Leadership 

The Three Pillars Initiative is a 501(C)(3) philanthropy service organization established by the founders, mentors, parents and students of the Future Philanthropists Program, the seminal Three Pillars program model, sponsored by the Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation since 2010.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS + Staff

PRESIDENT’S COUNCIL

ABOUT OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Rick is Chairman of Kittleman & Associates, LLC, an executive search firm devoted exclusively to the recruitment of nonprofit leaders, and creator of the Future Philanthropists Program and the Three Pillars Initiative.

Prior to purchasing Kittleman in 1985, he served as the first Executive Director of the Illinois Youth Service Bureau Association, a statewide association of 72 private and public youth agencies that provided counseling, substance abuse treatment and educational alternatives for youthful offenders. Prior to this, he served as the founding Executive Director of an independent, comprehensive community youth treatment agency affiliated with a suburban Chicago hospital

Rick earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology/Sociology from Illinois Wesleyan University, a Master of Social Work degree from Florida State University and a Master of Business Administration degree from Dominican University. He is the author of From Making a Profit to Making a Difference, the seminal book on career transition from the business sector to charitable sector leadership.

His nonprofit governance experience includes the Board of Directors of the Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation, the Board of Trustees of Dominican University and Illinois Wesleyan University, the Board of Directors of the First Nonprofit Insurance Companies, Board of Directors of the American Public Garden Association, and Co-founder and Life Member of Chrisholm Historic Farmstead in Ohio. He and his wife, Cheryl, lived in Oak Park for 41 years before relocating to Downtown Chicago in 2014.

With over 40 years’ experience in managing the delicate business relationship between the public and private sectors in issues as diverse as promotion of pharmaceutical products, anonymous HIV testing and emergency communications, Joe has established a reputation for honesty and integrity in both arenas. He has published and spoken extensively in the area of ethical business promotion.

Among his professional associations are memberships: Legatus: The League for Business Ethics, The American College of HealthCare Executives, The Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals, North American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Health Care Finance Management Association and the Modern Language Association of America.

Joe earned his B.S. degree at Villanova University and M.A. degree from the University of Pennsylvania and has served on the Board of Directors of The Georgia Doty Foundation and the Loretto Hospital Foundation. He has been a mentor for FPP since 2011. He and his wife, Dr. Annalynn Skipper, live in Oak Park.

John was a member of the first Future Philanthropists cohort beginning in 2011 and represented the group as speaker at the inaugural grant awards ceremony. He graduated from Oak Park and River Forest High School in 2012 before completing degrees in Economics and French at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

He is currently a Wealth Management Associate with Clune & Associates in Chicago. John holds the Certified Financial Planner® and Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor® designations and handles financial plans, trading, portfolio research, and client account reporting. He has a passion for helping clients identify optimal ways to reach their goals – a passion which he pursues in his philanthropic endeavors as well.

John took to heart the lessons learned as a student in the Future Philanthropists Program and has pursued a wide array of charitable ventures. Whether volunteering or organizing sponsorships for a major fundraiser, he has aimed to always stay involved in philanthropy. John also serves on the board of directors for the Young Irish Fellowship Club of Chicago.

Rabbi Barry Axler is a man with his feet firmly planted in both the secular and spiritual worlds. With over 40 years’ experience in the world of fiscal management, development, and ministry Barry brings balance, passion and pragmatic logic to every cause he adopts. All these qualities are wrapped in a joy for life exemplified by his self-effacing sense of humor that lightens any serious session by providing the tonic of calm that fosters positive outcomes.

Fulfilling his calling as a Rabbi, Barry tends to the spiritual needs of members of the community who reside in long-term care facilities, who are required to travel during times of religious significance and members of the faith in need of comfort and support.

Among his professional memberships and associations are President of Rotary One, Fifth Third Bank Community Advisory Board, Board of Directors of Facial Cranial Center, Silver Lining Foundation, Parliament of World Religion, Chicago Diabetes Project, Yad Sarah, Elem, Israel Association for Baseball. Active Membership in Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Rabbi Axler was educated at the Yeshiva University from which he holds lives in a BA Sociology & Rabbinical Ordination. Barry lives in  Chicago with his wife Morene. He has three children and eleven grandchildren.

