Olivet Nazarene University (ONU) is a private Nazarene university in Bourbonnais,Illinois. Named for its founding location,Olivet,Illinois,ONU was originally established as a grammar school in east-central Illinois in 1907. In the late 1930s,it moved to the campus in Bourbonnais. The university is affiliated with the Church of the Nazarene and is the annual site of the church's Regional Celebrate Life youth gathering for the Central USA Region.
Thomas M. Tunney is an American politician and entrepreneur from Chicago,Illinois. From 2003 to 2023,he served as an alderman on the Chicago City Council. He represented the 44th Ward of the city,which includes major tourist destinations,Northalsted and Wrigleyville neighborhoods. He was also vice mayor from 2019 to 2023.
Roosevelt University is a private university with campuses in Chicago and Schaumburg,Illinois. Founded in 1945,the university was named in honor of United States President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. The university enrolls around 4,000 students between its undergraduate and graduate programs. Roosevelt is home to the Chicago College of Performing Arts.
Mark Roosevelt is an American academic administrator and politician serving as the seventh president of the Santa Fe campus of St. John's College. He was the President of Antioch College from January 2011 to December 2015 and superintendent of the Pittsburgh Public Schools,the second largest school district in Pennsylvania,until December 31,2010. He served as a state legislator in the Massachusetts House of Representatives and was the Democratic nominee for governor in the 1994 Massachusetts gubernatorial election. Roosevelt is the great-grandson of Theodore Roosevelt,and the son of CIA agent Kermit Roosevelt Jr.
John D'Emilio is a professor emeritus of history and of women's and gender studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He taught at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He earned his B.A. from Columbia College and Ph.D. from Columbia University in 1982,where his advisor was William Leuchtenburg. He was a Guggenheim fellow in 1998 and National Endowment for the Humanities fellow in 1997 and also served as Director of the Policy Institute at the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force from 1995 to 1997.
Carol Ronen is an American politician who served as a Democratic member of both houses of the Illinois General Assembly.
Ernie Manouse is an American television host,radio personality,writer and producer. He currently hosts the interview show InnerVIEWS with Ernie Manouse,produced by HoustonPBS. His work with HoustonPBS has met critical acclaim in the southern United States,earning him numerous KATIE awards and regional Emmy Awards.
Michael J. Hogan is an American historian who served as president of the University of Connecticut (2007–2010) and president of the University of Illinois System (2010–2012). He subsequently became a distinguished professor of history at the University of Illinois at Springfield.
Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU) is a public university in Chicago,Illinois. NEIU serves approximately 9,000 students in the region and is a Hispanic-serving institution. The main campus is located in the community area of North Park with three additional campuses in the metropolitan area. NEIU has one of the longest running free-form community radio stations,WZRD Chicago 88.3 FM.
Jacqueline Taylor was the provost and vice president for academic affairs at The College of New Jersey from 2013-2018.
Joe G. N. "Skip" Garcia is an American pulmonary scientist,physician and academician.
Amanda Renae Simpson is an American pilot,businessperson and politician.
Mary Morten,a lifelong activist in Chicago,has dedicated her voice to advocate for marginalized communities. Morten was inducted into the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame in 1996. Morten served as the first African-American president of the Chicago chapter of the National Organization for Women (NOW),is an author and filmmaker on African-American lesbian experiences,and has led organizations such as the Chicago Abortion Fund and Chicago Foundation for Women. Notably,Morten directed the City of Chicago's Advisory Council on Gay and Lesbian issues in 1996.
Thomas R. Chiola served as a judge of the Illinois Circuit Court of Cook County from 1994 to 2009. He was the first openly gay person elected to public office in Illinois.
John Michael Durnil served as the Executive Director of the Scripps National Spelling Bee from March of 2021 until his retirement in November of 2022. From December 2010 to February 2021,he was President and CEO of the Simon Youth Foundation (SYF). Durnil is the former Senior Vice President and Interim President of the Gay &Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD),and the former Executive Vice President for Governmental Affairs &University Outreach and Assistant Secretary to the Board of Trustees at Roosevelt University in Chicago,Illinois. He has been nationally recognized for his service in the field of higher education and for his advocacy of LGBT rights. Durnil serves on the executive board of the American Council on Education Council of Fellows. Durnil is also an ordained Elder in the Presbyterian Church and a member of the International Order of DeMolay.
American Veterans for Equal Rights (AVER) is the oldest Lesbian,Gay,Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Veterans Service Organization (VSO) in the United States. Founded in 1990,AVER is a non-profit VSO that supports and advocates for the rights of LGBT military veterans,active duty service members,and their families.
Equality Illinois (EI) was founded in 1991 to work towards building a better Illinois by advancing equal treatment and social justice through education,advocacy,and protection of the rights of the LGBTQ community.
Fred Eychaner is an American businessman and philanthropist.
Dwight A. McBride is an American academic administrator and scholar of race and literary studies. From April 16,2020,to August 2023,he served as the ninth president of The New School. McBride previously served as provost,executive vice president for academic affairs,and Asa Griggs Candler Professor of African American studies at Emory University.
William B. Kelley was a gay activist and lawyer from Chicago,Illinois. Many laud him as an important figure in gaining rights for gay people in the United States,as he was actively involved in gay activism for 50 years.
