Our fair housing experts and support staff are responsible for the day-to-day operation of our programs.    

 

Members of the Interfaith Housing Center staff Alicia De La Cruz and Nancy Burton, at Interfaith's 35th Anniversary, Sept. 2008.

 

Staff members provide direct housing services to individuals. They also conduct community education, grassroots organizing, and monitor and take action on fair and affordable housing issues facing north suburban communities.

Staff can be contact by e-mail by addressing [firstname]@interfaithhousingcenter.org

Executive Director: Gail Schechter
Director of Individual Giving: Judy Berkeley 
Project Director, Immigrant Integration Initiative: Alicia De La Cruz  
Housing Counselor: Anna Dominov
Director of Advocacy & Organizing: Brendan Saunders
Homesharing Coordinator: Jacqueline Grossmann
Director of Housing Counseling: Jasmine Brewer
Director of Administration: Nancy Burton
Fair Housing Test Coordinator: Viki Rivkin  
Landlord Tenant Outreach Coordinator: Randy Duong 

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Gail Schechter has been a leader in fair and affordable housing advocacy, discrimination investigation, tenant and community organizing, and public policy research and development since 1984.  Since 1993, she has served as Executive Director of the Interfaith Housing Center of the Northern Suburbs, a Chicago-area fair housing organization that dates back to the Civil Rights Movement.  She is the recipient of numerous honors for her social justice advocacy including the 2001 “Champion of the Public Interest” award from Business and Professional People for the Public Interest, and two community organizing awards from Housing Action Illinois for housing justice campaigns in Morton Grove and Wilmette.  She also teaches public policy for the graduate and undergraduate divisions of Northwestern University's School of Continuing Studies.  Originally from New York City, Ms. Schechter was Director of Organizing for a Brooklyn not-for-profit group and later co-founded the Chicago Mutual Housing Network.  Ms. Schechter holds a B.A. with Honors in History from Oberlin College and an M.A. in Urban and Environmental Policy from Tufts University.

Judy Berkeley joined the staff as Director of Individual Giving in December 2011.  She has worked in the field of Development in the Chicagoland philanthropic community for nearly 15 years. Before coming to Interfaith, Judy worked as the Director of the Congregations and Community Campaign Department of the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago, the Director of Development for the synagogue Am Shalom in Glencoe during its $25 million Capital and Endowment Campaign, and as the Director of the President’s Circle of the Chicago Botanic Garden.  Born and raised in Glencoe, IL, where she now resides with her husband and four children, Judy has a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania and a Double Masters Degree in Social Work and Jewish Communal Service from the University of Southern California and the Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion.

 Jasmine S. Brewer joined the Interfaith staff in February 2007.  Ms. Brewer has provided one-on-one counseling to over 300 troubled Homeowners concerned about keeping their homes through difficult economic times.  She acts as the liaison between the Borrower and Lender, education Borrowers about their full range of options, re-negotiating loans at terms acceptable to both parties and referring troubled Borrowers to legal and financial services.  Ms. Brewer continues to provide on going education to groups of social workers, homeowners, housing advocates and local municipal commissions about the foreclosure crisis in Chicago's northern suburbs and Interfaith Housing Center's role in counseling and prevention.  She earned her Master's in Urban Planning & Policy from the University of Illinois at Chicago.  Her concentration has been in the area of Community Development with a particular focus in the strategic planning of developing sustainable housing policies to reflect the communities in which the housing exists.  Her current position is reflective of her commitment to community and place, advocating for civic participation and to direct the process in resolving major concerns and issues facing many communities today. 

Nancy Burton has worked at Interfaith since 1994 part-time and 1998 full-time.  As Director of Administration she handles the accounting, financial grant or government reports preparation, employee benefits, purchasing, most travel arrangements, and is tech support light.  Interfaith’s books are audited every year, and every year receive a clean audit.  Never far from housing issues these days, she volunteers on her condo board in a building with 250 units and a $2 million budget.  Her initial volunteer work was in the women’s movement, and she was the volunteer office manager for the National Rally for Equal Rights that brought 10,000 people to the Illinois Capitol on May 16, 1976 in support of passage of the E.R.A.  Ms. Burton graduated with honors from Northeastern Illinois University with a major in business administration (B. A.) and a minor in women’s studies. 