Grace graduated from Oak Park and River Forest High School and was an Future Philanthropists Program (FPP) graduate in 2018. She is currently a student at Fordham University in New York City, majoring in Humanitarian Studies and minoring in both Psychology and Irish Studies.

While growing up in Oak Park, Grace was highly involved in various community initiatives during high school.  During her summers she served as a Camp Counselor, both at Camp Maclean in Burlington, Wisconsin, and more recently at YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park, Colorado. At Fordham, she is involved in student organizations that raise awareness and knowledge about various humanitarian crises and issues worldwide. She has interned for various organizations such as the American Osteopathic Foundation and the Woman’s Global Education Project.

She is passionate about public health, specifically reproductive health and the promotion of education as a tool to remedy various public health issues. Grace treasured her time as an FPP participant, and has greatly valued the lessons and tools that the program has given her. She is honored to be able to serve on the board of the Three Pillars.

Ms. Healy previously served as a Program Officer for Three Pillars Initiative. She is a graduate of Marquette University as well as an alumna of the Future Philanthropists Program. Ms. Healy accredits her time in FPP with inspiring her zeal for participating in the betterment of communities throughout the country. While the foundation of her philanthropic interests was built by the Future Philanthropists Program, she continued to live out the mission of the program while living in Milwaukee, WI during her college career. Throughout her time at Marquette she participated in a number of service organizations that allowed her to further realize her passion for community service and philanthropy. Upon graduating, Ms. Healy committed herself to working in a similar field and is thrilled to be a part of TPI and all that it has to offer.

Charlie graduated from Oak Park-River Forest High School and was a Future Philanthropists graduate in 2019. He is currently a student at the University of Denver, doubling majoring in International Studies & Public Policy with a minor in Leadership Studies. On-campus, Charlie is involved with the University of Denver Programming Board, Pioneer Leadership Program, and Undergraduate Student Government.  

In high school, Charlie was deeply involved in school leadership and engagement opportunities. While at OPRF, Charlie was involved in the student council and served as president his senior year, he also was a member of Model United Nations, the OPRF Leadership Program, and was a proud member of the Future Philanthropists Program. 

Passionate about civic engagement and community leadership, Charlie is honored to join the board of the Three Pillars Initiative and contribute to its mission-oriented goals and ambitions.

Tony is President and CEO of the Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation. The Foundation currently has assets in excess of $40 million and serves the two villages with a combined population of approximately 65,000 residents. Before joining the Foundation in 2018, Tony served as Director of Development for The Chicago Community Trust where he was instrumental in increasing the organizations assets by $1.6 billion.

Earlier in his career, Tony was with the American Bar Association, Museum of Science and Industry and the Chicago Cubs. He serves on the board of the Association of Fundraising Professionals – Chicago Chapter, Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement, The Resurrection Project and Future Leaders of Chicago. He is also the founder and chair of LEARN West Rogers Park, a collaboration of nonprofits, community leaders, and business leaders focused on building solutions to address the needs of Chicago’s West Rogers Park neighborhood.

Tony earned his BA degree in Marketing Communications from Columbia College. He is a 2014 Leadership Greater Chicago Fellow, a 2012 Fellow of Great Cities Institute at University of Illinois Chicago, and a 2008 graduate of Metropolitan Leadership Institute. In 2017, Tony received recognition for his work in nonprofits by Negocios Now in their annual Who’s Who in Chicago Hispanic Power magazine edition.

Maille is an FPP graduate in the class of 2015. She studied Environmental Science and Policy at the University of Maryland and graduated in spring 2019. She is passionate about creating a just and sustainable food system and is dedicated to seeing the end of factory farming in her lifetime.

After graduating, Maille joined the Good Food Institute, a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing alternatives to animal products, including plant-based, cultivated, and fermentation-derived proteins. She supports the Corporate Engagement department in engaging with food manufacturers, suppliers, retailers, investors, and foodservice companies to accelerate the global transition to alternative proteins.

