Happy New Year!
Welcome to 2021! As we enter this year, Gracia has a new look for its Board of Directors. We welcome two new members and say good bye to another.
Please meet Melissa Buich and Kevin Stevens.
Melissa Buich
Gracia Director, Melissa Buich
Melissa grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, but now calls Chicago home. She is a licensed tax attorney advising her clients with respect to mergers, acquisitions, and restructurings. She was introduced to Gracia through UNICEF Next Gen and subsequently traveled to Guatemala in early 2020 to visit the workroom and to meet (and be totally impressed by) Las Mujeres Fuertes.
Melissa is passionate about the advancement and education of women around the world and, as a former Division 1 athlete, believes in the power of sport to develop and promote self-confidence and collaboration. She’s an avid traveler and in her free time enjoys cycling and playing soccer.
Kevin Stevens
Gracia Director, Kevin Stevens
Kevin Stevens grew up on the West Side of the city of Chicago with his 11 siblings, his father a Chicago police officer, and his mother, a Chicago public school teacher. He now lives in Highland Park, Illinois. He has been in academia for over 30 years as a director of a large School of Accountancy and Management Information Systems, as an associate dean for international initiatives, and for the past six years as dean of the Quinlan School of Business at Loyola University Chicago.
He learned about Gracia though Clare Kunkel’s brother, and, of course, Clare. He is drawn to serve on the board of directors of Gracia because he believes that addressing systemic poverty and empowering women of color to be two of the most compelling social issues of our times. In his leisure time, he is an avid reader, a serious walker, and is aspiring to be a mediocre guitar player. He, his wife Marietta, and their two sons Patrick and Kevin are enthusiastic travelers.
And, we say good-bye to Gracia Director, Meredith Diamond.
Gracia Director, Meredith Diamond
Meredith has been a terrific addition to the Gracia BoD. Her knowledge and expertise in the retail world has helped our social enterprise, Milagros, grow during challenging times. With her business acumen and commitment to social justice, Meredith offered valuable insights throughout her tenure on the Gracia BoD. While we will miss her contributions at the board level, we are grateful that she will continue as a resource for Milagros and its strategy in the future.
Click the IMPACT button to see what we’ve been up to! And let us know what you think!