Leadership Team
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Pedro Martinez
Chief Executive Officer
Mr. Pedro Martinez, who has more than 20 years of experience in the private, nonprofit, and public education sectors, will begin serving as CEO of Chicago Public Schools on October 1, 2021. He previously served the district as Chief Financial Officer from 2003 - 2009 and is a product of Chicago Public Schools.
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Bogdana Chkoumbova
Chief Education Officer
As Chief Education Officer, Bogdana Chkoumbova ensures that students across Chicago have access to high-quality educational experiences that will help prepare them for success in college and fulfilling careers.
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Dr. Sofia Adawy Akintunde
Chief Health Officer
As the District’s Chief Health Officer, Dr. Sofia Adawy Akintunde is responsible for eliminating health-related barriers to learning and advancing child health equity within our schools.
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James Patrick Alforque
Controller
James Patrick T. Alforque has over 25 years of experience in auditing and accounting. Previously, he worked at Roosevelt University as the Controller for over 10 years and recently, at Northeastern Illinois University as the Controller prior to joining Loyola University Chicago as the Senior Director for Accounting and Financial Reporting.
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Karime Asaf
Chief of Multilingual - Multicultural Education
A Colombian-Jordanian who migrated to Chicago in 1980, language and culture have always been central in Asaf’s life as a bilingual student, educator, school leader, and parent. A Senn High School graduate, Asaf has extensive experience as a bilingual and special education teacher.
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Shelly Banks
Chief Internal Auditor
Prior to joining CPS as the Chief Internal Auditor, Shelly Banks served St. Chrysostom’s Episcopal Church and Day School for five years as their Chief Operating Officer.
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Alfonso Carmona
Chief Portfolio Officer
Dr. Alfonso Carmona has been appointed to the role of Chief Portfolio Officer for the District. He began his CPS career 19 years ago as a bilingual education teacher and went on to serve as both an assistant principal and principal after completing the New Leaders Aspiring Principals Program.
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Jadine Chou
Chief of Safety and Security
As the district’s chief of safety and security, Jadine Chou helps schools maximize student achievement by promoting safe and calm environments and building relationships with students. Jadine oversees the safety operations for more than 380,000 students in more than 640 schools, and is responsible for supporting school administrators in their efforts to provide a safe and welcoming learning environment for all students and staff.
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Fatima Cooke
Chief of Equity, Engagement and Strategy
Fatima Cooke has been appointed Chief of Equity, Engagement and Strategy. Prior to this position, Cooke served as the Deputy Chief of Schools for Network 5.
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Fanny Diego Alvarez
Chief of Family and Community Engagement
As the Chief of Family and Community Engagement (FACE), Fanny Diego Alvarez brings more than 15 years of experience in educational program management. Ms. Diego Alvarez, a proud CPS graduate with a master's degree from the University of Chicago.
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Ben Felton
Chief Talent Officer
As Chief Talent Officer, Ben Felton oversees the District’s work to support and empower its employees through all stages of their careers. He has been especially involved in efforts to build teacher pipelines that ensure students have access to diverse, high-quality educators.
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Norman Fleming
Chief Information Officer
As the Chief Information Officer, Mr. Norman Fleming will provide strategic leadership and coordination in the use of technology, including support services to educational and city-wide operations at Chicago Public Schools. He has over twenty-five years of digital transformation, information technology, and business leadership experience for Fortune 500 companies.
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Ivan Hansen
Chief Facilities Officer
As Chief Facilities Officer, Ivan Hansen oversees the District’s mission to provide CPS families with schools that are warm, safe, and dry as well as comfortable classrooms that will catalyze learning. For almost 30 years, Ivan has dedicated his professional career to improving public facilities and resources for the residents of Chicago.
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Patricia Hernandez
Chief Procurement Officer
As the Chief Procurement Officer, Patricia Hernandez leads the District’s efforts around issuing solicitations, vendor management, and business diversity. Hernandez, a proud product of Nightingale Elementary and former CPS parent, is an experienced and dedicated public servant with more than 25 years of experience supporting CPS, most recently as the District’s Acting Chief Procurement Officer.
