Scott McLellan
He/Him
Executive Director
Prior to joining the Foundation, Scott served as Executive Director for Heart of the City, a Waukegan, IL-based youth development organization. During his time there, he was instrumental in the organization’s operational development, program and fundraising expansion, and Board growth, while implementing a five-year strategic plan and a justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion plan. Prior to Heart of the City, Scott spent more than a decade working as Executive Director for Boys & Girls Clubs. Throughout his career, he became known as an innovative and resourceful leader, with expertise in strengthening nonprofit organizations through operational excellence, strategic fundraising, building community partnerships and strong governing boards. Scott was awarded a scholarship to play basketball at Olivet Nazarene University, where he graduated with a degree in social work. In his free time, Scott enjoys playing golf and traveling with his family.
Tanya Jaramilla
She/Her/Ella
Director of Impact & Operations
Tanya brings over 15 years of leadership and development experience within Chicago’s nonprofit sector, addressing inequitable and oppressive systems through thought leadership and activism. Prior to joining the Julian Grace Foundation, Tanya was the Chief Growth Officer for Gary Comer Youth Center. While there, she spearheaded the implementation and adoption of a comprehensive donor relations management system, stabilizing Fundraising & Development operations. Tanya is a native Chicagoan and received her B.A. in Management & Communications from DePaul University. She also holds an MBA from Loyola University and is a Baumhart Scholar, a world-class program that bridges the gap between purpose and profit. In the summer, Tanya, her husband, and two children can be spotted riding bikes all over the city enjoying the lakefront or a neighborhood festival. When she can, she spends her downtime honing her creative practices such as painting and resin pouring.
Martha Sutton
She/Her
Director of Administration
Martha Sutton joins us as the Foundation’s new Director of Administration. She comes to us with 20 years of experience in the non-profit world – serving in the Episcopal church as Director of Administration – and then with the Goldie Initiative a non-profit organization that raises funds for scholarships for women who are earning their MBA in Commercial Real Estate. Martha’s first career was as a pastry chef. She had the privilege of working for some of Chicago’s best restaurants. She was born and raised in Evanston and now lives in Wheeling. She loves gardening, birding, camping, and all things cooking.
Alexandra Arias
She/Her/Ella
Grants Manager
Born and raised in Chicago, Alex has experience working in non-profit sectors providing various direct support to communities from providing court support for domestic violence survivors to connecting senior adults with resources to expand their social network for overall health improvement. From there she has served as an Americorps Community HealthCorps member in Grand Rapids, MI as a medical interpreter. In 2020, she transitioned her career into the philanthropy sector. Alex holds an MSW with a specialization in Leadership and Development and an MA in Social Justice, as well as a BA in Psychology from Cornell College.
tomas uriostegui
he/him/they/them
Program Officer
tomas has experience working with youth, immigrants, current and formerly incarcerated folks. Before joining Julian Grace Foundation, Tomas was a research assistant at the University of Chicago. He holds a B.A. in Latin American Studies from Northeastern Illinois University and an M.A. from the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration. In his free time, you’ll find him reading and hanging out at playgrounds and soccer fields with his three niblings.
Carrie Madden
She/Her
Senior Program Officer
Carrie Madden has over a decade of experience in the nonprofit sector, specifically with direct service community-based organizations. In her prior positions, she has held multiple roles including Director of Education and Professional Development at Beyond Sports Foundation, a sports based college access and success program where she collaborated directly with high school and college student-athletes and their families to provide academic support, tutoring and test prep, and professional development opportunities in a variety of focus areas. Additionally, as the Education Director at Youth Conservation Corps, Carrie managed programs that provided educational access to high school credentials and personal development opportunities for opportunity youth throughout Lake County. Throughout her career, Carrie has also developed significant expertise in grant management for multiple grants and funding streams and has assisted multiple organizations in attaining additional funding through grant writing and advocacy work. Carrie earned a Masters of Education in Secondary Education at DePaul University, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in History and American Studies from the University of Iowa. In her free time, Carrie enjoys spending time with her three sons and husband, reading, and watching college and professional sports.
Clifton Wiliams
He/Him
Senior Program Officer
Clifton Williams is an experienced senior nonprofit manager with over 20 years of multiple work experiences in the nonprofit landscape, starting his career at State Farm Insurance before moving on to become a consultant for two boutique agencies. His services included community engagement, corporate social responsibility, nonprofit consulting, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. He later became a Director of Career Services and Partnerships in higher education and Executive Director at Changing Worlds, a K-12 arts in education organization. Clifton was also involved in launching two citywide workforce and higher education programs that increased diversity in various industries. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Illinois State University and a Master of Science in Public Administration/Nonprofit Management from DePaul University, as well as completing a certificate program in Workplace DE&I at the University of South Florida.
Yanelly Villegas
She/Her/Ella
Senior Program Officer
Born and raised in Chicago, Yanelly brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in the areas of program development, strategic planning, and enhancing leadership skills. She is particularly proficient at using a lens of equity and inclusion for program development, assessment, and management. Prior to joining the Julian Grace Foundation, she served as the Director of Youth Development at Heart of the City, a youth development organization. While at Heart of the City, she created and implemented a new youth development program model, strategically utilizing resources to maximize impact, and enhance engagement with the students. As a professional, Yanelly has garnered a reputation for being an innovative collaborator, an effective communicator, and a strong strategic planner who has a proclivity for relationship building and strategic thinking. Yanelly earned her BA in Political Science and MA in Communication from Northern Illinois University. Outside of work, you can often find Yanelly reading, hiking and biking with her wife, and traveling.
Michlle Hujer
She/Her
Grants Associate
Born and raised in the Chicago suburbs, Michelle came from a background in museums and education. She has worked with K-12 students in a variety of learning environments and has worked at multiple nonprofit organizations. Her focus while working in museums was volunteer coordination, membership management, and museum education. Before her role at the Julian Grace Foundation, Michelle worked at Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart as their Assistant Director of Admission and Affordability. Michelle graduated from Ripon College with a Bachelor’s in English and a Minor in Dramatic Literature and History. In her free time, Michelle loves to travel, read and go on adventures with her husband, Nate, and their pup Freyja.
Alice Morado
She/Her
Program Officer
Alice is a compassionate and inspirational educator, coordinator, and leader who possesses 15 years of direct experience working in school buildings. As an educator, she worked to co-create a space and culture that facilitated conversations about equity, race, diversity, and inclusion. It was within these walls her commitment to social justice and her deep desire to do good in the world became abundantly clear. She specializes in program development, implementation, coordination, and evaluation. Prior to joining the Julian Grace Foundation, Alice worked in Chicago Public Schools as a classroom teacher, interventionist, special education teacher, and coordinator. In these positions, she worked to create high quality learning environments for all students, specifically elevating students who may struggle within traditional school settings. Alice is committed to creating high-quality youth programming that is inclusive and supports the development of the Next Generation leaders. She is a native Chicagoan, received her B.A. in Cultural Studies from Columbia College Chicago and holds a Master’s Degree in Instructional Leadership/Elementary Education from the University of Illinois at Chicago. When she is not working, you will find her reading, practicing yoga, tending to her many houseplants, traveling and spending time with her husband, two children and her dog Agnes.