GCI Advisors

Supporting its commitment to inter-disciplinary and multi-community engaged research, GCI convenes GCI Advisors, an advisory council that links GCI’s work to the rest of the university, the non-profit, civic, cultural worlds, with the public and private sectors. GCI Advisors meet quarterly to discuss pressing issues facing the region, get a first glance at new cutting edge research, ensure GCI’s 360-degree focus on fulsome engagement of multiple audiences, as well as review and evaluate the Institute’s work.


Jennifer Arwade, Co-Executive Director, Communities United

Lawrence Benito, CEO and Executive Director, Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights

Deborah E. Bennett, Senior Program Officer, Polk Brothers Foundation

John Bouman, Former President, Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law

Gloria Castillo, Chicago Community Trust, and former President and CEO, Chicago United

David Doig, President, Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives

Victor B. Dickson, President and CEO, Safer Foundation

Ricardo Estrada, President and CEO, Metropolitan Family Services

Sunny Fischer, Board Chair, National Public Housing Museum

Sol A. Flores, Deputy Governor, State of Illinois

Mari Gallagher, Principal, Mari Gallagher Research and Consulting Group

Jesús Chuy García, U.S. Representative, Illinois 4th District

Grace Hou, Secretary, Illinois Department of Human Services

Maria Kim, President and CEO, REDF

Rami Nashashibi, Executive Director, Inner-City Muslim Action Network

Darlene Oliver Hightower, Vice President, Community Health Equity, Rush University Medical Center

Sylvia Puente, Executive Director, Latino Policy Forum

Susan Smith Richardson, CEO, Center for Public Integrity

Juan Salgado, Chancellor, City Colleges of Chicago