Jennifer Clark is the Associate Vice President for Neighborhood Initiatives at Loyola University Chicago. She determines the overall direction for Loyola’s role in the communities that host its campuses and serves as an advocate for the neighborhoods. She facilitates campus-community strategic planning, community infrastructure improvements, communications, and special events. She believes that Loyola’s engagement with the local community must not only benefit students but also improve quality of life for local residents. She continuously insists that University investment serve as a catalyst for neighborhood vitality. Prior to joining Loyola University, Jennifer worked for the Chicago Public Schools as a high school teacher, the Chicago Police Department as a community engagement organizer, and the Chicago Park District as the director of a community center in the Uptown neighborhood. She was also a member of the adjunct faculty in the Loyola School of Communication from 2004-2006. Jennifer has a B.S. in Speech from Northwestern University, an M.Ed. from DePaul University, and an M.B.A. from Loyola University Chicago. She also has a certificate in Leadership from Rockhurst University and is a graduate of the Program on Negotiation at the Harvard/MIT/Tufts University Consortium.
Peter Coffey is Associate Vice President for Community & Government Relations at DePaul University where he leads a team of professionals charged with managing DePaul’s relationships with Chicago’s government, civic and community leaders. From Washington to Springfield, and from City Hall to Lincoln Park and the South Loop, the office of Community & Government Relations is focused on deepening DePaul’s distinctive connection to Chicago. Peter joined DePaul in 2006 as Director of Government Affairs.
Prior to joining DePaul, Peter served as a senior staff member for Barack Obama’s 2004 campaign for the United States Senate. His background in political campaigns and government also includes staff positions for the late Senator Paul Simon and the 1992 Clinton-Gore Presidential campaign. From 1998 until 2004, Peter brought his knowledge of Illinois government to the Chicago Botanic Garden, where he served as Director of Government Affairs and successfully raised more than $50 million for major capital projects at this world-class cultural institution.
Peter received a degree in political science from Illinois State University. He is pursuing a master’s degree from DePaul University’s School of Public Service. In 2012, he was elected Democratic Committeeman of the 47th Ward, serving the Lincoln Square and Ravenswood neighborhoods on Chicago’s north side.
David Baker oversees the operations of the consortium of Chicago's universities and colleges, representing 96% of all college students in the City. Before beginning his tenure at AUC, he served as Vice President for External Affairs, Illinois Institute of Technology from 1995 to 2016, where he focused on governmental relations, marketing and communications, and trustee relations. At Illinois Tech, he served as the founding Executive Director of the University Technology Park from 2006 to 2016. Prior to joining the University, Baker served as President of the Illinois Coalition, whose mission is to strengthen the Illinois economy through science and technology. From 1980 to 1989 Baker served as the Executive Vice President of the Illinois State Chamber of Commerce, the state’s largest business advocacy organization. Baker served as the 2012-2013 President of the Association of University Research Parks. Baker holds an M.A. from Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies and an A.B. in History with a minor in Economics from Stanford University. He is married, has two children and lives in Chicago.