Chair
Chair
Tammy is the CEO of Plan Heal, an innovative early-stage medtech company that uses health data to help people live safer, healthier, and more productive lives.
She is an industry recognized product thought leader, business strategist, and customer experience advocate having received awards from JD Power and Forrester amongst others while leading digital transformation, cloud innovation, and data protection efforts for domestic and international Fortune companies: Allstate, Discover Financial, Baxter International, and Motorola. Her innovative technology products are still in the market and positively impacts the lives of millions of people everyday. Tammy’s humanitarian efforts include increasing access to better healthcare, sustainable employment for vulnerable demographics, and quality education for youth.
She is an international public speaker, lecturer, and strategist for premier educational institutions like University of Illinois at Chicago, DePaul University, Loyola University Chicago, and Tallinn University of Technology covering entrepreneurship, technology innovation, data protection, and social impact investing.
Tammy is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon Executive Education in Systems Design Thinking, Loyola University School of Law and Business, and holds Public Health Certifications from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Epidemiology and Determinants of Global Health and the University of Washington in Sexually Transmitted Diseases Treatment and Prevention.
Job search advice: “Spend time chatting with people that are currently working and previously worked at the company where you have interest. This chat may be the most important one you have during the interview phase or the consideration phase of your job search as there’s always nuggets of information that you can use to help you more easily integrate within the culture of the company, or result in you pivoting to pursue another company that’s better suited for you.”
Vice Chair
Vice Chair
Khadija James-Keating recently served as Vice President, Manufactured Components at TimkenSteel Corporation, responsible for overseeing the internal and external supply chain network, commercializing products along customers’ supply chains and driving profitable growth in manufactured components. She joined the company as Vice President, Sales Effectiveness, with responsibilities for enhancing the commercial team’s performance through both strategic and tactical methods.
Prior to her work at TimkenSteel, Ms. James-Keating held several executive leadership roles with W. W. Grainger, a maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) industry leader. She held multiple regional sales vice president positions with responsibilities inclusive of developing strategy and tactics to support sustainable revenue growth across various segments. Her focus was to execute and deliver performance through driving cross-functional partnerships to help support customer needs. In addition, she gained critical experience in a corporate role as the Head, Global Talent Acquisition Operations, Inclusion & Diversity and Recruiting for U.S. Sales and Services, Corporate Functions, Military Recruitment and University Relations.
Ms. James-Keating also held numerous leadership positions across an array of functions at PepsiCo’s Frito Lay division, applying her expertise in sales, sales operations and supply chain management. She began her career proudly serving the country as a commissioned officer in the United States Army providing supply and logistics support. Ms. James-Keating currently serves as the Vice Chair on the Board of Directors for National Able Network and previously, executive advisor for UpstartWorks. She is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering and mathematics.
Job search advice: Be yourself! Show up through the entire interview process as authentically you. Be clear about your capabilities and what you want to accomplish…while also being honest about your opportunities. The connection the hiring team makes with you as a person most times mitigates or offsets any small lack of experience for a particular role.
Secretary
Secretary
Maija Renko is a Professor and Coleman Chair of Entrepreneurship at DePaul University, Driehaus College of Business, in Chicago. She holds a D. Sc. in Business Administration degree from Turku School of Economics (Finland), and a Ph.D. in Business Administration from Florida International University (USA). Between 2007 and 2019 she worked at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), first as an assistant professor of entrepreneurship, then as a tenured associate professor (2013-2019), and finally promoted to full professor in 2019.
Maija teaches entrepreneurship and social entrepreneurship classes in the undergraduate business and graduate programs of DePaul University’s Driehaus College of Business. Her research and teaching interests are focused on the early stages of the entrepreneurial process (entrepreneurial motivation, opportunities and nascent entrepreneurship), social entrepreneurship, and technology entrepreneurship. Her research has been published in leading management and entrepreneurship journals, and she serves on the editorial and review boards for six of the top journals in entrepreneurship and management.
Maija has received a number of grants to support her research activities, and students at UIC voted her to be their Favorite MBA Professor. Her teaching and research contribute to a better understanding of how entrepreneurs build successful businesses that not only generate financial rewards for those involved, but also contribute to positive social change, a sense of achievement for those—often disenfranchised members of the society—involved, and the advancement of society through the introduction of innovations. Her interdisciplinary, collaborative work on the topic entrepreneurship among people with disabilities is pioneering in its focus.
