Forest Preserve Foundation Board of Directors
Jim Beck, Chair, Executive Relationship Manager, Nationwide Retirement Solutions
Stuart A. Cohn, Chair emeritus, Attorney
Stephen B. Friedman, SB Friedman Development Advisors
Claudette Grant, Director, BlackRock
Jeffrey Gray, Secretary; Partner, Barnes & Thornburg LLP
Tom Lanctot, CEO, Catholic Investment Services
Howard Learner, Executive Director, Environmental Law & Policy Center
Rana Lee, Conservation Cup Co-Chair; Principal and Business Development Director with SmithGroup
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
Arnold Randall, General Superintendent, Forest Preserves of Cook County
Eric Rockhold, Conservation Cup Co-Chair; Managing Director, Bank of America Merrill Lynch Co-Head Central Region
Theresa Salus, Vice Chair; Regional Experience Manager, REI
LeeAnn Tomas-Foster, Chicago City Executive, Arcadis
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
SEPTEMBER 2021: Claudette Grant, Rana Lee and Eric Rockhold named to Foundation Board of Directors
MARCH 2020: 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 second term as Forest Preserve Foundation Executive Committee chairman.
He is an Executive Relationship Manager for Nationwide Retirement Solutions in the Central Region. 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.