Chaka Patterson
Chaka Patterson

Posse Chicago Welcomes New Leadership Council Members

Spring 2017 | Chicago

Posse Chicago is thrilled to announce the addition of Norma Autry, Marie Ciavarella and Chaka Patterson to its leadership council, a group of civic-minded professionals aligned with Posse’s mission and vision.

Norma is President and Co-Founder of ClearlyEnergy, a leading provider of utility cost information for the real estate industry and an online energy efficiency marketplace for consumers. Norma is a Rice University Posse alumna and holds a bachelor’s degree in economics.

“It is inspiring to be part of a program that focuses on diversity in a way unlike other programs,” says Norma. “As a Posse alumna, I am constantly looking for ways to give back to the program that gave me so much.”

Marie holds a doctorate in psychology and a certificate in business administration. She is also the owner of StarWorks Leadership, which delivers leadership and organizational development solutions to a diverse client list—from Fortune 100 companies to marquee non-profits.

“I was excited to join the leadership council to promote rising talent,” says Marie. “I can make a difference through my network, passion and commitment to changing the face of leadership…and I have seen up close how opportunity and learning propels one to make lasting contributions.”

Chaka is the Chief of the Civil Actions Bureau in the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. Chaka holds a J.D. from Harvard Law School and a B.A. from Amherst College, where he was the first black student to be elected student government president and graduated magna cum laude.

“I choose to dedicate my philanthropic efforts to Posse’s mission: to find students who, like me, might be overlooked by the traditional college admissions process, help them get admitted to great schools, thrive at those schools, and go on to become great leaders in their communities,” says Chaka.

Posse Chicago thanks its dedicated leadership council members for making a strong commitment to the success of our Scholars and alumni.


Posse Chicago Leadership Council
Co-Chairs
J’ai Brown, HR Business Partner, Wealth Management, BMO Financial Group
David Susler, Associate General Counsel, National Material L.P.

Manuel “Manny” Amezcua, Managing Partner, MassMutual Chicago
Norma Autry, Co-Founder, ClearlyEnergy, Inc.
D’Andrea Anderson, Sr. Business Manager, Wholesale Loan Operations, JPMorgan Chase
Marie Ciavarella, Principal, StarWorks Leadership, LLC 
Ed Cooper, Senior Vice President, Wells Fargo Bank
Lisa Brown, Professional Development Partner, Schiff Hardin LLP
Nicholas Kennedy, Manager, West Monroe Partners
Robert Levels, Senior Counsel, CCC Information Services
Dave Malcom, Managing Director, IT Audit, Accenture
LaKeisha Marsh, Partner, Akerman LLP
Andy Nguyen, Partner Lead, Google
Chaka Patterson, Chief, Civil Actions Bureau, Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office 
Erica Phillips, Senior Associate Director, Social Enterprise Initiative, University of Chicago Booth School of Business
David Ritchay, Senior Vice President, Bank of America
Stephanie Scott, Campus Recruiting Manager, West Monroe Partners
Libby Smoler, Private Sector 
Robert Steiner, Financial Advisor, U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc.
Lydia Wahlke, Vice President and General Counsel, Chicago Cubs 
Kila Weaver, Vice President, Marketing & Client Service, FIS Group
Andrew Whittlesey, Senior Reporting Data Analyst, Golub Capital