The Coalition for Transforming Higher Education Funding is bringing together students, advocates, legislative leaders, and university faculty and staff for listening sessions throughout Illinois to discuss the Equitable University Funding Bill (SB13/HB1581).
Our next session will be at Chicago State University on Tuesday, Feb. 11 from noon – 2 p.m. This listening session will include an introduction to the legislation, followed by a facilitated group discussion intended to lift up direct feedback from all stakeholders.
Registration for this event is closed. For more information about related events, click here.
Meet the Panelists
State Representative Carol Ammons (Panel Moderator)
State Representative Ammons serves the People of the 103rd district in the Illinois House of Representatives. First elected in 2014, she is currently serving her sixth term. She has served in a number of leadership roles in state government, including her tenure as the Joint Chair of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus, a founding member of the Illinois Progressive Caucus, and her current chairwomanship of the Energy and Environment Committee.
As State Representative, Ammons has focused on criminal justice reform, creating an economy for everyone – not just the rich, protecting our environment, and making education accessible for all.
Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford
Senate Majority Leader Lightford was sworn in January for a new term in the Illinois General Assembly, marking the beginning of her 26th year in the legislature. In January 2019, she made history when she became the first Black woman to serve as Illinois’ Senate Majority Leader.
Senator Lightford pioneered groundbreaking reforms in education – from implementing the nation’s most equitable school funding model to creating new pathways for Black students’ success and increasing diversity in our teaching workforce. Her unwavering commitment has been to ensure every child in Illinois has access to genuine opportunity, and she continues to fight for this vision in the years ahead.
Melinda Kelly, Executive Director of the Chatham Business Association
Melinda Kelly is the President of Chatham Association Small Business Development (CBA) where she advocates for and provides viable effective support to small businesses. CBA is a thought leader in Community Transformation whose goal is to enhance the social, political, and economic growth in Chatham and surrounding Chicago communities. Under Kelly’s leadership, CBA grew the company from operating in the red to in the black by leveraging State, City, and targeted private sector grants to successfully, create and execute programs as described in CBA’s attached capability statement. Kelly’s advocacy work and success in facilitating Public/Private Sector Partnerships in support of Economic Development has yielded CBA recognition as a leader in the business and non-profit industry.
Joeysha Dobbins, Senior Program Manager at Hope Chicago
Joeysha Dobbins is the Senior Program Manager at Hope Chicago. She is a licensed teacher with experience teaching students from primary school to college. Her vast experience with students in the classroom and in administration has given her a unique perspective on her work. Since joining Hope Chicago in November of 2021, Joeysha has held significant leadership roles and lent her knowledge and talents to executing organizational-wide initiatives. Joeysha understands the importance of students’ ability to advocate for themselves, and is committed to giving Hope Scholars access to the information and resources needed to be successful.
A native of Chicago’s Westside and product of Chicago Public Schools, Joeysha received a B.A. in Elementary Education from the University of Illinois Chicago and a M.A. in Educational Leadership, Politics, and Advocacy from New York University.
Dr. Judith Birgen, Associate Professor of Sociology at Chicago State University
Judith Birgen is Associate Professor of Sociology and Social Work at Chicago State University. Judy is the vice-president of the faculty union at CSU. She received her Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Chicago in 1998 and her MSW from Jane Addams School of Social Work at the University of Illinois, Chicago in 1984. She is the founder and a current board member of the Illinois Hunger Coalition. She has experience in administration and direct social work practice and has been a foster parent. She is a Girl Scout Leader and volunteers with the Boy Scouts. For the past 47 years Judith Birgen has been a member of the Sisters of Providence.
Robii Bijou, Senior at Chicago State University
Robii Bijou is a senior at Chicago State University, majoring in Communications, Media Arts, & Theater with a concentration in film production and screenwriting. A multifaceted creative, she thrives as an actress, director, editor, and playwright, demonstrating her dedication to storytelling and the arts. Passionate about driving social change and fostering cultural enrichment through her work, Robii is committed to making a lasting impact within her university and the broader community.
