The American Red Cross of Chicago & Northern Illinois announces the appointment of Lewis Binswanger, Steve Bowen, Matt Fortin and Cynthia Yazdi to the organization’s Board of Directors. Board members are chosen based on their
commitment to the Red Cross mission in combination with their individual expertise, experience and willingness to serve the needs of the Board. The American Red Cross of Chicago & Northern Illinois is proud to present the new additions to the Board of Directors.
Lewis Binswanger is the vice president of external affairs for Nicor Gas. In this role, Lewis leads, develops and directs the company’s regulatory policies and strategies before the Illinois Commerce Commission. Lewis is also tasked with leading the company’s legislative and governmental affairs activities. He has over 30 years of experience in the natural gas industry, previously serving as senior vice president of legal, governmental and regulatory affairs for SourceGas, LLC in Colorado. Lewis earned his electrical engineering degree from The University of Texas at El Paso. He is a registered professional engineer and completed a finance and accounting executive program at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Steve Bowen works at Aon, where he serves as meteorologist and the global head of Catastrophe Insight. Steve and his team focus on conducting real-time and historical natural disaster analysis for clients around the world. He often collaborates with government agencies and academia on numerous projects, including emerging risks associated with climate change and extreme weather. Steve earned a master’s degree in business analytics from the University of Notre Dame, and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in meteorology from Florida State University. He is a member of numerous organizations such as the American Meteorological Society (AMS) and the National Weather Association (NWA).
Matt Fortin is the vice president and the president of merchandising and supplier management for W.W. Grainger. Matt has been a part of Grainger since 2006, leading supply chain initiatives. Before joining Grainger, Matt spent 16 years at General Motors where he held various leadership roles. Matt holds a bachelor’s degree in management information systems from the University of Dayton and graduated as a General Motors Fellow with an MBA from Thunderbird, School of Global Management.
Cynthia Yazdi is senior vice president and chief of staff for the chairman and CEO of Motorola Solutions. She also leads worldwide marketing and communications for the corporation and the Motorola Solutions Foundation. Throughout, her 19-year tenure with Motorola, Cynthia has held various leadership positions in strategy and operations. She holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Concordia University. Cynthia also is president of the Young Professionals Group at Motorola Solutions.
The volunteer board includes more than 30 civic and corporate leaders from a range of professional backgrounds for the region that serves 9.5 million people in 21 counties in northern Illinois. The board is led by Chairperson Theodore L. Dysart of Heidrick & Struggles. A full list of members is located at redcross.org/local/illinois/chicago-and-northern-illinois/about-us/leadership.
Lewis Binswanger
Steve Bowen
Matt Fortin
Cynthia Yazdi
About the American Red Cross of Chicago & Northern Illinois:
The American Red Cross of Chicago & Northern Illinois serves 9.5 million people in 21 counties including Boone, Bureau, Carroll, Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Jo Daviess, LaSalle, Lake, Lee, McHenry, Ogle, Putnam, Stephenson, Whiteside, Will and Winnebago. The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit us at redcross.org/il/chicago or visit us on Twitter @ChicagoRedCross.