Harris School of Public Policy Debuts Civic Leadership Academy’s 2026 Cohort

CHICAGO, IL — The Harris School of Public Policy today announced its 2026 class of Civic Leadership Academy (CLA) fellows—28 of the area’s most promising government and nonprofit leaders—who make up the twelfth cohort of the prestigious interdisciplinary leadership development program.

The 2026 cohort includes fellows from local nonprofit organizations, City of Chicago government, and Cook County government. They join a program meant to increase connectivity within and between public sector employees–improving strategy-making and outcomes while encouraging a reexamination and reform of institutions.

“CLA’s strength has always been its community: people from across government and the nonprofit sector stepping back from their day-to-day work to reflect, listen, and learn together, including learning about themselves," said Christopher Berry, William J. and Alicia Townsend Friedman Professor at Harris, director of the Mansueto Institute for Urban Innovation, and faculty director of CLA. "As we welcome the 2026 cohort, we’re building on that foundation by continuing to create a space where thoughtful dialogue and shared experience translate into more effective leadership for the city and county we serve."

“I am excited to be back in the classroom to be learning from the distinguished faculty at the University of Chicago, eager to immerse myself in the CLA program's rigorous leadership curriculum,” said Mohammad Easa, CLA 2026 cohort member and Manager of Financial Planning and Analysis at Cook County Bureau of Economic Development. “I hope to become a more confident, stronger and self-assured leader; focusing on translating the knowledge gained into practical solutions that create meaningful and lasting impact. My goal is to apply these lessons and experiences in a manner that advances sustainable and equitable growth not just within my organization but in the communities that we serve.”

The new cohort joins a network of 330 CLA alumni integral to the civic infrastructure of Chicago. CLA fellows and alumni hold leadership positions across Chicago and Cook County, spurring change on a multitude of civic and policy issues with their deep network and domain knowledge. 

Eliana Pinilla, incoming CLA fellow and Cook County Good Food Purchasing Initiative Implementation Manager at Chicago Food Policy Action Council, said: “Looking at a future version of myself, post June 2026, is that of a public service professional that is excelling at their work by measure of the rich learning experiences facilitated by the educational and CLA program staff. I look forward to evolving the cohort peer relationships formed through the program; may our shared experience make way for not only career long friendships but building novel ways of working and collaboration across different public service sectors.”

Last Friday, fellows began a rigorous six-month program that teaches essential leadership skills and provides the time and space to focus on personal and cross-sector strategies to approach their work. In addition to faculty instruction from University of Chicago professors, fellows participate in a monthly Civic Practitioner Leadership Series, closed-door discussions with key CLA alumni, and a week-long Global Practicum in Paris, where fellows engage with and learn from their counterparts in an international setting. Upon completion of the program, they will receive a certificate in civic leadership from the Harris School of Public Policy.

“We are thrilled to welcome the 12th CLA cohort and eager to spend the next six months immersed in rigorous learning and growth alongside our distinguished faculty and fellows,” said Milvia Rodriguez, Executive Program Director of CLA. “This group represents a dynamic mix of city, county, and non-profit professionals, each contributing invaluable perspectives rooted in their dedication to public service. We look forward to the conversations and collaborative projects that will unfold in and outside of the classroom, and we hope the insights gained will empower our fellows to continue to drive lasting, positive impact in Chicago and Cook County.”

The 2026 Civic Leadership Academy fellows are:

• Kareeshma Ali, Director of Community Investments, Pritzker Traubert Foundation
• Zahra Ali, Chief Administrative Officer, Cook County Bureau of Administration
• Don Black, Chief of Staff & Senior Advisor, Cook County State's Attorney's Office
• Trayvon Braxton, Portfolio Director, University of Chicago Crime Lab & Education Lab
• Darryca Brim-Mims, Co-Founding Executive Director, Focus Fairies Mentoring; Jessica Bryar (CLA’17) Scholar
• Christian Collins, Vice Chancellor, Institutional Excellence, City Colleges of Chicago
• Mohammad Abdullah Easa, Manager of Financial Planning and Analysis, Cook County Bureau of Economic Development
• Ryan Fitzsimons (MPP’19), Deputy Director, Chicago Police Department
• Juliana Gonzalez-Crussi, President & CEO, Center for Changing Lives
• Stephanie J. Horne, Director of Mental Health Clinic, Chicago Department of Public Health
• Patrice A. James, Chief of Staff, Women’s Justice Institute
• Nicole Jardine, Chief Data Officer, Cook County Assessor's Office
• Quinn Kasal, Senior Manager, Strategic Planning - Rail, Chicago Transit Authority
• Thomas O. Kim, Chief Medical Officer, Esperanza Health Centers
• Julie Koslowsky, Director of Teen Services, Chicago Public Library
• Elaine L. Little, Senior Manager, Employee & Labor Relations, Howard Brown Health
• Kamila Hines Muhammad, Program Officer, Alphawood Foundation
• Gillian Nichols-Smith, Associate Director - Legal Services, Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender
• Lauren Pett (MPP’15) Deputy Chief of Staff, Chicago Board of Education
• Eliana Pinilla, Cook County Good Food Purchasing Initiative Implementation Manager, Chicago Food Policy Action Council
• Gerald Polanco, Staff Counsel, Impact For Equity
• Emily Reusswig, Vice President of Policy & Land Conservation, Openlands
• Todd Schuble, Director of GIS, Cook County Bureau of Technology
• Joshua Le Son, Projects Administrator and City Planner, Chicago Department of Planning and Development
• Teresa Sullivan (JD’12), Deputy Director and General Counsel, Legal Aid Chicago; WF Fund Fellow
• Andy Wheeler (AM’13), Interim Co-Director of Trauma Recovery & Injury Prevention, Department of Trauma, Cook County Health
• Lauren M. Woods, Director of Abundance, Grand Victoria Foundation
• Audra Yokley, Senior Program Officer, Performing Arts, Paul M. Angell Family Foundation

