The Executive Board of CEA has two items for your consideration on the ballot this year. The ballot will close at 10:00pm CST on Saturday, December 17th. Active CEA members each may cast one vote.

The two items on the ballot are the election of a Secretary and Treasurer. Elections for these positions are decided by a simple majority of votes cast.

CEA Members will receive the ballot in their inbox on 12/12/22.

The slate of candidates for each position includes:

Secretary (2):

Toi Wise

As a member of CEA who has been with the organization for just over a year, I am truly honored to be nominated for the Secretary position. My true engagement in CEA began as a 2021 scholarship recipient, which afforded me the opportunity to attend the 6th Annual CREA conference. From this initial introduction, I felt welcomed and truly as if I was now a part of the evaluation community. Since then, I have continued my membership through engagement in numerous CEA events. It is my hope that I will be given this opportunity to become even more involved in CEA to support this organization, and both learn with and learn from others in this field.

While it is essential for the nominee to be able to handle all of the tasks of this position, it is also essential for them to be passionate about this work. I currently serve as an Evaluation and Data Specialist, where I lead the planning and execution of an annual evaluation, analyze various data for grant reporting, foster evaluation capacity building, and support general evaluation and data needs. I was also recently a 2022 member of Evaluation Pathways Initiative’s first cohort of the Emerging Evaluators program. My other experiences include working with a consulting firm to assess youth programs and serving as a member of a research group to study evaluation methods for measuring program quality and success. I also hold a Master of Education in Youth Development from UIC. Prior to entering the evaluation field I worked for CPS in various capacities. I now strive to continue to foster positive youth development and promote equitable opportunities for success through my work as an evaluator. I am truly eager to grow in this field and I know that that comes from engaging more and being open to learning.

I feel that I am the right candidate for this position because I will be taking on this role with an open mind, a willingness to learn, and a proactive mindset. In my current role as an Evaluation and Data Specialist, I am engaged in many of the tasks associated with the secretarial responsibilities. For example, collaboration is also an essential aspect of the Secretary position; I regularly engage in collaborative meetings and conversations with my team to support them in their work. I believe that this collaborative approach is critical to this role, as it will assist with ensuring that I am supporting this organization and its members from a position that truly seeks to meet their needs. Additionally, I am required to create agendas and take notes for monthly meetings that I facilitate with my team. I also effectively manage my day-to-day calendar keeping it up-to-date with tasks pertaining to my work and also engaging others who I need to collaborate with; which would assist with creating and/or maintaining a master calendar for the organization. I also understand that being proactive is important, and it is my goal to bring that mindset to this position in hopes of finding ways to better support CEA members. Serving as CEA Secretary would be an opportunity for me to serve the Chicagoland evaluation community while also growing within it, and I hope that I am given the opportunity to do so.

Margaret Halquist

Margaret Halquist is an artist and researcher currently situated in Chicago. She has an MA in Arts Administration and Policy ('21) from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and holds a BFA from Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design. Her interests are at the intersection of cultural programming, philanthropic strategies, and impact evaluation. From 2016-2018 she collaborated with asylum seekers, the UNHCR, and UK nonprofit, Refugee Info Bus in Greece to create a comprehensive video series of pressing issues for new arrivals. Since arriving in Chicago, she's been working with consultants as they create equity roadmaps for foundations and other nonprofit organizations. She is also currently the volunteer coordinator for English language classes at C.LA.D.O where language, culture, and diversity are celebrated. She also maintains a studio practice focusing on public sculpture and installation, periodically showing at alleys around the city.

Fulfilling the Secretary Leadership role is an exciting opportunity as a new member of the Chicago Evaluation Association. As an unceasing notetaker and learned project manager, I will be able to create ease and flow in the programming, membership updates, and the many pieces that aid this volunteer-run association. In addition, I hope this can be an opportunity for me to engage with CEA on a new level.

Treasurer (1):

Christina Iyengar

Christina Iyengar, Dr.PH, MPH is the lead evaluator for Building Early Connections (BEC) at Rush Medical University in Chicago. She leads with expertise in providing public health grant evaluations strategies and alignments for federally funded programs. Before joining Rush's BEC team, she worked as an Evaluation Strategist for Public Health Consulting and has several years of experience supporting the CDC evaluation team on a collaborative chronic disease prevention grant. She provided technical assistance to grantees and contributed to the national evaluation plan. Her career has been very diverse, being able to work for academia, non-profit, state and federal agencies. She describes herself as a passionate qualitative experimental evaluator, adding rich contextual data to quantitative evaluation methods, which a focus on culturally responsive evaluation approaches. Christina leads a health equity study at Rush and is always ready to learn more about people, places, and life. 

Christina has greatly enjoyed working with CEA in professional development, networking and leadership opportunities and would like to support CEA's community by serving as a Treasurer.