Girls Supporting Girls’ 2018-19 Board
Rachel Brenan
Education has been an influential subtext to Rachel Brenan’s entire life. She was born to a college professor and high school Latin teacher, and, after vowing not to follow in their footsteps, joined Teach For America in 1998 following her graduation from Cornell University. Years of teaching in Newark, Jersey City, and Harlem opened her eyes to the struggles and successes of educating marginalized students, and eventually to pursue a Masters Degree at Teachers College at Columbia University. After moving to Roscoe Village with her husband and having two children of her own, this commitment to education compelled her to become involved with Girls Supporting Girls. She is proud of the work GSG has done in making education more accessible to children in poverty around the world as well as our local work with after school programs around Chicago. Rachel currently serves on GSG’s executive committee as treasurer.
Rebecca Daly
Rebecca Daly serves as an educational consultant for Chicago Public Schools, working with administrators to design and implement professional development projects. Drawing on her experience as an elementary and high-school teacher, she coaches teachers in delivering engaging, standards-based instruction and providing quality student feedback to improve student outcomes. Still in regular contact with her second-grade teacher, Rebecca knows the power of inspired and extraordinary teaching. She also knows the value of education: Rebecca holds degrees from University of Illinois, DePaul University, and National Louis University. Rebecca is a dedicated member of her local community, participating in outreach programs through USTA, State of Illinois Early Intervention, and her synagogue. She is the proud mother of three teenagers.
Iris Ferosie Hart
Iris Ferosie Hart is an attorney originally from Milwaukee. She moved to Chicago in 1993 to attend law school and never left. Since graduating in 1996, she has been a Cook County prosecutor, specializing in domestic violence and sex crimes. Iris began coaching Girls on the Run in 2010, and eventually joined its governing board. The empowerment of girls in developing countries has been a lifelong interest, likely because she witnessed her father’s family in Afghanistan flee the country when the Taliban took power. Iris is honored to be a part of GSG and hopes to help raise awareness and make a difference for girls who lack access to education. Iris is the proud mother of three children. Her hobbies are running, competing in triathlons, live music, her dog Gretchen. She currently serves on GSG’s executive committee as vice president.
Diana Kenworthy
Diana Kenworthy is co-founder of Girls Supporting Girls, and serves as secretary on GSG’s executive committee. She has spent her career working in the criminal courts in Chicago. As a young attorney working with juveniles, she quickly realized that a lack of educational opportunity almost certainly dooms a child to a life of struggle and hardship. Diana volunteered as a mentor for at-risk Chicago youth in the Chicago Lights program and currently works with a refugee family from Syria, tutoring the children so to help them succeed in school. She lives in Chicago with her husband and three children. When not playing ice hockey, Diana enjoys attending her children’s sporting events, reading and planning trips to visit each of the 14 Presidential Libraries of the National Archives.
Monica Kuzma
Monica Kuzma has 25 years of accounting and finance experience. She received her Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Miami University in Ohio in 1993. Monica worked in a variety of accounting and finance roles in the property management and portfolio management departments over her 18- year career at the RREEF Funds, a pension fund advisor. Monica currently consults for a few small business clients and is the mother of three teenagers, two girls and a boy. Additionally, Monica volunteers weekly at a public Montessori school on the South Side of Chicago, tutoring elementary-age children in reading. She strongly believes all children deserve an education and that true change comes through education, and was thrilled to join the board of Girls Supporting Girls in 2017.
Juliet Moffat
Juliet Moffat is an award-winning creative business lead with more than 20 years of experience in marketing. At Y&R Chicago, she leads a talented team on a variety of domestic and international businesses working to develop and create best-in-class work. Juliet lives in Chicago with her three children and husband and is a proud co-founder of Girls Supporting Girls. She helped start GSG with the vision of including her children on a journey that would require education, commitment and compassion. Her goal is to help them understand their context in the world, and demonstrate how the actions of the few can make a difference. She is a runner who counts the RAGNAR race among her accomplishments, and likes to paint with her kids and entertain with her chef-husband.
Patti Morrow
Patti Morrow is a yoga instructor and Thai bodywork practitioner. Originally from Texas, she graduated from Texas Christian University with a master’s degree in elementary education before pursuing a decade-long career as a teacher, reading specialist, and technology coordinator. Patti lived in seven major cities across the United States and Canada before settling in Chicago with her family in 2009. She is actively involved with her son’s school, works a group of teens with Down syndrome to promote physical fitness, and advocates for students with learning differences whenever an occasion presents itself. She is excited to be working with Girls Supporting Girls to promote literacy and the rights to education for everyone.
Gloria Pina Cahill
Gloria Pina Cahill is a National Board Certified third-grade teacher who has been working in high-poverty areas for Chicago Public Schools since 2003. She received a master’s degree in education from Northwestern University. For more than a decade, she has organized a Secret Santa program for CPS students to help them get clothes, toys, and other needed items they might not otherwise receive. Gloria lives in Chicago with her husband and three children, and enjoys traveling, boating, and watching basketball and football on television. She is honored to be a part of GSG and looks forward to helping the organization achieve its goals!
Yuleika Saume
Born in Venezuela, Yuleika Saume has first-hand experience understanding the importance of women’s education in third world countries. Yuleika’s professional background includes experience in managing advertising and marketing campaigns for local and multinational companies in Venezuela and, after obtaining her MBA from the University of Michigan, in the wine industry and the internet media sector in California. After moving to Chicago and retiring from the corporate world to spend time with her family, she has been active fundraising and volunteering for her children’s school, and for other nonprofits. Yuleika is bilingual and occasionally works as a translator. She is is an avid follower of the local Chicago food, street art and hip hop scene, particularly artists such as Hebru Brantley, JC Rivera, and Jamila Woods.
Becky Schlesinger
Becky has been a risk management professional for 25 years, and currently works for Accenture as a risk management and quality manager. She is originally from Kansas City, but loves living in Chicago with her husband, teenage daughter, two dogs and two cats. She’s always had a strong interest in women’s equality, access to quality education and opportunity for advancement. She is excited and thankful to have this opportunity to advocate for girls and their future by being on the board of Girls Supporting Girls. In her free time, Becky enjoys cooking, reading and traveling with her family.
Judy Sutton Taylor
Judy Sutton Taylor is a co-founder of Girls Supporting Girls, and serves on the executive committee as president. She is an editor and writer with more than two decades of experience in print and online media. She is also an author of travel guidebooks and has contributed to several nonfiction anthologies. The idea that small changes can yield big results is a theme in her life: Judy is also on the board of Felines & Canines, a Chicago animal rescue group with a national outreach program. A native of New York City, Judy lives on the North Side of Chicago with her husband, two kids, two cats and two dogs. She’s a long-suffering—but proud—New York Mets fan.
