Introducing the 2025 Executive Fellows
Erikson Institute’s Executive Fellows Program provides Illinois leaders in the legislative, legal, educational, governmental sectors, as well as other sectors connected to early childhood, with a comprehensive understanding of the long-term benefits of quality early childhood experiences.
Building this knowledge informs decision-making in their respective fields and illuminates policy opportunities to improve programs and service for children and families.
Executive Fellow Biographies
Dr. Erica T. Austin is a community builder, public health advocate, and champion for Black youth in Springfield, Illinois. Through her work in education, government, and medicine, she creates spaces where underserved voices are heard, supported, and empowered.
As deputy director at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, she leads community and behavioral health programs that reach deep into the fabric of local life. She has developed initiatives that introduce youth to careers in medicine, support teens in alternative schools, and offer pathways to healing and self-belief for those who rarely get either.
Dr. Austin is a 2025 graduate from Illinois State University, receiving her PhD in higher education administration. Currently, she serves as president of the school board for Springfield District 186, where she is a dedicated voice for students and families.
Her service extends across many boards, taskforces, and organizations, including the Birth to Five Council, Illinois State Museum Society, Juneteenth, Inc., Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., and Juneteenth Pageant Committee.
Dr. Austin does not speak about her commitment to equity from a distance; she exemplifies it in her daily actions. She works to reduce disparities in education, healthcare, and neighborhood leadership, ensuring that people of color in her community have access to choices and chances.
Avalon Betts-Gaston is a wife, mother, daughter, Chicago native, non-licensed attorney, ordained minister, and passionate advocate to dismantle, change, and build a legal system focused on healing-centered justice, including harm reduction and prevention, not punishment and retribution.
Betts-Gaston made her public debut as an advocate at a young age when she convinced her fellow Congressional pages to protest apartheid outside of the South African embassy in Washington, D.C. This passion for addressing societal injustices persisted throughout her life and became especially focused on the criminal legal system after her wrongful conviction in 2015.
She earned her bachelor’s degree from DePaul University and her Juris Doctor (JD) from UIC Law School, which was formerly known as John Marshall. Currently, she serves as the Executive Director of the Illinois Alliance for Reentry and Justice and is the first known formerly incarcerated board chairperson for the Community Renewal Society, a faith-based organization with a 140-year history. Betts-Gaston is a 2023 Soros Justice Fellow and a 2025 Cultivate Women of Color Leadership Fellow. Additionally, she was a 2022 JLUSA Leading with Conviction Fellow. She currently serves on the FreeHer Campaign Advisory Council and is a board member for Chicago Votes, Giving Others Dreams, and Challenge II Change.
Benna Crawford
Managing Director and the Director, Children & Families Practice Group
Legal Aid Chicago
Benna Crawford is a managing director and the director of the Children & Families Practice Group at Legal Aid Chicago. As managing director, Crawford provides leadership and vision in delivering legal services and supports practice group directors in managing their respective groups. She also works with the executive team and other leaders at Legal Aid Chicago to fulfill its mission and strategic plan and steward and foster Legal Aid Chicago’s standing locally and nationally as a premier legal aid organization.
As director of the Children & Families Practice Group, Crawford leads the group’s strategic planning, including developing new initiatives. She engages Legal Aid Chicago and the broader advocacy community on domestic violence, domestic relations, education law, and family preservation issues. She also continues to litigate on behalf of survivors of domestic violence regularly. She manages the overall legal and advocacy work of the group and the training and development of its staff.
She joined Legal Aid Chicago in 2010 as an AmeriCorps VISTA attorney, running a clinic teaching unrepresented litigants how to file for divorce. In 2012, she transitioned to a staff attorney, focusing on divorce cases involving real estate. In 2017, she became a supervisory attorney. Her practice focuses on representing survivors of domestic violence in divorces, allocation of parental responsibility cases, and orders of protection.
Crawford received her undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago, a law degree from Chicago-Kent College of Law, and a Certificate of Civic Leadership from the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago.
Deanna Durica is the director of public health policy for the Cook County Department of Public Health (CCDPH), working collaboratively with agency staff and community partners to advance equity-focused policy change in CCDPH’s jurisdiction.
