Speakers

Pam Jensen serves as International Justice Mission (IJM) Director of Strategic Partnerships for the Midwest and is based in Chicago.  IJM was established in 1997 to address violence in developing countries.  Poverty alleviation cannot be attained without rule of law.  Common everyday violence afflicts far more of the global poor on a much larger scale and consistently frustrates and blocks their climb out of poverty.  IJM has 17 field offices and works with local investigators to rescue victims of violence, support survivors, strengthen law enforcement, and bring violent criminals to justice. 

Pam meets with supporters across the Midwest to provide opportunities for deeper engagement in the work of justice and frequently travels to speak at seminars, conferences and other settings to share IJM’s work around the world.  Before joining IJM, Pam was a staff member at the Presbyterian Church USA and was part of a new initiative to generate awareness and support for the denomination’s mission co-workers, and for 10 years was a sales and marketing executive at Comcast Networks. She currently serves as the President of the Board for Partners for Just Trade, an organization working to create fair trade justice.

Pam graduated with an MPA from American University and B.A. in Economics and Political Science from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. She and her husband, Rich, and their daughter, live in Lake Barrington, IL.

Join IJM in your city on the Freedom Project Tour.  Worship and discover how to live free, be free and set free.

Nan draws a line from George Washington’s Mount Vernon to Crow Island School. How do we look at our history through buildings? How has our view of history changed over time? How does this affect us in Winnetka and on a national level?

JODI MARIANO, PRINCIPAL URBAN DESIGNER, TESKA ASSOCIATES

Teska Associates is a community planning and landscape architecture firm based in Evanston, immediately across the street from  Rotary International. Jodi is a registered landscape architect and leads the firm’s urban design practice, including design for streetscapes, parks and plazas. Jodi is currently working with the Village of Winnetka to lead the Village’s Downtown Streetscape and Signage Master Plan.

DAVID SCHOON, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, VILLAGE OF WINNETKA

Since July 2017, David Schoon has been the Community Development Director for the Village of Winnetka.  Prior to coming to Winnetka, David was the Assistant Director for Development and Planning Services for the Village of Northbrook.  And before that David worked on planning and economic development issues for the City of Iowa City.   David was born and raised in Iowa where he completed his formal education at the University of Iowa with a Masters in Urban and Regional Planning and an MBA degree.

Richard Laible is an alumnus of Chicago’s world famous The Second City improvisational theater, founding member of The Annoyance Theater and on the House Team of Chicago’s iO Improv Theater. Richard takes what he’s studied and learned, the Rules of Improvisation (Presence, Active Listening & Yes…and) to share that knowledge to the business world in his talk entitled “Self IMPROVment.”

In this perception-changing, humorous and interactive exchange, Richard imparts his expertise in Being in the Moment, Paying Attention and Agreement to assist people in making both their work and home lives happier, more productive, exciting, all with less anxiety.

Sharon spent 8 years on Gift of Adoption’s National Board, serving 4 years as president, before rolling off the board to become Gift of Adoption's first Major Gifts officer four years ago.  Prior to that, she was the Development Director for the Chicago Chapter of Pratham USA. Sharon began her career as a management consultant with Booz, Allen and Hamilton (now Strategy&) based in Chicago, Tokyo and Hong Kong.  She holds a BA from Duke University and an MBA from Kellogg. Sharon and her husband live in Wilmette where they raised their three children, Mary, Pater and Renuka.

Gift of Adoption is a national nonprofit which provides U.S. parents the final funds needed to complete the adoption of vulnerable children in the U.S. and abroad.  Our grants prioritize children facing what might be their only chance of adoption:  sibling groups, children with medical needs, older children and children who might otherwise enter the U.S. foster care system.

Renee is Executive Director of the Family Service Center (FSC) located in Wilmette  FSC is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) mental health agency serving the communities of Wilmette, Glenview, Northbrook, and Kenilworth.  

Renee is Licensed Clinical Psychologist, who joined Family Service Center in 2014, bringing with her over fifteen years of clinical experience working with children and families. Dr. Dominguez earned her doctorate in Clinical Psychology, Child and Family Track, at the University of Houston in 2001. She completed her pre-doctoral internship at Baylor College of Medicine, and her post-doctoral fellowship at La Rabida Children’s Hospital, where she specialized in working with children, adolescents, and families who had experienced trauma. Dr. Dominguez came to Family Service Center most recently serving as the Clinical Director of the Chicago Child Trauma Center at La Rabida Children’s Hospital. At Family Service Center, Dr. Dominguez oversees clinical operations, provides supervision to staff, collaborates with community partners, and provides therapy to children, adolescents, adults, and families.