President
Linda Campbell
1st Vice President, By-laws & Strategic Planning
Erin Quinn
2nd Vice President, Membership
Megan Panje-Wilson
3rd Vice President, Publicity
Mindy Purcell
Treasurer
Julie Largay Drewniak
Corresponding Secretary
Alison Randall
Development/ Outreach Secretary
Shawna Radzik
Ex-Officio
Mary Ellen Cagney
Gayle Spruance
2021 Gala Co-Chairs
Caroline Betsill
Elizabeth Stucker
2021 Luncheon Co-Chairs
TBD
The September Gala
Since its inception, the Woman’s Board has worked diligently to raise funds supporting the services of Children’s Home & Aid through its annual September Gala. Through the leadership of Mrs. Potter Palmer, the first Woman’s Board president, the initial September Gala in 1920 raised an extraordinary $30,000 and was attended by 300 guests. Since 1920, the Gala has raised millions of dollars to support the organization’s life-saving work.
Dedication to Early Childhood Care and Education
The Woman’s Board has been dedicated to the Chicago community with its long-standing commitment to the Mitzi Freidheim Englewood Child & Family Center which has helped to expand programs for children and families on Chicago’s South Side since 2007.
The Woman’s Board’s dedication to the provision of quality early childhood care and education extends beyond Chicago’s city limits. The Marletta Darnall Schaumburg Child & Family Center opened in 2009, and with the generous support of the Woman’s Board has ensured the provisions of early childhood and school readiness, crisis intervention, and parental support to vulnerable children and families of the Schaumburg Community.
Due to the generosity of former Woman’s Board president, Jerri Hoffmann and her husband, David, the Carpentersville center was renamed the Jerri Hoffmann Carpentersville Child & Family Center. Opened in 2015, the Hoffmann Center is a state-of-the-art child care center, serving approximately 230 children and their families annually.
The accomplishments of the many generations of dedicated members of the Woman’s Board have contributed significantly throughout its history. Through its rich legacy and tradition of compassion, commitment and leadership, the Woman’s Board has helped to shape brighter futures for thousands of children and families who may not have otherwise had the chance to succeed.
