2025 Celebrate Leaders
LGC Celebrates Civic Leadership and 40 Years of Fellows
CHICAGO, IL (April 8, 2025)— Leadership Greater Chicago (LGC), the region's premier civic leadership development organization, will host its annual Celebrate Leaders event to honor 40 years of impact and celebrate the passion, commitment and accomplishments of civic leaders transforming the Chicago region. Celebrate Leaders will take place on Thursday, April 10, at 6 p.m. at the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry.
“We are at a pivotal moment in LGC’s history as we recognize 40 years of Fellows and their transformational impact on our city and region while looking toward our next era," said LGC Chief Executive Officer Myetie Hamilton (LGC Fellow since 2016). "This year's Celebrate Leaders honorees exemplify LGC's focus on collaborative activation through civic engagement and courageous leadership.”
The 2025 Celebrate Leaders honorees are as follows:
- John Rogers, Jr. (LGC Fellow since 1985), Founder, Chairman, and Co-CEO of Ariel Investments, will be honored with the Distinguished Service Award for his extraordinary leadership and service, which has resulted in significant and lasting contributions to Leadership Greater Chicago and the Greater Chicago region.
- Boston Consulting Group, a leading global management consulting firm, will be presented with the Corporate Civic Leadership Award, accepted by Managing Director and Senior Partner Michelle Stohlmeyer Russell (LGC Fellow since 2009). This award recognizes organizations that demonstrate and support the value of civic leadership through their service and impact in the Greater Chicago region.
- Juan Salgado (LGC Fellow since 2005), Chancellor of City Colleges of Chicago, will be honored with the Distinguished Fellow Award for his inspiring and significant leadership contributions to the community.
- Scaling Community Violence Intervention for a Safer Chicago (SC2), a gun violence prevention initiative, will be presented with the 2025 Civic Catalyst Award and accepted by: Vaughn Bryant (LGC Fellow since 2016), Executive Director, Metropolitan Peace Initiatives (MPI); Derek Douglas (LGC Fellow since 2013), President, Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago; Arne Duncan (LGC Fellow since 1995), Managing Partner, Chicago CRED; Esther Franco-Payne (LGC Fellow since 2015), Executive Director, Partnership for Safe and Peaceful Communities (PSPC); Mark Hoplamazian, President & CEO, Hyatt Hotels, Co-Chair of Public Safety Task Force, Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago; Eric Smith (Daniel Burnham Fellow), Vice Chairman, BMO Bank, Co-Chair of Public Safety Task Force of the Civic Committee, Commercial Club of Chicago. This award recognizes those whose social innovations and actions transform the quality of life for our citizens and our city.
The evening will feature the awards program, dinner reception and entertainment. Proceeds from the Celebrate Leaders event will support Leadership Greater Chicago’s Signature Fellows Program and the Daniel Burnham Fellowship Program, which equip participants with the knowledge, resources and networks needed to navigate complex policy landscapes and drive meaningful change.