2020 Slate of Nominees for the ELVN Board of Directors

Posted On January 5, 2020

Please see below the 2020 Slate of Nominees for the ELVN Board of Directors, listed in alphabetical order by each individual’s last name. Also take note of some quick reminders here:

  • January 7, 2020 – Next ELVN meeting will be held at the Addison police station starting at 7:00pm.
  • January 20, 2020 – You must submit your membership dues for 2020 by this date to be eligible to vote at the ELVN Annual Meeting. Visit the "Join ELVN" section of the ELVN website where you can submit dues via Paypal, or print a paper application.
  • February 4, 2020 – Elections will be held on this date during the ELVN Annual Meeting at the Addison police station starting at 7:00pm.

Brandon Cunningham

"I would like to run for re-election for the East Lakeview Neighbors Board. I have lived in Lakeview for 5 years and love our community. I have served on the ELVN board for the last year and have been an active participant on the Green Team and other ELVN initiatives. Seeing the work that ELVN does, and being a part of it, give me a stronger sense of community and the impact I can have as a concerned and active member. I also currently serve as the president of Kelly Park Advisory Council and volunteer with the Chicago Maritime Arts Center. Outside of volunteerism I work as a pilot and spend as much time as I can exploring our great city with my kids."

John Fitterer

John was born and raised in Chicago. He now lives in Lakeview in the 3700 block of Fremont with his wife Sandy. They have lived in Wrigleyville since 2014, moving in from the western suburbs where they raised their 3 kids (who are all Chicago north-siders now).  He is retired after having worked at ComEd for 35 years.  John has been on the ELVN Board since 2017 and became the Board Secretary in 2019.  He also volunteers at the Field Museum, and helps co-lead the Neighborhood Grounds Crew litter pickup group with sponsorship from the Cubs, Hefty, and Murphy’s Bleachers.

Megan Grochowiak

Megan is a teacher in the Chicago Public Schools system. She works within the boundaries of ELVN and is interested in improving this community.

Heather Way Kitzes

"Please consider my nomination for the East Lake View Neighbors board of directors. For the past five years, I have worked in the Chicago Cubs organization in the department of Community Affairs.  In my role, I serve as the neighborhood liaison which has given me a unique opportunity to get to know and be a part of the East Lake View Community. During this time, I co-founded the Neighborhood Grounds Crew, served on the ELVN Green Committee and helped raise money for Oktoberfest.  I previously served as a director of ELVN from 2017-2018. While serving, I chaired the By-Laws Committee which successfully drafted and passed new by-laws for the organization.   I have lived and worked in Lakeview since 1998 and have a firm of understanding of the top issues facing our community today: reducing crime, strengthening our schools, and advocating for responsible development.  I am running because I believe my experience and dedication to our community will help further the ELVN mission. Thank you for your consideration."

Maggie Koehler

Maggie has lived in East Lakeview since 2011 and was able to learn so much about the neighborhood from working for the Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce for four years (2014-2018.) Maggie, her wife, Aimee Pine, and Boston Terrier rescue, Stan, love the diversity and close-knit community and exploring their neighborhood. Her day job is Office Manager at the law firm of Burke, Burns & Pinelli, Ltd. She has served on the East Lake View Neighbors as a board member since 2016 and especially enjoys serving on the Green Team committee working to beautify our neighborhood.

Patrick Nagle

Patrick has lived in Lakeview for the past 21 years and has worked as an attorney for 25 years. Patrick currently serves as a federal Administrative Law Judge. He has been an ELVN member for the past decade and has served as Vice-President of the organization since 2016. Over the course of the last five years, he has taken a lead role in organizing ELVN’s annual Oktoberfest charity event which has raised over $100,000 for local area causes. 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.

Gregory Ratcliff

"My background includes a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Psychology from the University of Missouri at Columbia, an M.B.A. in International Human Resources from Fairleigh Dickinson, and an M.S.W.  in Clinical Psychotherapy from Rutgers University. My career has spanned more than 30 years including experience in the profit and non-profit sectors. At Christie’s Auction House in Manhattan, I served as the principal human resources officer for the America’s and Asia. Christie’s is the world’s leading art business with sales exceeding six billion dollars.  My work experience also includes serving as a member of the executive management team at the Gay Men’s Health Crisis in New York. GMHC annually provided social services to more than 10,000 people living with HIV/AIDS, operating at its peak with a budget exceeding 30 million dollars.

I have been a member of various boards in the past, currently serving as Assistant Secretary to the Board at 3920 N Lake Shore Drive.

Raised in Kansas City I moved to the New York area in 1992. My husband of 31 years and I recently retired, moving back to the Midwest and relocating to Lakeview in late 2018.  Since coming to Chicago. I have begun to volunteer in a variety of community-based organizations in the Lakeview area.

I have attended several ELVN meetings and am eager to become more involved as a board member. I hope to add to the existing work done by the current board and committee members in keeping our neighborhood a safe and enjoyable place to work and live.

Tom Rothschild

Tom has called East Lakeview home for 28 of the 33 years he has lived in Chicago. Currently the Treasurer of his condo association and has been active on the board of every building in which he has lived. His work with the condo board has led him to form relationships with both Alderman Tunney’s and Cappleman’s offices.  Tom has had the opportunity to live and work within area for a number of years. He has been active in ELVN and Lakeview Pantry.  He seen many changes in the area and feels that being active in the ELVN organization has had a positive impact. Tom is currently a free-lance project manager.

Kit Welch

Kit 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 is the Vice President of The Legacy Project’s Board of Directors. In addition, she serves on the Grace Condos Association Board. Kit is also an avid SCUBA diver and volunteer at The Shedd Aquarium.