Leadership Greater Chicago Welcomes New Leadership to Board

Leadership Greater Chicago (LGC), the region’s premier civic leadership development organization, proudly announces the election of Melissa Y. Washington, Senior Vice President of Customer Operations and Strategic Initiatives at ComEd, as its new Board Chair and John C. Robak, former Chairman and CEO of Greeley and Hansen, to its Board of Directors. Washington has served on the board since 2018. She succeeds Michelle Stohlmeyer Russell, Ph.D., Managing Director and Senior Partner at BCG, as Chair of the Board of Directors.

“We are forever grateful for Michelle’s service and leadership during Leadership Greater Chicago’s CEO transition and period of strategic positioning,” said LGC Chief Executive Officer Myetie Hamilton. “Both Melissa and John bring a deep commitment to social change that aligns with the mission of Leadership Greater Chicago. We are proud to welcome them to their new roles on the LGC board and look forward to working with them to advance civic leadership within the Greater Chicago Region.”

Washington, an LGC Fellow since 2016, will guide the board in strategy, governance and fund development, collaborating with LGC leadership to continue the legacy of driving transformative civic impact across the Greater Chicago region. Washington is a board member of the Metropolitan Planning Council, the Civic Consulting Alliance and the Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center. Washington earned her MBA from Keller Graduate School of Management and a Bachelor of Arts degree in finance from Lewis University.

“I am deeply honored to be elected as Board Chair of Leadership Greater Chicago. As an LGC Fellow, I understand how this organization is in fostering bold leaders for transformative civic impact,” said Washington. “Leadership Greater Chicago’s mission of connecting and mobilizing inspiring leaders aligns perfectly with ComEd’s dedication to community service and civic engagement. I look forward to working with Myetie and our LGC network to drive positive change in our communities.”

Robak's extensive business experience, coupled with his work in philanthropy and civic engagement, will bolster LGC’s efforts to develop a strong pipeline of civic leaders to shape an equitable future for the greater Chicago region.

"As a Daniel Burnham Fellow, I recognize the transformative role Leadership Greater Chicago plays in activating cross-sector leaders to address the most significant socioeconomic issues," he said. “I am thrilled to join the LGC Board of Directors and contribute to its mission of advancing civic leadership and driving positive community change throughout our region.”

Robak currently serves on the board of World Business Chicago, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and the Goodman Theatre. He is also the Chairman of the Chicago State Foundation Board of Directors and the current Chairman of the Community Policing Advisory Panel with the Chicago Police Department. Robak is the founding Chairman and the current Immediate Past Chair of the Chicago Police Foundation. Robak holds an MBA from Loyola University Chicago and a Bachelor of Science in Commerce and Communications from DePaul University.

About Leadership Greater Chicago
Leadership Greater Chicago (LGC) is the region’s premier civic leadership development incubator, delivering the knowledge and network to lead bold, transformative change. LGC convenes, connects, and activates the area’s most promising leaders around key socioeconomic issues through dynamic education and experiential activities. These diverse individuals represent the most prominent corporate, nonprofit, government, and education organizations.

LGC creates connectivity among its Fellows to positively impact not only themselves but their employees, their constituents, their clients, their neighbors, and their families. This connectivity is the backbone and strength of the LGC network, enabling leaders to leverage collective resources to make the Greater Chicago Region a more dynamic, inclusive, and collaborative community.

LGC Fellows are a distinguished group that includes former First Lady Michelle Obama; Managing Partner of Emerson Collective and former U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan; former Executive Chairman of Urban Partnership Bank David Vitale; Co-CEO and Chief Investment Officer of Ariel Investments John Rogers, Jr.; General Partner of Henry Crown & Company Steve Crown; Managing Partner at Cleveland Avenue Andy Zopp; Deputy Governor for Health and Human Services for the State of Illinois Grace Hou; Chairman, Commissioner of the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities Rachel Arfa; President of United Airlines Holdings, Inc. Brett Hart; Chancellor of Chicago City Colleges and MacArthur Genius Juan Salgado; President and CEO of Metropolitan Family Services Ric Estrada; and President and CEO of Access Living Karen Tamley.

Leadership Greater Chicago is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. To learn more, visit: lgcchicago.org.