CUPPA Alumni Board of Directors
The College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs Alumni Association
Founded in 1997, the CUPPA Alumni Association (CUPPA-AA) is an initiative designed to offer educational and career development opportunities to alumni, current students, and faculty, to organize events and activities for the informal sharing and exchange of information and to encourage professional relationships. The CUPPA-AA strives to foster and strengthen relationships between alumni and the college.
The CUPPA Alumni Association strives to foster and strengthen relationships between alumni and the college. It offers the following benefits to members:
- Access to new and informative ideas in planning and policy from your colleagues. Networking and education events engage alumni in professional development topics that are both informative and current.
- Access to a broad network of professionals working every day in planning and policy issues in the public, non-profit and private sectors.
- The opportunity to re-establish a connection with the University of Illinois-Chicago and CUPPA.
- A way to promote the accomplishments and increase the visibility of the university and its students.
Our members engage in the following activities:
- We promote the College of Urban Planning and Policy by planning regular activities, networking opportunities and speaking engagements.
- We participate in planning and policy speaking engagements and community tours.
- We encourage alumni to support CUPPA financially and through voluntary activities such as career readiness events and student mentoring.
The mission of the CUPPA Alumni Association is to strengthen and enhance the professional and academic experience for alumni, students and faculty. The CUPPA Alumni Association offers educational and career development to alumni, students and faculty; organizes events/activities for the informal sharing/exchange of information and to encourage professional relationships; and lends support and provides input to the development of the college’s curriculum.
The CUPPA Alumni Board of Directors is comprised of graduates from the College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs degree programs.
PRESIDENT: Peter Czubak, MPA ’02, Senior City Forester, City of Chicago-Department of Streets and Sanitation Bureau of Forestry
IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT: Nicole Sims, MPA ’02, Senior Manager, Crowe Howrath LLP
PRESIDENT ELECT: Joshua Hahn, MUPP ’16, AIPAC Kansas, Missouri, and Wisconsin Area Director, American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC)
TREASURER: Stephan Bitter, MPA’ 93, Program Analyst, TSA
SECRETARY: Divyanga Ganesh, MUPP ‘17
WEBSITE ENGINEERS: Michael Sewall, MUPP ’17, Special Service Area Director, Greater Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce and Alvaro Villagran, MUPP ’17
Directors At Large
Farah Ansari, MUPP ‘14, Senior Planning Analyst at Chicago Housing Authority
Alireza (Ali) Bahramirad, MUPP ’14, Associate Project Manager, Lightengale Group
Amy Bashiti, MUPP ’13, Community Revitalization Planning Specialist, Illinois Housing Development Authority
Jennessa Berg, MUPP ’10, Marketing Manager, The Sidwell Company
Stephan Bitter, MPA’ 93, Program Analyst, TSA
Andrew Castellucci, MPA ’10, Assistant Vice President, Credit Research at CW Henderson and Associates
Peter Czubak, MPA ’02, Senior City Forester, City of Chicago-Department of Streets and Sanitation Bureau of Forestry
Charles Eastwood, MPA ’17, Program Information Specialist, UIC College of Medicine
Divyanga Ganesh, MUPP ‘17
Joshua Hahn, MUPP ’16, AIPAC Kansas, Missouri, and Wisconsin Area Director, American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC)
Catherine Vera, Kannenberg, MUPP ’00, Construction Project Sales
David Kosturik, MUPP ’14, Urban Planner, Allen L. Kracower & Associates, Inc.
Peggy Laemle, MUPP ’01, Independent Writing and Editing Professional
Mary Lupa, MUPP ’02, Supervising Planner, Systems Analysis, WSP|Parsons Brinckerhoff
Tony Manno, MUPP ’04, Senior Planner, Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP)
Catrina Patton, MPA ’15, Product Manager, Unitive.
Qixin [chee-shin] Chen, MPA ’17, Office Administrative Assistant, Department of Restorative Dentistry, The University of Illinois at Chicago
Al Riley, MUPP ’78, Illinois House of Representatives, 38th District
Michael Sewall, MUPP ’17, Special Service Area Director, Greater Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce
Kelly Siegel, MUPP ’14, Budget Analyst, Environmental Protection Agency
Nicole Sims, MPA ’02, Senior Manager, Crowe Howrath LLP
Peter Skosey, MUPP ’93, Executive Director, State Government Affairs, BNSF Railway
Alvaro Villagran, MUPP ‘17
Vitaliy Vladimirov, MUPP ’17, Program Manager, Uptown United
Heather Winter, MPA ‘16
Jessica Young, MPA ’16, Development Manager, Corporate Partnerships, City Year Chicago