Mayor Rahm Emanuel made three appointments to Chicago’s Transportation Authority Boards, two to the Regional Transportation Authority Board (RTA) and one to the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) Board, and one appointment to the Chicago Zoning Board of Appeals.

These new appointments to the RTA and CTA boards will bring valuable experience in transportation and finance to streamline operations at the RTA and CTA that will benefit Chicago and the region.

“Kevin Irvine, Sam Mencoff, and Carole Brown have a proven track record of managing transportation, educational and financial agencies and I am confident they will be assets in implementing the needed infrastructure and operational improvements to our transportation network, in order to ensure our systems are connecting both residents and tourists  throughout the city,” said Mayor Emanuel.

The appointment of Pastor Lynette Santiago to the Zoning Board of Appeals will bring important community experience and perspective to the board that reviews land use issues that pertain to the Chicago Zoning Ordinance.

“When I met Pastor Santiago earlier this year, I was impressed with her commitment to supporting residents in her congregation, her dedication to her community and the city,” said Mayor Emanuel. “Her personal experience with the Zoning Board of Appeals as a resident and her track record advocating on behalf of Chicagoans make her a strong addition to the board.”

Carole Brown will replace Dr. Horace Smith on the RTA Board for a term that expires on June 30, 2012; and Samuel M. Mencoff will replace Michael Rosenberg on the RTA Board for a term that expires June 30, 2013. Both appointments were introduced to the City Council on November 16th.

Kevin Irvine will replace the late Henry Chandler on the CTA Board; this appointment was introduced to Council on November 2, for a term that expires September 1, 2014.

Brown, Mencoff and Irvine have made a commitment not to receive monetary compensation for their positions on these boards.

Full Biographies

Carole L. Brown

Carole Brown recently joined Barclays Capital as a Managing Director, heading the firm’s Midwest municipal practice. She serves as the Senior Investment Banker for local municipal clients including the City of Chicago, the States of Illinois, Michigan and Indiana, the Chicago Park District and the Chicago Board of Education. Brown also maintains primary responsibility for the firm’s client relationships in several major national markets. Prior to joining Barclays, Brown was employed with Siebert Brandford Shank & Co., LLC and Mesirow Financial. She joined Mesirow after a 10-year career as Managing Director at Lehman Brothers.

Kevin Irvine

Kevin Irvine has dedicated his career to ensure that the public way is accessible for all. He currently serves as an Advisor to the Chicago Transit Authority Infrastructure Accessibility Task Force (IATF) where he is part of a team of key CTA personnel charged with guiding future decisions related to enhancing accessibility at CTA’s rail stations. Irvine also served for six years as the Chair of the CTA’s ADA Advisory Committee and is a member of Access Living’s board. Irvine received his Bachelor’s degree from Purchase College in New York.

Samuel M. Mencoff

Samuel Mencoff is a Founding Partner and Co-CEO of Madison Dearborn Partners.  Prior to co-founding MDP, Mr. Mencoff was with First Chicago Venture Capital for 11 years and throughout his career he has focused on investments in the basic industries sector. He is a member of the Board of Fellows of Brown University, a Trustee of the Art Institute of Chicago and a Director of NorthShore University HealthSystem, where he serves as Chairman of the Investment Committee. Mencoff received his Bachelor’s from Brown University and earned his Master’s in Business Administration at Harvard University.

Pastor Lynnette Santiago

Pastor Lynnette Santiago is a senior pastor at Rebaño Church, or Fellowship Flock Church, in the Humboldt Park community, where she has dedicated her time to serving the interests of families in that neighborhood and across the city. Santiago is also the Founder and Executive Director of the non-profit organization Fellowship Connection, which focuses on family advocacy services, children and youth prevention programs and breast and cervical cancer prevention. Santiago received her bachelor’s degree from Liberty University in 1997 and earned her Master’s in Divinity from Vision International University.

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