Advancing Economic Opportunity

LOCAL ECONOMIC AND EMPLOYMENT DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL

Ted Wysocki, President & CEO. Ted joined the LEED Council in February 2002 after 17 years as President & CEO of the Chicago Association of Neighborhood Development Organizations (CANDO). He received his B.A. in Political Science from Providence College and his MA in Political Science from the University of Chicago. He began his community development career in 1974, working for over 10 years with Gale Cincotta at the National Training Information Center. From 1996 through 1998, Ted served a three-year term on the Federal Reserve Board's Consumer Advisory Council, serving as Vice-Chair of the Bank Regulation Committee in his final year. He serves on the board of the National Community Reinvestment Coalition as well as the Neighborhood Lending Review Board of Harris Bank.

Mike Holzer, Director of Economic Development.  Mike joined the LEED Council in 1988 as an intern while finishing his Master’s Degree in Urban Planning and Policy at the University of Illinois at Chicago.  He rallied support from industry and nearby residents to help create the city’s first Planned Manufacturing District, the Clybourn Corridor PMD in 1988 and then subsequently for the Elston Corridor, Goose Island and Chicago Halsted PMDs.  He worked on the development of the 30-acre Goose Island Industrial Park, involving himself in everything from environmental studies and site planning to property appraisal and recruitment of business users for the park. He negotiated a ground-breaking hiring agreement between Fed Ex, a tenant in the Goose Island PMD, and the Cabrini-Green community, in which the LEED Council trained and placed 100 community residents in jobs using Tax Increment Financing.  Mike serves on the Zoning Advisory Committee for 35^th Ward Alderman Rey Colon.

Margie Gonwa, Director of Workforce Development.  Margie has a BA in Psychology from Northwestern University and an MBA from the University of Illinois at Chicago.  Prior to joining the YMCA LEED Council in 1991, she worked with the City of Chicago’s Department of Economic Development and CANDO.  As Associate Executive Director of the LEED Council, she managed Workforce Development programs as well as doing fundraising and providing day-to-day agency management and staff supervision. She currently has overall responsibility for the design, funding and implementation of our workforce development programs.  She serves as Secretary of the Board for the Chicago Jobs Council.

Paige Knutsen, LEED AP  Director of Sustainable Development.  Paige joined the LEED Council in July 2008 to manage the Chicagoland Green Collar Jobs Initiative and the LEED Council’s Sustainable Development Services.  Before joining the LEED Council, Paige worked at the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (MEEA) where she managed their Commercial Program Portfolio.  Paige graduated from Iowa State University with a MS in Sustainable Agriculture and the University of Iowa with a Bachelors of Business Administration in Economics and a BA in Geography. When not working, Paige enjoys gardening, watching the Cubs, and playing with her pugs, Niko and Bingo. She also serves on the Evanston Environment Board and is a community co-chair for the Evanston Climate Action Plan. 

Jennifer Raimer, Associate Director for Business Services & Job Placement. Jennifer is a graduate of Eastern Michigan University and is currently working on her Masters in Human Resource Management and Organizational Development. She has extensive human resources, management and relationship-building experience through work with two Michigan firms.  She has also worked as an auto show manager and product specialist for both GM and Ford.  Jennifer will call on LEED Council businesses to identify service issues and job placement opportunities.

T. Manning, Adult Education Manager.  T. earned a BS from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and an MBA from the American Graduate School of International Management (Thunderbird).  He has over 20 years of professional experience in education, consumer marketing, Web site development, real-estate sales and non-profit management.  He is responsible for the overall coordination of our job-skills training programs, for developing a literacy component for these programs, and for marketing these programs both to social service agencies and prospective trainees.  He serves as Treasurer on the Board of Directors of St. Leonard’s Ministries.

Dean Rennie, Industrial Skills Trainer.  Dean joined the LEED Council’s staff in October of 2002, since which time he has designed and conducted training programs for our Entry-Level Industrial Skills Training [ELIST] program as well as  Building Maintenance & Repair.  Before joining the LEED Council, he had been a Construction Instructor for Southwest Women Working Together.  Prior to that, he spent five years teaching a skills-based training program for Lakefront SRO and two years as a carpenter supervisor for Habit for Humanity.

Danny Shields, Computer Skills Trainer.  Danny received his BA and then his MS in Business Information Technology from DePaul University. He previously worked with DePaul’s Egan Urban Center/STRIVE Chicago Employment Training Services, providing computer training at the STRIVE Community Technology Center. Danny will take on primary responsibility for the establishment of the LEED Council’s new computer training lab, where his duties will include designing the curricula for computer skills training courses.  He serves on the Board of the West Humboldt Park Family & Community Development Council.

Monroe Saybay, Entrepreneurship Trainer.  Monroe received a BS in Economics from the University of Liberia in 1980, a BS in Small Business Management & Marketing from the University of Houston in 1985, and an MBA from Roosevelt University. He has worked in Chicago as a business instructor at East-West and Roosevelt Universities, and for over 20 years as a small business consultant.  He has been the principal trainer for LEED Council’s Entrepreneurship Development Program for over 15 years.  He is the founder of The Bentol Business Group, an educational and small business training and consulting firm.

Angelic Phillips, Client Services Coordinator.  Angelic worked for the Chicago Housing Authority for over six years as a leasing agent / recertification specialist at the Cabrini Extensions Management office. Most recently, she was an Assistant Property Manager of Beth-Anne Residences, a senior community of 124 units owned by Bethel New Life. In her new position here at LEED Council, Angelic will be responsible for the orientation, intake, and assessment of prospective participants in our job-skills training programs, while providing case manager services to trainees already enrolled.  In addition, she will help recruit trainees, leveraging an extensive network of contacts in Cabrini Green and other Chicago-area communities.

Froi Nunez, Bookkeeper.  Froi serves as LEED Council’s part-time bookkeeper, providing assistance to the President & CEO in the financial management of the organization. In addition, he serves as our computer network administrator and tech support specialist. Froi also works as the part-time Comptroller for Claretian Associates, a faith-based non-profit housing developer on the South Side of Chicago.  Previously, he held accounting positions in the health care industry.