Let It Be Us is proud to have a committed board of directors to help guide the activities that support our critical mission.
They are talented experts in recruiting, marketing, media, public relations, education, and fundraising. They are parents, foster parents, and adoptive parents.
While Let It Be Us works in Illinois, their work is a scalable model to follow.
Board Chair Emeritus
Vince Foglia served as the Board Chair of Let It Be Us. Vince is a major leader and philanthropist and has been a supporter of Let It Be Us for many years. Vince served in the United States Navy and earned a BS in Marketing from the University of Illinois in Champaign, Illinois. Vince is the founder of Sage Products and is widely respected as an innovator in the development, manufacturing and marketing of prevention products designed for hospitals in the United States and abroad. Sage Products was sold in 2016 to Stryker and continues to be successful to this day.
Vince is very active in providing leadership and support to YMCA organizations (including the Foglia YMCA in North Barrington), healthcare facilities, youth and community programs. His support of Gigi’s Playhouse and children experiencing Down syndrome is renowned and ties into his support of the efforts of Let It Be Us and serving children in foster care with varying abilities. To that end, he has been instrumental in the formation of the Let It Be Us Special Families Program which provides foster and adoptive homes for children of all ages with Down syndrome, autism, cerebral palsy, and medical complexities.
Vince and his wife, Pat, have been named to the prestigious list of Distinguished Benefactors by the Chicago Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.
Board Chair
Matthew Hower has a professional background in finance, strategic planning and technical and operational leadership. He has held roles as President, CFO, Treasurer, and Founder of various corporations and nonprofits. He participates as a volunteer for Barrington District 220 School System as a mentor for their Business Incubator Program. He is also the Treasurer of the Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District. Matt has a BS in Accountancy from the University of Illinois and an MBA, focusing on Finance, from the University of Chicago. He is also a CPA and a CMA.
Treasurer
As an experienced finance professional Jim has become the Treasurer of our Board of Directors. Jim has been the Agency Principal at Haufschild Financial Group – Allstate for 19 years, located in Arlington Heights, Illinois. He has a history in sales with various corporations and holding positions ranging from Account Executive to Regional Sales Manager. He has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Finance from Northern Illinois University. He has been a volunteer for Let It Be Us for four years and a donor for many years.
Jim has experience coaching youth sports for a number of years and is the parent of four children, three sons and a daughter. He is also a foster and adoptive parent. Jim’s daughter is currently a sophomore at ISU and is a member of the hard of hearing community and she joined their family through adoption.
Secretary
Elizabeth Felice serves as the Secretary of the Let It Be Us board of directors and has volunteered for Let It Be Us since its inception. She has a BS degree from DePaul University and an MS degree from Concordia University.
She is also a licensed reading specialist and has extensive experience with a variety of learning challenges and Individualized Education Plans (IEP’s). She brings a wide variety of educational skills to Let It Be Us through her work as a high school English teacher, reading specialist, tutor, and coach. Elizabeth has co-led the design and implementation of the Let It Be Us Springboard to Adulthood Program which serves teens in foster care and young people aging out of the child welfare system.
Board Member
Jessica joins the Let It Be Us Board of Directors following years of being a volunteer for the organization. She has a BA from Hamilton College and an MBA from Boston University. After ten years of work in corporate marketing for a series of CPG companies, Jessica shifted gears to own and operate an artisan bakery in Wicker Park while assisting her partner with new restaurant concepts. Jessica is a marketing advisor to The Foxtail and Cadence Kitchens Restaurants. She is a dedicated volunteer leader with several Chicago’s nonprofits, such as PAWS Chicago. She is the founder and a board member of Second Chance Saddlebreds. Jessica has served as co-chair of the “Be Mine” fundraiser benefiting Let It Be Us since its inception in 2018.
Board Member
Kaycee joins the Let It Be Us Board of Directors following years of being a volunteer for the organization. Kaycee is a former educator teaching US History, Psychology and she is a licensed reading specialist. Prior to teaching, Kaycee worked in the non-profit sector in education, advocacy, and legislative areas. Kaycee was instrumental in co-leading an effort to design, build and fundraiser for an inclusive playground project at Countryside Elementary School. She is also a member of the Barrington Civic Leaders Program and the Barrington Youth Lacrosse Association board. Kaycee has served as co-chair of the ‘Be Mine’ fundraiser benefiting Let It Be Us for many years.
Board Member
Robin Kelleher is an accomplished transactional attorney and business owner with nearly two decades of experience. She serves as general counsel to corporations, their owners, and managers, with experience in complex contract drafting and review, commercial real estate, commercial leases, loan documentation and review, and asset purchase/sales.
Robin is also proficient in matters involving intellectual property, including federal trademark and copyright registration and oppositions, defending and prosecuting intellectual property infringement litigation, and appeals to the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Robin is also a Director of the Barrington Area Community Foundation where she sits on their Grants Committee. She was elected to be, and actively serves as, a Trustee of the Village of North Barrington in 2021.
Robin has a BA in Political Science from Loyola University and a JD from DePaul University. She is an attorney with Kelleher + Holland, LLC.
Robin is the parent of 4 children and 4 step-children. She is also an avid gardener and member of the Little Garden Club of Barrington, Illinois.
Board Member
Douglas Locke has volunteered for Let It Be Us since 2014. He has a BS in Psychology and an MA in Administration and Supervision. Doug co-led the design and implementation of the Springboard to Adulthood Program and as a volunteer he works with at-risk young people who are aging out of the foster care system.
Doug spent many years working with severely emotionally and behaviorally challenged boys as the Principal of an Alternative High School within the Proviso East High School District in Maywood, Illinois. Additionally, Doug served as President of the Milton Township Committee on Youth, a member of the DuPage County Gang Task Force and is currently a Court Appointed Special Advocate in McHenry County working with the Guardian Ad Litem and the court system to continue his lifelong passion of supporting at-risk adolescents.
Board Member
Patrick is the Manager of Events for the Obama Presidential Center. As an experienced event professional with the Obama Foundation, he develops event programming that reflects the core values of the foundation which are to inspire, empower and connect. Patrick has been a member of the Let It Be Us ‘Be Mine’ Committee since 2021, the annual and most successful fundraiser for Let It Be Us, which raised over $600,000 in 2024. Born and raised in Chicago, Patrick joined his family through adoption and has a business degree from Chicago’s DePaul University.
Past experience includes developing an events and catering program at Boka Restaurant Group with Stephanie Izard as the Director of Catering and Events. After 8.5 years, he went on to develop and grow the events program for the east end of Navy Pier overseeing Offshore Rooftop, Lirica and the Sable Hotel. Outside of the events and hospitality industry of Chicago, he is a passionate member of organizations in the Arts and LGBTQ+ community. He married his husband Jason Gershman in October 2023, and they live in Chicago.
Board Member
Carolyne joins the Let It Be Us Board of Directors following years of being a volunteer for the organization. She is an established leader in foster care and adoption and has been a strong supporter of women through compassionate leadership as a small business owner. Carolyne has an MS from Marquette University and has been a licensed foster parent for over 20 years. Carolyne’s experience with foster care ignited her passion to support and guide new foster parents and advocate for children in foster care through speaking engagements at various Let It Be Us recruitment events, Let It Be Us interviews with news agencies, and special guest appearances on Let It Be Us podcasts. Her passion centers around foster care, adoption, special needs, and advocacy.
Carolyne and her husband have been foster parents to over 20 children and they actively parent through Safe Families. They are also parents to 5 children through adoption.