Treasurer
Treasurer
Michael Chrisler is the founder of MJC Financial Fitness, a financial planning and coaching business based in Chicago. MJC Financial Fitness, a value-based firm, was founded with a commitment to providing access, resources, and education to everyone who needs it, regardless of their financial situation.
Before founding MJC Financial Fitness, Michael spent nearly 15 years as a vice president at Envestnet, a financial technology leader of integrated portfolio, practice management, and reporting solutions for financial advisors and institutions. Training financial advisors provided Michael with unique insight into how to effectively support clients and make financial planning more accessible.
While at Envestnet, Michael played a vital role in the company’s growth from less than 100 employees to 3,400 and its expansion through Initial Public Offering (IPO) as a publicly-traded company. This experience helped to shaped his management style and laid the foundation and appreciation of successful organizations.
Michael earned a BA in consumer science from the University of Wisconsin — Madison. He is a proud husband and father; he resides with his wife Brittany and their two sons. When he’s not busy promoting financial literacy in the community, Michael enjoys spending quality time playing video games with his sons, practicing martial arts, and being the IT support for his entire family.
Job search advice: “Be honest, but don’t be afraid to go for something you may not feel qualified for, if it looks like something you would be passionate about.”
Founder and President of V.E. Solutions, LLC.
Founder and President of V.E. Solutions, LLC.
Angel Torres is the founder and President of V.E. Solutions, LLC., a Human Resources consulting firm specializing in military veteran employment and inclusive cultural alignment strategies. V. E. Solutions, LLC, partner with their clients to provide diversity and inclusion outcomes which deliver measured and sustainable change for all stakeholders.
A native of Chicago, IL, Angel served in the United States Navy for 27 years. While leading the men and women of the armed forces, he completed seven deployments to Southwest Asia and the North Arabian gulf, participating in OPERATION DESERT STORM, OPERATION RESTORE HOPE, OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM and many more. He rose from the most junior ranks to most senior enlisted ranks eventually earning an Officer’s Commission. During his service he was a tenacious advocate for Equal opportunity. He spearheaded the integration of females into combat roles on an aircraft carrier, led the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” for 6,000 employees and built a fully operational and profitable “Starbucks” styled espresso café on a U.S. Navy warship.
A staunch advocate for inclusion and minorities, nationally, he sits on several boards including: The Spanish Coalition for Housing, Teatro Vista Theater, Veteran Leadership Council, Chicago Veterans Advisory Board and is an active member of the Chicago Latino Caucus.
Angel received an Executive MBA from Northwestern Kellogg School of Management, earned an M.S. in Global Business Leadership from the University of San Diego, a B.S. in Human Resource Management from Columbia Southern University and is a Chicago Latino Caucus Foundation Leadership Academy Fellow.
AIA Assoc., LEED AP ID+C, Illinois Managing Broker, Sommelier
AIA Assoc., LEED AP ID+C, Illinois Managing Broker, Sommelier
Anthony has 20+ years of corporate real estate and workplace experience, providing strategic direction for some of the most forward-thinking and innovative companies worldwide. Currently, he leads high-profile real estate portfolios and consults for Fortune 500 companies.
Also, Anthony was hand-selected to serve as a judge for IPRO, a competition part of the Illinois Institute of Technology, where graduate and undergraduate students brought forth design ideas for economic development in the community. Additionally, he was involved in the TEDx Program to aid in development for local education initiatives.
Studying architecture drove his passion for learning how cultures across the world inspire us locally. Being a world traveler, he then cultivated that interest and earned his certification as a Sommelier.
Executive Director of Chicago Run
Executive Director of Chicago Run
Danya is the Executive Director of Chicago Run, which empowers young people in Chicago with equitable access to inclusive running and physical activity programs. Previously, Danya served as the Executive Director of Peer Health Exchange Chicago, a health equity non-profit that trains college student volunteers to deliver health education in under-resourced high schools. Prior to joining Peer Health Exchange in 2010, Danya held the role of Deputy Outreach Director at Peace Action, an advocacy organization promoting international diplomacy, nuclear non-proliferation, and US adherence to international peace treaties.
