CBT - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Board Member / Student Volunteer Coordinator
Anna is a senior at the University of Minnesota studying Political Science and Spanish. She began as a volunteer for Community Building Tutors and subsequently became one of two Student Volunteer Coordinators. She has now held that position for three years and is passionate about education and volunteering.
Bart Phillips founded CBT in Chicago in 2004 driven by a belief that shaping our communities is a responsibility we all share and must act on. Bart was a tutor and Program Coordinator for the Chase Park site for the first 5 years and continues to be a periodic professional speaker as part of CBTs curriculum. With the successful launch of the Minneapolis branch complete Bart continues to focus on launching new programs and building larger scale relationships. Professionally, Bart works in healthcare analytics and has held leadership roles in both small and large healthcare companies.
Job Titles:
- Real Estate Specialist at Crown Castle
Brad Bell is a Real Estate Specialist at Crown Castle, the nations largest shared wireless infrastructure company. Previously, Brad lived in Breckenridge, Colorado, where he worked as a snowboard instructor for children. Brad connected with SOS (Snowboard Outreach Society) engaging local at risk youth in building character by achieving goals on the mountain. This experience, and studying Social Entrepreneurship at Miami University makes Brad a great addition to the board.
Job Titles:
- Board Member / Financial & Operations Strategist
Brian is a mission-focused financial and operations strategist experienced in both the non-profit and public sector. He received his B.A. in Business Administration from the University of St. Thomas and his M.B.A. from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota.
Since 2004, Casey Thompson has been a leading brand influencer in the Twin Cities market, serving the communications needs of clients like UnitedHealthcare, Medtronic, Optum, Target, Ameriprise Financial and the University of Minnesota. Currently, he is Chief Bold Officer at BoldMN, which is dedicated to pursuing a thorough, scientific-level understanding of a brand's audience and developing bold solutions that help clients maximize their potential through a wide range of creative media. Applying his passion for supporting progressive nonprofits like CBT, Casey has helped guide the organization's marketing efforts since 2017. He was named an official advisor of the organization in 2020.
Job Titles:
- Product Marketing Manager at CareerBuilder
- Secretary / Product Marketing Manager, CareerBuilder
Chelsie Kozera is a Product Marketing Manager at CareerBuilder, LLC. CareerBuilder is widely recognized as a job board, but recently has grown into a SaaS (software as a service) company, enabling companies to remove the complexity from their recruitment process through insight-driven software and sourcing solutions. Chelsie helps develop go-to-market strategy for CareerBuilder's software products. A few years ago Chelsie lived and worked in South Korea as an ESL Teacher for children ages seven to seventeen. It was during her years in Korea that she fell in love with developing curriculum to help children grasp the English language easily. Chelsie brings a background of education, professional freelance writing, and marketing to CBT's Board of Directors.
Job Titles:
- Advisor
- Assurance Manager, CliftonLarsonAllen LLP
- Member of the CBT Board
Chris Manderfield is an original member of the CBT board and has served as the treasurer since its inception. Professionally, Chris works with health care organizations providing audit, tax and consulting services to organizations which include community health centers, continuing care retirement communities and skilled nursing facilities. Chris is a licensed certified public accountant in Illinois and received both his bachelors of science in accountancy and masters of accounting science from Northern Illinois University.
Job Titles:
- Technology Development Director, IRI Worldwide
- Technology Director at IRI Worldwide
George Coleman Jr. is a Technology Director at IRI Worldwide, a leading market research firm based in Chicago. He has been involved with youth programs and urban education since 2010. His work with CBT has focused on managing the website redesign initiative. He received his B.A. in computing and M.S.in Information Systems from DePaul University, and an MBA from Purdue University's Krannert School of Management. George is looking forward to helping CBT develop greater collaborative tools setting the platform for program expansion.
Job Titles:
- Analytic Consulting Manager, Blue Health Intelligence ( BHI )
Ivan has spent the majority of his career in Health Care Analytics and is currently an Analytic Consulting Manager at Blue Health Intelligence (BHI). Blue Health Intelligence (BHI) is a trade name of Health Intelligence Company, LLC, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. He received a B.S. in Management from The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) and an MBA in Marketing and E-Commerce from Rutgers University. He has been involved in various non-profit organizations since 2008 serving as a cancer climber - Mount Kilimanjaro (American Cancer Society), charity runner - Chicago Marathon (American Institute of Cancer Research), food drive captain and volunteer (Greater Chicago Food Depository), serv-a-thon participant (Chicago Cares) and fundraiser for other non-profit organizations. Ivan is excited at the opportunity to serve on the board and to contribute to the future success of CBT.
Job Titles:
- Board Member / Founder & Principal Consultant, JMS Digital Collaborative
- Founder of JMS Digital Collaborative
Jay Sivasailam is the founder of JMS Digital Collaborative, a boutique strategic consultancy specializing in helping organizations bridge the gap between their data and marketing strategies. He received his B.A. in Philosophy from the University of Minnesota and his M.B.A. from Capella University. Jay has volunteered for a number of non-profit organizations as a tutor, mentor and youth chess coach and is looking forward to helping CBT develop its Minneapolis branch.
