Evelyn J. Diaz

Evelyn J. Diaz is the former President of Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights, a global anti-poverty and human rights organization based in Chicago that provides a comprehensive array of services to nearly half a million people annually in the areas of healthcare, housing, economic opportunity, and justice. Previously, Diaz was appointed by Mayor Rahm Emanuel to lead the City of Chicago’s Department of Family and Support Services, where she was responsible for administering an annual budget of $330 million to deliver social service programs to over 300,000 Chicagoans. Before joining Mayor Emanuel’s cabinet, Diaz was chief executive officer of the Chicago Workforce Investment Council, deputy chief of staff to former Mayor Richard M. Daley, and associate director of the Chicago Jobs Council. Currently, she serves as a board director of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Public Welfare Foundation, the Lab for Economic Opportunity at the University of Notre Dame, Beta Bank, and IFF (formerly Illinois Facilities Fund). She serves on numerous university and research institute advisory councils, as well as the Inclusion Council of the Obama Foundation. She received her graduate degree from the University of Chicago’s Crown School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice and her undergraduate degree in English from the University of Notre Dame.