About Us
ELVN’s Board of Directors are pulled from a cross-section of our community. We are residents, business owners, and employees. If you would like to be more active in community life, we encourage you to attend our meetings, and perhaps join our board!
Board member elections are held every year at our March Community meeting. Each member of the board is elected for a two-year term; the terms are staggered, so every year one-half of the posts are up for election.
2024-2025 Executive Board
Michael Zink — President
Michael Zink is an attorney at the Law Offices of Starr, Bejgiert, Zink & Rowells, a general practice civil litigation firm in Chicago. He has held a variety of leadership roles in the Illinois State Bar Association and in the Chicago Bar Association. Michael has also served in various advisory roles in legal and community organizations throughout Chicago. Michael previously served as Secretary of ELVN.
Brian Murphy — Vice-President
Brian has lived, worked, and owned property in East Lakeview for most of his life. Upon marrying wife Jaime, they moved back into the same apartment that he grew up on Sheffield Avenue. In the following years, his 2 sons were born in the same home. He’s worked in his family’s business at Murphy’s Bleachers and also has managed Mrs. Murphy & Sons restaurant as well as worked in property management. For several years, Brian has served as the principal organizer for ELVN’s Oktoberfest. During that time, Oktoberfest raised well over $100,000 for local area charities and schools. Throughout his life, he has watched East Lakeview evolve into the thriving community that it is today. Brian looks forward to continuing to take an active role in helping this neighborhood reach its full potential.
Kit Welch — Treasurer
Kit Welch and her wife decided to make Lakeview East their permanent home in 2012 after having lived in numerous cities. By profession, Kit is a Real Estate Broker with Baird & Warner, specializing in residential and small commercial real estate sales throughout Chicagoland, but focuses her business primarily on the North side of the City, and the Lakeview/Wrigleyville area. In 2017, Kit and her wife bought their second property within the East Lakeview boundaries, a 2-flat building on the 3700 block of North Kenmore Ave. They have opened an Airbnb in the second floor unit of their new home, and are now landlords for the condo property they used to live in at the corner of Grace and Fremont. Kit has become an active member in the Lakeview East/LGBT community, as a member of the LGBT Chamber of Commerce, and serving on the Boards of The Legacy Project and the Grace Condos Association. Kit is also an avid SCUBA diver and volunteer at The Shedd Aquarium.
Heather Way Kitzes — Secretary
Heather has dedicated her professional life to civic and community engagement. She has spent nearly 20 years advocating for small businesses, and non-profit organizations. Her passion for building strong communities is evident through her work with the Chicago Cubs and the Lakeview Chamber of Commerce. While leading the Chamber she led many initiatives including the commission of SSA 27, and the Lakeview Area Master Plan (LAMP); the latter winning international recognition. During her tenure, Lakeview was named by CNN Money Magazine as one of the top three “Best Big City Neighborhoods” to live in the US. Her role with the Cubs includes navigating the complicated intersection of big business, community, and government. She understands the importance of the winning combination of vibrant commercial corridors, ample public transportation, accessible public spaces, and strong schools. When these components thrive, communities can’t lose. Heather studied Journalism and Art History at the University of Missouri – Columbia and holds leadership certificates from the Institute for Organization Management and Case Western University. She sits on several boards and committees and believes strongly in volunteerism. Heather is a native of the Chicagoland area and lives on Chicago’s northside with her family.
2024-25 Board of Directors
Scott Baskin is a 40-year resident of Chicago’s north side, including the past six years on Melrose Street in East Lakeview and 30 years in Buena Park just north of Irving Park. His professional career includes serving as CEO and co-owner of Mark Shale, a men’s and women’s retail business based in Chicago, from which he retired eleven years ago. Scott currently serves as CEO of the Small Business Advocacy Council, a not for profit, that advocates for small businesses. Prior to his businesses career, Scott worked in Washington DC, serving as Congressman Abner Mikva’s chief legislative assistant and counsel on the House Ways and Means Committee. His wife and he have two adult children who attended Chicago schools. Other past volunteer activities include 15 years as a member of WBEZ’s Board of Directors where he chaired the programing and marketing committees, board member for the Center for Law & Social Work and the Chicago Maternity Center. Currently, Scott serves on the Uptown United board. He also serves on the boards of several privately held businesses in the Chicago area. He loves our East Lakeview neighborhood, is passionate about small businesses and would love to help our neighborhood fill-in some of the empty storefronts and see East Lakeview grow and thrive.
