Named an honoree 2025 Notable Leader in Philanthropy by Crain’s Chicago Business, Dr. Susan McConnell leads Let It Be Us, a $2 million licensed adoption and foster care agency in Illinois. She is a driving force behind innovative programs like the Heart Gallery of Illinois and the Open Home Navigator platform, both designed to find safe, permanent homes for children in foster care. Dr. McConnell also chairs the Permanency Committee of the Illinois Statewide Foster Care Advisory Council, appointed by the Director of the Department of Children and Family Services in 2017.

Elected in 2022, State Representative Mary Beth Canty represents the 54th District of Illinois. Canty is an attorney, specializing in insurance coverage and construction liability. She was elected to the Arlington Heights Village Board of Trustees in 2019. In 2020, she was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA), a position she held until her election to the Illinois House.

In her time in office thus far, she has proven herself to be a champion of issues impacting children and families. In her first term, Canty passed legislation expanding access to full-day kindergarten, creating the Department of Early Childhood, and establishing the Family Recovery Plans Implementation Task Force to support substance-exposed infants and their families. She also successfully advocated for a robust child tax credit for Illinois’ working families.

Canty began her second term by filing legislation closing loopholes related to child grooming and protecting survivors of gender-based violence. Additionally, with a focus on equity and support for working Illinoisans, she is advocating for property tax relief, as well as governance reform and adequate funding for our public transit system. She continues to be a strong advocate for social justice reform and a voice for those who cannot speak for themselves.

Verda Bhatti has over 25 years of experience working with educational and nonprofit organizations, developing and maintaining strong coalitions in multicultural settings. Verda previously served with YWCA Evanston North Shore as the Manager for Domestic Violence Training and Prevention.

Before becoming the Executive Director of Between Friends, Verda was their Director of Prevention and Community Education, where she grew the REACH program and adult education and training services.

Aiyana Emsun is the Program Manager of Prevention Education at A Safe Place and a Certified Domestic Violence Professional. With a bachelor’s and master’s degree in education, she spent eight years as an elementary music teacher before shifting her focus to advocacy.

Passionate about education and social change, Aiyana works to empower communities with the knowledge and tools to prevent domestic violence and build healthy relationships. Her teaching background helps her connect with people of all ages, making important topics easier to understand. She’s dedicated to creating safer spaces and inspiring positive change through education and awareness.

Tammy Burns is the Outreach & Community Education Manager at Zacharias Sexual Abuse Center.  She has been a dedicated educator and advocate for over 18 years. Since joining the team at ZCenter, she has had the pleasure of speaking to a wide range of audiences, including children, school personnel, college students and community members. 

She is passionate about spreading sexual violence awareness to others.  She works hard to eliminate barriers to services, engaging with community members and policy makers alike.  As an advocate, she supports survivors and their significant others with compassion and empathy. 

She serves on several committees and task forces to aid in bringing more support to survivors at the local and global level.  Every day she is inspired by the strength of the survivors she meets and the positive impact ZCenter has had in their lives.

Andrew Shelton is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has worked in the mental health field since 2012. For over a decade, he has dedicated his career to supporting young people and their families through some of the most challenging and transformative periods of their lives. His work has largely focused on helping youth navigate crises and trauma.

Andrew earned his Master of Social Work from Loyola University in 2016 and became clinically licensed in 2018. He has received advanced training in six trauma-informed modalities and has extensive experience working with young people affected by complex and developmental trauma, including those who have grown up in homes impacted by domestic violence.

His professional background spans a wide range of settings, including private practice, partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient programs (PHP/IOP), and high school and college counseling centers.

Andrew currently serves as a Clinical Mental Health Therapist at Harper College in Palatine and also runs a small virtual private practice, Roots of Renewal Therapy.