The Board of Directors at Center on Halsted is a group of distinguished community leaders who provide guidance, governance and key fundraising support to help build and strengthen the LGBT community. These individuals bring considerable knowledge and experience, enabling Center on Halsted to focus on our shared vision and mission. Their passion and dedication allowed us to first open our doors in 2007 and continue to grow our impact ever since, better serving our community with the programs and services expected from the Midwest's most comprehensive LGBT community center. With diverse backgrounds in business, politics, non-profit management, law and education, these community leaders collaborate with Center on Halsted's executive team to evaluate, assess and plan for the future of the organization.

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Officers

Marcus Brady
Board Chair

Marcus W. Brady is a Director of National Account Sales & Marketing for Kraft Foods. He leads a team of sales, marketing, culinary and research managers that support Kraft's food service business/brands with the top 100 National Restaurant Chains based in the Western half of the United States. Marcus has been an employee of Kraft Foods for 18 years. Marcus was the Nabisco then Kraft Regional Business Manger for Southern California, Nevada and Hawaii and based in Los Angeles. In November of 2004 Kraft relocated Marcus to their U.S. HQ in Glenview, IL to serve as one of their National Directors. While living in Southern California Marcus was a member of the PFLAG Orange County's Board of Directors and served/lead various committees. He was very active in their advocacy group and was a key leader of their Speakers Bureau that went to high schools, colleges and universities in politically and religiously conservative Orange County to tell personal stories and publically challenge negative attitudes/stereotypes towards the LGBT community. Marcus was also a member of various Orange County faith-based LGBT organizations and served primarily in leadership and advocacy roles to combat the anti-gay rhetoric that was so prevalent from various radical conservative religious groups based in Orange County at that time. He was also a member of the HRC Federal Club and was active in their Orange County chapter. Living in Chicago, Marcus has expanded his involvement beyond LGBT groups and is currently active with LINK Chicago which sponsors/mentors inner-city underprivileged teens and helps them get into area private high schools to further improve their chances of advancing into higher education. Marcus was born and raised in Montana and attended the University of Montana before starting his business career in Los Angeles. Marcus currently resides in the "Old Town" neighborhood just north of the Loop in downtown Chicago. Marcus is active in the Democratic Party in Chicago, Illinois and Nationally.

Charles Middleton
Vice Chair

Dr. Middleton is a Professor of History and the President of Roosevelt University and has been a university professor or administrator for over 40 years. Prior to joining Roosevelt, he was Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs in the University System of Maryland, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs at Bowling Green State University and Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Colorado, Boulder. A fellow of Great Britain's Royal Historical Society, Dr. Middleton's academic expertise is in modern British history from the late 18th Century to the early 19th Century. He has taught more than 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students, written more than 70 papers and is the author of the book The Administration of British Foreign Policy, 1782-1846. Dr. Middleton earned an AB degree with honors in History from Florida State University and both an MA and PhD in History from Duke University. He is a founding member and co-chair of the LGBTQ Presidents in Higher Education, on the Board of Directors of the Council on Adult and Experiential Education (CAEL) and is past Chair of the Federation of Illinois Independent Colleges and Universities. He also served on the Chicago 2016 Olympic Bid Committee and is on the Boards of Governors of the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute in Hyde Park, N. Y., and the Point Foundation. He serves on the Board of the Chicago Central Area Committee, the Near South Planning Board, and the Chicago History Museum Community Advisory Council for "Out at CHM." He is a member of the Economic Club of Chicago, the Commercial Club of Chicago and the Executives' Club of Chicago. In November 2006, Dr. Middleton was elected to the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame, alongside Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley. In his free time, he enjoys travel, fishing, attending Chicago Cubs and White Sox baseball games, and cooking for friends.

Brooke Wiseman
Secretary

Brooke is the Chief Marketing and Development Officer for the YWCA of Metropolitan Chicago and the President of New Knowledge Consulting, specializing in non-profit management. Additionally she is an instructor at Kellogg School of Management, Center for Non-Profit Management and adjunct Faculty member for Notre Dame University. Brooke is the retired CEO of the Girl Scouts of Chicago, a position she held for 16 years. As CEO, she worked extensively on fund raising, community collaborations, and board governance. Brooke earned a master's degree in Communications from Michigan State University, a bachelor's degree in Social Work and Psychology from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana; and a Certificate in Non-Profit Management from Case Western University. She also participated in extensive trainings and workshops with national management gurus such as Peter Drucker, Frances Hesselbein, Jim Collins and Willie Peterson. Brooke served both as the National President of the Association of Girl Scout Executive Staff and as the Chair of the National Certified Girl Scout CEO Commission. Outside of her professional responsibilities, Brooke has been a passionate supporter of the community. She has been the Chair of CACE – the Chicago Alliance for Collaborative Effort, a member of the Board of Directors for Chicago Women in Philanthropy and a Chicago delegate to the President's Summit for America's Future. Brooke is a past member of the Board of Directors of the Union League club of Chicago, currently serving on the House and Communication Committees. She is also a member of the Strategic Planning Task Force. She is active in the Economic Club of Chicago and is on the Membership Committee. Brooke serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the Leadership Greater Chicago Fellows Association, a member of The Chicago Network, serving on the Program and Membership Committees, and as a member of the Board of Directors of the Chicago State University Foundation. Brooke is a recognized leader having been listed in Who's Who in American Women and receiving the Human Relations Award from the Chicago Commission on Human Relations.

Joseph Della Monica
Treasurer and Finance Committee Chair

Joseph Della Monica is a Private Wealth Advisor with Ameriprise Financial Services, and has been with Ameriprise since 1997, where he worked as a Financial Advisor until 2004. His areas of focus in regards to financial planning include personal financial planning for retirement, investments, protection planning/family security, tax management strategies, estate planning strategies, education funding and executive compensation and benefit strategies. He is a Certified Financial Planner practitioner. He received his MBA in Business Administration from DePaul University. He currently resides in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago, and enjoys sports, traveling, and cooking. He currently serves on the Center on Halsted Finance Committee as well as the Center on Halsted Investment sub-committee.

Victoria Raymont
Chair Emeritus

Victoria Raymont is founder and president of StrategicSolutionsGroup, Inc. A creative motivator and gifted conceptual thinker, Victoria serves as a highly regarded strategist, skillful facilitator, trusted consultant and coach to senior executives, top- management and boards of directors throughout the United States. She advises corporations and nonprofit organizations from concept through implementation on strategic planning/development, organizational leadership/change and effective governance. She is also a results-oriented executive coach. Victoria served on the initial Center on Halsted Steering committee from 1999 – 2001 and was a member of the Board of Directors for the Center on Halsted from 2001 – 2007. During that time she served as co-chair of the Building and Program committee and also served as the board's Vice-Chair. In December of 2008, Victoria re-joined the board and served as chair of the board until June 2011. Victoria's volunteer community involvement also includes service for the Human Rights Campaign, as a member of the national Board of Directors from 1998 – 2005, a member of the Board of Governors from 1995-1998 and co-chair of the Chicago gala event in 1994. Victoria holds dual Bachelor of Science degrees from Kent State University and has also successfully completed the advanced coaching training curriculum from The Coaches Training Institute.