 Alicia De La Cruz, Immigrant Leadership Project Director, joined the Interfaith Housing Center staff in 2005.  Alicia is responsible for the intake and investigation of bona-fide fair housing complaints of English and Spanish speakers, organizing tenants and the resolution of tenant complaints and for organizing leadership among the low- and moderate-income immigrants. Most recently, Alicia has begun to develop a leadership workshop for immigrants on how to join commissions and how to build strong relationships and alliances among neighbors.  Alicia is part of the Community Advisory Committee for Highland Park Hospital.

Anna Dominov, Housing Counselor, joined the Interfaith staff May 2009.  Anna emigrated to the United States from Poland in 2004.  In 2006 she became a counselor /advocate at the Connections for Abused Women and their Children in Chicago, and since then, she has worked mainly with the homeless population or on the verge of homelessness. In April, 2008 she has been hired as a Housing Specialist at the Greenhouse Shelter, facility for domestic violence survivors. Her main areas of job activity are foreclosure prevention counseling, financial literacy, budgeting and credit counseling as well as educational groups. Anna speaks Russian and Polish which expands Interfaith’s scope to reach out to persons who have difficulty communicating due to a language barrier.

Randy Duong joined the staff of Interfaith Housing Center of the Northern Suburbs in 2012 as Tenant  Outreach Coordinator, his responsibilities are to build tenant and immigrant leadership by proving practical advice and education about their rights, responsibilities and grassroots organizing and available resources to help create a safe and comfortable living environment in rental units for all communities. Prior to joining Interfaith Housing Center Randy served over 11 years in banking, provided financial service for organizations facilitating affordable housing construction and rehabilitation and development of affordable housing primarily low-and moderate-income family. Also he provided credit counseling, home buyers and home maintenance counseling, financial planning services education to promote community development and affordable housing. Prior to Banking, Randy was Community Representative for Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office; he was responsible for a host of activities involving the State’s Attorney’s Office, organized task force meetings, coordinated special events and engaged in public speaking engagements to students, seniors, and special interest groups throughout the Cook County, covers a variety of topics including gangs, drugs, consumer fraud and crimes against elderly. Randy holds his B.A in Sociology. 

Randy is on the Village of Skokie Human Relations Commission and serves on Housing Committee.  He is a member of Skokie Voice Organization and serves on it's Housing Committee. In the past Randy served as the Cook County State’s Attorney Asian Liaison Advisory Council.  Randy is a member of the Cambodian Associaion of Illinois Board of Directors.

Jacqueline Grossmann has supervised the Homesharing Program since January 1997.  Jackie came to Interfaith with twenty-five years' experience in social work and most recently completed ten years at the Music Institute of Chicago (formerly Music Center of the North Shore) where she was the Director of the Institute for Therapy Through the Arts.  She is Co-President of National Shared Housing Network, co-chairs the Niles Township Interagency Network, sits on the Evanston Hospital Community Advisory Committee, and is a board member of North Suburban Service Council. 

Viki Rivkin joined the staff of Interfaith Housing Center in January 2010 as the Fair Housing Test Coordinator.  Viki recruits, trains and supervises volunteers for Interfaith’s Fair Housing program.  She works with the Director of Fair Housing to analyze the current housing market in Interfaith’s service area for possible discrimination. Viki earned her B.S. in Finance from Miami University (Ohio) and her J.D. from DePaul University.  Viki is past president and an active member of the board of directors for SHALVA, which provides free counseling and outreach to victims of domestic violence.

Brendan Saunders has been on staff since 2008.  Originally he was the Director of Fair Housing and has since moved into the position of Director of Advocacy and Organizing.   This position gives him the opportunity to organize low-income tenants, advocate for strong affordable housing policy, and bring local leaders together to take action on community issues.  Brendan started his career in Boston working with homeless individuals and families helping them secure permanent affordable housing. During his time at Interfaith Housing Center Brendan has presented “Using Fair Housing as an Organizing Tool” to the Manufactured Home Owners Association of America.  He also sits on the board for the Metropolitan Tenants Organization.  Brendan holds a B.S.W. from Wartburg College in Waverly, IA and is a candidate for a M.A. in Urban Planning and Policy from the University of Illinois at Chicago.