Previously, Durica served as the government liaison for the department’s COVID-19 response, where she developed plans for mitigation measures and worked with leaders and organizations to implement them successfully. She also served as the director of CCDPH’s Lead Poisoning Prevention and Healthy Homes Unit. In that role, she coordinated the work of the interdisciplinary team focused on eliminating lead exposure in the region. Together, the team captured additional funding, expanded lead hazard abatement services, and added healthy home remediation to the program’s offerings for families.
Before joining CCDPH, Durica advanced policy, systems, and environmental change at childhood advocacy and social service organizations and served in the Illinois Governor’s Office of Early Childhood Development. She holds an undergraduate degree in social work from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and received her master’s in public health degree focusing on maternal and child health from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Judge Ieshia Gray is a distinguished judicial leader reshaping the American legal system through restorative justice, trauma-informed practices, and community-driven innovation that centers the needs of youth and families. As presiding judge of the Sauk Village Restorative Justice Community Court, she has created a model of justice that functions not just as a legal forum, but as a community hub for healing and growth.
Through her leadership, the court directly serves youth and families affected by the legal system, offering participants access to anger management courses, peer mentorship, educational resources, and job training—all while attending court in a community center, not a courthouse. This approach helps break cycles of harm by strengthening social support systems and empowering individuals to return to their families and communities with restored purpose. Judge Gray allocates resources strategically to ensure that justice is not just punitive, but preventative and rehabilitative—especially for young people.
Judge Gray’s influence extends to policy and program development, particularly in areas that impact family relationships and public safety. Upon her transfer to the Sixth Municipal District in Markham, she collaborated with the Center for Conflict Resolution to create a first-of-its-kind mediation program tailored for civil orders of protection. Focused on nonviolent but high-conflict situations involving neighbors, co-parents, and relatives, the program helps litigants resolve disputes outside of adversarial court processes, reducing repeat filings and emotional harm.
As the legislative chair for the Monarch Cities Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Judge Gray organized the impactful “I Am My Hair” Symposium, designed to teach young people how to navigate and influence the legislative process while celebrating their cultural identity and individuality. The program focused on the CROWN Act, which seeks to end race-based hair discrimination, and featured local elected officials who spoke about the importance of voting, advocacy, and engaging in legislation that directly affects young people’s lives. Judge Gray’s leadership in this space reinforces her commitment to raising youth voices and cultivating the next generation of changemakers.
Judge Gray earned her Bachelor of Arts in economics and public administration from Augustana College and her Juris Doctorate from Washington University in St. Louis, where she was honored with the Order of Barristers for excellence in oral advocacy. She launched her legal career in the Cook County Public Defender’s Office, handling serious felony cases, including those involving complex scientific and medical evidence. She litigated more than 100 bench and jury trials, building a foundation of legal rigor and empathy that continues to define her judicial approach.
Senator Graciela Guzmán (she/her/ella) is the state senator for Illinois’ 20th district, representing Albany Park, Avondale, Belmont Cragin, Bucktown, and Logan Square. She has organized policy campaigns around healthcare, child welfare, economic justice, and immigration.
Most notably, Senator Guzmán helped secure a key victory in making Illinois the first state in the nation to expand healthcare to low-income seniors aged 55 and over, regardless of their immigration status. She is paving the way for bigger healthcare wins in the years to come through her work with the Healthy Illinois Campaign. At the height of the pandemic, she helped form the Belmont Cragin Mutual Aid and Northwest Mutual Aid hub to serve families in Belmont Cragin, Hermosa, Belmont Gardens, Logan Square, Irving Park, and Portage Park. Through this work, she helped coordinate a network of volunteers every week that did one-on-one delivery of food, medicine distribution, and supplies to families across the northwest. She helped establish a three-year contract and helped support asylum seekers housed in our city’s police stations.
For Senator Guzmán, there is a continuum between community organizing, mutual aid, electoral politics, issue campaigns, policy, and compassionate constituent affairs. Over the past decade, her career has encompassed all of these areas. Her work as an enrollment specialist, founding the Illinois Coalition for Health Access, collaborating with Federally Qualified Health Centers, and acting as the campaign manager for the Protect Our Care Illinois Coalition is where her advocacy was dedicated expanding access to healthcare and defend the Affordable Care Act.
