Foundation Staff

As president & CEO, Mike leads DuPage Foundation in creating an ecosystem of collective impact for DuPage County to raise the quality of life for all. He works closely with our Board, volunteer leaders, and staff to set our vision, foster strategic partnerships, and build permanent community endowments while helping people and organizations achieve their charitable goals and connect their passions and resources with local needs and opportunities. 

Prior to Mike’s appointment as chief executive officer in 2023, he led the Foundation’s Advancement Department for 10 years, most recently as executive vice president for advancement, helping achieve a period of unprecedented growth. He began his career with the Foundation in 2003 as its first full-time development officer before going on to study and practice law in the Chicago area until his return to the organization in 2013. 

Mike currently serves as president of the DuPage County Estate Planning Council, a board member for Choose DuPage, a member of the Executive Committee for the DuPage County Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Advisory Committee, and as a member of the Alliance of Illinois Community Foundations, Chicago Council on Planned Giving, and West Suburban Philanthropic Network (WSPN). He is also a past president of Suburban Chicago Planned Giving Council, a past board member of WSPN, and a past member of the Chicago Bar Association and Eighteenth Circuit Pro Bono Committee. Additionally, Mike has been an active member of the DuPage County Bar Association (DCBA) for years, serving as a presenter, committee member, and Judges’ Nite writer and performer.  

Mike has been recognized by Crain’s Chicago Business magazine since 2024 as a part of its annual “Who’s Who” in Chicago business and was previously recognized by the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce as an Inaugural “Four Under 40” recipient in 2016. Mike is also a two-time recipient of the DCBA Board of Directors’ Award (2013-2014; 2016-2017) and a past recipient of WSPN’s Distinguished Service Award (2016). 

Mike graduated from Millikin University with a Bachelor of Science degree in business management and a minor in music. He earned his Juris Doctor from Loyola University Chicago School of Law and is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE). 

Mike has been a resident of DuPage County since 2003 and currently lives in Lombard with his wife, Elizabeth. In his spare time, he enjoys biking, sports, books, cooking, and all forms of music. Over the years, Mike has performed in numerous theatre and opera productions and as a tenor soloist. 

As director of strategic partnerships, Nicki leads the Foundation’s efforts to engage local businesses, government and community leaders, private foundations, and others in our mission. 

Nicki’s areas of focus include education, outreach, and the launch of a countywide giving circle to broaden support for the Foundation’s Community Impact grant program, which is seeing increasing requests as needs grow within our community. 

An active community leader, Nicki most recently served as the creator and director of Benedictine University’s L.E.A.D.S. Women’s Undergraduate Leadership Program. Before that, she was president & CEO of the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce where she led an organizational restructuring and successful capital campaign. She is a published author and columnist, recipient of numerous community awards, and currently serves as a Loaves & Fishes Community Services board member and Alive Center advisory member. 

Nicki and her husband, Bill, live in Naperville. They have four grown children and two grandchildren. In her spare time, Nicki enjoys gardening, writing, and cooking.

Kait joined the Foundation in 2018 as our development officer. Today, as director of donor & community engagement, Kait focuses on building our community grantmaking endowments and works closely with individuals, families, and professional advisors to ensure DuPage residents are giving effectively and efficiently. She also advises area nonprofits in creating endowment and reserve funds to support their long-term financial stability. In addition, Kait oversees the Foundation’s marketing and communications and stewardship efforts. 

Kait graduated from St. Norbert College and is a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) and Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP®). She is a member of Chicago Council on Planned Giving and the West Suburban Philanthropic Network (WSPN). In 2020, WSPN recognized Kait with its Nonprofit Professional Rising Star of the Year Award.  

Kait is a lifelong DuPage County resident. She grew up in Glen Ellyn and now resides in Winfield with her spouse, Jeff. She is an avid knitter and reader. In her free time, you can find her hiking or running through one of DuPage County’s crown jewels, our Forest Preserve system.

As administrative assistant, Maureen’s areas of focus include assisting all Foundation team members with daily operations of the organization, as well as providing coordination and support for both in-house and external meetings and events. 

