CROSO

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Meet CROSO's Board of Directors
All members are volunteers.  To contact via e-mail, click on the board member's name.

Tom Bertsche
Board Member
Tom is Vice-President of Business development for Camcraft, a manufacturer of engine and fuel system components. He really enjoys working at a company that actually makes things.

An an active member of St. Nicholas parish, he has participated in a wide range of strategic planning and fundraising initiatives over the past 20 years.  Tom anad his wife Joanne value and actively support education, and he has had the great pleasure of being involved in his four kids' education through coaching their school basketball teams.  He's excited to be part of CROSO's educational mission of providing university level education opportunities for Ugandan students.


Cathy Chester
Board Member


Cathy has been a teacher in the Archdiocese of Chicago for many years and believes in the empowering value of an education.  With experiencing a deep commitment in this project, she readily supports CROSO in whatever way to ensure that our students have a chance to continue their education.







Board Member


Julie is the Associate Director of Graduate Admission and Financial Aid for Northwestern University's Medill School.  She has seen the impact of tuition assistance on students' lives here and knows that it will be multiplied tenfold for students in Uganda.








Board Member

Margaret has worked with immigrant students as tutor, mentor and advocate.  In the lives of so many young people from different parts of the globe, she has witnessed a remarkable passion for learning and success.  Collaborating with others to help CROSO youth succeed is a joy.  She currently teaches English to adults at the ELL Parent Center in Skokie.









Marion Flynn
Board Treasurer
Marion is a recovering banker, and has recently moved from raising funds for a Catholic school in Chicago to a position with the United Way of Evanston and the North Shore. She is an admirer of CROSO founder, Molly Heineman and her inability to make a small plan.  Marion also manages an intergenerational, multi-cultural women's softball team, and is active at St. Nicholas, where clean-up is her specialty "because there are no meetings." And she is doing the best she can, trying to figure out why God has both called her to be a pastor and to be a Catholic.




Board President

Molly is a graduate student at Tulane's School of Public Health in New Orleans and works as a Health Educator for the Louisiana Children's Museum.  Molly's desire to create CROSO stemmed from her study abroad experience in Uganda in 2006 where she had the opportunity to work with the street children's NGO, Child Restoration Outreach. She feels blessed to have the support of such a talented Board of Directors and looks forward to the continued development of CROSO.





Eileen brings a life-long commitment to education to the CROSO Board, with over 30 years as a classroom teacher and/or principal.  Her visits to Africa have strengthened her desire to "level the playing field" by providing access to higher education for the young people of Uganda.  Eileen is the Manager of the Racial Justice Program for the YWCA/Evanston-North Shore.







Board Member
Beth is currently a Budget Analyst at Northwestern University, after leaving the corporate world of consulting. She hopes to be able to apply her business and strategy skills to the CROSO cause. Beth is a Big Sister with Big Brother Big Sister of Metropolitan Chicago, and has therefore seen firsthand what a difference encouragement and support can make in a student's life. She has also had the privilege of knowing CROSO founder Molly since birth, and is honored to be involved in an organization founded by and for young people. 



Board Secretary


Margaret has been involved in education for many years serving as teacher, principal and teacher educator.  The value of education for all ages has been a priority for her and being of assistance to students in developing countries will be an exciting challenge.








Board Vice-President

Lisa is the Associate Director at Taller de Jose, a non-profit serving the Little Village community of Chicago.  Taller de Jose accompanies and connects people in need to services. Lisa is also currently pursuing her masters in Non-Profit Management at DePaul University. During the summer of 2008 Lisa spent 7 weeks in Karonga, Malawi, Africa working with a women's micro-lending initiative. Her experience in Malawi and other travels opened her eyes to the education systems outside the U.S. and to the economic barriers that prevent young people from achieving their educational goals. These experiences lit a passion in her to serve where she is needed. Serving on the board of CROSO is an honor that enables her to do something "small, yet big" for those with a desire to further their education.


Sally Ryan (Boyle)
Board Member

Sally is a Minnesota girl, who finished her education at Mundelein College, Chicago, where her life unfolded in the city she grew to love.  Together with Joe, her spouse of 35 years, they raised three children (Laura, Rachel, and Joseph), first in Logan Square, and then in Glenview.  For most of her 40 years, she taught elementary students in Chicago-area parochial, private, and public schools; and worked with collegians studying psychology and education.  Though recently retired, the world of education resonates with Sally's deepest sense of purpose.  Her other credential includes knowing CROSO's founder since birth.  Sally deeply trusts Molly's vision of CROSO and is honored to join the board to support the education of young adults in Uganda.



Omar Salem

Board Member


Omar currently works at Niles North High School in the Special Education Department.  He works with 18-21 year old students with cognitive disabilities in a community-based life skills program.  He earned his Bachelor's in Business Education at Illinois State University and is currently working towards his Special Education Certificate at National Louis University.  Omar is very excited to join the CROSO Board of Directors!


Photos throughout our webpage have been contributed by:
Molly Heineman, Eileen Heineman, Erin Bole, Mary Feighery and Thomas Wennesland.

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