Board of Directors

Donnita Travis

Chairman of the Board

 

Donnita Travis launched By The Hand Club For Kids in 2001. Under her leadership, By The Hand has undergone tremendous growth, becoming a $6 million nonprofit with four locations and a staff of 91 employees and 400-plus volunteers. By The Hand’s success is due to Donnita’s mission-focused and results-driven approach, By The Hand has been tracking its outcomes since 2002. Donnita is a seasoned entrepreneur, organizational leader and fundraiser who will provide Moving Everest Charter School with the oversight and support that it needs to achieve success.

Donnita has been recognized for her work with children as Chicagoan of the Year in 2012, the recipient of Mayor Daley’s SAGE Award in 2011 and Northwestern Kellogg’s Social Entrepreneur of the Year in 2010. Travis has an MBA from Northwestern University and a BA in English and communications from Spalding University. Most recently, she attended Harvard Business School for Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management after receiving the HBS Club of Chicago’s Roman Nomitch Fellowship.

Vivette Payne

Vice Chairman of the Board

 

Vivette Payne is President of the Avery Payne Group, which specializes in organization, team and leadership development. Her expertise includes leadership coaching, team building, the custom design and delivery of leadership and other skill development programs, and facilitating planning and strategy development. Vivette also works with growing businesses to provide tips and techniques that help them start, grow and manage their business, from inception to peak performance.

Vivette has served as the Chair of The Professional Women’s Network, and is a member of the Board of Directors of The Christian Working Woman and By The Hand Club For Kids. Vivette has received the Chicago Southland Chamber of Commerce’s “Business Woman of the Year” award, and the Avery Payne Group has been awarded the U.S. Commerce Association’s “Outstanding Business Award”. Vivette holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and master’s degree in organization development.

Michael Ross

Treasurer of the Board

 

Michael Ross is the President of the Michael Ross Allstate Agency where he is a trusted provider of insurance and financial services that grows with families, businesses and communities. His career spans with over 20 years as a senior leader in the financial services/consulting industry. He is a seasoned executive in corporate cash management and information technology consulting.  Previously, he served as the Executive Director of the Corporate Investment Bank at JPMorgan Chase.  In addition to his corporate career, Michael is a reverend who has served as the Pastor of New Galilee Baptist Church in the Austin neighborhood for the last twelve years. Michael holds a Bachelor's as well as a Master's degree from DePaul University. In his free time, he can often be found coaching his kids in various sports, like baseball and basketball.  Michael is also a community activist who volunteers at Big Brothers-Big Sisters where he serves on the executive board.

Timothy Wiens

Secretary of the Board

 

Tim Wiens is the Headmaster at Mount Paran Christian School.  Mount Paran serves 1100+ students and is the largest independent school in Cobb County, Georgia.  Wiens previously served as the Head of School at Delaware County Christian School, a highly diverse institution outside of Philadelphia, PA and as founding Headmaster at Boston Trinity Academy, a school serving a diverse population of students within the city of Boston, MA.

Wiens has also served as the Co-chair of Vanderbilt University’s Peabody Professional Institute for Independent School Leadership and the ADVIS-Penn Independent School Leadership Institute at the University of Pennsylvania. Tim is the co-founder and served as the Executive Director of the Council on Educational Standards and Accountability (CESA) from 2009-2015 and was an assistant professor and visiting scholar at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois. 

Married to Dr. Kathryn Wiens, who is also an educator and author of numerous articles, books, and studies on education, they have one son, Eliot, and two Great Danes, Greta and Lena.

Dr. Suzy Francis Best

Board Member

 

Dr. Susy Francis Best is a bilingual (Spanish) clinical psychologist, consultant and executive coach with over 15 years of experience as a business leader with exceptional executive leadership skills, organizational creativity, business acumen, and expertise in diversity and inclusion. Her understanding of psychology and what motivates the human spirit enables her to envision a path for exceptional growth for both individuals and businesses.

Her portfolio of leadership and business experience includes both therapeutic and administrative roles.  In addition to founding Thrive Group International (TGI), Dr. Susy provides consulting services to organizations in a variety of fields. Currently, Dr. Susy serves as an Inclusive Diversity Consultant for Allstate Insurance Company. Prior to founding TGI, she served as the President and CEO of Cornerstone Counseling Center of Chicago (CCCOC) for 12.5 years. During her tenure, Dr. Susy was able to create partnerships that allowed the budget and services to grow fivefold, expand services to include international clients and implement best practices that were invited for peer reviewed presentations.

Dr. Susy is a highly sought-after international speaker, visionary leadership coach, organizational consultant and content expert. 

Dr. Susy has been featured as one of Chicago’s CBS 2 “Woman to Know”. She has also been featured on Windy City Live, ABC 7 Chicago, Moody Radio, the Holland Redfield Show, and other media outlets. A native of St. Croix, US Virgin Islands, Dr. Susy earned her B.A. in Psychology from Wheaton College (IL), and is a past Wheaton class representative and Alumni Board member and currently serves on the Board of Visitors. Dr. Susy completed her MBA from North Park University, and earned her doctorate degree in Clinical Psychology from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology where she is an adjunct faculty. Dr. Susy is also a Fellow of Leadership Greater Chicago, and currently serves on the Leadership Fellows Association Board. She also serves as on the board of directors for several non-profit organizations in the region.

David Eldersveld

Board Member

 

David is currently the Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at Equity Lifestyle Properties, Inc. ELS is a real estate investment trust which owns and operates more than 400 lifestyle-oriented properties in 32 states and British Columbia. Prior to that, David worked at a privately-owned waste management business. For eight years, Dave held a number of positions for the Tribune Company including: Executive Vice President/General Counsel and Corporate Secretary and General Counsel. Dave began his career at the law firm of Sidley & Austin as an associate in the Corporate and Securities group. He is a graduate of Duke Law School and Calvin College.

Damien Howard

Board Member

 

Damien Howard is an educator with 12 years of experience, primarily with Chicago Public Schools. He cares deeply about Urban Education Reform. Damien teaches character development and life skills to help students thrive in all aspects of their lives. His current work targets schools on the South and West sides of Chicago. Damien graduated from the University of Illinois (05′) with a degree in Special Education. Damien received his M.Div. from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (10′). Damien is married to Sharial and Gabrielle is their daughter.