Prior to joining the Foundation, Maureen worked as a team manager for several different real estate brokers, as a marketing and education coordinator for her family’s funeral service, and as a catering and convention manager in the hospitality industry. She currently serves as a board member for the nonprofit organization Friends of Imiliwaha, which supports education and medical needs for several communities in Tanzania. 

Maureen is a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross. A longtime Aurora and lifelong DuPage County resident, she has four adult daughters and enjoys a passion for baking sweet treats for friends, family and co-workers.

As accounting and finance associate, Payton assists in account analysis and reconciliation, preparing financial reports and summaries, and supporting the Advancement, Programs, and Communications departments with financial and data management.

Payton received his bachelor’s degree from DePaul University where he majored in accounting. Previously, he worked in DePaul University’s athletics department where he assisted in the management of media relations and team operations in addition to processing and analyzing team data. In his free time, Payton enjoys reading, walking, and studying U.S. and European history.

With a professional background that spans the nonprofit, start-up and corporate sectors, Kelly is known for her ability to bring stories to life, manage complex projects with care, and keep things running smoothly from start to finish. At the Foundation, Kelly assists in managing the partnership with our creative agency, which includes print, email, web, and social marketing and communications.  

Before joining the Foundation, Kelly served as a communications consultant and content manager, where she crafted everything from blog features to global corporate communications. She also held key HR project management roles at Ryerson and Grubhub, and helped lead growth and strategic planning in several emerging companies.  

Kelly graduated from Marquette University, and grew up in Chicago, but has lived in Downers Grove with her husband and four kids since 2013. She loves to eat and travel, especially in Europe, but lately she is more likely to travel to and from youth baseball and basketball games throughout the Midwest.

Since joining the Foundation in 2016 as a program associate, Laura has managed multiple aspects of the grantmaking process, and now oversees program research, grantee proposal evaluation, grant activity tracking and post-grant evaluation. She provides administrative support for several of the Foundation’s initiatives and grant programs, including Community Impact, Bright & Early DuPage, Arts DuPage, and donor-advised funds. Additionally, Laura works with local high school guidance departments to facilitate the selection and award process for our scholarship funds.  

Before joining DuPage Foundation, Laura spent a year as an AmeriCorps VISTA at Northern Illinois Food Bank. She is an avid perennial gardener and knows her way around an embroidery needle. Laura graduated from Knox College, grew up in Naperville, and now she and her husband, Matt, call Downers Grove home. 

With experience in fundraising, events, project management, and community engagement, Clarice brings a strong passion for community and the arts to her role at the Foundation.  

As advancement associate, Clarice juggles data management, research, event support, gift processing, donor cultivation and stewardship, and plays a lead role in event planning—especially the Foundation’s Annual Benefit. She also serves as our staff lead for the Next Generation Initiative. 

Clarice graduated from the University of St. Francis in Joliet, and plans to pursue an online M.A. in the Business of Creative Enterprises from Emerson College in Boston. Previously, she worked in event planning at Hyatt Regency McCormick Place, coordinated programming at New Lenox Public Library, and served as special events coordinator at her high school alma mater, Loyola Academy, in Chicago’s north suburbs.  

A lifelong Chicago resident until 2021, Clarice [and her husband, Nicholas] are now proud to call DuPage County home, currently living in Downers Grove. Outside of work, Clarice is a member of Downers Grove Choral Society, and a volunteer at Holy Trinity Catholic Parish. 

As vice president for programs, Barb is responsible for all of the Foundation’s grantmaking, including our signature Community Impact and Capacity Building grants. She develops and manages initiatives and programs aimed at improving the quality of life for DuPage residents, including Arts DuPage, Bright & Early DuPage, the DuPage Community Transformational Partnership, and the DuPage Funders’ Collaborative. Barb finds great joy in working with Foundation donors, learning about their interests, and helping them with their philanthropy. She is known for her innate understanding of the needs in our community and her ability to build lasting partnerships with DuPage’s outstanding nonprofit network.  

