Executive Leadership

Prior to this role, she served as Chief Schools Officer and was responsible for managing Chicago's 17 school networks and the Independent Schools Principals (ISP) Network by ensuring principal quality and strong school performance across the District. She began her CPS career as a special education teacher at Frederic Chopin Elementary School and was also selected to open the K–8 Disney II Magnet School in 2008 and oversee its 9-12 grade expansion in 2012. Under her leadership, Disney II consistently performed in the top 10 percent of all Illinois public elementary schools and in 2012 achieved the School of Excellence designation from the Illinois State Board of Education.

Bogdana holds a bachelor of science in special education from South-West University in Bulgaria, a master's degree in educational administration from Governors State University, and is currently completing her doctorate in educational leadership from Western Illinois University.

He also spent 13 years in public accounting including 4 years as an auditor with Ernst & Young, LLP in Chicago. Patrick graduated Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Bachelor of Science in Commerce major in Accounting from Xavier University in Cagayan de Oro, Philippines. He is a CPA both in Illinois, USA and in the Philippines. He ranked 20th place in the 1992 National Philippine CPA Board Examination. 

Patrick attended a public elementary school in the Philippines. Patrick has lived in Chicago, IL since migrating from the Philippines in 2000.

Dr. Sofia Adawy Akintunde is a Family Medicine physician who, over the last two decades, has dedicated her life and career to education, social justice, and healing.

Prior to working at CPS, she served as Senior Health Center Director at the Inner-City Muslim Action Network (IMAN), a Federally Qualified Health Center on Chicago’s South Side, leading the organization’s transition from a free clinic to an FQHC, as well as serving as the sole physician on staff during the COVID-19 pandemic, and guiding the pivots in policies, public health response, and delivery of clinical care. Dr. Sofia’s previous work also includes clinical and academic roles at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System, and Mile Square Health Center. Prior to her career in medicine, she taught high school Biology, Health, and American Literature. She is a first-generation Egyptian American who grew up in the Greater Chicagoland Area.

Dr. Sofia holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of Chicago and earned her Doctorate of Medicine degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine. She completed her residency in Family Medicine at University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System as well as the Scholars for Teaching Excellence Faculty Fellowship and the Midwest Fellowship for Primary Care Champions. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians and is nearing completion of a certification in Functional Medicine.

Dr. Sofia speaks Arabic and Spanish in addition to English. She is a wife and a mother to two toddlers and a puppy. Her interests include food, fashion, music, niche areas of history, collecting works from living artists, and being near the ocean.

Prior to St. Chrysostom’s, Shelly served as the Cook County Auditor for almost five years, overseeing the audit function for the 2nd largest county in the nation. Shelly has also served in executive-level leadership roles in Illinois government for almost 20 years with a focus in audit, management, technology, contract management, policy analysis, knowledge management, organizational development, and business process improvement. 

Shelly holds a Master’s degree in Management Information Systems, a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, and a Certified Public Accountant designation.

In 2010, Dr. Carmona was named principal of Healy Elementary School, and by 2016, this school had been ranked among the Top 10 CPS elementary schools by Chicago Magazine and a Distinguished School by the National Title IX School Association.

Dr. Carmona’s most recent role with CPS was as the Chief of Network 10, where he provided support and guidance to students, teachers, and school leaders. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from the University of Cartagena in Columbia, as well as two Master’s Degrees - one in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Illinois at Chicago and one in Educational Leadership from American College of Education. He earned his Doctorate in School Administration from Western Illinois University, and met his wife, also a CPS educator, when they were both teaching in Chicago’s Back of the Yards community.  

Under Jadine’s leadership, the CPS Office of Safety and Security helps district schools plan and implement proactive practices to encourage calmer school climates and positive student behaviors. These efforts ultimately result in significantly fewer incidents of misconduct, out-of-school suspensions, expulsions, and police notifications.

Prior to joining CPS, Jadine worked for the Chicago Housing Authority, where she was responsible for overseeing all aspects of the agency’s operations, including safety and security, for over 18,000 traditional public housing units across the city.

Jadine holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Northwestern University and a master of business administration from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

She served five years as principal and two years as Assistant Principal of Sumner Math & Science Community Academy in Chicago’s North Lawndale Community. Fatima is an experienced educational leader and team player with a proven track record of collaborating with school communities and increasing student achievement. 

Prior to serving in this role, Ben served in several leadership roles within the Talent Office, including Deputy Chief Talent Officer and the Executive Director of Teacher Recruitment. He began his career as a third-grade teacher on Chicago’s South Side.

Originally from Chicago, Ben holds a bachelor’s degree in human and organizational development from Vanderbilt University and a master’s degree in education leadership from Harvard University. He is also a 2018 fellow of the University of Chicago’s Civic Leadership Academy. 

