Two New Members Join The Chicago Community Trust Staff

With more than 20 years of experience, Irvine provides technology vision, leadership and direction in support the foundation’s priorities to deliver excellent service, maximize impact, and increase efficiencies in its operations. Prior to joining the Trust, Irvine worked at The Northern Trust Company as the Vice President in Worldwide Operations and Technology where he managed application development for client and employee applications.  At The Northern Trust Company, Irvine managed the development of the award winning client portal Private Passport.   Mr. Irvine also worked for Quaker Oats, Stone Container and Rand McNally. A graduate of Drake University, Irvine holds a Bachelors Degree in Business Management and a Masters in Business Administration from DePaul University.

The new manager of public relations, Eva Penar, will report to Elizabeth D. Richter, vice president of marketing and communications.  Eva’s main duties will include managing public relations projects for the Trust and its many affiliate organizations and funds.

Before joining the Trust, Eva Penar was the marketing manager for events, promotions and publicity for Time Out Chicago. In that role she was part of the original marketing team to handle the launch of the publication in a new market. Penar also worked at the National Museum of Mexican Art for five years as their marketing/media director. During her tenure there, she worked on the “Gelman Collection: Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera and 20th Century Mexican Art” exhibition and an expansion of the NMMA that tripled its size. Her hard work was recognized at the Chicago Emmy ceremony in 2004, where a public-service announcement that she coordinated with Univision Channel 66 won an award. She’s also worked as a communications associate for the Chicago Millennium Celebration, Department of Cultural Affairs for the City of Chicago. Penar is fluent in Polish and Spanish.     

About The Chicago Community Trust

For 93 years, The Chicago Community Trust has connected the generosity of donors with the needs of the community by making grants to organizations working to improve metropolitan Chicago. With assets of $1.8 billion, the Trust and its donors distributed over $100 million for the second year in a row to support a full spectrum of community needs and hundreds of non-profit organizations throughout metropolitan Chicago. 

Learn more at www.cct.org