Forest Preserve Foundation Board of Directors
Jim Beck, Chair, Nationwide Retirement Solutions
Stuart A. Cohn, Chair emeritus, Attorney
Stephen B. Friedman, SB Friedman Development Advisors
Jeffrey Gray, Secretary, Partner, Barnes & Thornburg LLP
Tom Lanctot, Vice Chair; CEO, Catholic Investment Services
Howard Learner, Executive Director, Environmental Law & Policy Center
Mark Lester, Treasurer; Senior Vice President, Government & Institutional Banking Group, Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.
Tom Livingston, Immediate Past Chair, Regional Vice President, CSX Transportation
Albert Pritchett, Chair Emeritus; Retired Chief Administrative Officer for Cook County
Arnold Randall, General Superintendent, Forest Preserves of Cook County
Theresa Salus, Regional Experience Manager, REI
Dr. Stuart Strahl, President/CEO, Chicago Zoological Society
LeeAnn Tomas-Foster, Conservation Cup Co-Chair, Chicago City Executive, Arcadis
Ewa Weir, Conservation Cup Finance Committee; Senior Vice President, Jones Lang LaSalle
Representing the Forest Preserve District
Eileen Figel, Deputy General Superintendent, Forest Preserves of Cook County
Cathy Geraghty, Director of Strategic Initiatives, Forest Preserves of Cook County
Board news
MARCH 2021 Debra Walker Johnson named President & Executive Director
NOVEMBER 2019: Theresa Salus and LeeAnn Tomas-Foster named to Foundation board of directors
MARCH 2019: Jim Beck and Stephen Friedman join Foundation board
MARCH 2018: Kerri Daniels, business development director, joins Foundation’s board
FEBRUARY 2017: Two Business leaders join Foundation's board
JULY 2016: Corporate leaders join the Foundation board
Jim Beck, board chair
Mr. Beck is serving his first term as Forest Preserve Foundation Executive Committee chairman.
He is a Director for the Midwest region of Nationwide Retirement Solutions. Mr. Beck’s career in the financial services and retirement industry working with public sector and corporate clients throughout Chicago spans over 35 years.
The Glenview resident has been actively involved in many Chicagoland charitable and civic organizations, including Misericordia Heart of Mercy, After School Matters and the Chicagoland MS Society. Previously, he has served as a board member for Chicago Business Institute, The Kohl Children’s Museum of Greater Chicago and also served as treasurer of the Loyola Academy Hockey Club.
Mr. Beck is a life-long resident of Cook County and a former Forest Preserve employee. “Also, as an avid user of the forest preserves, I firmly believe in its mission of protecting and restoring the treasured habitats of the Preserves as well as supporting youth leadership programs like the Conservation Corps.”
Mr. Beck has a bachelor’s degree in Finance from Northern Illinois University.