Patrick Carlson is a longtime resident of East Lakeview. He is an attorney and actively participates in all ELVN meetings. Patrick has been an ELVN board member since 2015.
Priya Garg moved to the East Lakeview neighborhood in August 2022 and has been a Chicago resident for over 13 years. She currently leads the diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at the American Osteopathic Association where she has worked for 11 years. Priya recently graduated from Loyola University Chicago in 2020 with an MBA in Healthcare Management. She enjoys reading, mentoring, and spending time with family and friends.
Terie Kata has been active as a board member of ELVN since 1991, serving as Chair for five years, Treasurer for twelve years and past chair of ELVN’s annual Oktoberfest fundraiser for 12 years. She’s been an active resident and property owner of the Lakeview community for 25 years. Other community involvement has included working with several Chamber’s of Commerce, being an active participating member of LVCC for the past 25 years, serving on many committees, as well as planning and coordinating numerous LVCC fundraising events. Terie enjoys traveling the globe.
Tim Lindsay is also a board member.
Maureen T. Martino is the Executive Director for the Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce and manages two Special Service Areas in the commercial district consisting of Central, Lakeview East and Wrigleyville. Maureen lends counsel to outlying civic, public, and non-profit organizations to foster growth and economic development. Maureen has served on Mayor Daley, Mayor Rahm Emanuel and local elected official’s Economic Development Advisory and Zoning Committees. She recently joined the Steering Committee for the States Attorney’s office. She volunteers her time at various neighborhood non-profit associations and continues to improve the quality of life and safety in Lakeview.
John McCarthy is serving his first term on the ELVN Board and has lived in East Lakeview for a decade. During that time, he spent eight years on the Board of his co-op building. He is the Chicago Police Department’s volunteer Beat Facilitator for East Lakeview’s Beat 1925. Earlier, he served as president of the condo building at Grace and Fremont. Murphy’s Bleachers hosted his bachelor party. His career has been in TV news, and documentary and video production. He and his wife of 40 years have a hell of a good time with their five grandchildren.
Drew Moran is a strategic leader who is committed to empowering community endeavors. He currently serves as Director of Institutional Partnerships at Nourishing Hope (previously known as Lakeview Pantry). Before assuming his current position, Drew held the position of Director of Innovation and Strategic Initiatives during the Covid-19 pandemic, guiding Nourishing Hope’s provision of essential services for those impacted across the city. Holding a master’s degree in clinical Mental Health Counseling from Roosevelt University and a license as a Professional Counselor, Drew is equally committed to promoting mental well-being. His experience includes providing individual, couples, and group counseling in East Lakeview, with a particular emphasis on LGBTQ-related issues. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Eastern Illinois University. A proud resident of Lakeview East, Drew is deeply invested in the welfare of his local community. He fervently advocates for LGBTQ rights, champions diversity, equity, and inclusion, and relishes outings with friends to the lakefront. In his leisure time, Drew can be found hosting dinner parties for friends and family, penning fiction in Boystown coffee shops, and occasionally busting a move out on the dance floor.
Patrick Nagle has lived in Lakeview for the past 17 years and has worked as an attorney for 28 years. Patrick currently serves as the nation’s Chief Administrative Law Judge for the Social Security Administration. He has been an ELVN board member for the past twelve years as well as a member of Alderman Cappleman’s Zoning and Development Committee. His wife and he are raising two children in the neighborhood and he is invested in making this community an optimal place for people to live and work.