Events
MSHSA Program 25th Anniversary Gala
November 15, 2007 marked the celebration of the Silver Anniversary of the Human Services Administration and Nonprofit Management programs, at Spertus College. This special event took place in the Crown Family Great Hall in the new state-of-the-art facility for Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies at 610 South Michigan Avenue. The Anniversary gala served as the first in a series of grand opening events.
The focus of the Silver Anniversary Gala was to highlight its alumni, students and faculty who have made significant contributions in their communities. Special awards were presented to Distinguished Faculty member Seth Feldman, Esq., now his third year serving as adjunct faculty in the Nonprofit Management Program, and Distinguished Alumna Debra Claybron, Executive Director of Voices of the People in Uptown. Two partial scholarships for the MSNM Program will also be presented to current students Rose Mabwa and Beverly Ann Davis for their unique contributions to the nonprofit sector.
The evening's festivities were hosted by Mistress of Ceremonies Lauren Jiggetts of NBC-5 News and featured keynote speaker Ronald Gryzwinski, Chairman of Shorebank Corporation.
Distinguished Alumni Award
To mark the 25th Anniversary of the MSHSA/MSNM Programs, the Spertus College Alumni Board created the Distinguished Alumnus/a Award in 2007 to honor Spertus alumni who have made significant contributions to their communities, and through their accomplishments, brought attention to the quality of Spertus College and the Center for Nonprofit Management.
Debra Claybron
2007 Recipient
Ms. Claybron received her MS in Human Services Administration with an emphasis on Affordable Housing Development from Spertus in 1995. She is the Executive Director of Voices of the People in Uptown. Ms. Claybron has over 20 years of dedicated service in the social service arena. She is the founder of DC & Associates, a housing consultant services specializing in nonprofit facility development. She has served as the Director of Housing for the Austin Peoples Action Center and a Development Services Manager for People's Reinvestment & Development Effort (PRIDE). Through her affiliations and work with various housing and housing development organizations, Ms. Claybron earned the Bank of America Affordable Housing Challenge Award.
Distinguished Faculty Award
The Distinguished Faculty Award honors Spertus adjunct faculty in the Master of Science in Nonprofit Management Program who have achieved great distinction as teachers, scholars and citizens, and serve as excellent role models for our students. We intend to acknowledge both their contribution inside the classroom as well as the significance of the work they do in the nonprofit community.
Seth Feldman, Esq.
2007 Recipient
Seth Feldman joined the Spertus faculty in February 2004. He holds a JD degree from the Chicago Kent College of Law where he also earned a certificate in Civil Rights and Employment Law. He holds an MA in Political Science from East Stroudsburg University, as well as a BA in Political Science from York College in Pennsylvania. Mr. Feldman has served as the Executive Director for the American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science in Chicago since 2004. Through his sixteen-year fundraising career, Mr. Feldman rose in excess of $150 million and served in multiple leadership positions for various organizations. For the past nine years, Mr. Feldman has offered free legal aide for the indigent in Chicago. His tireless dedication to serving the greater good has earned him a number of awards, including the "Impact Award Winner" from the American Heart Association (2001); "Chicago Jewish Community Center Sports Volunteer of the Year" for his work in coaching soccer for young, physically-challenged children in Chicago (2002); and he was inducted to the Athletic Hall of Fame, York College, PA. (2007).