Prior to joining CPS, Mr. Fleming was Vice President of Global Business Transformation at McCormick & Co., Senior Director of IT Project & Portfolio Management at Aon Service Corporation, Senior Director of IT Enterprise Business Solutions at Molson Coors, Senior Director of IT Client Relationship Management at Astellas Pharma, Program Integration & Management lead at Deloitte Consulting, Global IT Manager at Merck & Co., Director of Client Services Systems at The New York Times Company, Business Systems Manager at Kraft Heinz Foods Company, and held various leadership positions at the Chicago Tribune Company.

Norm is a proud graduate of Illinois Public Schools. He holds a Master of Business Administration from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University and a Bachelor of Science in Management from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. He is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP), Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (LSSB), and IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) practitioner.

Born into a family of public school educators, Kaitlyn joined CPS from the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS), where she served as the deputy chief of labor management and employee relations. While at DCPS, Kaitlyn was the agency’s lead negotiator for collective bargaining agreements with teachers, related service providers, and administrators and served in a leadership role on the 2017 bargaining team that finalized a labor contract with the Washington Teachers’ Union following a historic five-year period without an agreement. Kaitlyn also served as attorney-advisor with the DC Office of Labor Relations and Collective Bargaining, representing DC education agencies in labor and employment law.

Kaitlyn holds a bachelor’s degree in history and government from the College of William & Mary and a Juris Doctor degree from Wake Forest University School of Law.

A proud CPS graduate, Golliday earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a Master of Arts from DePaul University, and a Certificate of Advanced Studies from Lewis University.

Whether it was managing the rollout of modern schools, improving access and safety to a public library, or implementing facility assessments for the first time in almost a decade, Ivan has worked within the government to make positive impacts on public facilities for the residents of Chicago. Over the years, Ivan has cultivated excellent working relationships with the various trades unions that are instrumental in delivering this work.

Prior to joining the District, Ivan served as the Deputy Commissioner for Facility Operations for the City of Chicago and was responsible for all the day-to-day operations in over 500 city facilities including managing over 1,200 city and contracted employees. He developed many new initiatives including a major energy retrofit project saving the city over $1 million a month in utility savings. 

Prior to this role, Megan served as the Chief of Schools for Network 16, where she oversaw the growth and day-to-day operations of 17 high schools on Chicago’s South and Southwest Sides. In this position, she expanded academic opportunities for diverse student populations and led the development and opening of three high schools. She also has experience as a teacher and high school administrator and is a proud parent of two CPS graduates. She lives in the South Shore community where she continues to connect with former students, volunteer, and serve as a block club member.

Megan holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan, a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of New Orleans, a master’s degree in educational leadership from National Louis University, and is completing her doctorate in education policy, organization and leadership at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. 

She began her career in education with CPS as a special education teacher and a case manager at Air Force Academy High School and George Washington Carver Military Academy High School. Dr. Jones also served as director of special services in the South Holland School District #151, where she liaised between educators and community partners and was recognized as a skilled communicator with a remarkable ability to envision and encourage meaningful student growth.

Dr. Jones holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in special education from Lewis University, as well as a doctorate in leadership in educational administration from Capella University.

Jorge first directed the Office of Language and Cultural Education (OLCE) in 2016 and spearheaded the district’s mission to improve English proficiency among English Learners while celebrating multiple languages and cultures in all schools. Additionally, Jorge helped CPS expand dual language programming and raised the number of schools meeting state standards for English Learners by 25 percent. Jorge hopes to build on his previous momentum and expand the district's Seal of Biliteracy program and world language opportunities across the city.

Prior to rejoining OLCE, Jorge served as the CPS chief administrative officer, where he led key district initiatives involving transportation, safety and security, diversity, and the School Support Center. He also served as principal of Galileo Scholastic Academy, where his staff and students consistently placed on the Illinois Honor Roll during his tenure.

Jorge holds a bachelor’s degree from DePaul University and a master’s degree from Saint Xavier University. Jorge also holds a principal endorsement from Lewis University and superintendent endorsement from Concordia University.

Prior to this role, he served as the District’s Chief Procurement Officer. In this position, he oversaw vendor management services to schools and Central Office locations to ensure the highest quality and value of goods and services for the District. He also oversaw the Keep Improving District Services (KIDS) initiative—a partnership between CPS schools, departments, and vendors that aims to continuously improve vendor performance through innovative services, increased equity participation, elimination of waste, and value-add philanthropic support. A graduate of CPS, Charles is an Air Force veteran and earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing and a master of business administration from Southern Illinois University.

Prior to joining the district, Miroslava held senior leadership positions with Benedictine University and Roosevelt University overseeing finances, human resources, facilities management and information technology. Before working in education, Miroslava was CFO of the Chicago Housing Authority during the largest and most ambitious public housing redevelopment effort in the country and spent ten years with United Airlines in multiple international finance roles. Miroslava was named a Business Leader of Color by Chicago United in 2013.

