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.

Lynn

Co-Chair Emeritus of POWER-PAC IL and Elementary Justice Campaign Co-Chair

Lynn is the Co-Chair Emeritus of POWER-PAC IL and Co-Chair of POWER-PAC IL’s Elementary Justice Campaign.  She is a long-time Restorative Justice practitioner and expert acting as Coordinator of the COFI-supported Austin Peace Center, a restorative justice pilot project that previously operated in seven Chicago public schools, as well as a national expert who has represented COFI on the Coordinating Committee of the Dignity in Schools Campaign. A mother of one who also helped raise her nephews, she comes from a long line of advocates for social justice, with her work in POWER PAC reflecting a lifelong dedication to equity, empowerment, and systemic change. Lynn is proud to be a parent leader, church activist, adjunct professor at the McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago, IL, and founder of Women of God’s Design Ministry.

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.

Arisbeth

Evanston Branch Delegate

Arisbeth has been an Evanston resident for over 23 years, and is a mother of three children. She has been involved with COFI for over five years, where she has received tools to develop her leadership skills and continue achieving her goals. Arisbeth loves to decorate, and is part of a pilot program for entrepreneurs where she is using her decorating skills.

Cornelia

Chicago Southside Branch Delegate

Cornelia is a Delegate for the Chicago South Side Branch and has been a part of POWER-PAC IL since 2010. She is a proud godparent and great aunt, and a long-time COFI Early Learning Ambassador involved in various communities helping parents enroll their children in early learning programs. She feels it’s important to spread the word about great resources in all neighborhoods about the importance of children getting a great start in life as well as other programs that have a great impact on their day-to-day essential living such as housing and food. She believes that parents should have a say in how their children are educated and taught leadership skills through their schools, family, and community organizations.

Clarence

East St. Louis Branch Delegate

Clarence is a delegate for the East St. Louis Branch and has been a part of Parents United for Change for four years. As a father of seven kids, his main concerns reflect two of the major issues pursued by Parents United for Change over the past 13 years – access to food for all families, especially school lunches for the children of School District 189 (East St. Louis) and student transportation. He believes in the importance of parent voice.

Elizabeth

Evanston Branch Delegate

Elizabeth has been living in Evanston for the last five years. She loves her community because it has a lot of programs for the Latino community, including COFI. The COFI model has helped her to develop her leadership skills in the past three years. Elizabeth is completing COFI’s Phase 3: Policy & Systems Change training and advocates with parents statewide on issues impacting children and families. She is passionate about mental health and listening to people’s needs, and serves as a representative on the Mental Health Justice and Equity committee with POWER-PAC IL, and as a mental health ambassador in her community.

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

Gabriela

Chicago Southwest Delegate

Laura

Elgin Branch Delegate

Laura is a Delegate for the Elgin Branch and has been a part of POWER-PAC IL since 2014. She is a proud mother of 2 kids. She believes deeply in the promise that education, equality, and unity is offered to every child in this nation. Laura values the opportunities her children have as U.S.-born citizens, and is committed to teaching them that their heritage is a strength, their education is a pathway, and their responsibility is to help build a more just, united, and compassionate future for this country. Laura believes that when children of all races learn, work, and grow together, they become the leaders who shape a stronger nation for generations to come.

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.

Yolanda

Chicago Westside Branch Delegate

Yolanda is a Delegate for the Chicago Westside Branch and has been a part of POWER-PAC IL since 2013. She has previously served as Co-Chair of POWER-PAC IL’s Early Learning Campaign and has devoted many years to equal access for early childhood programs as well as K-12 education. She is a proud mother of a diverse learner who is a graduate of Michele Clark High School in the Austin community. After spending 25 years in retail and the fashion business, Yolanda became involved in early learning as a Headstart delegate during a time when her daughter needed to transition schools. With her daughter now in college, Yolanda continues to speak up for the importance of parents’ involvement in their children’s early learning, and is an advocate for educational transitioning. She believes parents have a unique insight they could offer to those who make impactful policy decisions, especially if they don’t have children of their own.