WELCOME
Mental Health Association of Greater Chicago is an independent not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping our communities tackle mental illnesses.
For over six decades, we’ve taken mental health education to schools, homes, and the communities with customized, research-backed programs and supporting tools. And our work has served to break the stigma and empower our communities to seek necessary support for the prevention and effective treatment of mental illnesses.
Our Mission
At MHAGC, our mission is to empower families across Greater Chicagoland with the tools, knowledge, and community support to nurture mental wellness in their children—today and for generations to come. Through stigma-free education, advocacy, and accessible, strengths-based programs, we help families build confidence, resilience, and lasting well-being.
Our Leadership
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Eli Ugolino
Executive Director
Dynamic and mission-driven executive leader with over a decade of experience in nonprofit management, financial oversight, and program development. Proven track record as an Executive Director and Finance Manager, successfully managing multimillion-dollar budgets, securing over $1.25 million in unrestricted funding, and leading diverse teams with strategic vision and integrity. Adept at building strong community relationships, navigating complex funding landscapes, and implementing systems that ensure organizational sustainability. Committed to equity and justice, with a consistent focus on anti-racism and liberation frameworks in leadership.
Bob Oros
Board Chair
Bob Oros has a history of driving results in the financial services industry. He is highly focused on creating profitable growth through the creation of very satisfied clients and associates. HighTower Advisors, LLC operates as an investment management company. The Company offers portfolio management, financial planning, and investment advisory services in the United States.
Bob Nelson
Bob Nelson is accomplished in Sales, Operations and Executive Leadership. He is an expert in building high performing sales organizations and leadership teams, and a problem solver that’s adept at meeting the complex challenges faced by businesses in today’s environment of rapid change.
Robby Schoenhoft
Robby Schoenhoft has over 10 years of experience in the technology industry, specializing in strategy, systems implementation, and digital product strategy. At Rightpoint, he helps clients orchestrate people, technology, and businesses to deliver a comprehensive experience. He aids companies in improving their digital experience returns by accelerating value realization.
Claire Stewart
Claire Stewart is a Chicago-land native with 20 years professional experience in Research & Consulting. She brings expertise in mixed-method research practices for clients in public and private sectors. She has spearheaded several strategic initiatives over the past decade related to understanding organizational culture and establishing mission, vision and values. Claire prides herself on being a true empath and constructs research strategies based on authentic curiosity and a desire to help make things easier for people.
Claire's husband owns and operates his own mental health therapy practice, Life Stages Therapeutic Services, specializing in serving adolescent and geriatric populations. As a result, mental health is foundational to her personal life and is core to raising two well-adjusted boys (currently aged 8 and 10).
Claire holds her BA in Communication & Culture from Indiana University, Bloomington and her MBA from DePaul's Kellstadt School of Business. She resides in Chicago's western suburbs.
Nancy Roberts Linder
Nancy Roberts Linder oversees Chapman and Cutler's marketing department, driving business development initiatives. With over 34 years of experience, primarily in law firms, she spent 18 years running her own consulting practice, advising on marketing infrastructure and client relationship management. As Hinshaw & Culbertson’s first marketing professional, she built and implemented the firm's marketing programs. Nancy also pioneered marketing education for law students, developing programs at IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law and Valparaiso University. A long-time member of the Legal Marketing Assn., she served on its Midwest Chapter Board and was inducted into its Hall of Fame.
Joe Moran
Joe focuses on Registered Investment Advisor sales and is bringing more than 26 years of financial services experience. Prior to joining Apollo in 2022, Joe served as Head of US Intermediary Distribution at Ivy Investments, where he was responsible for distribution of the Ivy investment strategies to financial intermediaries and home office platforms. Previously, he held leadership roles at BNY Mellon, Oppenheimer Funds and Deutsche Bank/DWS. Joe graduated from the University of Dayton with a BA.
Lauren Kovar
Lauren Kovar is currently serving as Chief Financial and Chief Operations Officer at Copper Owl Accounting, where she leads financial, operational, and strategic initiatives. With 18 years of experience as a partner at Abaci LLC, she specializes in accounting, personal finance, and tax preparation. She has held senior leadership roles at Thomson Reuters, where she directed the Professional Services Operations Center of Excellence and advised Fortune 1000 companies on tax operations. She also held leadership roles at General Motors, overseeing global tax technology and M&A accounting projects.
Devendra Rao
Devendra is focused on Corporate IT Strategy specifically Cloud Services. His area of responsibility includes customer engagement, product design & delivery, leading Agile development teams, DevOps and supporting diverse set of technology platforms both On-Premise and Cloud.
Our Work
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At MHAGC, we use education-based strategies to tackle mental health issues. And our holistic approach ensures that MHAGC education programs are designed not just for those vulnerable to mental illnesses, but also for their loved ones. This is why our mental health programs for young people also reach out to teachers and parents, while programs for veterans also integrate their families.
We believe that effective and accessible education is the key to draw urgent attention to mental health issues plaguing our society. This is essential to ensure that the right support can be reached for both prevention and effective treatment.
Find a parent support group here.
We are still organizing this part of programming so check back later for more details.
Check out our media content here