Board Chairs play vital role in Econ Illinois success
While every Board member plays an essential role in supporting the work of Econ Illinois, the Chairs of our two Boards play particularly key roles in guiding our work. William Testa, Ph.D., has chaired the Council’s Board of Trustees since 2001. As a Senior Economist and Vice President for the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Testa also provides a key link to the Fed, which is an active partner in economic education. Testa has enabled support for the Economics Challenge and the Illinois Personal Finance Challenge; helped provide speakers for the Illinois Association of School Economics Teachers (IASET); and hosts most Executive Committee meetings for the Council. The inkind services provided through this Fed partnership greatly expand the resources of Econ Illinois as it works with K-12 schools throughout the state.
Joseph Guinan, CEO and Chair of Advantage Futures, has served as Chair of the Governing Board since 2007. Guinan was the key player in initiating the American Dream dinner event, and continues to play a critical role in this important fund-raising program. With his many contacts in the financial services field, Guinan has built bridges to many new firms and brought representatives of those firms to the Council’s boards.