Executive Director

As Executive Director of West Side United, Ayesha Jaco leads efforts to bridge a significant life expectancy gap in Chicago through diverse partnerships and community-driven strategies in economic, educational, health, and environmental sectors.

Operations Program Manager

Desiree' Lloyd serves as Operations Program Manager at West Side United, leveraging her 25+ years of administrative experience from corporations like KPMG and Citibank to perform detailed project management with an "outside the box" approach that achieves positive results while making a difference in the nonprofit sector.

Program Director – COLLAB Network

Elle Lynn Quimpo serves as Project Director of WSU’s COLLAB Network, leveraging her extensive background in education and nonprofits to lead a grant-funded pilot that supports community-based organizations on Chicago's West Side through capacity-building and community engagement initiatives aimed at advancing health equity.

Senior Director of Programs and Evaluation

Eve Shapiro, a health researcher and evaluator at West Side United, focuses on reducing health disparities and improving access to healthcare, education, and livelihoods in Chicago, drawing on her background in community organizing and public health analysis.

Director of Health and Healthcare

Jennifer Marcsisin is the Director of Health and Healthcare and advances equitable nutrition and healthcare access, building on her extensive background in public health, clinical dietetics, and food sovereignty advocacy.

Senior Director of Community Engagement and Health

LaDarius Curtis leverages over 15 years of experience in community engagement and partnership development in Chicagoland, with a strong background in government and healthcare, to enhance community health equity and support underrepresented groups in Chicago.

Budget & Grants Analyst

Laura Christman serves as a financial analyst for West Side United, where she stewards grant funds for maximum programmatic impact, bringing diverse experience from previous roles in community development finance, education, and the arts to further her interest in how finance can promote equity.

Director of Data and Evaluation

Minyoung Do serves as a Director of Data and Evaluation at West Side United, applying her extensive quantitative and qualitative research experience in social justice, public health, and education to support data evaluation, research, and graphic design projects that help tell stories and guide decision-making.

Program Manager – Local Procurement

Ricardo serves as the Local Procurement Program Manager at West Side United, where they leverage their dedication to improving health outcomes for minoritized communities by helping hospital systems increase local spending, recommending systems-change policies, setting goals, and connecting institutions with West Side vendors.

Director of Anchor Mission

As Director of Anchor Mission Strategies, Sanita Lewis leverages her 20-year expertise in project management and strategic initiatives to enhance health and economic vitality in Chicago's west side communities, building effective partnerships and deploying robust programming to address health inequities.

Program Manager - Workforce Development

Terrence brings 20 years of experience in community outreach, minority business development, and program implementation in the public and private sectors to his role as Manager of Workforce Development.

Program Manager - COLLAB Network

Tyra serves as Program Manager of WSU’s COLLAB Network, supporting the implementation of a pilot program to build capacity among West Side organizations that address food insecurity and nutrition.

Community Engagement Coordinator

Veronica Pereyra cultivates relationships across Chicago's diverse West Side communities, connecting residents and organizations while developing strategies to better support West Side communities, building on her previous experience with public health outreach and immigration assistance.