Metropolitan’s Annual Meeting features a passing of the gavel and a spotlight on Altgeld youth leaders

Metropolitan board members gathered at our Annual Meeting to hear from CEO Ric Estrada about our collective impact this year, see recent Board Chair Mike Vardas pass the gavel to incoming Board Chair Ashley Duchossois Joyce, and learn about the important work of our Altgeld Youth Leadership Program from Jylan, one of its participants.

Remarks from Ric, Mike Vardas, Ashley Joyce, Metropolitan CFO Denis Hurley, and Campaign to Mpower Families Co-Chair Tony Hunter showcased Metropolitan’s growth over the past year, areas where we hope to continue growing, and the board member engagement driving that growth.

Jylan – who attended the meeting alongside fellow Altgeld youth leaders Marquita and Jozlyn – spoke about his experience in the Altgeld Youth Leadership Program, including several ways the group is working to make a positive difference in their community through service projects like a food distribution event designed to reduce the stigma of food insecurity among teens. These special guests stayed to say hello to a few of our attendees, including Erica Canzona, who organized a visit and tour of Goldman Sachs on the group’s Spring Break trip to New York City.

A special thank you to Mike Vardas for his leadership and engagement as Board Chair over the past two years. Mike has been a dedicated supporter of our organization and a consistent presence on activities from site visits to presenting at our Annual Employee Recognition Awards.

Please join us in welcoming incoming Board Chair Ashley Joyce! Ashley, a long-standing board member and supporter of Metropolitan, began on our Metro Board (young professionals board), and we’re looking forward to evolving with her as our new Board Chair.

View all our photos from the Annual Meeting here, and a selection of our favorites below.