Meet the Team

The team at the heart of Open Books are energetic, entrepreneurial, and just slightly eccentric book-lovers from a wide span of backgrounds and with a vast spectrum of interests. Collectively, we have decades of experience in business, education, retail, development, finance, writing, and pursuits of all kinds.

Financial Donations
[email protected]
312.475.1355 (Option 5)
Press / Media
[email protected]
Institutional Partnerships
[email protected]
Book Partnerships
[email protected]

Staff

Michelle Hearn - Interim Executive Director
Vashti Emigh - Director of Finance and Administration
Chelsea Ridley - Director of Community Engagement
Paula Santos - Director of Education
Chris Salmon - Book Operations Manager
Yang Cuevo - Marketing and Development Communications Manager
Audrey V. Mejia - Book Access Manager
Deirdre Garcia - Literacy Program Manager
Marlo Tokash - West Loop Retail Manager
Jeremy Leithold-Patt - Book Coordinator
Pamela Morehead - North Lawndale Reads Coordinator
Tate Broberg - Book Access Coordinator
Will Ruggiero - Books Mobile Coordinator
Riley McLaughlin - Literacy Program Coordinator

Board of Directors

Christopher Claus - Chair JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Michelle Hearn - Vice Chair WR Grace Company
Denise Schwartz - Secretary EpsteinSchwartz Legal Search
Adam Southard - Treasurer Savills
Rosa Carrillo Youth Guidance
Nancy Coletto Aon
Stacy Crook Advisors Asset Management (AAM)
Colleen Foley Retired
Sara Gilley Krivoshia Cornerstone Research
Matt Kreis Center for Community Progress
Thompson Ly Price Waterhouse Coopers
Jaya Miller City Year Chicago
Fawn O'Brien DPS Associate Management
Craig Rutkowske KPMG
Stephanie Vasconcellos Mayer Brown
Laura Wylie William Blair
Atta Zahedi Access Living