Job Titles:
- Service Delivery Manager at Valence Health
Jena is a Service Delivery Manager at Valence Health. She received her B.S. in Exercise Physiology and MPH in Epidemiology & Biostatistics from West Virginia University. She has volunteered in several roles with multiple organizations and is excited to be joining CBT as a board member. Jena looks forward to contributing to the success of this organization.
Job Titles:
- Board Member / Professor, Normandale Community College
Jim has been a Computer Science and Math professor at Normandale since 1988, teaching a wide variety of computer and mathematics courses and has many years of industry experience. He has a B.A in Physics & Math and a Masters in Math & Computer Science from Minnesota State University, Mankato. He works with Normandale and CBT to connect volunteers for tutoring. Jim recognizes the value of foundational education in attaining a brighter future for our children and for our society.
For more information about volunteering or about our programming, please contact Samatha Nyland, Board Chair, at snyland@cbtutors.
Job Titles:
- Software Development Manager, Redbox Automated Retail
Jonathan Palmer has been a part of Redbox, the ubiquitous DVD rental kiosks located around the US and Canada, for the past 12 years. In 2002 he joined a small team from McDonald's to form what became Redbox DVD Rental Kiosks, a subsidiary of Outerwall. At Redbox, Jonathan held various leadership roles in operations and software development and has played a pivotal role in scaling Redbox from a handful of rental kiosks to over 40,000 kiosks and over $2 billion in annual revenue.
Job Titles:
- Chairman / Attorney, Nisen & Elliot, LLC
- Program Coordinator at CBT 's Holstein Park
Joe Ptasinski joined CBT in 2007 as a Program Coordinator at CBT's Holstein Park site in Bucktown. Since becoming a board member in 2008, Joe has helped organize a number of CBT's community projects and events. Joe is also active in the Chicago area tutor-mentor community. Joe is a practicing attorney and lives in the Ravenswood area.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director, Lawndale Christian Fitness Center
Leigh Batts is from Milwaukee, Wisconsin but currently resides in Chicago, Illinois. He is the Assistant Director at Lawndale Christian Fitness Center and Youth Director at Christus Victor Lutheran Church. Leigh also serves as a Chaplain in the United States Air Force. Leigh specializes in strategic management and organizational leadership.
Job Titles:
- Board Vice - President / Owner, Early Risers Day School
Liz Harris has over nine years of corporate experience in investments and treasury operations. After her first son was born she left the corporate world to open up an in home day school for children 6 months to 12 years old. She currently runs two in-home day schools and is looking to expand further. Liz believes every child deserves the best education and opportunities that can be offered.
For more information about registering your children or volunteering, please contact Matt Smriga.
Job Titles:
- Management Consultant
- Board President / Managing Director, Black Alpha LLC
Nisha is a Management Consultant with a tenured career in Healthcare. She has an Associates Degree in Computer Science, a B.A. in Business Administration and an M.B.A. in Healthcare from the University of St. Thomas. Nisha has volunteered for a number of organizations as a tutor & mentor. She especially enjoys coaching women & young girls with their career paths and helping youth with substance dependencies.
Job Titles:
- Nonprofit Sales Consultant, NeonCRM
Samantha is a native Michigander, and entered the nonprofit sector in 2007 working as a development intern at two local nonprofit organizations. After navigating the inner workings of a nonprofit, Samantha went on to become the Education Program Coordinator at Chicago House and Social Service Agency for 5 years; creating curriculum and facilitating year-round academic and life-skills support for formerly homeless families and youth. Currently, Samantha works as a Nonprofit Sales Consultant for NeonCRM, providing a robust software to support efficiency and data centralization to nonprofits across the United States. As a CBT Board Member, Samantha brings to the table a passion for social justice and youth empowerment, imagination, and a strong willingness to push the boundaries. If you don't find her planning her next endeavor, she's probably attempting a DIY project or at one of the many concert venues across the city.
Sara Solger is a graduate student in Loyola's School and Community Counseling Program. She received her bachelors in Education and Spanish from Loyola. Sara has taught at a number of schools in Chicago and has volunteered as a tutor, community organizer, and Special Olympics coach. During these experiences Sara developed a passion for empowering youth and promoting social justice. Sara is excited to help CBT to recruit new tutors and promote CBT's mission.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Vice President and Wealth Strategies Analyst at U.S. Trust
- Vice Chair / Assistant Vice President and Wealth Strategies Analyst, U.S. Trust
Shilpa Gupta is an Assistant Vice President and Wealth Strategies Analyst at U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management. She received her B.A. in Political Science from Boston University, her J.D. from The Ohio State University, Moritz College of Law, and her LL.M. in Taxation from Northwestern University School of Law. Shilpa has volunteered for various non-profit organizations in the past as a tutor, tax preparer, mentor, event planner and fundraiser, and she looks forward to helping further the mission of CBT as a board member.