CHICAGO, IL — The University of Chicago Center for Effective Government (CEG) recently welcomed a cohort of 25 senior leaders from Chicago Public Schools (CPS) to the University’s Harris School of Public Policy for the third year of its Executive Leadership Seminar Series—an innovative partnership between CEG and CPS that provides immersive, multi-disciplinary leadership training to senior-level staff at CPS.
The Seminar Series, which is comprised of four day-long sessions held over six weeks, seeks to develop skills for CPS staff to lead their departments, other leaders, and the organization as a whole. Participants will engage in sessions on topics of leadership capacity, negotiation, persuasion, resilience, communication, and more, taught by leading University of Chicago faculty and experienced practitioners from the field.
“As we work to strengthen our democratic institutions and pursue more effective governance, it’s essential to invest in thoughtful leaders who can serve as problem-solvers, reformers, and advocates,” said Sadia Sindhu, Executive Director of the Center for Effective Government. “Through this partnership with CPS, CEG is able to uplift the leaders doing pivotal work to support the public education system, bringing them into contact with a rich curriculum and world-class faculty.”
The Seminar Series was designed by CEG specifically for Chicago Public Schools, and builds on the success of the Civic Leadership Academy, CEG’s flagship leadership development and training program for local government and non-profit leaders. The Academy, now in its eleventh year, boasts over 300 fellows and alumni who hold key leadership positions across Chicago and Cook County’s civic sector.
Through this partnership, both CEG and CPS hope to emphasize the importance of investing in a diverse group of high-quality leaders, and the potential for such an investment to make a direct impact on students and families in Chicago.
“We’re proud to continue our partnership with the Center for Effective Government to invest in the development of our senior leadership team,” said CPS Chief Talent Officer Ben Felton (CLA’18). “To deliver the best outcomes for our schools and students, our leaders must continually grow their skills, mindsets, and capacity to lead in a complex system. As an alumnus of the Center’s Civic Leadership Academy — a program closely aligned with our Executive Leadership Seminar Series — I’ve experienced firsthand how transformative this kind of development can be. This opportunity will strengthen our leadership bench and help drive the continuous improvement we need to ensure every student in every neighborhood receives a high-quality education. We're also grateful to the Crown Family Foundation for their continued support of this important investment in our staff.”
Members of the third cohort were selected by Chicago Public Schools for the Seminar Series from a wide range of eligible employees across CPS departments and functions who applied to participate. Thanks to a grant from Crown Family Philanthropies to Children First Fund, the Chicago Public Schools Foundation, the three-year program is fully funded at no cost to CPS, CEG, or individual participants.
“I am excited and honored to be selected for this exceptional learning opportunity,” said Series cohort member Angela Sims, Executive Director of Professional Learning. “Participation in the cohort will provide the space to push my thinking as a leader while gaining time to grow with colleagues from across CPS.”
The 2025 staff cohort of the CPS Executive Leadership Seminar Series includes:
Kyle Alston; Director, Information Technology for Network Services, Department of Information and Technology Services
Toni Copeland; Director, Student Supports & Violence Prevention, Office of School Safety and Security
Syreeta Gordon-Brown; Director, Professional Learning, Office of Network Support
Patricia Hernandez; Chief Procurement Officer, Department of Procurement
Colleen Kozubowski; Director, Internal Communications, Office of Communications
Peter Leonard (CLA’17); Executive Director, Department of Student Assessment and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support
Alexandra Lopez; Director, Accountability & Engagement, Family and Community Engagement in Education
Leticia Lopez; Deputy Chief, Procurement, Department of Procurement
Letitia McGee; Director, Business Operations, Office of College and Career Success
Ria Mehta; Executive Director, Training & Leadership Development, Talent Office
Simone Moseley (CLA’16); Executive Director, Office of Student Support and Engagement
Brendan Perry; Director, Policy, Ethics, & Records, Department of Education Policy and Procedures
Caleb Rehberg; Director, Facilities Management Operations, Facilities Management Department
Shruti Saxena; Program Director, Talent Office
Angela Sims; Executive Director, Professional Learning, Office of Teaching and Learning
Tyese Sims; Executive Director, JROTC, Department of JROTC Leadership
Anne Marie Spehar; Director, Enterprise Change Management, Department of Information and Technology Services
Jasmine Thurmond; Director, Local School Councils Principal Supports, Department of Principal Quality
Conrad Timbers-Ausar; Deputy Chief, Office of Portfolio Management
César Torruella; Executive Director, Department of Arts Education
Heidi Truax; Executive Director, Office of School Counseling and Postsecondary Advising
Suzana Ustabecir; Director, Teacher & Principal Evaluation, Talent Office
Erin Washington; Executive Director, School Resource Strategy, Office of Budget and Grants Management
Amy Weiss; Executive Director, English Learner Instructional Development, Office of Multilingual, Multicultural Education
Kin Wong (AB’05); Director, Department of Procurement
Press contact: Megan Busbice, Program Associate, Center for Effective Government