Peggy Parfenoff

Peggy has been leading WorldChicago since 2001, meeting emerging leaders – young and old – from all over the world and sharing our amazing city of Chicago with them.

Before joining WorldChicago, Peggy worked at the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs as Director of Development. While at the Department of Cultural Affairs, she earned her MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Peggy attend Central College in Pella, Iowa which allowed her the opportunity to spend a year at the Sorbonne in Paris, France, the first of her many international travels. Peggy lives in Chicago with her husband and son.

• 312.254.1800 x101
• pparfenoff@worldchicago.org

Donna Sadlicki

Donna has been with WorldChicago for more than two decades In addition to financial reporting, technology, and oversight of the internship program, Donna has also headed up the following programs: Community Connections, Open World Leadership and Shanghai Management Fellows.

Before and during her work at WorldChicago, Donna was the Artistic Director of The Opera Factory in Chicago. Her passion for WorldChicago’s mission of citizen diplomacy has led her to travel extensively to international destinations such as Jordan, Israel, Georgia, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Turkey to name a few. As a classically-trained singer she performed for the International Committee for Artists for Peace for honoree Carlos Santana and for numerous orchestras and opera companies in the US. Donna majored in Music Performance at Eastern Illinois University.

• 312.254.1800 x104
• dsadlicki@worldchicago.org

Jennifer Dixon

Before joining WorldChicago, Jennifer worked or served in civic leadership roles for over 25 years for organizations such as Urban Alliance, Umoja, Girls on the Run - Chicago, and UCAN as well as founded and successfully ran her own business for 10 years. Currently, Jennifer serves on the Board for CPS Lives, which places Artist in Resident Fellows in Chicago Public Schools. Her own citizen diplomacy travels have included trips to Sweden, France, Finland, London, Denmark and a Habitat for Humanity volunteer experience which served as her honeymoon. Jennifer and her family have also served as a host family to 20 international exchange visitors over the last 10 years and live in the Albany Park neighborhood. Her daughter served as a WorldChicago Youth Diplomat for 2 years.

• 312.254.1800 x101
• jdixon@worldchicago.org

Morgan Lyn

As Marketing & Development Manager, Morgan oversees the fundraising and communications for the World Chicago organization. She works everyday to build relationships and inspire investment in the WorldChicago mission to promote citizen diplomacy by connecting the Chicago community with the world.

Prior to joining the WorldChicago team, Morgan worked at the Global Education Center in Nashville, TN, as Director of Marketing & Development where she had the opportunity to use the arts of diverse cultures to highlight the commonalities of all people and develop empathy, understanding and respect for all humanity. She earned her MA in PR & Advertising from DePaul University in Chicago, IL, and her BA in English Literature at DePauw University in Greencastle, IN.

• 312.254.1800 x103
• mlyn@worldchicago.org

Megan Spillman

Megan is the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) Officer at WorldChicago. She develops, implements, and monitors local programming for short-term professional exchanges through the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program on a wide range of topics, for visitors from every region of the world.

Prior to joining the World Chicago team, Megan managed the Chicago office of the Institute of International Education (IIE), where she led teams responsible for advising students and scholars participating in exchange programs, including the U.S. Department of State’s Fulbright Program. She is a part of the worldwide community of consultants certified in the KonMari Method™ of organizing. She earned an MS in Public Service Management from DePaul University and a BA from Oklahoma State University.

Megan lives in Oak Park with her son.

• 312.254.1800 x106
• ivlp@worldchicago.org

Jabari Smith

As Program Manager, Jabari develops and implements U.S. State Department Professional Fellowship Programs that bring emerging leaders and entrepreneurs from around the world to Chicago. In this role, Jabari works with government agencies, community organizations, and local leaders to provide an enriching cross-cultural experience for Fellows.

Before joining WorldChicago, Jabari carried out intercultural leadership work across education, media, and entrepreneurship sectors. Upon completion of his B.A. in Journalism at Howard University, Jabari launched his career as an English Teacher in Japan. He founded Jabari Inspires: Motivational Speaking & Global Citizenship Consulting, led youth outreach for the Obama/Biden re-election campaign, hosted a travel TV series in Kenya, and facilitated service-learning trips for students throughout the U.S. with Pathways Travels. A New Orleans native and global citizen, Jabari believes there are more commonalities than differences connecting us worldwide.

• 312.254.1800 x105
• jsmith@worldchicago.org

Gladis Herst

Gladis is a Program Manager at WorldChicago. She helps develop and implement professional exchange programs that promote citizen diplomacy.

Before joining WorldChicago, Gladis worked at Illinois Institute of Technology, where she worked in a number of roles supporting international students. While at Illinois Tech, she earned her Masters in Public Administration. Previously, Gladis received her B.A. from Beloit College where she spent a semester in Copenhagen, Denmark. After graduation, she returned to Denmark to work at a study abroad agency. Gladis has lived on three continents and loves to travel to new places. She lives in Chicago with her husband and puppy.

• 312.254.1800
• gherst@worldchicago.org

Julia Sosnivka

Julia first joined WorldChicago in January 2020 as a Program Assistant and has rejoined our team again in February 2021 as a Program Associate. She recently graduated from Loyola University Chicago with a B.A. in Global and International Studies with minors in Mathematics, European Studies as well as Political Science. Throughout her young adult life, Julia has participated in numerous cultural exchange programs that took place in Taiwan, France and Italy and has volunteered with local organizations that work to educate the youth about Ukrainian history, culture and language. She has also volunteered with the Chicago Sister Cities International as a Committee Member to foster cooperation and understanding through citizen diplomacy between Chicago and Kyiv. Julia is excited to rejoin WorldChicago and forming unique experiences for members in our communities as well as international ones. In her free time, Julia enjoys exploring new places, playing sports with her family and learning new languages.

• ProgramAssociate@worldchicago.org

Ethan Reiss

Ethan joined WorldChicago in July 2021 as part of a 1-year Fellowship through NUPIP as a Program Associate. Recently, he graduated from Northwestern University with a Bachelor of Arts, where he majored in Political Science and History. Ethan's passion for international cooperation started with his involvement in Model United Nations, where he helped set up a conference for hundreds of high schoolers every year. As a Vice Chair, Ethan was responsible for researching committee content, planning crises and challenges the delegates would face, and instilling the importance of working together and creating international connections.

• EReiss@worldchicago.org