Chicago Shakespeare Theater announces
New Chairman of the Board of Directors
Steve Solomon
Exelon's Vice President of Corporate Relations and Exelon Foundation President
Four additional members elected to the Board
Theater salutes outgoing chair Sheli Rosenberg
Chicago—September 7, 2016—Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) has elected a new Chair of the Board of Directors Steve Solomon, Vice President of Corporate Relations of Exelon and president of the Exelon Foundation. The Board of Directors also welcomes the following new Members: Kevin Evanich, of counsel at Kirkland & Ellis; Robert Moore, CEO of Legal and General Investment Management America; Madhavan Nayar, founder and former president of Infogix and current president of E-Prairie, LLC; and Lance Richards, vice president of the US Menu Innovation Team at McDonald’s USA.
Steve Solomon has served in many capacities at ComEd and Exelon, a Fortune 100 energy company with the largest number of utility customers in the U.S., where he oversees the company’s corporate giving, sponsorships and employee volunteer programs. In his 31 years with the company, he has held positions in advertising, public affairs, and corporate communications. Since joining the Corporate Relations group in 2002, Solomon has overseen over $175 million in grant making and helped create major initiatives and signature programs for the company. Solomon collaborated with the United Way of Metropolitan Chicago to create the Exelon-ComEd-United Way Stay in School initiative which is starting its 11th year. The program brings together nonprofit partners, public schools and employee mentors with the primary goal of helping students stay in school and graduate high school. In 2006, Solomon started Exelon’s Energy for the Community program to promote and encourage employees to volunteer in the community. Since the program started, employees have logged over 750,000 hours of community service.
Solomon has been a dedicated member of the CST Board since 2003, and an integral advocate for the Theater’s community outreach and development efforts over the last decade. An active volunteer in the Chicago cultural and educational community, Solomon also serves on the boards of the Shedd Aquarium, and Pope John Paul II Catholic Elementary School. He also serves on various committees including: the 606 Campaign Committee, ADA 25 Advancing Leadership Executive Committee, Chicago History Museum Making History Awards, Ingenuity’s Be Creative Campaign, John C. Dunham STEM Partnership School Leadership Committee, Morton Arboretum Advisory Board, and the United Way of Metropolitan Chicago Campaign Cabinet. Solomon graduated from Illinois State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mass Communication. He lives in Naperville with his wife, Robin. They have two children: Becky, now a second-year teacher at Bogan High School on Chicago’s southwest side, and Ryan, a senior at the University of Illinois.
Chicago Shakespeare recognizes the outstanding dedication of outgoing Board of Directors Chair Sheli Rosenberg, Principal at Roselin investments and consultant to Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom’s Chicago office. Renowned Chicago lawyer and champion for women in the business world, Rosenberg has been a member of the Chicago Shakespeare Board of Directors since 2009 and has served two terms as Chair. During her tenure, the Theater expanded the free Chicago Shakespeare in the Parks citywide tour to 19 neighborhoods; spearheaded the yearlong Shakespeare 400 Chicago festival; and entered the public phase of the Our City, Our Shakespeare campaign supporting CST’s artistic, education and international programming, including the Theater’s expansion of its Navy Pier campus with a third theater venue, The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare.
Executive Director Criss Henderson comments, “Since joining our Board of Directors, Steve has served as an active champion for our work on stage and in the community. Barbara and I are thrilled to enter into this partnership with him as we launch our 30th anniversary season and prepare to open our innovative third theater, The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare.”
Chicago Shakespeare Theater Board of Directors
Chair
Steven J. Solomon
Treasurer
Eric Q. Strickland
Board Members, 2016-17
Frank D. Ballantine
Brit J. Bartter
Thomas L. Brown
Allan E. Bulley III
Patrick R. Daley
Brian W. Duwe
Philip L. Engel
Jeanne B. Ettelson
Kevin R. Evanich
Harve A. Ferrill
Sonja H. Fischer
Richard J. Franke
Barbara Gaines
C. Gary Gerst
M. Hill Hammock
Kathryn J. Hayley
Criss Henderson
Stewart S. Hudnut
William R. Jentes
Jack L. Karp
John P. Keller
Christie B. Kelly
Richard A. Kent
Barbara Malott Kizziah
Chase Collins Levey
Anna Livingston
Renetta E. McCann
Raymond F. McCaskey
Robert G. McLennan
Jess Merten
Robert Moore
Madhavan Nayar
Christopher O’Brien
Dennis Olis
Mark S. Ouweleen
Carleton D. Pearl
Judith Pierpont
Paulita A. Pike
Stephanie Pope
Richard W. Porter
John Rau
Nazneen Razi
Ingrid Razny
Lance Richards
Glenn R. Richter
Sheli Z. Rosenberg
John W. Rowe
Robert Ryan
Carole B. Segal
Harvey J. Struthers, Jr.
Sheila G. Talton
Marilynn J. Thoma
Gayle R. Tilles
William J. Tomazin
Donna Van Eekeren
Priscilla A. (Pam) Walter
Ray Whitacre
Ava D. Youngblood
ABOUT CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE THEATER
Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) is a leading international theater company and the recipient of the Regional Theatre Tony Award®. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Barbara Gaines and Executive Director Criss Henderson, CST is dedicated to creating extraordinary production of classics, new works and family programming; to unlocking Shakespeare’s work for educators and students; and to serving as Chicago’s cultural ambassador through its World’s Stage Series. Through a year-round season encompassing more than 650 performances, CST attracts 225,000 audience members annually. One in four of its audience members is under eighteen years old, and today its education programs have impacted the learning of over one million students. CST is proud to take an active role in empowering the next generation of literate, engaged cultural champions and creative minds. During 2016, CST has spearheaded the Shakespeare 400 Chicago festival in addition to announcing the creation of an innovative performance venue, The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare. www.chicagoshakes.com
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