Executive Director, Ex Officio, Non-Voting Member

Lisa Jenschke’s professional background has centered on education and biological sciences in education. In her role as the head of educational outreach at the Cell Systems Initiative, she worked closely with researchers developing new technology to test proof-of-concept lab interfaces and visualizations in high school classrooms. She also served as the Information Director at the Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology at the University of Washington.

After relocating to Chicago with her family, Lisa focused on visual arts education and non-profit work. As a volunteer with the Hyde Park Refugee Project, she created new education programs designed to support refugee and other immigrant children in the community, including our after-school program and the Summer Curiosity Camp for English language learners.

Board President

Michael Weisman is a legal and compliance executive with nearly two decades of experience guiding global organizations through complex risk, ethics, and compliance issues. He has held senior roles in both the public and private sectors—delivering strategic counsel, leading large-scale internal investigations, and fostering strong compliance cultures across multinational organizations. Most recently, Michael served as Executive Vice President and Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer at Stericycle, a global compliance and waste management company.

Michael has been a part of HPRP since its earliest years, working extensively with one of the first families we welcomed to Hyde Park, a family of eight from Syria. He has a deep understanding of the needs of newcomers, and his legal background is an important asset for the immigrant population we serve.

Treasurer

Larry Joseph is a retired public policy analyst with a background in both academia and advocacy. As chair of the Social Justice Committee at KAM Isaiah Israel Congregation, he has been involved with the Hyde Park Refugee Project since 2017. He has also worked with advocacy groups and coalitions on immigration justice, as well as criminal justice reform, affordable housing, and other issues.

Before retirement, he was Director of Research at Voices for Illinois Children (2007-2015), where he engaged in policy analysis and advocacy on a broad range of state-level issues affecting children and families. From 1987 to 2007 he was a Senior Research Associate at the University of Chicago, where he organized and managed various projects at the School of Social Service Administration, Harris School of Public Policy, and Chapin Hall Center for Children.

Vice President

Julie Morton has been a volunteer with HPRP since its earliest years, working with our first families to assist them in finding employment. She joined the Board in April 2024 and focuses on HPRP human resource and organizational issues and serves on the Program Committee. She also mentors a family.

Julie retired from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business in July 2026. There, most of her tenure was spent as Associate Dean of Career Services and Corporate Relations, where she supported students in pursuing their career interests and engaged with employers to promote these students for internships and full-time opportunities. Before coming to Booth in 2000, Julie worked in retained executive search, and she was a financial services and strategy consultant at what was then Bankers Trust (now Deutsche Bank) and at Young & Rubicam in New York. She also spent several years doing strategy and turnaround consulting in central Slovakia and in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Secretary

Kathleen Ray began volunteering at the Hyde Park Refugee Project in March of 2018 as an after-school tutor. She quickly became a family mentor along with handling administrative tasks and developing outreach on behalf of the organization. She now also represents the Hyde Park Refugee Project on the Hyde Park & Kenwood Interfaith Council and on the Texas Border Collaboration Network. Kathleen is also active as a member of the Non-Governmental Organization Committee (NGO) on Immigration; and works on a sub-committee to challenge xenophobia, fight racism, and promote social inclusion. This NGO has consultative status to the United Nations.

Kathleen worked for decades in Chicago as an International Operations Manager, directly responsible for corporate International logistics and export compliance.

Board Member

Stephanie, a licensed clinical social worker in private practice, has been involved with HPRP since its earliest years; most recently as a mentor to one of our families. She has also been very involved with HPRP activities to address families’ food insecurities. 

Stephanie’s professional work is primarily with undergraduate and graduate students. Over her career, she has worked with individuals of all ages and with families navigating life transitions, mental health vulnerabilities, and significant loss or change. Her professional background spans clinical, program development, and administrative work across child welfare, community mental health, and the Chicago Public Schools.

Board Member

Will has volunteered with HPRP since 2022 in a variety of relationship-rich roles; an ESL tutor for an Afghan teen, volunteer at HPRP’s Curiosity Camp, and as medical appointment coordinator and driver to those appointments for one of the families. He continues to teach ESL and help families obtain their food and medical benefits. Will also helps a father obtain part-time paint and drywall jobs. 

Will retired as Professor of Hospitality & Tourism Management at Roosevelt University in 2020. His academic and professional expertise is in meeting and events management. He served as executive director and as a board member for a variety of not-for-profit boards. Will is the co-author of “Early Chicago Hotels” a text on Chicago’s hotel history from the great fire to the Great War.

Board Member

Tzuming Liao began volunteering with HPRP in 2021 as a family mentor and joined the board in June 2025. She is committed to supporting migrant and refugee communities. During the migrant crisis, she helped coordinate food distribution and essential services—including medical care, clothing, and shelter—for two South Side districts.

Tzuming has a background in meditation and mindfulness. She studied in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh at Plum Village Monastery in France, where teachings emphasize “Engaged Buddhism”—integrating spiritual practice with compassionate action. She leads meditation groups at the Chicago Metropolitan Correctional Center and is a student of Nonviolent Communication. Tzuming also serves on the boards of Insight Chicago Meditation Community and Insight Dialogue Community, where she supports retreat organization, program development, and operational infrastructure.

Board Member

Adam started volunteering with HPRP as a tutor in 2021. Most recently, he volunteered as the lead coordinator for HPRP’s food delivery program, established during Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Midway Blitz operation. This initiative served HPRP and other immigrant families afraid to leave their homes due to ICE activity. 

Adam is the strategy advisor to Harvard’s Data Wise Project and teaches about education reform and contemporary teaching methods at the University of Chicago. An award-winning educator and nonprofit sector leader, Adam has two decades of experience improving organizations to better serve all stakeholders. He currently works with global leaders to improve their organizations and board governance.

Board Member

Dorothy Pytel has been involved in grassroots community activism and organizing for over three decades. She is one of the founders of the Hyde Park Refugee Project and has helped it grow from an idea to a community-wide volunteer effort with more than100 volunteers working with refugees from a growing number of countries, as well as immigrants and newcomers from all backgrounds in local schools.

Dorothy previously worked at Chicago Hyde Park Village, a non-profit in the national aging-in-place movement which supports healthy aging, and Architreasures, a non-profit that engages in art and community-building projects on the South and West sides of Chicago. Under her watch, the Brickyard Community Garden in Woodlawn on the South Side of Chicago also became a permanent green space through a non-profit urban land trust called Neighborspace.

Administrative & Volunteer Coordinator