POWER-PAC IL Executive Committee and Governing Council

Gloria

Co-President and East St. Louis Branch Delegate

Gloria is the Co-President of POWER-PAC IL and has been a member of Parent United for Change (PUFC) in East St. Louis since 2016; a Chapter Organizer for Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice since 2019; and a member of the Executive Board of Brightpoint IL. She believes that parents have the power and the right to use their voice. One of PUFC’s most significant victories was fighting and winning the passage of HB5195 and securing bus transportation for every student in School District 189, which has never been done in the US. Gloria is a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, and is dedicated to her community.

Susana

Co-President and Mental Health Justice and Equity Campaign Co-Chair

Susana is Co-President of POWER-PAC IL and has been a parent leader since 2010. She has been the Co-Chair of the Early Learning Campaign, part of her school network’s Bilingual Parents Advisory Council and Parent Action Council, and is currently an Early Learning Ambassador, a Family Leader with Raising Illinois, and a member of the Local School Council at Otis Elementary School. She is a mother of three children and lives in West Town in Chicago. Susana enjoys advocating for changes for future generations and making sure that the voices of Latino and African American communities are heard.

Charlene

Vice President (Chicago) and Chicago Southside Branch Delegate

Charlene of Kenwood is a Delegate of SPUR (Southside Parents United Roundtable) and has been in POWER-PAC IL for 10+ years. She has seven children and many grandchildren. She works as a nurse at Northwestern Hospital in labor and delivery and has helped welcome babies into the world for 25 years. She has served as Co- Chair of the Elementary Justice Campaign and was a Peace Keeper at Reavis Elementary, helping end the school-to-prison pipeline by limiting out of school suspensions. She has been a Head Start Ambassador with COFI for many summers, sharing her wisdom with her teammates.

Marisol

Vice President (Out of Chicago) and Aurora Branch Delegate

Marisol is a Vice President of POWER-PAC IL, an Aurora Branch Delegate, and has been a member of POWER-PAC IL since 2017. Marisol is part of the Bilingual Parents Advisory Council representing her children’s school in SD131 Aurora. She is currently representing parents at the Raising IL Cross Systems Coalition. She is an active member of the Kane County Parent Council, supporting families and facilitating Parent Cafes. Originally from Durango, Mexico, she is married and has five children.

Delia

Vice President (Chicago) and Chicago North/Northwest Branch Delegate

Delia is a Vice President of POWER-PAC IL and Delegate for the North/Northwest Branch. She is a proud mother and grandmother. Delia is a fierce advocate around economic security issues and the racial wealth gap, as well as access to early learning and removing police from schools. Delia was a team leader for the Early Learning Ambassador project in 2022 and has also been active as a vaccine outreach ambassador. She is a Survivor Moms Companion (SMC) tutor with POWER-PAC IL’s work around mental health on Chicago’s Westside and also serves as a Parent Leader with BRIDGES, a mental health advocacy group also on the Westside.

Donna

Early Learning Campaign Co-Chair

Donna is a lifelong Englewood resident who attended her first COFI training in 2006. She has been actively involved in the Stepping Out of Poverty Campaign (particularly within the Utilities Affordability sub-campaign) and Early Learning Campaign since joining COFI. In 2021, Donna played a pivotal role in passing Senate Bill 265, which expanded access to a utility affordability program, and spoke at the press conference with Governor J.B. Pritzker. That same year, she was one of five COFI mother leaders selected to be part of a national women’s economic security fellowship. Donna has six adult children and three grandchildren.

Adriana

Elementary Justice Campaign Co-Chair

As the new Co-Chair for the Elementary Justice Campaign, Adriana is excited to bring her decades-long experience as a community leader and mother navigating the education system. Adriana is a member of the Elgin branch of POWER-PAC IL. She has lived in the community for over 15 years, where she raised three daughters who are graduates of U-46 schools. Supporting her daughters through their educational journeys taught Adriana how important it is for children to have access to an excellent education to achieve academic and professional success. As a prominent leader in the Elgin community, Adriana has spearheaded community efforts in education, immigration, health access, and women’s issues. She currently also coordinates the Mujeres Latinas Unidas en Arte y Bienestar project in Elgin, creating a healing and connection space in Spanish for Latina women. In her new leadership role, Adriana hopes to continue advocating for equality and children’s rights in schools, so that all children have access to equitable resources and opportunities that prepare them for lifelong success.