Miroslava earned a master of business administration from Universidad Latinoamericana de Ciencia y Tecnología and a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Universidad de Panama. Miroslava is also a certified public accountant.

Throughout her 20 years within CPS, Leslie has served as a preschool teacher, instructional coach, professional learning manager, and director of Head Start and Preschool Programs. In her role as deputy chief officer, she led the universal Pre-K expansion strategy and centralized preschool application process for the district. Through a cross-departmental and cross-agency approach, Leslie has launched the OECE vision and the Preschool to 2nd Grade strategy, including the creation of the P-2 Program Management Office.

 Leslie is also the parent of a CPS student who joyfully started her education in an early childhood preschool classroom. She earned her bachelor of arts in early childhood education at Delaware State University and her master’s of arts in administration and supervision at National Louis University. 

Prior to joining CPS, Camie spent 10 years as vice president and Title IX coordinator at the University of Phoenix, where she worked to eliminate gender-based discrimination, sexual harassment, and sexual violence from all school programs and activities. Camie has also worked as a legal consultant and founded her own mediation firm to work with families in resolving disputes.

As a native of Pennsylvania, Camie attended the Philadelphia public school system and was the first in her family to attend college. Camie earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Maryland and a Juris Doctor degree from Quinnipiac University School of Law.

He began his career as a fifth-grade teacher. Before joining the CPS team, he served as the national Policy Director for Empower Schools and as the Director of Legislative Affairs and Strategic Partnerships for the San Antonio Independent School District. Additionally, he has extensive experience working in both the education policy and political advocacy fields. 

Seth holds a bachelor's degree in international relations and political science from Tufts University and a master of business administration from the University of Texas at Austin. 

Roman also served as CPS’ Director of Intergovernmental Affairs, where he managed the District’s collaborative partnerships with local elected leaders while leading the development and execution of legislation and municipal ordinances that affect CPS schools and students.

Before CPS, Roman served in a variety of government relations roles in the public and non-profit sectors. Roman holds a Bachelor of Arts in international studies from DePaul University. 

This role is a natural transition from her previous position as Deputy Chief of Elementary Schools, where she focused on supporting network chiefs and principals to assist schools in attaining their achievement goals. A proud CPS graduate and parent, she has also served as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, deputy chief, and the Chief of Network 9 in her 30-year career with the District. As a principal, her school consistently showed strong academic growth through her focus on community partnerships and social-emotional learning.

Felicia completed her undergraduate studies at Northern Illinois University and holds a master's degree in educational administration from Chicago State University. Additionally, she received her superintendent license and training at the University of Illinois Chicago.

Before joining CPS, Adrian served in leadership positions with the Illinois Network of Charter Schools and the Noble Network of Charter Schools. He also taught and worked in high schools on Chicago’s North and West Sides. He began his career in engagement as a community organizer working on local, state and national policy.

Born and raised in Chicago, Adrian is a proud graduate of Chicago Public Schools. He is a first-generation American and is the first in his family to attend and graduate from college. He holds a master of business administration from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a bachelor of arts in communications from DePaul University.

Wally has also served the district as a debt manager and assistant treasurer. Prior to joining CPS, Wally held corporate sector leadership positions in the municipal banking and brokerage industry, where he worked with clients, like CPS, to facilitate their borrowing and banking needs throughout the state of Illinois and the Midwest.

Wally holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Prior to this role, Chuck managed the District’s federal affairs and also served as the Executive Director of the Children First Fund. He also has extensive experience managing political campaigns, including serving as a campaign director for seven years prior to joining CPS in 2011. 

He holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Prior to joining CPS, she served as Senior Advisor of External Affairs at the Chicago Police Department. She has also worked in the offices of Mayors Daley and Emanuel, and several other city agencies, including the Office of Emergency Management and Communications, City Clerk’s Office, and Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities.

Ruchi began practicing law at Sidley & Austin, LLP in 2003. She became a CPS lawyer in 2008 when she joined the CPS Law Department’s school law practice area as an Assistant General Counsel.  She was promoted to lead that unit as deputy general counsel in 2012. In 2019, the Board tapped Ruchi to be the first assistant to the general counsel, drawing on her wealth of knowledge and experience in education issues.  

Ruchi is a graduate of the University of Illinois with a B.A. in Political Science and Speech Communications and the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

Heather began her 20-year career in education as a high school teacher, and then joined CPS in 2002. Prior to becoming budget director, Heather served as the executive director of the CPS Grants Office, which she continues to oversee in her current role. 

In addition to her work with grants, Heather has successfully led several complex, cross-functional strategic projects for the district, and her previous CPS roles include deputy chief of staff, director of special projects, and business services manager.

Heather holds a bachelor’s degree in English and secondary education from Ball State University and a master of arts from Elmhurst College.