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PROPOSED APPOINTMENT
Appointee(s): Daisy Feidt, Megan Bang, and Ryen Nagle
Position: New Conservation and Policy Council members. The Conservation and Policy Council advises the President, Board of Commissioners and General Superintendent on specific steps to implement the Next Century Conservation Plan, the Forest Preserves of Cook County’s ambitious long-range plan to restore our forest preserves to ecological health and ensure that all the residents of Cook County are welcome at the Forest Preserves of Cook County.
Department/Board/Commission: Conservation and Policy Council
Effective date: 2/7/2023
Expiration date: This appointment will remain in effect until 12/31/2025.
Summary: The ordinance establishing the Conservation and Policy Council specifies areas of expertise to be considered in appointing individuals to the Council. Such areas of expertise include conservation, ecology, education, outdoor recreation, and other areas as specified in Section 1-18-3 of the Forest Preserves Code of Ordinances.
On December 2, 2022, the Nominating Committee recommended that Daisy Feidt, Megan Bang, and Ryen Nagle be appointed to fill three of the vacancies on the Conservation and Policy Council. As indicated in the profiles below, each candidate would bring to the Council one or more areas of desired expertise. President Preckwinkle supports the committee’s recommendation and seeks the Board’s advice and consent regarding the proposed appointments.
Daisy Feidt is Executive Vice President of Access Living, Chicago’s Center for Independent Living. She has worked at Access Living for 24 years and has held a wide variety of management positions during that time. In her tenure at Access Living, Ms. Feidt has led the organization through multiple organizational restructures, and served as interim President and CEO after the passing of Access Living’s founding President and CEO, Marca Bristo. Ms. Feidt has extensive management experience in fundraising, evaluation, and program implementation. Ms. Feidt is an alumna of Leadership Greater Chicago, a prestigious and competitive program that provides community awareness and networking opportunities for leaders in the Chicago community. Ms. Feidt has held a variety of board positions during her career. She is currently on the Executive Committee of Openlands, an organization that protects the natural and open spaces of Northeastern Illinois and the surrounding area. Ms. Feidt is also a Director on the Board of the Illinois Network of Centers for Independent Living, the state association of centers for independent living. Area(s) of expertise: Management, Business; Policy and Planning; Racial Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
Megan Bang (Ojibwe and Italian descent) is a Professor of the Learning Sciences and Psychology at Northwestern University and is currently serving as the Senior Vice President at the Spencer Foundation. Dr. Bang studies dynamics of culture, learning, and development broadly with a specific focus on the complexities of navigating multiple meaning systems in creating and implementing more effective and just learning environments in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics education. She focuses on reasoning and decision-making about complex socio-ecological systems in ways that intersect with culture, power, and historicity. Central to this work are dimensions of identity, equity and community engagement. She conducts research in both schools and informal settings across the life course. She has taught in and conducted research in teacher education as well as leadership preparation programs. Dr. Bang currently serves on the Board of Science Education at the National Academy of Sciences. She also serves as an executive editor of Cognition and Instruction and is on the editorial boards of several other top tiered journals in the field. Area(s) of expertise: Ecology, Education/Interpretation
Dr. Ryen Nagle is Dean of Science, Business & Computer Technology at Moraine Valley Community College. He oversees six academic departments and provides leadership to several grant-funded projects. He has co-chaired a variety of college initiatives, including the Strategic Priority Indicators Team and the Technology Governance Council. His work at Moraine Valley has been recognized by receiving the Innovation of the Year Award and the Vernon O. Crawley Leadership Award. He has additionally received community college leadership awards from the Illinois Council of Community College Administrators, the College of Education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and the League for Innovation in the Community College. He has previously served as a member of the Peer Review Corps of the Higher Learning Commission and as a board advisory committee member for Orland School District 135. Area(s) of expertise: Education/Interpretation
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