Maille is excited to support the TPI in teaching the art, science, and business of philanthropy to students around the country, having experienced firsthand how empowering and fulfilling the FPP program is.

Peyton graduated from Oak Park & River Forest High School and was a member of the Future Philanthropists Program (FPP) Class of 2018. She then attended Boston College, and graduated in 2022 with a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies. At BC, she found a passion for causes supporting youth development. She joined the Board of the Eagle institute, a nonprofit which uses Model United Nations to promote civic and global awareness amongst high schoolers; and joined Big Sister Boston’s mentorship community. 

She currently works as a Litigation Case Assistant at Nutter McClennen and Fish LLP in Boston, where she supports attorneys in a variety of practice areas. 

Growing up in Oak Park, Peyton gained an appreciation for its active nonprofit and philanthropic community through her participation in FPP and other endeavors. 

She is honored to join the Three Pillars initiative and looks forward to advancing its mission and goals. 

Sydney graduated from Oak Park and River Forest High School and was an FPP graduate in the class of 2018. She is currently at Brown University majoring in public health administration. She spent her formative years in Oak Park where she developed her passion for community service. She worked with organizations supporting domestic violence awareness and also served as an after-school mentor for children in low income neighborhoods. Sydney was the first FPP graduate to serve on the TPI board of Directors, and is excited to continue exploring her interest in philanthropy at Brown.

Fran was a member of the 2014 FPP cohort. In 2018, she graduated from Swarthmore College with an Honors degree in Neuroscience. While at Swarthmore, she focused her volunteer efforts on coaching youth softball players and conducting instructional softball clinics for young women. Following her Swarthmore graduation, she returned to FPP to serve as the program’s Graduate Mentor during the 2018-19 academic year. 

Currently, she is a Research Specialist in the Kable Lab at the University of Pennsylvania. She is collecting data for a study that aims to discover more about how memory-guided-decision-making changes with age via brain scan technology (fMRI). Her future plans are to pursue a Ph.D. in Developmental Neuroscience.

She is grateful for the opportunity to be involved in TPI and thereby empower youth leaders across the country to have positive impacts on their communities.

Gavin has been apart of the Future Philanthropist Program since 2014. After graduation from Oak Park River Forest High School, he attended St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin. Gavin left high school with a familiarity of the endowment process and the impact it can have.  He decided to continue his non-profit momentum and worked his four college years in donor relations at the St. Norbert College Alumni Association.

Gavin currently lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and works in commercial real estate.

In his free time, he enjoys running, hiking, and music.

Brian is the founding partner of The Law Offices of Brian Ira Tanenbaum, Ltd.  Brian has been actively engaged in the practice of law for almost 40 years both in New York and Illinois.  His practice encompasses corporate, business, financing and commercial real estate transactions.   He also handles general business disputes, franchise litigation, contract litigation, fraud, recovery and enforcement litigation in both state and federal court and arbitration proceedings.  Brian also is involved in corporate reorganizations, business and real estate workouts and bankruptcies. 

Brian earned his B.A. degree at the Honors College at The University of Michigan with high distinction and high honors in American history.  He received his J.D. from Hofstra University School of Law in 1981.  Brian, and his wife Sharon, have lived in Deerfield since 1999.

Brian served as a mentor to Chicago high school juniors and seniors for several years with the Future Founders Foundation, a not-for-profit organization.  One of the principal goals of the Future Founders Foundation is to empower and build entrepreneurial skills in business for Chicago high school students. Brian served on the board of directors of First Colonial Bank Northwest, a subsidiary of First Colonial Bankshares Corporation for approximately five years. 

Alex graduated from Oak Park and River Forest High School and the Future Philanthropists Program in 2018.  He attended Tulane University, double majoring in Finance and Marketing with a minor in Film Studies. He currently works in Wealth Management at UBS. 

Alex has been active in his community and in leadership roles since high school — volunteering, starting clubs, mentoring children in after school programs, and serving as Philanthropy Chair and President of his fraternity.

