The University has announced the members of a community advisory board that will guide the process of bidding for the Obama presidential library. Here are five of the 12 South Side community leaders, including clergy, business leaders, and nonprofit administrators, who comprise the board.
Timuel Black (A.M. ’54) – The historian and civil rights leader grew up in Chicago’s Black Belt and is steeped in Chicago history. He was a college classmate of Harold Washington, the first black mayor of Chicago, and worked alongside Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. during the civil rights movement, organizing Chicago residents to attend the March on Washington. In recent years, he has written extensively about the history of black Chicago and at 94 is still active in public life on the South Side.
David Mosena – He has served as the sixth president and CEO of the Museum of Science and Industry (MSI) since 1997. Before his time at the MSI, he was president of the Chicago Transit Authority and was the Chicago commissioner of aviation, overseeing the operations of Chicago’s airports. He was the chief of staff for Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, and was the chairman of the board of the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools from 1993 to 1999.
Carol Adams – Adams, the president and CEO of the DuSable Museum of African American History at East 56th Place and South Cottage Grove Avenue, has experience in academia, nonprofits, and government. She has worked for the Chicago Housing Authority, the Illinois Department of Human Services, and the City of Chicago’s After School Matters program. She also developed a curriculum linking museums to Chicago Public Schools and serves as a consultant and fundraiser for a variety of arts organizations.
Andrea Zopp – As the president and CEO of the Chicago Urban League, Zopp works to promote economic development and social change for blacks. Previously, she worked in business and law, taking on executive and legal positions at Exelon Corporation and Sears Holdings Corporation, and serving as the first assistant state’s attorney in the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. She is a member of the boards of the Urban Partnership Bank, Navy Pier, the Black Ensemble Theater, and the Chicago Board of Education.
Byron Brazier – Since 2008, he has served as the pastor of the Apostolic Church of God, based at East 63rd Street and Dorchester Avenue. Prior to that, he was an assistant pastor and general administrator of the church. Earlier in his career, Brazier was the chief information officer for the Chicago Housing Authority and held various positions at Johnson & Johnson and IBM. He currently serves on several boards, including the Cook County Sheriff’s Merit Board, the Civic Advocacy and Action Committee, Woodlawn Children’s Promise Community, and the Metropolitan Planning Commission.
