History
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Umoja Student Development Corporation was formed in 1997 to link the educational efforts of Manley Career Academy High School to the broader community and to serve as an advocate for young people. As a model for school community partnership, Umoja provides the intensive services that most schools simply cannot.

Now at multiple schools across Chicago, Umoja demonstrates that young people in an under-resourced environment do improve their performance and motivation when engaged in meaningful learning and leadership opportunities coupled with long term relationships with adults.

Staff
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Upward Bound Coordinator
MARLEE BENTON | mbenton@umojacorporation.org |

College and Career Student Advocate
LIAM BIRD | lbird@umojacorporation.org |

Office Administrator
MIKE BOLSINGA | mbolsinga@umojacorporation.org |

Development Assistant
JAIME CALDER | jcalder@umojacorporation.org |

Chief Operating Officer
SHYRLDEN CARMICHAEL | scarmichael@umojacorporation.org |

Chief Executive Officer
TED CHRISTIANS | tchristians@umojacorporation.org | |

Partnership Development Director
JOYCE DEBRAH-SHEPPARD | jdebrah-sheppard@umojacorporation.org |

Partnership Development Specialist II
SHANTALL DELGIUDICE | sdelgiudice@umojacorporation.org |

Partnership Development Curriculum Specialist
SARAH-BESS DWORIN | sdworin@umojacorporation.org |

Student Advocate
KC GARVEY-HALL | kgarvey-hall@umojacorporation.org |

Upward Bound Academic Advisor
DARNELL HAMILTON | dhamilton@umojacorporation.org |

21st Century Community Learning Center Coordinator
NICOLE KEEN | nkeen@umojacorporation.org |

21st Century Program Student Advocate
INA KELLEHER | ikelleher@umojacorporation.org |

Development Coordinator
MARCIA KUNSTLER | mkunstler@umojacorporation.org |

Founder and Chief Partnership Development Officer
LILA LEFF | lleff@umojacorporation.org |

21st Century Program Student Advocate
RUTH LIN | rlin@umojacorporation.org |

Operations Manager
KATINA MONZON | kmonzon@umojacorporation.org |

Program Director
ANNA PETERSEN | aosterbur@umojacorporation.org |

Youth Advocate - Restorative Justice
KENNY RILEY | kriley@umojacorporation.org |

NEIU Intern
TUNISHA RUSH | trush@umojacorporation.org |

Upward Bound Director
CARL SIMIEN | csimien@umojacorporation.org |

Development Associate
MEREDITH SLATER | mslater@umojacorporation.org |

Partnership Development Specialist I
AUBRIE TOSSMANN | atossmann@umojacorporation.org |

Student Advocate Fellow
MARRISSA WASHINGTON | mwashington@umojacorporation.org |

College and Career Director
EASTER YOUNG | eyoung@umojacorporation.org |

Program Director - Goodman Senior Fellow
ILANA ZAFRAN | izafran@umojacorporation.org |

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Board
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President Betsy Westhoff	Business Partner Representative Marketing Consultant *
Vice President Ken Schmetterer	Business Partner Representative DLA Piper*
Vice President Melvin Hargrett	Business Partner Representative Chicago Police Department *
Treasurer Sharon Lindstrom	Business Partner Representative Protiviti Consulting *
Secretary Charles Twichell	Business Partner Representative Prince Charitable Trusts*
Nicole Beechum	Education Representative PhD Candidate, University of Chicago *
Becky Betts	Business Partner Representative Strategic Consultant*
Shannon Cullins	Business Partner Representative HomeFinder.com*
Steven Fortier	Business Partner Representative KPMG*
Joseph E. Garnett	Business Partner Representative Consultant*
Jimmy Harvard	Umoja Alumni Representative AmeriCorps City Year*
John Heiberger	Business Partner Representative The Private Bank*
Elizabeth Rizza	Business Partner Representative Boston Consulting Group*
Blake Sercye	Business Partner Representative Jenner & Block LLP*
Keisha Watson	Business Partner Representative ComEd*
Lila Leff	Founder and Chief Partnership Development Officer Umoja Student Development Corporation
Ex-Officio Ted Christians	Chief Executive Officer Umoja Student Development Corporation

*Professional affiliations are provided for informational purposes only.

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