Alex is honored to be included as a member of the TPI board and help to spread the ideals of an organization that meant so much to him. 

Staff

Serving as the Senior Program Officer, Remy works closely with Program Affiliates to provide ongoing assistance in program development and with local community leaders who want to establish a new Three Pillars program in their community. He provides the initial training of program coordinators and mentors and works with them on best practices in the delivery of their programs locally. He also collaborates with other national youth development organizations who share similar missions.

Remy is a 2015 graduate of the Future Philanthropists Program in Oak Park, Illinois and a founding member of the FFP Alumni Board. He received his BA from the University of Illinois in Global Studies with a concentration in Human Rights and Technological Entrepreneurship. He is currently a participant in the Leadership Lab sponsored by the Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation.

Contact Remy:

Email: rsheehan@threepi.org

Phone: 708-724-0232

PRESIDENT’S COUNCIL

Tracy is the Executive Director of the Oak Park Education Foundation and served as an FPP mentor from 2016-2018.  Prior to her current position, she enjoyed a career as a newspaper journalist including 12 years with the Chicago Tribune as an education reporter covering national policy and the Chicago Public Schools.  She also served as the director of program investments and partnerships for the Chicago Public Education Fund.  Early in her career, she was a senior project director for a STEM education grant at the University of Chicago.

She is a long-time volunteer/foster family for the Animal Care League.  She earned a BA degree in journalism and political science from San Diego State University.  She also attended the University of Chicago as a master’s degree student in the social sciences.  Her daughter, Jana, is an FPP Alumna, Class of 2016.

Risa has been an FPP mentor since 2018, and is currently an independent consultant, assisting non-profit organizations with fundraising, member acquisition, Board development and other issues.  Prior to that, she gained non-profit experience as a senior leader with United Way of Metro Chicago, where she managed development teams to cultivate and build relationships with corporations to assist them with year round engagement and fundraising, generating millions of dollars annually. 

With a background in financial services, Risa previously served as a senior leader in commercial, middle market and private banking with Citibank.  During her time as head of Community Relations there, she instituted programs and established mutually beneficial community partnerships that continue to this day. 

Risa’s governance experience includes Board membership with the Women’s Business Development Center and Ladies of Virtue youth development program.  She is currently a mentor in Future Philanthropist Program and an active member of the Chicago Chapter of The Links, Inc. For many years, she volunteered as a programmatic advisory to the Museum of Science & Industry’s “Black Creativity” program and as a member of the Housing Authority of Oak Park.  Risa has twice served as a mentor in the Chicago Urban League’s Impact Leadership Development Program and twice chaired the United Negro College Fund’s annual walkathon. She has chaired the Chicago Sinfonietta Ball and recently served on a sub-committee for then Governor-Elect Pritzker’s Transition Team. 

She received her B.A. in Economics from Northwestern University and her Masters of Management (MBA) from Northwestern’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management. 

Steve is President and CEO of Quick Leonard Kieffer, an executive search firm in the hospital and healthcare sector.

Before joining the firm, he served as President and CEO of the Muscular Dystrophy Association, the leader in the fight against muscular dystrophy and ALS through its funding of research, clinical care, support services and education.  Prior to this position, he served for 10 years as Chief Executive Officer of the American Cancer Society’s Illinois Division, one of the eleven separately incorporated divisions of Society.  Earlier in his career he held key management roles in the healthcare industry including Advocate Health Care, Lutheran General Hospital/EHS Healthcare and the Illinois Hospital Association.

Steve earned a BS degree from the University of Illinois and an MS degree in Health Systems Management from Rush University.  Steve is co-founder of Horizons for Youth, a Chicago scholarship and mentoring program serving 250 at-risk children from kindergarten through college graduation.  He also serves as a trustee of the International Association of Fire Fighters Charitable Foundation.

Joe is an FPP graduate in the class of 2015. He also served as a Super Mentor for incoming Freshmen at OPRF and made the Dean’s List and Honor Roll all four years. When he graduated, he went to the University of Colorado in Boulder to pursue a degree in Business Administration with an emphasis on Real Estate. For several summers he worked as a marketing coordinator and financial analyst for Marcus & Millichap, a national firm based in Calabasas, CA with an office in Downtown Chicago. In his senior year at Colorado, he served as an investment sales associate and became a licensed real estate broker in Illinois.