Danya graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a B.A. in Sociology. She is on the board of Proud to Run Chicago and is a mentor for Young Nonprofit Professionals Network (YNPN) Chicago’s Leadership Institute, and for the Northwestern University Public Interest Program. She is a Leadership Greater Chicago Fellow since 2019. Danya was a Crain’s Notable LGBTQ Executive in 2019.
Danya is an avid rock climber and outdoor enthusiast, an ACE certified group fitness instructor, and a dedicated fan of the WNBA Chicago Sky basketball team. She also enjoys discovering new vegan restaurants in Chicago and trail running in the Forest Preserves.
Systems Engineering Manager at Cisco Meraki
Systems Engineering Manager at Cisco Meraki
Lorenzo currently leads a group of Systems Engineers covering the entire US and parts of Canada at Cisco Systems, the worldwide leader in computer networking cloud managed networks. In addition to his sales leadership role, he also serves as the Global Leader of the Inclusive community focused give back program overseeing offices in London, Sydney, Chicago, and San Francisco.
During his time at Cisco Meraki, he has been able to develop and oversee multiple community-based programs and relationships across the city of Chicago including with Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and the City Colleges of Chicago, delivering Computer Networking and Cloud computing curriculum and helping to develop professional level IT skills.
Lorenzo grew up on the Southside of Chicago and while he did not graduate from High School or College, he has been able to obtain several industry leading certifications and professional licenses including A+, NET+, Server+ CCNA, PMP, DevNet and is also a licensed Realtor serving the state of Illinois.
Director for North America Order to Cash at HCL Technologies
Director for North America Order to Cash at HCL Technologies
Jonelle Welch is currently the Director for North America Order to Cash. She leads the back office administrative support provided by HCL Technologies for her client, Xerox Corporation. Her organization consists of over 1,000 employees operating in five different countries.
Prior to joining HCL Technologies, Ms. Welch worked for Xerox Corporation, which she joined in 1992, as a Corporate Security Investigator after five years on active duty in the Army Military Police Corp. She held several roles of increasing responsibility during her more than 25 years with Xerox. These included various management positions within Corporate Security and Internal Services and transferring to support Sales in the areas of Financial Planning & Analysis, Corporate Controllership and Back Office Administration. She was most recently the Director of Strategy and Operational Enablement for North America Order to Cash.
Ms. Welch graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point with a Bachelor of Science (BS) and earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from University of Rochester’s Simon School of Business. While on active duty Ms. Welch served as a Platoon Leader, Training Officer and Provost Marshal Operations Officer. She served in two combat theatres, Panama and Saudi Arabia, in support of Operations Just Cause, Promote Liberty, Desert Shield and Desert Storm.
Ms. Welch is very active in her community and has been publicly recognized for leading corporate community involvement groups and initiatives. She enjoys reading and both domestic and international travel for pleasure.
Managing Director, Merrill Private Wealth Management of Bank of America
Managing Director, Merrill Private Wealth Management of Bank of America
Matt Vandenack is a Managing Director in the Strategic Wealth Advisory Group at Merrill Private Wealth Management of Bank of America. For over thirty years, Matt has advised business owners and ultra-high net worth families on a wide range of estate and business planning topics, including multigenerational gift and estate tax planning, business succession and exit strategies, executive compensation, and philanthropy. Leveraging deep technical expertise and a broad practical perspective, Matt helps clients identify issues, clarify goals and integrate business, tax, and investment considerations to develop pragmatic planning solutions for complex estate and business transitions.
After a brief stint as a legislative intern in Washington D.C. for a United States Congressman, Matt began his career practicing with a boutique law firm narrowly specializing in estate, income, and business tax planning for closely held business owners in the telecommunications, agriculture, and medical sectors. During his career, Matt served business owners and ultra-high net worth families at several firms in a variety of roles including Lehman Brothers (Senior Vice President, Wealth Strategist), Credit Suisse (Director, Life Finance Group), Principal Life Insurance (Assistant Director, Advanced Markets).