Michelle

Stepping Out of Poverty Campaign Co-Chair

Michelle is the Stepping Out of Poverty Campaign Co-Chair and has been involved in POWER-PAC IL since 2008. She joined POWER-PAC IL because she wanted to learn to be a part of the fight before she had to fight. She is a proud mother of one teenage daughter. Michelle is an advocate for early childhood education and was an Early Learning Ambassador for many years. For the last few years, she has worked in the call center, helping parents decide and find a school for their children. Since joining POWER-PAC IL, she has worked diligently as Co-President, as a member of the Mental Health Justice and Equity Campaign (formerly the Health, Food and Recess campaign), and as a Delegate for the Westside Branch.

Liliana

Stepping Out of Poverty Campaign Co-Chair

Liliana is the Co-Chair of the Stepping Out of Poverty Campaign and an active parent leader in Aurora with Padres Lideres Activos. She also serves on the COFI Board of Trustees. Locally, Lili is also the President of the Oak Park School Neighbors group and President of the Bilingual Parents Advisory Council of District 131. In 2021, she joined four COFI mother leaders as part of a national fellowship focused on closing the women’s wealth gap. Originally from Mexico, she is a proud mother of three and recently became a grandmother.

Rosalia

Early Learning Campaign Co-Chair

Rosalia is Co-Chair of the Early Learning Campaign. As the Co-Chair, Rosalia hopes to continue to advocate to expand childcare access to every community and ensure high-quality early childhood services for all of Illinois. She has served as a parent ambassador, generating interest in her neighborhood in community solar projects and enrolling young children in Head Start. She has also advocated for making more mental health resources available to families. Originally from Mexico, she is a proud mother of two young girls. Photo credit: Esther Yoon-Ji Kang/WBEZ Chicago

Stacey

Mental Health Justice and Equity Campaign Co-Chair

Stacey is the Mental Health Justice and Equity Campaign Co-Chair and has been involved in COFI and POWER-PAC IL since 2013. She first joined COFI as a walking school bus parent and later joined POWER-PAC IL because of her passion for helping families from low-income backgrounds. Additionally, she wanted to advocate for children and families and ensure low-income communities got the resources they needed to thrive. She has served as a Delegate for the Chicago North/Northwest Branch and is also involved in the Elementary Justice and Early Learning Campaigns. Stacey is a proud mother of four adult sons.

María 

Aurora Branch Delegate

María is a prominent community leader and new Delegate for the Aurora, Illinois, Branch of COFI/POWER PAC Illinois. Committed to the well-being of her family and community, María is a member of the Kane County Health Department System of Care Parent Council and an active advocate for public policies that benefit families. Through her work at COFI/POWER PAC IL, she has driven local and statewide change, focusing on parent unity as a driver of social justice transformation. María takes advantage of every educational opportunity to better support her community. Her vision is to empower future generations, helping them overcome barriers and achieve a better future. María firmly believes that the collective strength of parents is key to creating lasting change. María has two daughters and began her leadership within COFI back in 2020.

Sherita

Chicago Westside Delegate

Lucy

Elgin Branch Delegate

Lucy is a Delegate for Elgin Padres con Poder, the Elgin branch of POWER-PAC IL. Lucy has lived in Elgin for 32 years and is the proud mother of two sons. She began her journey as a community leader in 2005 when she became active in the U-46 Bilingual Parent Advisory Council. Since then, Lucy has continued to grow as a leader, collaborating on projects with various local agencies like Ecker Center, Chicago Workers Collaborative, Hamilton Wings, Gail Borden Public Library, Elevating Equity, and District U-46. Lucy cares deeply about health and immigration justice, and she continues to advocate for these issues as a member of the Kane County Health Department Parent Council, a partnership with COFI. Lucy is committed to building leadership in others and advocating for the Latino and immigrant community in Elgin.

Maria

Chicago Southwest Branch Delegate

Maria, known as Doña Mari to many, is an active parent leader from Cicero and a Chicago Southwest Branch Delegate. She has been a part of POWER-PAC IL for over 25 years and has participated in many projects, starting with the Health, Food, and Recess Campaign (now renamed as the Mental Health Justice and Equity Campaign). She has also been active in Head Start and COVID vaccine ambassador efforts. She’s a proud mother of eight grown children, 16 grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren. She’s passionate about helping the community.