Additionally, she has contributed to formulating policies aimed at supporting children and families within the child welfare system during her tenure as policy director at Aunt Martha’s Health and Wellness. Her passion for healthcare, community, and helping others stems from her family’s early experiences immigrating to the United States from El Salvador to escape the Salvadoran Civil War. Her commitment to universal healthcare, immigration reform, racial equity, and her vision for a better Chicago for disenfranchised communities has motivated her involvement in organizations such as the Chicago Women’s March, the Health and Medicine Research Policy Group, and ACA Consumer Advocacy.
She envisions a better Chicago through her hyperlocal work organizing with the Police District Response Team, Belmont Cragin Mutual Aid, and Chicagoland Food Sovereignty Coalition. She graduated from Grinnell College in 2011 with a degree in anthropology, where she also sits on the Board of Trustees.
Dr. Marcus E. Johnson has been at the helm of the Springfield Urban League Inc. since July 2021, guiding the organization through economic challenges and driving substantial revenue growth. His strategic leadership has fostered collaborations at local, state, and federal levels, resulting in unprecedented philanthropic contributions and the organization’s recognition as Illinois’ inaugural State-Designated Cultural District.
Dr. Johnson’s dedication to urban development and health equity has earned him the John W. Mack Medal of Honor and the Urban League Movement Champion Award. He contributes his expertise to the National Urban League’s Health Equity Strategic Advisory Council and the Urban Development Accelerator. Additionally, he holds board positions with Springfield Memorial Hospital, Springfield Sangamon County Growth Alliance, and Security Bank.
In 2024, Dr. Johnson was invited to the White House for a Black State Leaders Briefing, providing insights on investments in African American communities. He holds a Bachelor of Science in biology from Tuskegee University, a Master of Public Health from Southern Illinois University, and a Doctorate in Interdisciplinary Leadership from Creighton University. He resides in Springfield with his wife, Alexandria, and their daughter, Alara Marie.
Dr. Michael Karner
Regional Superintendent of Schools for Lake County
Lake County Regional Office of Education
Dr. Michael Karner currently serves as the regional superintendent of schools for Lake County, IL, overseeing 45 public schools, 27 private schools, three special education cooperatives, two charter school districts, and one county technical high school.
Since taking office in 2021, he has offered new programs and supports for school districts in the areas of early childhood, mental health, professional development, and work-based learning. Dr. Karner founded the Illinois Virtual Schools & Academy, serving over 10,000 students across the state.
He has previously held various positions in education, including principal, assistant principal, and teacher and coach for Mathematics, Spanish, and English Language Learners. He earned his doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction from Aurora University, an Educational Specialist degree in Educational Leadership from Concordia University, a master’s degree in educational leadership from Aurora University, and a bachelor’s degree from Lake Forest College.
Judge Kimberly D. Lewis was elected to the bench in 2012 and is currently assigned to the Juvenile Court Child Protection Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County, previously assigned to the 1st Municipal Division. Throughout her time on the bench, she has served as a featured lecturer and guest speaker at various seminars for continuing legal education, law-related forums, and community outreach programs. Her audiences have included lawyers, judges, law students, individuals of all ages, and mental health professionals.
Judge Lewis is the recent past president of the Illinois Judicial Council (IJC), has served as a past chair and recent volunteer for Robes in the Classroom, an editor of the IJC Newsletter, and was the recent co-chair/co-moderator for the last two Biennial Juvenile Conferences for the State of Illinois. She has been a volunteer judge, assistant coach, and mentor for the PUSH/IJC Oratorical Society for almost a decade. She is a recent appointee to the Judicial Benchbook Editorial Board for the State of Illinois.
Judge Lewis has received such honors as the Illinois Judicial Council’s Torchbearer Award, The Geneva Scott Outreach Services Special Community Service Award, and the Crescent Moon Award for Outstanding Judicial Service from Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.
Joshua Long began his career with the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) as a speech-language pathologist in 2000. Working across many neighborhoods in Chicago, he was confronted with the reality that some students needed more than a traditional education program to reach their full potential upon graduation. In 2009, Long became a manager for speech-language pathologists, and it was during this role that he realized the power of influence a leader had on student learning and the school environment.
He became the chief officer of the Office for Students with Disabilities for CPS in January 2024. In this role, he is responsible for leading more than 2,000 employees in their service to 64,000 students with disabilities. He works with all stakeholders to provide individualized instruction, allowing each student to become as independent as possible within their communities upon graduation. He firmly believes all students are entitled to a coordinated, well-executed, tiered educational program. Long also believes that schools are responsible for meeting all students’ needs and serving as a resource for their families.
