With more than 300 members, the Emerging Leaders community is a dynamic cross-sector network of Chicago’s visionary, globally minded, locally committed leaders.
Mary Barnicle oversees regulatory policy development for Prime Air, Amazon's commercial drone delivery service. Previously, she held the position of managing director of regulatory affairs at United Airlines, where she advocated for the company’s interests before multiple government regulatory agencies, particularly regarding taxation and economic liberalization.
Mika Clark Tupy is Managing Director - Alliances at United Airlines where she oversees the global strategic direction for United’s Alliance Operations team which strives for a seamless customer experience across United and its partners’ networks and is responsible for the development of partnerships with Pacific and Latin American based airlines to support United’s global network.
Aileen Furlong Caffrey leads premier programs and global air partnerships at Southwest Airlines. Previously, while under her leadership at United Airlines, Mileage Plus was named Best Elite-Level Program in the Americas for the second straight year at the Frequent Traveler Awards, as well as Best Frequent Flyer Program by Global Traveler magazine.
Jeanne Gang, a 2011 MacArthur Fellow and member of the 2011 class of the Council's Emerging Leaders Program, is the principal architect of Studio Gang Architects, a Chicago-based firm that has been recognized internationally for its innovation in design. She also serves as an adjunct professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology and has been a visiting professor at Harvard, Yale, and Princeton.
At the Cook County Land Bank Authority, Kenneth Gilkes Jr. spearheads strategic planning and policy execution to enhance operational efficiency in asset management. Previously, he managed economic development funds for the City of Chicago and oversaw a $1.8 million budget for the U.S. House of Representatives 2nd Congressional District of Illinois.
Francisco Gonzalez-Pulido is currently the founder and principal at FGP Atelier. Previously, in his 15 years at the international architectural firm JAHN, he designed and built projects on four continents. He shared the design leadership of the firm's work with the internationally acclaimed architect Helmut Jahn.
At the Cook County Assessor's Office, Kelwin Harris leads public participation and stakeholder outreach for nearly two million property owners. Previously, he was a senior outreach planner with the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) where he led outreach for Chicago's official regional plan, ON TO 2050, and helped communities find more equitable solutions to improve quality of life.
Mike Lombardo is principal, managing broker, and attorney for Blue Star Properties, which owns over one million square feet of office, entertainment, retail, and industrial properties in Chicago. Notable projects include The National, a historic 600,000-square-foot property in the Loop, the recently transformed Salt Shed, Thalia Hall, as well as multiple office properties and restaurants.
Justin P. Oberman is a recognized expert and industry leader in aviation/aerospace, homeland security, and identity management. His 27-year career includes service in government, founding a tech company, and advising investors and management teams. After 9/11, he helped set up the TSA and later served as an assistant administrator and senior executive at the Department of Homeland Security.
Joseph Seliga practices in state and local government law with a focus on major infrastructure public-private partnership transactions. He's advised on the leases of the Chicago Skyway Toll Bridge and the Indiana Toll Road, which received the Project Finance North American Transport Deal of the Year Award, as well as many other projects in the United States and abroad.
