Advisory Council

Bonita Parker

Preferred Pronouns: She, her, hers

"Bonita was born and raised on the South Side of Chicago and currently resides in the Village of South Holland. She is a respected visionary leader with over 30 years of exemplary achievement. Bonita is currently an External Affairs Manager for ComEd, South Region. She also serves as president of the board of directors for Cornerstone CDC, she serves on the boards of Mentoring Youth Through Technology, The Chicago Southland Chamber of Commerce, Rainbow/PUSH’s Citizenship Education Fund and she’s a Commissioner for South Holland’s Economic Development Committee.

She also actively leads volunteer teams from ComEd to assist charitable organizations and various municipalities in the southland. At her core, she is a humanitarian and has an immense passion serving people. Prior to joining ComEd she provided public service as, Chief of Staff to Alderman Sandi Jackson; Director of Financial Education, Office of The State Treasurer; COO and National Director of One Thousand Churches Connected, Rainbow/PUSH Coalition; Director of Investments and Economic Empowerment, Salem Baptist Church and Co-Owner of Skills for Life, Inc. Her career started at The Northern Trust Company whereby she held various management positions and earned the title of 2nd Vice President. Bonita served six years in the United States Army Reserve.

Bonita has received numerous awards over the years and most recently she received: We Dream in Color Humanitarian Award (2019), Women Empowered for Civic Engagement (2018), GSU Chapter Pi Alpha Alpha Outstanding Community Partner (2017), Thornton Township Jefferson Award (2016) and she received the Chicago Defender Woman of Excellence Award (2015).

In the past, Bonita has served on the Board of Chatham Business Association, Cosmopolitan Chamber of Commerce, Calumet Area Industrial Coalition, Secretary of Exelon African American Resource Alliance and serves as an ambassador for Exelon Military Actively Connected. She has held membership in a broad variety of professional and civic organizations. She has served as Principal for a Day and volunteers to speak with youth throughout various school systems and shelters for women and children. She served as a contributor to Dollars and Sense radio program on 1690 AM/WVON."

Dr. Cynthia Tucker

Preferred Pronouns: She, her, hers

"Cynthia Tucker, Dr. P.H., is the Vice President of Prevention and Community Partnerships at the AIDS Foundation of Chicago. She has worked in HIV for over twenty years and has been an invaluable leader for the organization’s prevention initiatives, capacity building, and corrections case management program. Her leadership behind STI/HIV programs has changed thousands of lives and molded AFC’s reputation as an innovative leader in the HIV/AIDS movement.

Currently, she is the Principal Investigator on two HRSA SPNS grants. The first focusing on improving the Employment and Housing of justice involved individuals living with HIV, Project SSRP. The second on Improving Care and Treatment Coordination focusing on Black Women entitled Women’s Evolving. Cynthia has been a member of several community planning and advocacy groups: the Chicago-area HIV Integrated Services Council (CAHISC), the Illinois HIV Prevention Planning Group (IHIPC), and the Black Treatment Advocates Network (BTAN)."

Rev. Dr. Rodney Walker

Preferred Pronouns: He, him, his

"Rodney is responsible for the youth & family services program that specializes in providing services for youth involved in justice, corrections, child welfare, and public healthcare systems, at TASC. Inc. A statewide nonprofit that provides specialized case management, addiction counseling, problem gambling prevention and public policy advocacy.

Rodney C. Walker has a 20 history of nonprofit senior management experiences within community primary health center administration, childcare, workforce development, community counseling, adult education, community economic development, restorative justice, trauma –informed care and violence prevention.

He has a B.A. Political Science, Chicago State University, M.DIV, Master of Divinity from Chicago Theological Seminary, D. Min, Doctors of Ministry, from Northern Seminary. He serves on the Chicago Northwestern District Shepherding Team, Anti-Racism Task Force of the Northern Illinois Conference of the United Methodist Church. He also serves as a Local Pastor at St. Matthew UM Church in the City of Chicago and host of “The Gospel Café’” A Christian You Tube channel dedicated to sharing the good news."

Carl Wolf

Preferred Pronouns: He, him, his

Rev. Darice Wright

Preferred Pronouns: She, her, hers

"Rev. Darice Wright is an ordained minister and served at New Faith Baptist Church, Intl in Matteson IL, for 18 years responding to the pastoral care needs of the congregation. She also launched the S.E.E Justice Ministry and the Support Group for family and friends of incarnated loved one’s prison ministry. Presently she serves the congregation at life Church in Chicago Heights IL, as preacher and teacher and uses her pastoral gifts to minister to women leaders of the church in the areas of Christian Education and Discipleship. Rev. Wright is also currently working with pastors of diverse congregations to develop the ministry of antiracism pastoral care.

Passionate about helping others discover their area of gifting/calling and developing practical outreach efforts to address economic needs within the local community, she manages workforce development programs serving dislocated, disenfranchised and low-income individuals at Moraine Valley Community College. She is also an adjunct instructor at the college teaching small business classes for aspiring and new business owners. As the Founder of BEHOLD! Ministry Solutions she leverages her previous finance, non-profit management and entrepreneurial experience to assist non-profit organizations with strategic planning and mission-aligned, sustainable programming.

Darice has a B.S. in Finance and a Graduate Certificate in Teaching Economics, both from the University of Illinois-Chicago. She also has a Masters of Arts in Urban Ministry from McCormick Theological Seminary where she graduated with academic distinction and was the recipient of the Marshall Scott Urban/Labor Ministry Award. She is presently seeking her DMIn at McCormick Theological Seminary with a concentration on Antiracism Pastoral Care.

Rev. Wright’s pastoral gifting in exhortation, teaching and counseling; combined with proven marketplace experience in team building, strategy and execution make her an effective ministry leader and communicator with people of all ages; and in interdenominational settings."