Foundation Welcomes Two New Board Members
The Foundation is pleased to introduce the latest addition to its board of directors, Peter (Pete) Case and Jesse Eaves.
Peter is a fiduciary and Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) with Northwestern Mutual and has more than two decades of industry experience. His public service began in high school with a local volunteer fire and ambulance corps where he was an Emergency Medical Technician. This spirit of community involvement and leadership continued at the regional nonprofit Seven Generations Ahead, where he served as treasurer, and most recently president, completing his tenure in January 2026.
Peter says, “I am honored to continue giving back to the community in a new capacity and to gain a deeper appreciation of the Foundation’s role across Oak Park-River Forest and West Cook County.”
A longtime Oak Park resident, Peter raised his now-adult sons, Brandon and Pierson, in the community. “My eldest son, Brandon, participated in the Future Philanthropists Program, and I saw firsthand the benefits and growth it fostered,” he notes. “One of my goals on the board is to continue cultivating the next generation of philanthropic leaders, something FPP is already doing very well.” He has long supported the OPRF marching band and remains a proud “band parent,” now that Pierson performs with the Marching Illini.
“As I look ahead, I want to help raise awareness of the Foundation’s work,” Peter adds.
“It’s about more than philanthropic dollars. It’s about creating and deepening connections and collaboration among nonprofits, other foundations, public and private-sector leaders, and the broader West Cook community. I look forward to working together to expand that impact for the benefit of everyone.”
As one of the Foundation’s newest board members, Jesse Eaves finds himself working closer to home for a change.
“My work has mostly been international in focus throughout the years,” he says. “But over the past few years in particular, I’ve been feeling a desire to be more closely connected to my own community and to see what opportunities there were to support the needs of Oak Park, River Forest and the Western Chicago area.”
Jesse spent parts of his childhood in the Philippines and Uganda watching his parents take part in community building projects. He worked at the Environmental Protection Agency out of college before going on to earn his Master’s from Northwestern University. After grad school, he moved back to Uganda.
“I worked in Uganda for a number of years, working with former child soldiers and communities and kids that were impacted by violent conflict,” he explains.
“A recurring theme in my work has been how to bring people together in order for them to work toward a shared goal, and in the process, deepen relationships that not only break cycles of violence or conflict, but then also create opportunities for people to work together towards kind of a shared imagined future.”
After returning to the U.S., Jesse continued to advocate against child exploitation, trafficking and child soldiers in positions with the DC-based nonprofits Resolve and World Vision. He currently serves as senior director of the peacebuilding team at Humanity United, a private US-based foundation focused on human rights and peacebuilding around the world. He connected with the Foundation through the Future Philanthropists Program, first as a guest speaker on the practice of philanthropy, and now as a program mentor.
His wife Stephanie is from Geneva, and in 2018 they moved to River Forest with their three kids to be closer to family. He can be found riding the bike trails in the park district in the summer and playing platform tennis in the winter.
“Jesse’s international experience allows him to offer a unique perspective to the challenges we face here in the West Cook region, and his interest in child welfare aligns with the missions of several of our grantee partners and our community at large,” says President and CEO Carrie Summy. “At the end of the day, we all want what is best for children and families to live healthy, happy lives. That takes the experienced collaboration and positive energy of leaders like Jesse — we are thrilled to have him on board!”