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Board of Trustees

We are proud to have a dedicated Board of Trustees who are passionate ambassadors for Merit and music education. Business leaders, artists, innovators, as well as Merit alumni and parents—this group of dedicated volunteers supports our mission by contributing their skills in various ways.

Trustee Officers

Julie Baumeister
board Chair

Julie Green Baumeister*

Ernst & Young LLP

What inspires you to be a Merit Board member?

I was introduced to Merit by another long-time board member who invited me to be his guest at the Merit gala. I will never forget how incredibly moving it was to listen to the talented Merit students perform and hear their stories of how the opportunity to study music and to be a part of the Merit community had changed their lives in sometimes dramatic ways. I instantly knew this was an organization that I wanted to become involved with and soon thereafter started my journey as a Merit parent and board member.

Charlie Huebner
Immediate Past Chair

Charles K. Huebner*

RCP Advisors

What inspires you to be a Merit Board member?

I’m inspired by a desire to perpetuate the amazing mission that has been followed for over 40 years; along with the opportunity to innovate and meet challenges that are unique to today’s environment.

Ryan Devore
Vice Chair

Ryan DeVore*

William Blair & Company

What inspires you to be a Merit Board member?

Seeing young, talented, impressive musicians and students find success and pride and confidence in their abilities. Human spirit and finding the discipline to become great are truly inspiring.

Thomas Linguanti
Vice Chair

Thomas V. Linguanti*

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP

Jennifer Montague
Vice Chair

Jennifer Montague*A

NiSource

What’s your favorite Merit moment?

My favorite Merit moment was at the Conservatory graduation in 2018. I got to award a college scholarship to a student I had driven to Merit for the past three years—a youth choir member at my church.

Michael Andrews
Treasurer

Michael Andrews*

Reynolds Consumer Products, LLC

How were you introduced to Merit?

While I was at PepsiCo, a colleague and I began discussing personal passions and we discovered a shared interest in music.  She had just gotten involved with the Associate Board at Merit and invited me to a fundraiser at the House of Blues.  After hearing students perform and talking with members and staff, I was instantly hooked! I joined the Associate Board a few weeks later.

Marisela Rosales Lawson
Secretary

Marisela Rosales Lawson*

PwC

Andrew Scroggins
Associate Board Representative

Andrew Scroggins

Seyfarth Shaw LLP

What’s your favorite Merit moment?

As an Associate Board member, my favorite moment was the first Play On event, with a performance by The JuJu Exchange. This was a new event for the AB and generated a lot of positive momentum that continues to this day. As a Merit parent, my favorite moments include watching my son at piano recitals, playing with a jazz combo, and standing up to take his first solo.

Trustees

Susan S. Aaron

DePaul University; Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development

Duffie A. Adelson

Merit School of Music (ret.)

Sonia Antolec

The 1937 Group

David P. Bolger

Civic Leader

JeNyce Boolton

US Bank

Jeffrey Breslow

Jeffrey Breslow Sculpture

Binta Niambi Brown

Manatt Entertainment

Nick W. Bubnovich

Willis Towers Watson (ret.)

Dr. Huan J. Chang

University of Illinois-Chicago & Jesse Brown VA Medical Center

Carol Clavadetscher*

Feeding America

Samuel H. Ellis

Samuel H. Ellis & Co.

Ginny Foreman

Civic Leader

Peter B. Foreman

Sirius Partners, LP

Jason Gatchell

JPMorgan Chase

Dr. Derrick GayA

Diversity and Inclusion Strategist

Joseph B. Glossberg*†

Gofen and Glossberg, LLC

Howard L. Gottlieb*†

Glen Eagle Partners (ret.)

Janice Honigberg

Sun Belle Inc.

Jeremiah S. James

Edward R. James Partners, LLC

Emily T. Knight, Ph.D.

Clinical Psychologist

Thomas Leopold

Bank of America (ret.)

J. Barry Mitchell

ComEd (ret.)

Cynthia Mufarreh

CAM Comm

Joe MusselmanA

BVVC

Shelley Ochab

Civic Leader

Edward H. Oppenheimer

Oppenheimer Family Foundation

Nishad Parmar

Loud Capital

Ellard L. Pfaelzer, Jr.*†

The Bruss Company

John L. Powell

People Advisory Services

Michael J. Powers

Howard and Howard

Abiman Rajadurai

McDonald’s Corporation

Raymond L. Rusnak

Financial Investments Corporation

David Schulz

Salucro Healthcare Solutions

Julie K. Stapel

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP

Nina G. Stillman*

Morgan, Lewis and Bockius, LLP (ret.)

Susie Pfaelzer Sultan

Advocate Health Care

Thomas H. Stone

Stone Capital Group, Inc.

David P. Thomas*

Bright Horizons Family Solutions (ret.)

Richard L. Thomas

First Chicago NBD Corp. (ret.)

Dr. Jennifer TurnerA

Sony Pictures Entertainment

Jennifer Vianello

CARS Inc.

John F. Young*

Norton Rose Fulbright US

Anqi Zhang

William Blair & Company

* Executive Committee
† Life Trustee: Life Trustees are individuals who have served at least four terms as a Regular Trustee and have given outstanding service to Merit.
A Merit Alumni
# Associate Board Representative