Congratulations to all of the new Board members elected at the Annual Members Meeting on Thursday, January 28th, and to the returning Directors.
The 2021 Board of Directors are:
Dorothy DeCarlo, President
Chris Nelson, 1st Vice President
Darius Tandon, Secretary
Ed Sokolofski, Treasurer
Directors:
Zac Bleicher
Elaine Frei
Carly Jenkins
Sachi Kubo
Steve Nichols
Shannon Waterfield
Bios of newly elected 2021 Board Members:
President:
Dorothy DeCarlo
Living on Cleveland Avenue in the shadow of St. Michaels since 1980, Dee quips: “I am the ghost of Ogden Avenue!”. Dorothy brings strong managerial skills developed at ESPN as Director of Marketing and as international liaison for Underwriters Laboratories. Displaying strong leadership abilities, she was elected first woman president of the Illinois Restaurant Association and served as Chair of the of the Museum of Science and Industry’s President’s Council. Dee retired last June from DePaul University where she taught Integrated Marketing, Branding, and Ethics, but remains active with DePaul’s Women’s Network and St. Vincent DePaul community. Mother, mentor, and lifelong runner with boundless energy, she is ideally suited for the challenging role of President of OTTA. Levering executive experience, business expertise with determination, Dee is 100% prepared. She has served the OTTA as a Director, Events Chair, First Sight Chair and Grants Chair plus working on any other program that needed her. She is honored to be slated for this important position and looks forward to serving the community.
Vice President:
Chris Nelson
Chris Nelson and family have called the Triangle home since 2005 and he has been extremely active with the OTTA ever since. Chris has served the Triangle in a variety of roles including 15 years as Art Fair Gate Captain (2006-2020); Chair, Membership Committee, 2015-2020; Chair, Communications Committee 2018-2020; Art Fair Gates Co-Chair 2018-2020; First Sight, 2018-2019 presentation and technology support. As an Executive Creative Director overseeing a staff of incredibly creative people, Chris is well-suited to assist with the needs of the OTTA in his current role as a Director. Chris was honored to have been nominated to serve as Vice-President. If elected to that role, Chris hopes to work with the board, members and neighbors to position the OTTA not only as a steward of the Old Town Triangle, but as a source to build a better, inclusive, and welcoming community. He hopes to help foster involvement from even more neighbors, friends, and family in this wonderfully creative community we’re so fortunate to call, “home.”
Secretary:
Darius Tandon has lived in the Triangle since 2014. He is in his second year on the OTTA Board of Directors. Darius has served as the head of the Community Relations Committee both years and he is currently serving as the Association’s Secretary. Other volunteer roles serving the OTTA include volunteering for the Old Town Art Fair in 2016-2019 as a gatekeeper and support for the artists’ setup. Darius believes that to serve effectively on the OTTA Board, necessary skills include a willingness to listen to different perspectives, strong interpersonal and communication skills, and ability to work effectively with other Board members — areas in which he believes he has strength and brings expertise to the table. In his free time, Darius works as a professor at Northwestern’s School of Medicine!
Treasurer:
Ed Sokolofski has lived in the Triangle for 15 years, since 2005. His contributions of volunteering have been vast and includes two previous terms as Treasurer of the OTTA, when he has maintained and improved the financial viability of the OTTA; roles on the Finance Committee and Nominating Committee; supporting the OTAF Artists’ Breakfast; and, working the gates throughout many the OTAFs. Ed’s corporate and small business credentials are stellar and support his ongoing role as Treasurer of the OTTA, including as Owner of American Greenwood, Inc.; President of Wico Corp; Executive VP of Turtle Wax; and, Marketing Management for Quaker Oats. Ed is uniquely qualified to continue his role as Treasurer of the OTTA.
Directors:
Zac Bleicher is a Dallas native who moved to Chicago in 2006 and in 2014 moved to the Triangle. He joined the OTTA in 2015. He owns and lives in a celebrated Edgar Miller property on Wells Street and cherishes his involvement with the Edgar Miller Legacy organization, a grant recipient of the OTTA. He is steeped in heritage. While Zac has not served on any OTTA Committee, he brings to the table many years of experience in nonprofit management and development, public relations and engagement, Board governance, accounting and financial planning, program development, historic preservation advocacy and more. Zac is already deeply engaged in the historic and cultural preservation efforts of Chicago and looks forward to focusing those efforts to benefit the OTTA!
