R. John Aalbregtse-Chair

R. John Aalbregtse is a retired partner with Accenture, a global management consulting firm.  Mr. Aalbregtse has more than 25 years of service with Accenture and currently works with clients on a part time basis.  His responsibilities with the firm included Global Managing Partner of the Chemical Strategy practice and Regional Managing Partner of the Resources Strategy practice in the Americas.

Mr. Aalbregtse received an MBA from the University of Michigan in 1981 and has an undergraduate engineering degree.  He and his wife are Governing Members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and are active in a number of civic and charitable organizations.  They reside in Winnetka.

Leslie Anderson

Leslie J. Anderson, currently a Senior Vice President/District Market Manager for Harris Bank's Business Banking Lending Group, where she is responsible for the growth and development of the Chicago Market Business District, which consists of businesses with revenues up to $50 million. Leslie has been in the banking industry for 18 years. She began her career in banking at NBD Bank Chicago where she completed a formal credit training program, spent two years as an internal auditor and served as a lender in their Asset Based lending group. After NBD Bank, Leslie spent four years with Harris Bank in their Middle Market Lending group, where she managed a portfolio of 30 middle market companies ranging in sales from $10-$75 million. During her remaining three years at Harris Bank, Leslie served the Bank as Vice President/Director of its Urban Emerging Markets group where she developed and implemented the bank's market penetrating strategy focused initially on the African American, Hispanic and Asian markets. For the past six years, Leslie spent her time with Fifth Third Bank as Vice President/Team Leader responsible for developing their Chicago Middle Market Banking group and establishing the bank's Middle Market Healthcare team.

Leslie has an MBA with a focus in Entrepreneurship, Marketing and Strategy from Northwestern University's Kellogg Graduate School of Management (Evanston, IL). Other affiliations include Professional Advisor for DePaul University, Mentor to Kellogg Graduate School's Entrepreneurship Program, active member of youth programs with Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Leadership Greater Chicago Board Member and Leadership Greater Chicago Fellow.

Steven Braun, CLU

Steve Braun has more than 20 years of service in with Northwestern Mutual Financial Network and The McTigue Financial Group.  Steve has earned numerous awards throughout his career and is a past president and board member of Northwestern Mutual's Financial Representatives Association.

Steve is active in the community working with The City of Hope, Glenwood School for Boys and Girls, and the Marty Hennessy Jr. Tennis Foundation. He brings his understanding of philanthropy and wealth to support Partnership for Cures. Steve resides in Highland Park with his wife and children.

 Margaret A. Christie, JD-Secretary

Margaret A. Christie is a partner with the law firm of Golan & Christie. Prior to her affiliation with Golan & Christie, she spent a number of years working at large law firms, including Rudnick & Wolfe (now, Piper Rudnick), where she was also a partner. Ms. Christie started her own firm and eventually merged her practice with several other firms until joining Field & Golan in 1995. Her areas of practice include commercial real estate, finance and general business law.

Ms. Christie is a graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University (B.A., Economics, summa cum laude) and Northwestern University School of Law, where Ms. Christie served as Executive Editor of the Law Review. She is a member of the American Bar Association, the Illinois State Bar Association and Commercial Real Estate Women. Margaret and her husband share their home with two pugs.

Steven Goldsher-Treasurer

Steve Goldsher began his career working for a local accounting firm, and in 1986 was hired by one of his consulting clients, a graphics company. He became part-owner and CFO of that company and grew it to a group of 12 companies. In 1996 Steve was named CEO of the $60 million company, called The Enteron Group. In 1998 The Enteron Group was sold to a publicly traded printing consortia, and Steve stayed with them until 2002.

Most recently Mr. Goldsher was Vice President of Business and Game Operations for the WNBA team the Chicago Sky. His path to the Sky began in sixth grade, when he met future ChicagoSky owner Michael Alter. Years later, Mr. Goldsher attended Mr. Alter's press conference announcing the team, and he was hooked. Steve was the team's second employee, responsible for finance and game operations, eventually adding sales and ticket operations. After completing his two three year stint with the Sky, Steve left to continue managing Graphic Purchasing Solutions, the graphics consulting company he started in 2002. A Chicago native, Steve now resides in Northbrook with his wife and three children.