Prior to his chief officer role, he served as the principal of Southside Occupational Academy, a transition center for students with disabilities from 2010-2024. Educating students aged 18-22, he led the creation of numerous vocational learning labs, a school-wide functional curriculum, a differentiated student assessment system, and community-based classrooms across the City of Chicago. In 2017, Long led the creation of the Career and Community Connections Hub, a new school devoted to teaching students to access their neighborhoods through public transportation while participating in community internships. He was also part of a team of like-minded individuals who successfully lobbied Illinois Governor Pritzker to change the Illinois School Code to allow all students with disabilities to remain in school through the end of the year in which they turn 22.
Long holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and speech and hearing sciences from Indiana University, a master’s degree in communication disorders from the University of North Dakota, and a master’s degree in educational administration from Governors State University. He was a 2016 Cahn Fellow through Columbia University and the proud recipient of the 2019 Golden Apple Stanley C. Golder Leadership Award.
Dr. Debra Moore currently serves as Director of Administration for St. Clair County, Illinois, where she implements County Board policies and develops the county budget under the leadership of the County Board Chairman. She previously served as Executive Director of St. Clair County’s Intergovernmental Grants Department. In that role, she oversaw the administration of multiple federal and state grant programs awarded to St. Clair County and the city of East St. Louis.
Dr. Moore earned a Ph.D. and a master’s in political science from the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL) and a bachelor’s degree in Urban and regional planning from the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana. She completed the certificate program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.
Her academic career includes serving as an adjunct professor at Washington University-St. Louis, and assistant professor of political science at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. She also served as executive director of the Institute for Urban Research and adjunct professor at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
Dr. Moore’s professional career includes employment as an assistant to former Missouri Lt. Governor Harriett Woods and subsequently as executive director of the Institute for Policy Leadership founded by Woods at the University of Missouri-St. Louis (USML). During her tenure at UMSL, she secured funding, constituted the board, and served as the founding director of the Regional Housing Alliance. She is an ex officio board member of Rise, the renamed organization.
Dr. Moore is active in regional and community efforts, including Commissioner of St. Louis Lambert International Airport; Vice Chair of Bi-State Development Agency Board of Commissioners; East Side Aligned’s Board of Directors; Vice Chair of Southwestern Illinois Flood Prevention District Council; and Vice Chair of Southwestern Illinois Development Authority.
Dr. Tracy P. Milbrandt
Medical Director for Outpatient Pediatric Services
Southern Illinois University School of Medicine
Dr. Tracy P. Milbrandt is a pediatrician, educator, and healthcare leader dedicated to improving outcomes for young children and their families through collaborative, system-level approaches. She serves as the medical director for Outpatient Pediatric Services at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, where she supports efforts to deliver high-quality, family-centered care while contributing to the education of medical students and residents. As director of the Division of Primary Care Pediatrics, Dr. Milbrandt has helped lead quality improvement initiatives focused on evidence-informed pediatric care and coordinated services, including implementing the Department’s Patient-Centered Medical Home model.
Her commitment to community health is reflected in her involvement with programs that address the social determinants of health and promote equitable access to resources. She collaborates with local organizations on initiatives such as the “Keep Kids in School Coalition,” the Nutrition Security program, and the Sangamon Heart Program, all of which focus on strengthening support for children and families.
Dr. Milbrandt is deeply interested in early childhood development and values working across sectors to support children and families. Much of her work is shaped by what she has learned from families over the years—especially the ways small, practical supports early in life can make a lasting difference.
Kate O’Connor is the current executive director of Grant Healthcare Foundation (GHF) where she is responsible for understanding the non-profit health landscape within the Chicagoland area and developing and setting the strategic priorities for the foundation’s funding portfolio.
Prior to her joining GHF in January 2014, she was the chief executive officer of the National Kidney Foundation of Illinois where she oversaw all the program and fundraising related activities of the organization as well as general operations, fiscal/board responsibilities and management of staff.
O’Connor holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Ohio University.
Alpa Jayanti Patel is the chief deputy of the Office of the Cook County Public Guardian. The Public Guardian’s Office is the only law office of its kind in the United States, providing legal advocacy for children, older people, and adults with disabilities. Since joining the office as an entry-level attorney, Patel has represented abused and neglected children and adults with disabilities as a trial attorney, supervising attorney, director of training, and now as chief deputy.