Matt speaks frequently on estate and business planning topics and has authored numerous articles in national publications. Matt earned a BA in International Relations from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln and a JD from the University of Georgia, Athens
President & CEO
President & CEO
Matthew Weis currently serves as President and Chief Executive Officer at National Able Network. Previously, Mr. Weis was National Able Network’s Chief Program Officer (CPO). As CPO, Mr. Weis developed and implemented a number of strategies to ensure operational continuity and ongoing adaptation to the changing job market for National Able Network’s core programs at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Mr. Weis joined National Able Network in 2014 to oversee career pathway programs that help vulnerable job seekers, and led significant programmatic expansion efforts of the IT Career Lab vocational training operations, as well as the IT Sector Center funded via the Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership.
Growing up in a rural Wisconsin farming community and working alongside migrant farm workers during his first job, at an early age Mr. Weis was exposed to the connection between work, dignity, and the universal impact that family sustaining employment can have on people from diverse backgrounds. He is a fierce advocate and practitioner of transitional jobs and other subsidized employment programs and has managed employment contracts with the Chicago Housing Authority, City of Chicago, Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership, the Illinois Department of Human Services, and more.
Mr. Weis served on the Chicago Jobs Council board of directors for eight years, participated in the United States Department of Agriculture’s SNAP Employment and Training Public/Private group at the request of former Secretary Perdue, and has been interviewed and quoted as a workforce expert by major publications.
As President and Chief Executive Officer at National Able Network, Mr. Weis aims to build upon National Able Network’s strong history of equity, while expanding the agency’s programming and service delivery footprint through the creation of innovative solutions for the ever-changing job market.
Director, Inside Sales, Digi-Trax
Director, Inside Sales, Digi-Trax
As the Director of Inside Sales at Digi-Trax, Ms. O’Brien is responsible for creating and developing a new Inside Sales Team dedicated to selling software, hardware and services to Hospitals, Ambulatory Surgery Centers, and Home Health Agencies.
Ms. O’Brien previously served as Vice President of Print Management at Lowry Solutions, a Solutions Provider of Enterprise Mobility Solutions in a wide range of industries. Prior to her work at Lowry Solutions, Ms. O’Brien was an Executive Advisor for Bridge Partners Consulting, a management strategy and operations firm. Before that, Ms. O’Brien was employed by Zebra Technologies in a variety of Sales & Management roles, both domestically and internationally. In her last role at Zebra, Ms. O’Brien was the VP, Inside Sales & NA Supplies Sales.
Ms. O’Brien is a passionate supporter of Special Olympics, Misericordia, & Orphans of the Storm. O’Brien received her BA from DePaul University and lives with her husband, dog and cat in Lincolnshire, IL.
President & CEO
President & CEO
Matthew Weis currently serves as President and Chief Executive Officer at National Able Network. Previously, Mr. Weis was National Able Network’s Chief Program Officer (CPO). As CPO, Mr. Weis developed and implemented a number of strategies to ensure operational continuity and ongoing adaptation to the changing job market for National Able Network’s core programs at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Mr. Weis joined National Able Network in 2014 to oversee career pathway programs that help vulnerable job seekers, and led significant programmatic expansion efforts of the IT Career Lab vocational training operations, as well as the IT Sector Center funded via the Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership.
Growing up in a rural Wisconsin farming community and working alongside migrant farm workers during his first job, at an early age Mr. Weis was exposed to the connection between work, dignity, and the universal impact that family sustaining employment can have on people from diverse backgrounds. He is a fierce advocate and practitioner of transitional jobs and other subsidized employment programs and has managed employment contracts with the Chicago Housing Authority, City of Chicago, Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership, the Illinois Department of Human Services, and more.
Mr. Weis served on the Chicago Jobs Council board of directors for eight years, participated in the United States Department of Agriculture’s SNAP Employment and Training Public/Private group at the request of former Secretary Perdue, and has been interviewed and quoted as a workforce expert by major publications.
As President and Chief Executive Officer at National Able Network, Mr. Weis aims to build upon National Able Network’s strong history of equity, while expanding the agency’s programming and service delivery footprint through the creation of innovative solutions for the ever-changing job market.
