contributing to the school’s early growth trajectory.
Jordyn Harris
Jordyn Harris is the Chicago Director for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). With a passion for building bridges between the United States and Israel, Jordyn has dedicated her career to fostering strong relationships between the two nations and promoting mutual understanding and cooperation.
Jordyn holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Jewish Studies from the University of Colorado at Boulder. She is an active member of the Chicago community and serves on the board of various organizations dedicated to promoting the U.S.-Israel relationship.
Duncan Lauder
Duncan Lauder is the CEO of Marketing Practicality, a solution-oriented, hands-on internet marketing and strategy partner focused on providing business marketing solutions. Duncan is an expert on search engine optimization, CRM (customer relationship management) marketing, and analytics-based tools for improving web marketing and visibility. Duncan has delivered proven, actionable results to all sizes of business, from small independent businesses to Fortune 250 corporations.
Kafi Moragne-Patterson
Kafi Moragne-Patterson, PhD is the Executive Director of IMPACT at Chicago Urban League. She is also a Lecturer in the Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice. In both roles, she addresses the impact of racial and social inequities on the educational and career trajectories of urban communities. She previously served as a Board member for City Elementary from 2020-2023.
Ingrid Payne
Ingrid Payne is a neurodivergent person, advocate, and senior marketing specialist. She has held roles in business development at InfiniTeach, an inclusive tech organization, and at Golin, a global public relations agency. She has diverse experience in project management, event planning, customer service, and school and community involvement. Her true passion is to normalize and de-stigmatize autism, forward the #neurodiversity movement, illuminate the voices of neurodivergent/autistic people and advocate for inclusivity and accessibility within schools, the community, and the workplace.
Kimberly Schafer
Kimberly Schafer is a content writer at NICE, a company specializing in AI solutions for customer service. She is the managing editor of the Bulletin, the premier campanology journal in North America. She is also an active musician on the carillon and advocates for the installation, repair, and use of tower bells in Chicago and beyond.
Krissy Sommerstad
Krissy Sommerstad is a public relations, communications and social media consultant specializing in brand communications and executive visibility. She has represented several Fortune 500 companies, working both in-house and as a leader within global PR agencies. After nearly 15 years in Chicago, Krissy now lives “back home” in Minneapolis with her husband Paul and three young sons. She is a passionate supporter of City Elementary, and an everyday advocate for her own neuro-divergent son.
Jude Stewart
Jude Stewart is a writer, editor, and content strategist. She is founder and CEO of Stewart + Company, a creative agency specializing in content strategy and development that helps small and midsize companies explain themselves and the value they offer in simple, highly persuasive stories. As a journalist, Jude has written about culture, design, technology, and food for The Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal, The Believer, Quartz, Fast Company, Slate, and many more. Her three books include Revelations in Air: A Guidebook to Smell (Penguin Books, 2021), Patternalia (Bloomsbury, 2015), and ROY G. BIV: An Exceedingly Surprising Book About Color (Bloomsbury, 2013).
Oleg Urminsky
Oleg Urminsky is a Professor of Marketing at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business. He studies consumer and managerial decision making. He is particularly interested in goals and motivations, beliefs and inference, statistical reasoning, and customer relationship management (e.g., reward/loyalty programs and incentive systems). He previously worked as a corporate vice president at Young Rubicam Advertising, where he worked on the largest worldwide study of brand perception and performance. He is a former City Elementary parent.
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