Board of Directors (click an image to see their bio) |
History 2022
New officers elected and two additional Board Members added; Melissa Maguire, our original Board Chair, stepped down from the board after three years of outstanding service 2020 One additional Board Member added 2019 Board expanded to include three additional Board Members 2018 Wingspan founded with three Board Members |
Officers
Chair - Maureen Kelly, LCSW |
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Psychotherapist and Consultant
Private Practice Former Executive Director Cathedral Counseling Center (1993-2018) Maureen has extensive experience in management of not-for-profit organizations and in clinical practice. In addition to her work at Cathedral Counseling Center and at the Women’s Chemical Dependence Program, she has held positions in psychiatry and addictions treatment at Rush, Northwestern, and Martha Washington Hospitals in Chicago, as well as Chelsea Community Hospital near Ann Arbor, MI. Prior to her career in social services, Maureen was a high school English teacher in Ann Arbor, MI. |
Secretary - Gordon Vance, ACSW, LCSW |
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Former Director of Programs
National Runaway Safeline 1999-2019 Former Associate Executive Director Teen Living Programs 1987-1999 Gordon has more than 35 years of social service experience in the areas of program development, staff development, and operational leadership. His direct service social work has been primarily with runaway, homeless and at-risk youth, and youth in the child welfare system. He has served on national and international boards and has presented workshops on trauma sensitive, solution focused crisis intervention, and emerging communication technology locally, nationally, and internationally. He increased the national awareness, response and services to victims of abuse as a founding member of The National Hotline Consortium, which included: The National Domestic Violence Hotline, National Center for Missing and Abducted Children, National Human Trafficking Hotline, ChildHelp Hotline, Victim Connect Hotline, and the Rape, Assault, Incest National Network. |
Members
Patricia M. Alvino, CPA, PC |
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President and Owner
Alvino & Associates LTD Pat was employed in Real Estate Management with a Pension Investment company while working her way through college. During her time there, she developed an understanding and affinity for the finances involved in Real Estate ownership and management. Upon passing the CPA exam Pat took a job in Public accounting at a CPA firm in Lincoln Park where she enjoyed working directly with three partners. At this firm, her true aspirations with working with local business were revealed. Pat desired more education in this field, and moved to a larger firm where she worked on auditing and tax, developing her skills for organization, documentation, problem solving and consulting. When the time was right and she had developed a strong command of her skills due to years of study and experience, Pat branched out on her own and created her brand Patricia Alvino, CPA, which later developed into Alvino & Associates ltd. To this day, the first motto “Your success is our main concern,” still acts as a driving motivation for the company. Once started the business grew quickly through referrals, word of mouth, and from her wide circle of family and acquaintances. |
Christopher Cotten, PhD, MSW, LCSW |
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Core Faculty in the Masters of Social Work Program
Walden University Former Assistant Professor of Social Work University of West Florida Chris’ direct service social work experience has been primarily in residential treatment of children and youth and mental health. He has worked with homeless and runaway youth, children in the child welfare system, people with HIV/AIDS, and homeless individuals with severe and persistent mental illness. He has extensive experience as a clinical consultant and trainer, working for Jeff Levy and Live Oak Chicago for more than a decade. He was also a research associate at Chicago’s Howard Brown Health Center, the largest LGBT health center in the Midwest. Chris was the Florida State Chapter National Association of Social Workers Social Work Educator of the Year in 2014. Since 2010 he has worked for Hearts in Motion, an Indiana-based NGO, in its humanitarian work in Guatemala. Chris resides in Guatemala City. |
Jeff Levy, LCSW, CTRS |
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Founder and Executive Director
The Wingspan Project Psychotherapist, Consultant and Trainer Jeffrey Levy, LCSW, LLC Former Co-Founder and CEO Live Oak, Inc. In addition to his work with The Wingspan Project, Jeff provides psychotherapy as well as consultation and training to other mental health professionals. His current practice is the newest professional iteration of a career that spans almost four decades: first as a recreation therapist with young people in foster homes and residential care and later with young people who had run away from home or were homeless. Even at the beginning of his career, he realized the impact of early and prolonged experiences of trauma. Later, he became a social worker and his work expanded to providing therapy to individuals, couples, families, and groups. He continues to work in a way that is trauma informed, LGBTQIA affirmative, intersectional, creative, and relational. <more> |
Bree Yoo-Sun McLuen, PsyD |
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Nacole Milbrook, PsyD |
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Chief Program Officer
Youth Guidance Expertise: Clinical Psychology, Teen Parenting, Community Behavioral Health, Professional Development, Non-Profit Leadership, Leadership Development, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Clinical Training Dr. Milbrook has more than 20 years of clinical experience with adults, families, and youth in various settings. Dr. Milbrook currently serves as Chief Program Officer at Youth Guidance, a youth serving organization that believes no matter what challenges a young person faces, they are more likely to succeed when they have many caring adults in their lives. Youth Guidance’s highly trained staff works directly with schools, parents and families to meet kids where they are—physically within schools, socially and emotionally—and help them break cycles of violence, overcome life and academic obstacles, make positive choices, and remain on the right path towards life success. In addition to that, provides consulting services and teaches adjunct at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology in the Forensic Psychology program. She serves on the boards of Illinois Collaboration on Youth (ICOY) and The Boulevard of Chicago. |
Armando Smith, LCSW |
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Director of Operations and Client Services
Housing Forward Psychotherapist Cathedral Counseling Center Former Associate Director of Healthcare and Clinical Operations Vital Bridges/Heartland Health Outreach Armando has more than 30 years of leadership and counseling experience with Chicago area agencies such as The Night Ministry, Teen Living Programs, Mile Square Health Center and AIDS Foundation of Chicago. He has served on the Board of Directors, as well as several Board Committees, of the Alliance to End Homelessness in Suburban Cook County. Armando has trained and consulted for the Office of Minority Affairs and as a Program Monitor for the Division of Administration for Children and Families of Department of Health and Human Services. He has also provided extensive training in the United States and abroad in such areas as Adolescent Health, Cultural Competency and LBGT issues. |
Rae Ann Van Pelt, DVM |
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Co-Founder and Owner
Family Pet Animal Hospital Rae Ann co-founded Family Pet Animal Hospital in 1990. She graduated with honors from the University of Illinois' College of Veterinary Medicine in 1987 and opened Family Pet with the goal of providing the highest quality veterinary care, which demands professionalism, compassion, and a personal touch. Additionally, she served on the board of directors for the Chicago Emergency and Specialty Center (now MedVet Chicago) as Vice President and subsequently as President from 2002 until 2015 to ensure patients had the best specialty and emergency care available to them. |
