CSU Board of Trustees Welcomes New Members

Governor Pritzker appointed a new full board of esteemed and diverse industry experts and civic leaders to the Chicago State University Board of Trustees on May 7, 2019.

Louis Carr will serve on the Board of Trustees of Chicago State University. Carr is the President of Media Sales for BET Networks and one of the most influential and prominent African-Americans in the media and advertising industries. A long way from humble beginnings on the west-side of Chicago, Carr is responsible for more advertising dollars targeting African-American consumers than any other professional or company in history. A corporate executive, author, philanthropist, fashionista, and dynamic motivational speaker, Carr is giving audiences nationwide a reason to recalibrate their lives. He founded the Louis Carr Internship Foundation 15 years ago dedicating his efforts to improving diversity in corporate America through paid internships. Since its inception, there have been 155 paid interns, all students of color, 31 of whom have garnered full-time employment opportunities. Carr received his Bachelor of Arts in broadcast journalism from Drake University.

Brian Clay will serve on the Board of Trustees of Chicago State University. Clay is currently a physiatrist and interventional pain management specialist with the Illinois Bone & Joint Institute. As a physiatrist, Dr. Clay is a nerve, muscle and bone expert who treats injuries and illnesses that impact how the human body moves. He is also fellowship trained in anesthesia pain medicine. Born and raised in Chicago, Dr. Clay has been fascinated by science since childhood. After earning an undergraduate degree in biochemistry and completing medical school, he concentrated his focus on physical medicine and rehabilitation. During his internship and residency at Northwestern University's McGaw Medical Center and the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, Dr. Clay was named chief resident. He received his Doctor of Medicine from the University of Illinois College of Medicine.

Latanya McDade will serve on the Board of Trustees of Chicago State University. With over 20 years of experience driving positive change in urban education, McDade currently serves as Chief Education Officer for Chicago Public Schools. In that role, she oversees all academic offices within the CPS Central Office and supports our principals and Network Chiefs in their leadership roles. This was a natural transition from her previous role as Chief of Teaching and Learning, where she managed all core academic departments and oversaw the design, implementation, and evaluation of instructional programs and services for CPS teachers and administrators. A proud product of CPS schools, LaTanya was a student in Chicago from Kindergarten through 12th grade and went on to dedicate her entire career to the children of Chicago. In all of her various roles, which include teacher, assistant principal, principal and Network Chief, she has prioritized instructional equity and excellence for every child and has challenged the efficacy of traditional education models, advocating for the modernization of instructional practices throughout the District. With nearly 20 years of experience in Chicago Public Schools, LaTanya understands our school communities and knows how to support their academic growth. A passionate believer in lifelong learning, she holds a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education and an M.A. in Leadership and Administration and is currently pursuing her doctoral degree.

Miriam Mobley Smith will serve on the Board of Trustees of Chicago State University. Mobley Smith is currently an independent pharmacy and healthcare consultant. From 2007 to 2015, she spent eight years at the Chicago State University College of Pharmacy, ultimately servings as Dean. Prior, Mobley Smith spent 13 years as a clinical faculty member and eventually the Director of Experiential Education at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy. She has received numerous professional and civic awards including the 2013 Illinois Pharmacists Association "Pharmacist of the Year", 2013 Fellow of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists and 2012 National Pharmaceutical Association's Chauncey I. Cooper Award. Mobley Smith received her Pharm.D. from the University of Illinois and her Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from the University of Michigan.

Mark Schneider will serve on the Board of Trustees of Chicago State University. Schneider is a partner in the Chicago office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. His practice focuses on representing businesses, their boards and executives in complex criminal, civil, and administrative investigations, enforcement proceedings, and litigation, often in highly regulated industries. Prior to joining Kirkland, Schneider worked for more than a decade as a federal prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney's Office in Chicago, including in senior leadership and supervisory roles as Chief of Appeals, Deputy Chief of Financial Crimes and Special Prosecutions, head of the Medicare Fraud Task Force, Criminal Health Care Fraud Coordinator, Food and Drug Administration Coordinator, and Child Exploitation Crimes Coordinator. He has also taught for five years as adjunct faculty at the University of Chicago Law School. Schneider received his Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School, his Master and Bachelor of Arts in philosophy, politics and economics from Oxford University, and his Bachelor of Arts from Indiana University Bloomington.

Andrea Zopp will serve on the Board of Trustees of Chicago State University.Zopp is the President and CEO of World Business Chicago, where she leads the organization's mission of inclusive economic growth and job creation, supporting businesses, and promoting Chicago as a leading global city. Most recently, she served as Deputy Mayor, Chief Neighborhood Development Officer for the City of Chicago. Andrea has dedicated her career to being a force of change and has extensive experience in both the public and private sectors, including the United States Attorney's Office, Sara Lee, Sears Holdings, Exelon, and the Chicago Urban League. She has also held multiple civic and business appointments, serving on the Chicago Board of Education, the Cook County Health and Hospital System Board, and the Chicago Police Board, among others. She received her Juris Doctor and Bachelor of Arts in history and science from Harvard University.

“On behalf of the University, I express our thanks to the outgoing trustees Rev. Dr. Marshall Hatch, Dr. Horce Smith, Nicholas Gowen,Esq., Tiffany Harper,Esq. and Corliss Garner, CFP.” said Z Scott, Chicago State University President. “We appreciate the time and talents they shared with the board and their commitment to CSU.”

The Board consists of seven members appointed by the Governor and one student member elected by the student population (Jay Smith, 19’). The Board’s primary objective is to commence service in the public interest to promote and foster the ability of the University to offer courses of instruction, conduct research and offer public services as are now provided and may be prescribed in the future by the Board.

The next board meeting is scheduled for Monday, May 13, 2019 at 12p.m. in the Gwendolyn Brooks Library Auditorium.