E. Hoy McConnell, II
Executive Director
Even before Hoy McConnell became BPI’s third Executive Director in September 1999, he was active on the Board of Directors — as a member since 1981 and president from 1990-96. Previously Hoy led a distinguished career in the advertising agency business. At the Leo Burnett Company, Hoy was Senior Vice President, Account Director. He joined Burnett from D'Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles Worldwide (DMB&B), where from 1983 until 1995 he served as Managing Director of DMB&B/Chicago, leading the 160-person Chicago office, which steadily grew under his direction. Hoy received a BA magna cum laude from Yale University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
hmcconnell@bpichicago.org
PROGRAM STAFF
Julie Elena Brown
Senior Staff Counsel
Julie Elena Brown has served as Staff Counsel since 1989 and currently works on housing litigation and policy development. Prior to
her role at BPI, Julie served as Assistant Corporation Counsel with the City of Chicago Law Department. She received her bachelor's degree
from the University of Wisconsin and JD from the University of Wisconsin Law School, where she was on staff at the Law Review and an
editor at the International Law Journal.
jbrown@bpichicago.org
Ellen Elias
Director of Development
Ellen joined BPI in 2000. She was formerly Assistant Director of Development at the John G. Shedd Aquarium where she worked in
planned giving and donor communications. In addition to her involvement with other nonprofit organizations, she has been part of start-up teams
for two Web-based companies. Ellen has a BA in English Literature from Loyola University and JD from the DePaul University College of Law.
eelias@bpichicago.org
Adam Gross
Director, Regional Affordable Housing Initiative
Adam Gross has served as Staff Counsel at BPI since 1995, focusing on housing and community development issues. He now leads BPI's
efforts to increase the supply and equitable distribution of affordable housing. He received his BA from Yale University, MA in Public
Policy from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government and JD from the University of Chicago Law School, where he was
Comment Editor at The University of Chicago Law School Roundtable.
agross@bpichicago.org
Betsy Lassar
Policy Analyst
Betsy Lassar is a member of BPI's Affordable Housing team. Prior to joining BPI, Betsy served as Housing Planner and Consultant to the City of Highland Park, where she was responsible for affordable housing activities, including coordinating implementation of the city’s Affordable Housing Plan. Betsy is founder and currently vice-president of the Highland Park Community Land Trust, and served as Vice Chair of the City’s Housing Commission. She also serves as Commissioner of the Lake County Affordable Housing Commission. Betsy is no stranger to BPI, having served as staff counsel from 1977-1984. She holds a JD from Northwestern University and a BA from the University of Michigan. Betsy was elected to BPI's Board of Directors in September 2007.
Susannah R. Levine
Senior Policy Analyst
Susannah joined BPI in July 2003 after receiving her MA in Public Policy from the University of Chicago's Irving B. Harris School of
Public Policy Studies. Currently, she engages in policy analysis, advocacy, research and community organizing for BPI's Affordable Housing Initiative. As a Public Policy Associate at the Day Care Action Council of Illinois, Susannah led lobbying efforts
and conducted legislative advocacy on behalf of low-income families. Susannah has also worked with the Financial Research and Advisory
Committee (FRAC). She received her BA from Brandeis University.
slevine@bpichicago.org
Alexander Polikoff
Director, Public Housing Program
Alexander Polikoff has served as lead counsel in the Gautreaux public housing litigation for more than 40 years. Alex joined BPI one
year after its founding in 1970 as Executive Director, a position he held for almost 30 years. Prior to holding that position, he was a
member of the Chicago law firm Schiff Hardin & Waite. He received his BA, MA in English Language and Literature and JD from the
University of Chicago. He is the author of Housing the Poor: The Case for Heroism (1978) and Waiting for Gautreaux, (2006).
apolikoff@bpichicago.org
Kim Zalent
Director, Public Education Program
Kim Zalent joined BPI as Director of the Public Education Program in 2003. Prior to joining BPI, Kim served as the Executive Director/Lead Organizer for the South Bronx Churches/IAF, where she co-led a project to create 19 small public high schools. A founding organizer for Lower Manhattan Together, an Industrial Areas Foundation organization in New York, Kim also led a number of Chicago-based initiatives, including the Organization of the NorthEast (ONE) and the Pilsen Resurrection Project. Kim holds a BA from Valparaiso University.
POLIKOFF-GAUTREAUX FELLOWS
Katie Hill
Staff Counsel
Katie Hill joined BPI in September 2007. She is a graduate of the University of Chicago Law School, where she worked for the Mandel Legal Aid Criminal Clinic and Juvenile Justice Project and was a member of the boards of the Chicago Law Foundation and the Public Interest Law Society. In addition to a summer internship at BPI, she clerked for the law firm Goldberg Kohn and interned at Children’s Rights (NY). Prior to law school Katie taught in a public elementary school in San Jose, CA, through Teach for America, and was a teaching fellow at Phillips Academy in Andover, MA. She graduated from Stanford University, Phi Beta Kappa, with a BA in Public Policy.
Nadia Wishne Underhill
Policy Analyst
Nadia joined BPI in September 2006 and works on public and affordable housing. She received her MA in Public Affairs at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton
University. She also has an MSc in Cities, Space and Society from the London School of Economics. Prior to her graduate education, Nadia
was a Housing Development Coordinator for the City of Oakland, developing policy and managing financing for affordable housing
development. She has worked on issues relating to immigrant women and trained volunteer tutors in Brooklyn public schools. Nadia
graduated magna cum laude from Carleton College with a BA in English Literature.
nunderhill@bpichicago.org
ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF
Marissa Manos
Administrative Director
mmanos@bpichicago.org
Viviann Jones
Finance Manager
vjones@bpichicago.org
Paula Kruger
Technology Coordinator/Administrative Assistant
pkruger@bpichicago.org
Deborah Johnson
Receptionist
djohnson@bpichicago.org
