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
Kate Stetsko
Board Vice Chair
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.
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.
Taylor Cosme
Board Member
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.
Shawn McCoy
Board Member
Shawn McCoy is a business executive and investor who helps lead a portfolio of companies focused on infrastructure, accessibility, and community impact. He holds an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a B.A. from the University of Notre Dame. Earlier in his career, he co-founded a media company that published in-depth coverage of education policy and reform. Shawn is committed to advancing equity in education and infrastructure and is honored to serve on the City Elementary Board. He and his wife, Louisa, are proud parents to their daughter, Annarose.
Taylor Meyer
Board Member
Taylor Meyer is a real estate professional and a City Elementary dad. In 2017, he founded Polk Street Industrial, a real estate operating company focused on the acquisition and development of industrial property. Prior to Polk Street, Mr. Meyer was an Executive Director of Morgan Stanley Real Estate. He is involved in several professional organizations including the Advisory Council of the Real Estate Finance Center at the University of Texas. Mr. Meyer received an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a BA in Economics and European Studies from Vanderbilt University.
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.
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.
Marcie Alvis Walker
Board Member
Marcie Alvis Walker is a writer and content creator. Her work explores themes of race, identity, religion, inclusivity and intersectionality. She is the author of Everybody Come Alive: A Memoir in Essays. In 2023, her essay, If They Told Me We Were Poor, was a winner of McSweeney’s Internet Tendency’s Column Contest. She currently hosts her newsletter, Marcie May: Sincere Love letters For the Goodfellows of This Earth Who Believe Love Might Just Save Us All, and is working on her first fiction novel. She is also supporting her adult child through their mental health and learning diagnosis. She and her husband are proud Hyde Park residents and are often seen bopping around the neighborhood with their dog, Evie.
University of Chicago Booth Fellows 2025/2026
The Golub Capital Board Fellows Program matches Chicago Booth students with local nonprofit organizations, bringing valuable pro bono business skills to nonprofits while giving students hands-on experience with nonprofit management and governance. The program is one of the school’s most popular hands-on social impact programs and is run as a partnership between the Rustandy Center and the Net Impact student group.
James Asenso
James (Kwabena) Asenso is a first-year MBA/MA International Relations student at the University of Chicago Booth Business School. Prior to Booth, I worked as an Actuary in Ghana, Nigeria and most recently here in Chicago, where I developed a passion for using data and innovation to create meaningful impact. I also have a master’s degree in mathematical sciences from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. City Elementary’s mission deeply resonates, especially the commitment to supporting neurodiverse learners and creating inclusive educational spaces.
Ishika Khanna
Ishika Khanna is a second-year MBA student at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. She grew up in Central New Jersey and graduated from Rutgers University with a degree in Business Analytics and Marketing before beginning her career in consulting at EY. At Booth, Ishika serves as Co-Chair of both the Corporate Management Group and the Behavioral Sciences Club, where she focuses on how organizations create environments that enable people to learn, grow, and thrive. Outside of school, she is also a certified Yoga Sculpt instructor and is excited to support City Elementary’s mission to foster inclusive, student-centered learning.
E.V. Nora
E.V. Nora is a second-year MBA student at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Before Booth, E.V. taught through Teach For America at ReGeneration Schools in Englewood and later worked in business development at Memorang, an AI-powered EdTech startup. This past summer, she was a product management intern at American Express. EV holds a B.A. from the University of Southern California. The mission of City Elementary is deeply personal to her, as she supported many neurodiverse students as a classroom teacher.
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.
Josh Cohen
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.
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.
Muhan Lin
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).
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