He officially joined the firm in May 2019 after graduating and now is responsible for underwriting and presenting marketing proposals for properties in excess of $100 million and assists investors nation-wide with acquisitions and dispositions of their income-producing properties. He is a member of the National Roti/Rodgers Group, a top performing team focusing on healthcare real estate.

“When I joined the Future Philanthropists Program, I quickly learned that I was part of something special. Being exposed to hands-on, real-world philanthropic experiences at such a young age was invaluable and something I would not have had the pleasure of experiencing any other way. After graduating from OPRF I sought to continue practicing the principles I learned and I am very fortunate to work in a firm that holds similar ideals in a high regard. I am honored to be in a position to give back to both the community and the organization that I owe so much to and I look forward to being a part of the Initiative’s continued growth and success.”

Scott is a marketing consultant and business entrepreneur.  His son, Jack, joined the Future Philanthropists Program in 2018.

Scott is the creator and founder Marketing Werks, a consumer-based marketing firm which he grew into a $100+ million-dollar company.  The firm developed strategy and execution for experiential marketing campaigns for some the world’s largest brands including Verizon, Walgreens, Hershey, LEGO, PlayStation and many others.  Prior to Marketing Werks, he worked in radio and television and as a music promoter.

Scott earned a BA degree and an MBA degree from Southern Illinois University.  He serves on the boards of the Southern Illinois University Alumni Association, Southern Illinois University Foundation, Entrepreneur Leaders In Philanthropy, Oak Park-River Forest Food Pantry and the Moller Family Foundation. 

Molly is a Senior Director of Development at the University of Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association where she raises money for the Wisconsin School of Business.  This position combines two of her passions; raising money and supporting UW Madison.  She served as an FPP mentor before she and her husband moved to Madison.  Her daughter, Demi, is a graduate of FPP, Class of 2016.

Prior to joining the University of Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association, she was the Director of Development at Hephzibah Children’s Association, a children’s residential center in Oak Park where she also served on the Board of Directors for ten years prior to her employment.

Molly earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from the Wisconsin School of Business and a Masters of Non-Profit Administration from North Park University.  Her nonprofit governance experience includes being a member of the fraternity and sorority external review committee, and the newly formed fraternity and sorority alumni group at UW Madison under the guidance of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs.

Myra served as an FPP mentor from 2014-2018 and has a distinguished career in community service. As a former educator, Myra has served more than 14 years in both public and parochial settings in the City of Chicago. Over the past 17 years she has devoted her time to raising and nurturing her children, and community service.

She has been devoted to giving to the community for much of her life in many roles. Myra served as 2013 Chair for the Museum of Science and Industry’s Black Creativity Annual Gala, an event that drew together more than 700 community members and raised over $450,000. Myra has served as a member of the Black Creativity Gala Committee for the past eight years in the role of Co-chair serving on the Dinner and Entertainment Committee and as former Chair for the Product Development Committee.

Myra has participated in Link Unlimited for 17 years as a sponsor.  She was a recipient of Link Unlimited’s highest honor, the Martin Luther King Jr. Award for Distinguished Service in 2009 for going above and beyond the call of duty as a sponsor/mentor.  She was Co-chair for the Annual Dream Keepers Gala in 2009 and 2010 and Chair of the auction committee from 2006-2010 hosting as many as 350 guests. She also served as Chair of the auction committee for the annual banquet for ten years.
 
Myra currently serves in her 7th term as President for Amity. Amity is a local organization dedicated to serving children in the Oak Park & River Forest School Districts providing needed items and services such as eye wear, dental and other needs. Myra just concluded her term as a Commissioner for the Village of River Forest’s Traffic and Safety Committee, having served for two years.

Myra has a Master of Arts degree in Administration and Supervision, Roosevelt University, a Master of Science degree in School Guidance and Counseling, also from Roosevelt University and a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from the Chicago State University.