Our Board of Directors
Meet the dedicated leaders who guide our mission and strategy.
Meet the dedicated leaders who guide our mission and strategy.
President
Carolyn Collins Be Healthy Within After 20+ years as a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and Board Certified Art Therapist, Carolyn kept seeing the same quiet crisis, disconnection, and loneliness. That insight drove her to build a foundation where community itself becomes part of the healing. |
Treasurer
Artie Collins Mesirow Growing up in Glenview, Artie was shaped by athletic teams, peer groups, and community organizations and the relationships they made possible. That foundation sparked a lasting passion for advancing mental health awareness, especially among young men. |
Secretary, Emerging Leaders
Annie Ryan PwC With a background in Economics and Gender Studies, Annie has seen firsthand how mental health touches every life, whether directly or through someone we love. She is drawn to BHW Foundation's belief that connection, creativity, and joy are just as essential to healing as openness and understanding. |
Director
Ann Barbour As an executive coach and meditation teacher, Ann has spent her career guiding people back to their own inner wisdom. She believes the next step after the inner work is each other, that community, showing up, and living life side by side are essential to healing and wholeness. 
Director
Erika Gruner WIN Athletic Club Erika is the co-owner and administrator of WIN Athletic Club in Glenview, where she helps people build stronger, healthier lives through movement, connection, and community. After raising her three children, she turned to fitness entrepreneurship as an encore career, and her own experience with severe depression gave her an understanding of why accessible mental health support and hope matter so much. She believes every person deserves to be supported and connected. |
Director
Natalie Brown A retired business executive and mom of two young adults, Natalie brings a lifetime of leadership experience from her home base in Park Ridge. BHWF's mission speaks directly to her passions, and she's eager to help advance mental health awareness across our communities. |
Director
Julie Fischer Julie Fischer Coaching, LLC As a coach, positive psychology practitioner, podcast host, and well-being advocate, Julie believes that investing in our well-being, as individuals and as a collective, is the essential ingredient to our ability to thrive. She is drawn to the Foundation's work because of her belief that it is our birthright to thrive, not simply to survive. |
Emerging Leaders Committee
Engage students and young professionals in nonprofit leadership and community impact.
Engage students and young professionals in nonprofit leadership and community impact.
- Volunteer at Foundation events, serve as a community ambassador, attend quarterly meetings, plan one event per year, and participate in grant nominations.
- 2-year renewable term. Quarterly Zoom + in-person meetings. No required financial contribution.
- Perfect for college students, recent graduates, and young professionals passionate about community and mental health.
Emerging Leaders Board
Annie Ryan
|
Tess Naselli
|
Ann Walsh
|
Emerging Leaders Committee Members
Anabella Anemone
Gretchen Couri
Bridget “Bridie” Lynch
Carly Nevins
Casey Doell
Emma Burke
Erin McCarthy
Jaxon Chupaila
Katie Hayes
Maddie Collins
Mary Clare Brady
McKenzie Kennedy
Mia Chupaila
Olivia Colson
Sheamus Mullen
Taylor Jensen
We periodically seek volunteers to support our events and community initiatives, and Wellness in the Park is a great place to start. Joining us on Sunday, August 16, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM at Oz Park in Chicago, our volunteers are the heartbeat of this event. Whether you are guiding families through Children's Avenue, supporting Wellness stations, or helping joy come alive in the movement and entertainment area, every hour you give makes a difference in someone's day.
You belong in this circle. Every "we" starts with a you.
We believe mental wellness is a community effort. Show up, share your skills, or give what you can.
We believe mental wellness is a community effort. Show up, share your skills, or give what you can.
- Attend an event
Join a gathering designed to spark connection and support mental health awareness. - Host an event
Open your home, venue, or network and become a part of the movement. - Share your talent
Your skills are a gift. Put them to work for connection and well-being. - Donate
Collective philanthropy in action. Every amount matters as we work together toward our 2026 goal of $30,000 in grants to nonprofits.
