Since its founding in 1987, the Black Women Lawyers’ Association of Greater Chicago, Inc. (BWLA), has been devoted to empowering its members to achieve professional success. In that vein, BWLA offers forums designed to build the skills and enhance the brand of its members. In 2017, under the leadership of the BWLA President, the T.E.A. (Train, Excel, Appoint) Directors Institute was created. This is the first Directors program in Illinois exclusively dedicated to training female attorneys of color for board positions. We are confident that because of the learning sessions, the Institute Fellows are better prepared to embark upon prestigious board positions. The institute focuses on increasing the presence of female attorneys of color on the boards of government entities, nonprofits, and private and publicly traded companies. This highly selective engaging Institute trains and prepares a select group of BWLA members for corporate, government, and nonprofit board roles. The Institute adds value to our members’ careers and to our business, civic, and legal community.

The Faculty for the Directors Institute includes current members of government, nonprofit, private, and public boards; leadership consultants; board recruiters; corporate governance professionals; and business and financial services professionals. The 2018& 2019 Faculty included the following professionals: Sam Scott, Lead Director at Motorola Solutions Inc., Charles Tribbett III, Co-Director Board and CEO Advisory Group at Russell Reynolds, Sharon Fairley, Faculty at University of Chicago Law School, Dorri McWhorter, CEO of YWCA Metropolitan Chicago, Paul Williams, Partner Emeritus and Advisor at Major Lindsey Africa, Andrea Zopp, President/CEO of World Business Chicago, Jonathan Swain, CEO Kimbark Beverage Shoppe, Lisa Harrell, Chief People Officer at Cleveland Avenue, Amy Singh, EVP/General Counsel/Secretary at Cameo, JD Gershbein, CEO of Owlish Communications, Yolanda Daniel, VP of Finance at Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Z Scott, President of Chicago State University, Patricia Brown Holmes, Managing Partner at Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila LLP, Cindy Burrell, CEO of Diversity in the Boardroom, Sangita Kasturi, CEO of Action Inclusion, Cornelius Griggs, CEO of GMA Construction Group, Perri Irmer, CEO of Dusable Museum and Billy Dexter, Managing Partner at Heidrick & Struggles.