The 2026 cohort of CLA fellows will be inducted at a ceremony with remarks from Christopher Berry, Milvia Rodriguez, Ethan Bueno de Mesquita, Mayor Brandon Johnson, and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle (AB'69, MAT'77). Kiran Joshi (CLA’23), Chief Operating Officer of Cook County Health, will deliver an alumni address on behalf of the broader CLA community.

"I am proud to welcome the 2026 fellows to the Civic Leadership Academy community,” said City of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson. “For twelve years, the program has strengthened the civic ecosystem of our City and County, engaging fellows in crucial leadership development and enhancing our problem-solving abilities. The City of Chicago is grateful to the Harris School of Public Policy for investing in our employees in service of a more just and effective city."

“For twelve years, the Civic Leadership Academy has equipped high-potential local government and nonprofit leaders with the tools to analyze organizational best practices and community impact,” said Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle. “By encouraging both personal leadership development and cross-sector collaboration, CLA empowers public servants to address the policy and social challenges they face in their work. This program demonstrates how leadership comes from every corner of Cook County, and the alumni network of 330 leaders is capable of great change in service to our communities. Congratulations to the 2026 cohort on their induction to a powerful civic community, and best of luck in your six months in the program and beyond.”

“The Civic Leadership Academy reflects the Harris School’s core belief that better policy begins with rigorous analysis and open, practical exchange, and equips leaders to turn ideas into better outcomes for their constituents,” said Ethan Bueno de Mesquita, dean and Sydney Stein Professor at the Harris School of Public Policy. “The 2026 cohort is an exceptional group of public servants deeply committed to Chicago and Cook County. Over the months ahead, they’ll sharpen the skills and strategies needed to tackle hard problems, learn from one another across sectors, and leave better equipped to strengthen the institutions our communities rely on.”

The Civic Leadership Academy is made possible through generous support from the Harris School of Public Policy, Harris Family Foundation, The Chicago Community Trust, and WF Fund, and has presented a named fellowship to the following individual: the 2026 WF Fund Fellow is Teresa Sullivan of Legal Aid Chicago. Additionally, Darryca Brim-Mims of Focus Fairies Mentoring is the 2026 recipient of the Jessica Bryar Scholarship, named in honor of CLA 2017 alumna Jessica Bryar, who passed away in 2019.

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About the Civic Leadership Academy

Launched in 2014 by the University of Chicago Office for Civic Engagement and Harris School of Public Policy, the Civic Leadership Academy (CLA) is an annual interdisciplinary leadership development program for emerging and high-potential leaders in non-profit organizations and local government agencies across Chicago and Cook County. CLA fellows engage in six months of programming and instruction with renowned faculty from across the University’s professional schools, including the Booth School of Business, the Graham School of Continuing and Professional Studies, UChicago Law School, and the Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice. CLA is designed to challenge fellows to analyze organizational best practices, community impact, and institutional reform in the city of Chicago and beyond while developing a diverse pipeline of talented leaders to help Chicago nonprofits and government agencies—institutions and organizations critical to the city’s civic infrastructure—thrive. From 2019 to 2025, CLA was administered by the Center for Effective Government at the Harris School of Public Policy.

About the Harris School of Public Policy

For more than three decades, the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy has been steadfastly committed to advancing policy based on evidence, not ideology. Guided by this exacting perspective, our exceptional community of scholars, students, and more than 4,000 alumni take on the world’s most important problems using the latest tools of social science. As the second-largest professional school at the University of Chicago, Harris Public Policy offers a full range of degree and executive education programs to empower a new generation of data-driven leaders to create a real social impact throughout our global society. This is Harris Public Policy: Social Impact, Down to a Science.