Our People
STAFF
JILL VALENTINE
Executive Director
JACK SHORT
Development & Ticketing
MICHELLE DAUTE
Business Manager
ANNE SHOOK
Sales & Event Manager
JAKE FLUM
Marketing Manager
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
RYAN HAYMAN Chair
Ryan works with Taelor, a sustainable menswear subscription service. Prior to Taelor, he was with Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) and HSBC Bank where his work experiences included service in the internal audit, compliance, human resources and risk management functions between the bank’s Chicago & NYC offices. Ryan is a 2014 graduate of the University of Chicago Booth School of Business MBA program and holds a B.S. in Accountancy from Northern Illinois University. He is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). Ryan and his wife Alison live in North Center with their two sons.
LAURA MICHAUD Vice Chair
Laura Michaud, owner of The Michaud Group, is one of the country's leading business experts specializing in family - owned businesses. The bulk of her business career prior to founding The Michaud Group was with Beltone Electronics, an international manufacturer of Hearing Aids where she rose to the position of Executive VP of Sales and Marketing and was responsible for international and domestic sales, customer service, marketing and their in-house advertising agency. She currently serves on boards as a director or an officer of for several profit and not-for profit entities. Laura holds a Bachelor of Arts from Washington University in mathematics and a Masters in Business from Loyola University. Her not-for-profit activities has included serving as Chairman of the Board for Lukaba Productions, Vice President on the board of Elmhurst Children's Theater and membership chairman for Standing Room Only (a not for profit theater support group for York High School Drama). In addition, she is on multiple committees for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and is secretary/treasurer for the Posen Foundation.
MAUREEN WHEELER Treasurer
Maureen Wheeler has extensive experience in auditing, financial reporting, and tax services. Her experience includes over nine years in public accounting where she specialized in the non-profit and employee benefit plans industries. Upon leaving public accounting she took a position as associate director of back office accounting at the Alzheimer’s Association which is one of the largest national non-profit organizations in the country. She then left the Alzheimer’s’ Association to start her own practice which specializes tax and accounting services for non-profit organizations. She holds a Certified Public Accounting certificate from the State of Illinois. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Illinois Certified Public Accountants Society. She is also a member of the Illinois Certified Public Accountants Society Not-for-profit Organizations Committee. She sits on the Board of Directors of two non profit organizations Forbeck Foundation and Lukaba where she holds the officer position of Secretary and Treasurer respectively.
ADAM HEARN Board Member
Adam is a seasoned leader in advertising and marketing technology sales with over two decades of experience in building, growing, and leading sales teams across various industries. As the VP of Enterprise Sales at Guideline, he brings together top-tier media planning and data solutions, driving new business revenue and spearheading market strategies in a competitive landscape. Adam has a track record of establishing offices and teams that deliver significant growth, as evidenced by his roles at ZEFR and Beeswax, where he built strategies and sales teams for major media platforms. He holds a BA in Sociology and Psychology from Illinois State University and is known for his expertise in media strategy, marketing, and direct sales.
CHARLES H. JESSER Board Member
Jesser, a Chicago native, is a graduate of DePaul University and a founding partner of Jesser, Ravid, Jason, Basso and Farber, LLP, a Certified Public Accounting firm. Earlier in his career, Jesser served as a field auditor for the United States Treasury Department. A member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Illinois CPA Society, and the South Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountants, Jesser also serves in independent fiduciary positions for families as well as for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. Jesser is an advocate of childhood causes. He is a founding Board member of the William Guy Forbeck Research Foundation, of Carbondale, Colorado, a not- for- profit organization that focuses on pediatric oncology research through collaboration between scientists and clinicians to shorten the cancer research timetable. He is also the former Chairman of the Board of Arden Shore Child and Family Services of Waukegan Illinois, an organization that serves foster and abused children.
SARA MASSARIK Board Member
Sara is a dynamic leader with over a decade of experience in technology project management, data analytics, and operations, including significant roles in call center and distribution operations. At Humana, she spearheads multi-disciplinary agile initiatives to enhance member experience and has successfully led the launch of an operational analytics team and a new quality audit program. With certifications in Big Data Architecture, Lean Six Sigma, and SAFe Foundations, Sara is a proven expert in full life cycle project management and agile methodologies. She holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a Bachelor's degree in English Literature from the University of Michigan.
ALEX MEYER Board Member
Alex Meyer is a Managing Partner with Origin Ventures. Earlier in his career, Alex held leadership roles at SAP, Deloitte, and House of Blues. He is the founder and chairman of the Harvard Business School Alumni Angels and Entrepreneurship Council of Chicago and serves on the global board of the HBS Alumni Angels Association. He helped establish the Global Alumni New Venture Competition at the Harvard Business School, where he is an emeritus member of the school’s alumni board of directors and its executive committee. He is a Past President of the board of the Harvard Business School Club of Chicago and director of the HBSCC Charitable Fund. Alex is the founder and past president of the Society for Business & Management in Engineering (SBME) which became the National Organization for Business & Engineering (NOBE) during its national expansion. Alex holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the U of I, an MBA from the Harvard Business School, and several delightful years of theatrical education from the Second City.
STEVE MILLER Board Member
Steven N. Miller is principal and co-founder of the venture capital firm Origin Ventures. He serves on the boards of three companies: VHT, GrubHub, and Shoutlet. In addition to Stage 773, Steve is an active board member with several not-for-profit organizations including: i.c.stars, which provides inner-city young adults with technology training and leadership development; US Empowered, which furnishes urban students with the resources, support and networks that make higher education a reality, Victory Gardens Theater, Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, and the Better Government Association. He is a member of the Economic Club of Chicago. Steve received a B.S. degree in Business Administration/Marketing from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1987, where he now serves on the Dean's Business Council and the board of the Hillel Foundation. He also provides the funding for the Steven N. Miller Entrepreneurial Scholarships and the Diane & Steven N. Miller Endowed Professorship in Business at the University of Illinois.
JILL VALENTINE Board Member
Jill Valentine is the Executive Director and a founder of Stage 773. She has worked in the Not-for-Profit arts sector for almost 20 years. Jill has produced The Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival which is the largest comedy festival in the nation as well as founded and produced The Chicago Women’s Funny Festival. You may have seen Jill performing, directing, producing all over town. She has also taught corporate improv across the country. Jill’s latest project is the lead creative on the newest immersive experience WHIM Chicago whose mantra was putting Chicago artists back to work.
Board and Committee Volunteers - Seeking individuals with experience in fields of finance/accounting, fundraising, legal, not-for-profit and real estate. Ideal candidates have diverse networks and/or ties to art-supporting companies in the Chicago area and are willing to contribute about 4-6 hours a month attending board and committee meetings and related events.