Vice President & Chief Financial Officer
Vice President & Chief Financial Officer
Khalid Qazi joined National Able Network, Inc. in 2003 as Controller and was promoted to become its Chief Financial Officer in 2011. Mr. Qazi manages a team of five accounting professionals responsible for all budgeting, forecasting, compliance, and financial reporting associated with more than 30 publicly- and privately-awarded contracts annually. Mr. Qazi serves as the primary point of contact for federal, State, and independent auditors, and has consistently led the Agency into outstanding audit results. His reputation as a leading expert in non-profit accounting and compliance has brought him to the attention of philanthropic foundations and other non-profits who routinely rely on him for advice and support.
Mr. Qazi was named the 2017 CFO of the Year by Financial Executives International (FEI) for his expertise in the not-for-profit midsized company specialization area. The award nomination process is extremely rigorous, involving an in-depth evaluation process that explores the nominee’s leadership capacity, a review of the company’s financial information, contacting professional references, and an in-depth interview process conducted by FEI’s Judging Committee. Mr. Qazi was featured in Crain’s Chicago Business as a 2023 Notable CFO.
Prior to National Able Network, Mr. Qazi served as manager of Financial Reporting to Children’s Home & Aid Society of Illinois where he supervised the accounting staff responsible for compliance and reporting requirements, and the development of several custom tools for analyzing financial results. Mr. Qazi has served as manager of American Express Tax and Business Services, where he prepared projections and forecasts, monthly analysis of variances, and consolidated financial reports for external reporting. For more than five years, he worked for Arthur Andersen, LLP. During this time, he served as a senior staff member for Jane Addams Hull House Association and coordinated the regulatory reporting of the Department of Children & Family Services.
Mr. Qazi earned his BBA in Accounting from Robert Morris College and his Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of Karachi.
Chief Program Officer
Chief Program Officer
As Chief Program Officer, Mrs. Sinecio provides non-profit leadership in overseeing large-scale workforce development programming across the Midwest. With more than 8 years of experience overseeing a myriad of workforce programs both as a funder and in a direct service capacity, Mrs. Sinecio has a proven track record of developing community partnerships and programs to ensure that anyone seeking assistance has equitable access to often critical services on their path to economic self-sufficiency. Mrs. Sinecio is skilled in program implementation and evaluation, project management, strategic planning and building collaborative community efforts.
Mrs. Sinecio is a Board member of the National Association of Workforce Development Professionals. Mrs. Sinecio has a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Bellevue University.
Mrs. Sinecio is a native of Omaha and in her spare time, Alejandra loves to spend time with her family and outdoor activities.
Chief Development & Communications Officer
Chief Development & Communications Officer
Kristen Cullotta serves as National Able Network’s Chief Development and Communications Officer. Ms. Cullotta leads the agency’s national fund development and marketing efforts. In her position, Ms. Cullotta directs resource development including grant writing efforts from public and private sources, and fundraising events. In addition, Ms. Cullotta is responsible for strategic marketing and outreach efforts such as developing brand awareness through integrated marketing campaigns, media relations, social media, and website content. Ms. Cullotta manages National Able Network’s in-house training department and led the launch of the organization’s online learning platform, RemarkAble Careers Start Here. During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Ms. Cullotta led a dedicated team of Contact Tracers across some of Chicago’s most-affected communities.
Ms. Cullotta previously worked as part of the National Commercial Sales team at First American Title Insurance Company’s Chicago headquarters. She was also journalist with the Chicago Sun-Times news group, writing feature articles for several publications and was a columnist for the Pioneer Press.
Ms. Cullotta is an avid fundraiser in her community, applying her passion for helping others into numerous successful campaigns and events. In her free time, she practices yoga, travels, and is a PADI certified scuba diver.
Ms. Cullotta received her BA in both Journalism and Marketing Communications from Columbia College Chicago.
Chief Information Officer
Chief Information Officer
Mark joined the team as Chief Information Officer, with more than 10 years of IT experience and multiple degrees including an MBA from Lake Forest. He has all the technical know-how and more, but what sets Mark apart is his strategic thinking and ability to reverberate positivity during any project in any organization while bringing out the best from the team. Additionally, Mark is a member and subject matter expert for the Chicago Electronic Crimes Task Force (basically, he’s the closest thing we have to a Secret Agent.)