She currently serves on the steering committee for the Cook County Human Trafficking Task Force and is an Illinois team member of the National Judicial Leadership on Child Welfare. Patel also serves as a member of the Illinois Child Death Review Team for Cook County, the Illinois Supreme Court Committee on Equality, the Illinois Supreme Court Committee on Juvenile Courts, the Commission on Children of Incarcerated Parents, the Illinois Judicial Education Conference, Juvenile Track Workgroup and Faculty, the Illinois Biennial Juvenile Conference Workgroup, and is a member and past chair of the Illinois Supreme Court Judicial College Committee on Guardian ad Litem education. She has presented at various law symposiums, law schools, and seminars on topics related to juvenile law, children and adults with disabilities, and commented on child welfare issues in the media.
Patel co-authored the chapter “Supervision” in the 2023 edition of the Children’s Law Office Guidebook: Best Practice Guidelines for Organizational Legal Representation of Children in Neglect, Abuse, and Dependency Cases. She also co-authored the chapter “Representing Children: Rights and Responsibilities” in the 2024 edition of the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education’s Child Welfare Law: Neglected, Abused, and Dependent Minors.
After 15 years as a member of Apna Ghar’s governing board of directors, including serving as President, Patel is now a member of the organization’s alumni board. Apna Ghar is an internationally recognized organization providing holistic services and advocacy across immigrant communities to end gender violence. Patel also serves on the Board of Directors of Women Everywhere and has previously been co-chair of its Partners in Service Project – an annual volunteer activity for high school girls, women, and children in need. She is also a member of the Chicago Bar Association, the Asian American Bar Association, and the South Asian Bar Association. In 2011, Patel was honored with the Loyola School of Law Public Interest Service Award and is a 2015 Leadership Greater Chicago Fellow.
A lifelong Chicagoan, Patel received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Chicago and a Juris Doctorate from Loyola University Chicago School of Law.
Dr. Shannon Swilley is a dedicated and accomplished educator with over two decades of experience in the field of education. His academic journey began with a bachelor’s degree in history, followed by two master’s degrees in education, and culminating in a doctoral degree in education from the University of St. Francis.
Dr. Swilley started his career as a history teacher, with a particular passion for African American History. His excellence in the classroom was recognized when he was named Educator of the Year at Kankakee High School in 2009. Following this honor, he transitioned into administration, where he has since played a pivotal role in shaping educational policies and practices.
Currently serving as the assistant superintendent at Bourbonnais Elementary School District in Bourbonnais, Illinois, Dr. Swilley is a visionary leader who embraces systems thinking to foster efficiency and innovative perspectives. He is committed to guiding teachers and building leaders in creatively executing their roles for the benefit of students and their families. His leadership is deeply rooted in the belief that strong, healthy relationships between schools and families are essential to improving academic performance.
A passionate advocate for educational equity, Dr. Swilley works tirelessly to ensure that all students have access to high-quality education that positively impacts the entire organization. His dedication extends beyond the school district, as he serves as the current secretary of the board for the Illinois Title 1 Directors Association (ITDA), where he contributes to statewide initiatives aimed at supporting underprivileged students.
In addition to his administrative and advocacy work, Dr. Swilley is also the co-host of the Stony Road podcast, which focuses on social justice issues. Through this platform, he engages in critical conversations that highlight systemic inequities and explore solutions for a more just and inclusive society.
Dr. Shannon Swilley’s career is a testament to his unwavering dedication to education, leadership, and social justice. His work continues to inspire educators, students, and families, making a profound impact on the communities he serves.
Anusha Thotakura is a member of the Chicago Board of Education, representing District 6a, which spans from Bucktown to Streeterville. She began her career in education as a bilingual middle school math teacher, where she saw firsthand how systemic issues like housing, food, and economic insecurity impacted her students. Driven to address these challenges on a larger scale, she transitioned to policy and advocacy.
Thotakura is the executive director of Citizen Action/Illinois, the state’s largest and oldest coalition dedicated to progressive policy and politics. In her role, she leads campaigns aimed at advancing issues that impact working families. Additionally, she volunteers as a Debate en Español coach for middle school students through Chicago Debates.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts in economics and political science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a master’s in public policy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
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