HomeBoard of Directors

Board of directors

Inagrace Dietterich - President
Inagrace is an ordained United Methodist minister who served as the Director of Theological Research at the Center for Parish Development in Chicago, IL. She is a graduate of Wartburg Theological Seminary and has a Ph.D. in Christian Theology from the University of Chicago Divinity School. Inagrace’s research and writing formed the biblical and theological foundations for the Center’s consulting and teaching processes. She participated in an ecumenical team from the Gospel and our Culture Network for the writing of two books published by Eerdmans: Missional Church: A Vision for the Sending of the Church in North America and Stormfront: The Good News of God. Inagrace is married to Paul Dietterich, the Executive Director Emeritus of the Center for Parish Development. Together they have six children and ten grandchildren.

Kiki Miller - Vice President
Kiki Miller works in strategy and operations at tech companies. She is currently at Promise, which helps families with utility bills. She previously was involved with the Arc of San Francisco and was a low-income tax preparer through the VITA program. She has lived in Melbourne, Australia and San Francisco, but always missed the Midwest. She has an MBA from University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business. She’s passionate about CHPV’s mission after her grandmother was able to age at home with help from many incredible people.

Irene Freelain - Treasurer
A financial consultant for over 35 years, my area of experience is small business accounting and computer training using QuickBooks accounting/financial software. Clients are small not-for-profit organizations and small businesses. QuickBooks is my areas of expertise and I have been a Pro-Advisor with Intuit Corporation for QuickBooks accounting software for many years.

Clients include and have included: Art museums, churches, community organizations, design organizations, diversity consultants, documentary film/video company, marketing companies, music concerts, public relations/publicist companies, youth and literacy programs, financial services for elder and estates, and other small organizations.

Susan Alitto (Founding President)
Susan led the initial discussions about forming a Village with a group of friends and neighbors in her home. She was president of the organizing steering committee and president of the founding board. She has lived in Hyde Park for over 40 years during which she has worked with several community organizations. Before arriving in Chicago, Susan moved over 20 times and lived in 12 different communities including Taiwan. She is glad she ended up in Hyde Park where she hopes to age in community. Educated at Wells College in Aurora, New York, and Columbia University in New York City, Susan worked in a variety of fields from philanthropy and administration to education and a weekly Chinese TV show. She and her husband Guy have one daughter, Emily, who lives and works in Shanghai with her family.

Ann Audrain
Ann and her husband Cal have lived in Hyde Park for over forty years. After receiving her Master's degree, Ann taught at the U of C Laboratory Schools for 30 years and after retirement wrote curriculum and was involved in math workshops in the public schools. She has remained active in educational issues. She is an involved member of the United Church of Hyde Park, serving on many committees and outreach programs. Being involved in the community and reaching out to others is an important aspect of Ann's life. Ann and her husband Cal have four children.

Jane Comiskey
Jane grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and moved to Hyde Park after graduation from DePauw University. She received her Master's Degree from Roosevelt University and taught in the Chicago Public Schools for 25 years, most of that time at Phillips H. S. on Pershing Road. She has lived in one of the “clown houses,” built for performers at the World’s Fair, for 35 years. After retiring from teaching, she began volunteer work in the community. She has served on the boards of the Hyde Park Kenwood Community Conference (HPKCC), Nichols Park Advisory, the 53rd Street TIF (Tax Increment Finance) Council of Hyde Park, and has participated in various reading programs in the local schools and parks.

Azisti Dembowski
Azisti Dembowski comes with an extensive background in administration, finance, and development, in both academic and nonprofit settings. She holds an MBA in Finance and Strategic Management from University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business.

Most recently, Azisti was an executive director for League of Women Voters of Illinois (LWVIL). Azisti worked closely with the board of directors on various initiatives to promote equitable access to information, education, and pathways to civic engagement, and to expand their nonpartisan advocacy for social justice and civil rights.

Margaret Huyck (Past President)
Margaret has lived in Hyde Park since 1961, when she began graduate studies with the Committee on Human Development at the University of Chicago. She became a gerontologist, specializing in Adult Development and Aging, and retired as Professor Emerita from the Illinois Institute of Technology in 2010. Margaret has been involved with CHPV since its inception. She believes strongly in helping each other grow older well, engaged in community and providing mutual support. She has served on the Board of the Hyde Park Neighborhood Club and has been an active member of the First Unitarian Church for four decades. Margaret is a past board president and secretary of CHPV and has chaired several committees. She enjoys meeting the many interesting people who are on this later life journey alongside her.

Monica Long
Monica is a Clinical Research Nurse Educator with the University of Chicago Medical Center. With over 20 years of nursing experience, she provides medical education for the workforce through the Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP) of the Southside Healthy Aging Resource Experts (SHARE) program. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing, a Master’s degree in Nursing Education and is a Certified Dementia Practitioner. Monica grew up on the South Side of Chicago and now lives in Glenwood, IL.

Rita McCarthy
Rita comes from the world of art museums where for over 25 years, in a curatorial and directorial capacity; she was intimately involved with fundraising, marketing and event planning. Since 2005, Rita has worked as a realtor/broker of real estate and in 2007 she helped found the Coldwell Banker Residential Charitable Foundation which has raised in its short history, over $800,000 for housing-related needs in the Chicagoland area. Rita has undergraduate degrees in Art History and Education from Boston University and graduate degrees in Art History and Museum Studies from the University of Illinois, Urbana and she has completed doctoral work in Art History at the University of Chicago.

Charles Newsome
Charles Newsome is residential and commercial retail developer and the president and CEO of Video Connection and CCC Development, Inc. Charles has been an entrepreneur for over 30 years. He is the president of the board for several organizations including Kimbark Plaza. He is a member of the 4th Ward TIF Advisory Committee, SSA 61 of Hyde Park, and the 5th Ward Jackson Park Advistory Committee. His hobbies include golf, horseback riding, and listening to classical & jazz music. He has an AD degree in computer science.

Arvind Sripada
Arvind Sripada works as an IT Director, Applications Management & Architecture for a shared mobility service provider. Operational improvement through business process re-engineering, technology and people is his area of expertise. He has over 15 years of experience in corporate business functions such as HR, Finance and Asset Management. He broadened his leadership and administrative capabilities with an MBA in Economics, Strategy and Finance from University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business.

Arvind’s determination and enthusiasm to fight hunger, homelessness and loneliness comes from various personal, professional, and social experiences. He believes in continuous improvement through collaboration to build happy communities.

Ismail Turay
Ismail settled in Hyde Park when he migrated to the United States in 1975. He received an undergraduate degree in Industrial Engineering from the Industrial Engineering College of Chicago and an MS from National Louis University. He worked as a Quality Control Manager for Elgin and Waltham Watch Company in Chicago and upon his graduation, worked for Kerr Glass Manufacturing Company in Summit, Illinois as a Plant Industrial Engineer. When the company relocated to Texas, Ismail went to work for Leaf Candy in Chicago as an Industrial Engineer. Finally, he accepted a job at Ada S. McKinley Community Services, Inc. where he worked until retirement in 2016. His community involvement includes Shoesmith Local School Council, the creation of “Friends of Shoesmith Organization”, Kenwood Academy’s LSC, HPKCC School Committee, Hyde Park/Kenwood CAC and finally, CHPV.

Chicago Hyde Park Village

Board of directors