Rich has more than 40 years of corporate HR experience most recently as the CHRO of McDonald’s for twelve years.  He is now working with the HR Policy Association in the areas of executive compensation (Center on Executive Compensation), health care (Health Transformation Alliance) and CHRO development.  In addition, he is providing consulting assistance to other CHROs and those organizations that support the further development of the function.

He is a member of the National Academy of Human Resources and a board member of Skills for Chicago.

Andy has advised and worked side-by-side with CEOs and senior executives for over 30 years at McKinsey, Discover Financial Services, and through his volunteer and philanthropic activities.  As a Senior Partner with McKinsey, Andy advised CEOs and top management teams in banking, asset management, insurance, and other sectors.  As the Chief Human Resources & Chief Administration Officer at Discover, Andy set and aligned strategy to the talent agenda, management system, and culture; and orchestrated many enterprise initiatives, including opening large operating centers in overlooked communities on the south side of Chicago and in Columbus. His volunteer and philanthropic portfolio is focused on social and economic inclusion in the US, and leadership development.

Bridget Altenburg was appointed as the CEO of Skills for Chicago on July 1, 2023. Ms. Altenburg’s career includes experience in the non-profit and for-profit sectors as well as military service. Ms. Altenburg served as CEO and COO at National Able Network, a large workforce organization, for ten years. Before that she led Chicago Cares for three years. Prior to her work with Chicago Cares, Bridget directed the development, marketing and communications for the Academy for Urban School Leadership which was recognized by President Obama as a national model for education reform.  Ms. Altenburg began her career as an engineer officer in the US Army where she deployed three times in four years. Ms. Altenburg earned a BS in Russian and French from the United States Military Academy at West Point and an MBA from Columbia Business School in New York. Ms. Altenburg was appointed to the Board of Visitors for the United States Military Academy at West Point by President Obama. She currently serves on the boards of the Pritzker Military Museum and Library, Senator Duckworth’s Service Academy Board, and Allied Airlift. 

Wendy Erikson is a global business‑development strategist with 20+ years of launching and scaling education and workforce initiatives for adult learners. She has spearheaded market expansion for Mainstay, Year Up, Workforce Edge, Pearson, Mentor Collective, and universities including University of Chicago, University of Michigan, and IESE Business School. Now advising Career Highways and leading US Education Advisory Group, Wendy forges cross‑sector partnerships that open career pathways worldwide. She previously founded Expert Atlas and is fluent in Spanish.

Mingee has over a decade in workforce absence management consulting and served as national practice leader at HUB International, where her team supported $60M+ of commission revenue through consulting services.  Mingee has worked with employer organizations spanning all market segments and multiple industries, including food and beverage distribution, educational services and healthcare.  After 12 years in the insurance and HR industry, Mingee took a leap into the technology sector.  After transitioning to the tech industry, Mingee focused on customer success, working with both on-premise and SaaS customers.  She has built and established customer success programs, spanning North America and Central Europe.  As part of her role, Mingee developed and implemented customer success procedures to ensure smooth transition from the bottom of the sales funnel to new client onboarding and go-live.  Mingee leveraged her prior consulting experience to mentor customer success managers to listen to customers, solicit feedback and anticipate customers’ needs.  Her passion for employee advocacy and development provides a natural fit for Career Highways’ mission.

Pam Tully is the President and Chief Operating Officer of Skills for Chicago, where she leads the organization’s strategic and operational efforts to connect underrepresented job seekers on Chicago’s south and west sides with employer opportunities across industries. In her role she oversees talent acquisition, client services, business development, community partnerships, career access and data insights and analytics. Before her current position, Pam was Chief Operating Officer at The Chicago Lighthouse, leading operations for a $45 million dollar nonprofit, dedicated to supporting individuals with disabilities, veterans and the visually impaired. Her work there included expanding social enterprise initiatives, growing the workforce by 200 employees, and enhancing operational efficiencies. Prior to the work at The Chicago Lighthouse, Pam was the EVP at United Way of Metro Chicago leading community building and fundraising. She has also held leadership positions in manufacturing and engineering at Cummins Engine Company and ITW Hi-Cone.