As the CEO & Executive Director of the Illinois Medical District (IMD), Allyson Hansen leads the District with responsibility for strategic planning, vision, growth and daily operations. She is also tasked with fostering relationships and collaboration among partners and stakeholders across the 560 acre healthcare ecosystem that includes four anchor medical institutions and more than 40 health-related facilities.

Hansen developed expertise in planning and administering healthcare services across Chicago land at UChicago Medicine, Loyola Health System, UI Health and Advocate Health Care. Prior to joining the IMD, she was Managing Partner of The Red Penny Group, advising national healthcare systems, medical groups and investors on growth, integration, operations and strategic plans.

Hansen holds a Master of Health Administration and Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of South Carolina, and is trained in Lean Six Sigma, change management and is a certified Patient Experience Professional.

Michael Eaddy has been pastor of the People’s Church of the Harvest Church of God in Christ for the past 41 years. He also serves as Executive Director of the Peoples Community Development Association of Chicago, which operates as an affordable housing developer and offers an ex-offender re-entry program. Mr. Eaddy received his undergraduate education in Business Administration and Theology at the Chicago City Colleges & Moody Bible Institute, respectively. He holds a Doctorate of Ministry from the St. Thomas College and Seminary in Jacksonville, FL. He is married to Missionary Christine Eaddy, has 4 children and 8 grandchildren.

Judy Frydland served as the Commissioner of Buildings for the City of Chicago from June 2015 to June 2020. Prior to joining the Department of Buildings, Ms. Frydland spent 25 years in the Chicago Law Department. Ms. Frydland graduated from I.I.T. Chicago Kent College of Law, was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 1990 and is a current member of the Chicago Bar Association.

Eleanor Esser Gorski serves as the CEO & President of the Chicago Architecture Center (CAC), a premier organization dedicated to celebrating and promoting Chicago as a global hub of architectural innovation and education. Since 2022, she has been leading the organization with a passionate commitment to design’s power in creating equitable communities.

Gorski previously served as the Executive Director of the Cook County Land Bank Authority (CCLBA), where she led efforts to expand its inventory to create more affordable housing and economic opportunity partnerships within Cook County. Prior to leading the CCLBA, Gorski served as Director of Design and Planning for the University of Illinois at Chicago. From 2019 to 2020, Gorski led the City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development (DPD) as First Deputy Commissioner and Acting Commissioner.

Gorski is a licensed architect with degrees in architecture, art history and history. Equity and community are central to her work, which integrates design, planning and historic preservation. Most important, she is a proud mom to two teenage boys and lives in the City of Chicago.

Nicolas Guzman is a partner in the Government & Regulatory Affairs practice group at Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP. He advises clients on all aspects of international trade, specializing in trade issues with Mexico and Latin America. Nick is a lifelong Chicagoan and proudly serves several Chicago area community organizations. Nick is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame, B.A. (2006) and the Notre Dame Law School, J.D. (2009).

Stephen Hackney is a former trial lawyer and partner at the international law firm of Kirkland & Ellis. He graduated from Rice University in 1994 and The Law School at the University of Chicago in 1997.

He is a current board member and former Chairman of the Board of LINK Unlimited, a Chicago-area non-profit focused on high school and college success for African-American youth.  He is also a board member of Connections for the Homeless, an Evanston non-profit. Steve and his wife Allison live in Evanston with their three daughters.

Ann P. Kalayil serves as Associate Vice President of Facilities and Construction at Columbia College Chicago. Prior to joining Columbia College Chicago, Kalayil was the Bureau Chief at Cook County’s Bureau of Asset Management, where she oversaw over 600 staff, had an annual capital construction budget of $275 million, and an operational budget of $56 million. In 2011, Kalayil was appointed by President Obama as Regional Administrator of the Great Lakes Region in the U.S. General Services Administration.

Kalayil holds a PhD in History from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, serves on numerous boards and is a Leadership Greater Chicago Fellow.

Peter O’Brien, Sr. is President and CEO of MADO Management, LP, a diversified family business in healthcare, residential and commercial leasing, and the O’Brien’s Restaurant group.

Peter has been on the forefront of statewide campaigns for mental healthcare advocacy, legislation, and reform and is a chief convener and sponsor of The Kennedy Forum Illinois, and Chairman of the Board.

Peter has served on the Metropolitan Pier & Exposition Authority, the Illinois Development & Finance Authority, and as Chairman on the Capital Development Board of Illinois.