Prior to joining the Foundation in 2008, Barb served as executive director of the Elmhurst School District 205 Foundation for Educational Excellence for 11 years. She serves on several county-wide boards, including the DuPage Homeless Continuum of Care as a member of the Leadership and Rank and Review committees, DuPage Workforce Investment Board, and the Impact DuPage Steering Committee. She is the recipient of the 2012 West Suburban Philanthropic Network Grantmaker of the Year Award; Suburban Life Magazine’s 2016 Woman of Distinction Award; and is a 2018 Erikson Institute Barbara Bowman Leadership Fellow.  

Barb graduated from Illinois State University, and is a lifelong resident of DuPage County. She has three adult children, and lives in Elmhurst with her husband, George. She loves to garden, read, camp up north in Michigan, and ride roller coasters. 

As vice president for advancement, Michael leads the Foundation’s fundraising activities, with a strong focus on building our capacity for lasting community impact. He works closely with individuals, families, businesses, and their advisors to help them plan and accomplish their unique charitable goals and is our resident expert in community grantmaking endowments, donor-advised funds, charitable gift annuities, and outright and planned gifts. 

Michael brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to his position, having previously served as the chief development officer and foundation executive director for College of DuPage, executive director for the Community Foundation of Will County, and director of development for King-Bruwaert House in Burr Ridge. He has served on numerous boards, including West Suburban Philanthropic Network (WSPN), Suburban Chicago Planned Giving Council, and King-Bruwaert House. In 2022, he received the Honoring Excellence Award from Leading Age Illinois for Strive and Thrive-Management, and for two decades, he volunteered as a firefighter and department chaplain with the Winfield Fire Department. 

Michael holds an undergraduate degree from Concordia University-St. Paul and a graduate degree from Concordia Seminary-St. Louis. He resides in Willowbrook and has three grown children who live in the surrounding Midwest with their families. He was born and raised in Minnesota, where his parents still reside, and has an avid interest in reading, travel, and antiques. 

As director of Arts DuPage, Deborah oversees the operations of the countywide arts council, which is dedicated to supporting, promoting, and advocating for the arts in DuPage County. She is known for her natural ability to build strong partnerships with artists, arts organizations, and community members, all while fostering engagement and investment in the arts. 

Before joining DuPage Foundation, Deborah served as the Naperville Art League’s executive director for 15 years and continues to direct the League’s Riverwalk Fine Art Fair. She also directs the After Hours Film Society, a 900-plus member nonprofit organization she established in 1989. 

Deborah serves on several committees for arts organizations, including Arts Alliance Illinois, Naperville Art League, Wheaton Chamber of Commerce, and College of DuPage’s Motion Picture/Television Professional Advisory Committee. She is also a columnist for Positively Naperville and the Glen Ellyn Stroll Magazine. 

Deborah holds a degree from Rosary College (now Dominican University) in River Forest and is a resident of Naperville.

As office manager, Karen assists with accounting, human resources, information technology, and office management. She also provides executive support and oversees the Foundation’s National Standards certification process. 

Previously, Karen worked as an administrative assistant in the Chaplain’s Office at Elmhurst University. In addition to helping plan religious lectures and college events, she also served as a Staff Partner in a First Year Seminar class and was a mentor in the Steps to Success program. 

Karen holds a bachelor’s degree from Elmhurst College. In her free time, she enjoys volunteering at local nonprofits, walking, reading, and perusing our many excellent DuPage County farmers’ markets. Karen has two adult children, and has been a DuPage County resident since 1988, currently living in Elmhurst. 

As vice president for finance, David works with Foundation leadership to direct financial strategy and planning. He oversees all financial processes, including risk management and compliance, financial reporting, investment oversight, and accounting operations.  

Prior to joining the Foundation in 2013, David was the outsourced CFO of Quatrro FPO Solutions, where he performed financial reporting and budget facilitation for three nonprofit agencies. Additionally, he previously served as vice president of finance and corporate controller for Bassett Furniture, Chicago Furniture Group, and as corporate controller for Peppers Bedroom City. 

David graduated from DePaul University with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. In his free time, he enjoys many active hobbies, including snowboarding, hiking, golf, biking and ice hockey. He and his wife, Polly, live in Carol Stream and have four children.