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Megan Hougard
Chief of College and Career Success
As the Chief of College and Career Success, Megan Hougard helps ensure that CPS students have the support needed to succeed beyond graduating from high school. By focusing on investments in multiple postsecondary pathways, she envisions students from every neighborhood in Chicago being able to pursue fulfilling careers that reflect their passions.
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Joshua Long
Chief of the Office for Students with Disabilities
As the Chief of the Office for Students with Disabilities, Joshua Long provides leadership and strategic support to implement the core instructional vision and goals for serving the District’s students with disabilities. He is an experienced and dedicated public servant with more than 20 years of experience as a CPS school leader and educator.
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Charles Mayfield
Chief Operating Officer
As Chief Operating Officer, Charles Mayfield is responsible for working closely with the CEO and other District leaders to ensure that the District’s priorities and core values are reflected through the resources and services CPS provides to students, staff, and families.
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Leslie McKinily
Chief Early Childhood Education Officer
Leslie McKiniliy has been an integral part of CPS' Office of Early Childhood for 20 years. Most recently, she served as Deputy Chief Officer, overseeing the district's preschool application and universal preschool expansion (UPK) strategies, resulting in the 7,000-seat expansion of universal free full-day preschool for four-year-old children.
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Miroslava Mejia Krug
Chief Financial Officer
As chief financial officer (CFO), Miroslava Mejia Krug is responsible for fulfilling our vision’s commitment to financial stability through effective budget planning, maximizing available funds, and ensuring an equitable distribution of resources across the district.
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Nicole Milberg
Chief of Teaching and Learning
As the Chief of Teaching and Learning, Nicole Milberg provides leadership and strategic support to implement the District’s core instructional vision and goals. She is the proud parent of two CPS students and has more than 20 years of experience as an educator and school leader.
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Sydney Morris
Chief of Staff to the Chief Education Officer
Sydney Morris has been appointed Chief of Staff to the Chief Education Officer. Morris has served in leadership positions with CPS for the past 21 years. Prior to her current role, Morris served as the Principal of John B. Drake Elementary School for seven years. During her tenure at Drake as the principal, she transformed her entire school community by supporting and inspiring her staff, the students, and the parents.
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Miguel Perretta
Chief Labor Relations Officer
As Chief Labor Relations Officer, Miguel Perretta leads the District’s labor negotiations and serves as the District’s labor counsel. He joins the District from Denver Public Schools, where he worked in several roles, including as the executive director of labor and employee relations. He also previously worked for CPS as an assistant general counsel for labor relations.
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Lauro Roman
Chief of Staff to the Chief Executive Officer
Lauro Roman has been appointed the District’s Chief of Staff. Prior to this role, he served as Deputy Chief of Staff during the transition of administrations and under CEO Martinez.
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Felicia Sanders
Chief Schools Officer
As Chief Schools Officer, Felicia Sanders is responsible for ensuring strong school performance across the District by leading its 17 school networks and its Independent Schools Principals (ISP).
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Michael Sitkowski
Chief Budget Officer
Sitkowski brings a wealth of public sector finance experience in school funding, budget development and management, strategic resource allocation, and long-term fiscal planning to his new role as chief budget officer, with more than 10 years of service in CPS’ Office of Finance.
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Wally Stock
Treasurer and Deputy Chief Financial Officer
As treasurer and deputy chief financial officer, Wally Stock supports the district’s fiscal stability by overseeing debt and cash management. Wally ensures all of the district’s obligations are paid on time to provide students with the resources they need to learn and grow.
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Melissa Stratton
Chief Communications Officer
As Chief Communications Officer, Melissa Stratton ensures that the District’s families, staff, and other stakeholders are well-informed about updates, accomplishments, and opportunities within CPS. She is a seasoned communications professional with more than 20 years of experience in media relations, government affairs and policy with the City of Chicago.
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Ruchi Verma
General Counsel
As general counsel, Ruchi Verma leads the District’s Law Department, advising on general litigation, labor and employment matters, school law, school finance, student discipline, commercial transactions, and workers’ compensation.