The Illinois Chamber's Annual Meeting and Luncheon
September 18,2025
Hilton Chicago Continental Room, 720 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago IL 60605
1030am to 11:30am - Join us for the Networking Reception/Expo
11:30am - Luncheon begins
Fireside Chat with Don Thompson
Don Thompson
CEO and Founder, Cleveland Avenue
Don Thompson brings his signature blend of savvy business acumen and warm personal touch to his role as CEO and Founder of Cleveland Avenue (CA), LLC. Founded in 2015, with his life partner and wife, Liz Thompson, CA is a prominent Chicago-based investment firm
specializing in lifestyle consumer brands and companies that positively disrupt large and growing markets.
The Thompsons concurrently formed The Cleveland Avenue Foundation for Education which is committed to supporting and mentoring students and professionals as they progress from
the classroom to the boardroom through philanthropy and education support services.
Mr. Thompson launched his own recipe for success at CA following over 25 years of climbing the ranks at McDonald's, where he departed after successfully running the company as President & CEO.
Thompson not only invests in but also mentors entrepreneurs by combining his electrical engineering background, global leadership, and business expertise with his passion for customer innovation to create a powerful environment of analytical thinking and creativity.
Thompson is also at the intersection of potential and purpose by cultivating a culture that stays true to his foundations of faith, family, service, philanthropy, diversity, and inclusion. Thompson is a member of the Commercial and Economic Clubs of Chicago, World Business Chicago, the Arthur M. Brazier Foundation, and serves on the National Football League (NFL) Diversity Advisory Committee as well as is a Trustee of The Cleveland Avenue Foundation for Education.
Cleveland Avenue and the Cleveland Avenue Foundation for Education have received numerous awards and recognition for their social impact, including the Baumhart Center at Loyola University Chicago Social Impact Award. Additionally, Mr. Thompson has been honored with the National Black MBA Association's Outstanding Leadership Award, been inducted into the Chicago Innovation Hall of Fame, and received 1871's Momentum Chicagoness Award.
Energy Panel
Maria Bocanegra,
President, Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas
Maria Bocanegra serves as president — Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas, where she has primary responsibility for managing the daily operations, strategy and administrative activities for the two Illinois utilities, which together provide safe, reliable natural gas service to nearly 1 million customers in Chicago and 54 communities in its northern suburbs.
Most recently, she was chief legal and government relations officer for the Port of Cleveland — the first in its 55-year history. She previously served as a commissioner on the Illinois Commerce Commission, regulating investor-owned electric, gas and water utilities in highly complex and technical matters. There, she gained national recognition in both the transportation electrification and water spaces, and served as chair of the EV Working Group and standing Committee on Water.
Her prior board service includes the University of Missouri Financial Resource Institute’s Advisory Council, New Mexico State University’s Public Utilities Advisory Council, the National EV Charging Initiative’s Advisory Council, World Resources Institute’s Electric School Bus Advisory Council as co-chair, Citizen's Utility Board (CUB) Ohio, Council of the Great Lakes Region and the Cleveland Water Alliance. Maria currently serves on the boards of Intersect Illinois, World Business Chicago, Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, the Civic Committee and the Illinois Utilities Business Diversity Council.
Maria’s prior public service includes work as an administrative law judge at the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission and as the public member of the Labor Advisory Board for the Illinois Department of Labor. Before entering public service, Maria practiced law focused on workers’ compensation, wage and hour issues, and personal injury claims.
She has been recognized by Fortnightly’s Under 40, Negocios Now’s 40 Under 40, Negocios Now’s Who’s Who In Hispanic Chicago, Negocios Now’s Rising Star and by Latino Leaders Magazine. Her work has been featured in Utility Dive, T&D World and Bloomberg Law News, and by the American Association of Port Authorities. She has presented/spoken before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Energy, among others.
Leonard “Lenny” Singh,
Chairman and President, Ameren Illinois
Leonard "Lenny" Singh is chairman and president of Ameren Illinois, where he is responsible for energy delivery to more than 1.2 million electric and more than 800,000 natural gas customers in 1,200 communities across 43,700 square miles of service territory. Prior to joining Ameren Illinois in July of 2022, Lenny held a variety of senior leadership roles across electric, natural gas and steam operations, and customer solutions in a 30-year career with Consolidated Edison Company of New York. Lenny is leading Ameren Illinois through the clean energy transition, spearheading initiatives to facilitate the adoption and development of local, renewable energy generation and promoting the long-term growth of cleaner energy. He is leading the effort to build a resilient and reliable grid capable of supporting the increased electrification of the downstate Illinois economy with a focus on equitable justice and economic development. At the same time, he is championing policies that will fortify the state's natural gas infrastructure while preparing for the sector's transition to renewable natural gas and emerging clean hydrogen technologies, critical enablers of the energy transformation process. He holds a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a master's degree in electrical engineering from Polytechnic University, and a Master of Business Administration degree from Columbia University. He completed professional certificate programs on electric and natural gas distribution at the Siemens Power Technologies International Distribution Engineering and Gas Technology Institute, and on nuclear reactor technology at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He has also completed executive education programs at Harvard, Georgetown, Cornell University ILR School, Dale Carnegie, American Management Association, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Emcee
Lourdes Duarte
Co-Anchor WGN Evening News and Lead Investigative
Reporter, WGN
Lourdes Duarte is a four-time EMMY Award winner. She co-anchors the WGN Evening News
at 4pm and is one of the station’s lead investigative reporters. Prior to her role on the
evening news, Lourdes co-anchored the top-rated WGN Morning News. She also hosts
WGN’s public affairs program Adelante Chicago.
Thank you to our sponsors
Business Supporters
Community Partners
yes
Exhibitors and Exhibitor Level Sponsors
Apprenticeship Illinois
Commerce Bank
Illinois Employer Support of the Guard & Reserve
Strategic & Creative Marketing
Troxell
WS Darley
Sponsorships Available - Call Laurie Silvey for more information (217) 991-8598 or lsilvey@ilchamber.org