Jeanne’s community involvement and career have focused on education including the arts, youth development, and social and emotional learning (SEL) since settling with her husband, Mark, in the Burr Ridge area in 1990 to raise their children.

She has been a consultant to area schools and districts implementing SEL, worked for the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), and participated on statewide committees of the Illinois Children’s Mental Health Partnership. In 2009, she received a Those Who Excel Award from the IL State Board of Education for her leadership in District 181 to initiate SEL system-wide.

As a board member of the District 181 Foundation, she developed its programming for parents. Prior to her work in K-12 schools, Jeanne taught at the Art Institute of Chicago, area museums, and DePaul University’s School for New Learning.

She attended the University of Michigan (BA) and the University of Chicago (MA).

Jeanne enjoys travelling with her family, biking, and gardening, as well as the arts and assisting English-language learners as a tutor. She is pleased to support the Candor Health Education as it provides essential learning and life skills to students and families.

Caroline Jones Shah’s career, volunteer work and community involvement has been focused on law, children and education. She is an attorney and avid local volunteer and organizer. Caroline practiced law in Washington DC and New York City before moving to Chicago in 1999. She practiced in the areas of telecom, regulation, corporate and contract law primarily and became in-house counsel with a DC consulting firm.  Caroline has trained as a Crisis Counselor for Crisis Text Line and regularly counsels on their text based suicide hot line. Carolinealso teaches as a substitute in the D63 and D181 school systems.  In the past Caroline has done pro bono legal aid work for the underserved community and has also volunteered as PTO president and vice president at her children’s school in Atlanta, GA, along with various other volunteer roles in the local Dupage county schools.  She attended Muhlenberg College (BA) and American University, The Washington College of Law (JD).  

Caroline has three children, two dogs and has lived with her husband, Neel, in the western suburbs of Illinois, from 1999 to the present, except for a 7 year period in Atlanta Georgia.  She has also had the opportunity to live in the UK, Italy, Belgium, and within the US, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Washington DC.

Caroline enjoys traveling, painting and walking. Caroline is excited to contribute to and work with Candor and hopes to positively impact children’s lives and help promote sensible science based healthcare education.

As a Clarendon Hills resident and the father to two young daughters, Brad is passionate about the challenges that are facing kids today.  As a teenager, Brad participated in a Drug and Alcohol Prevention Task Force and saw firsthand how a community can benefit from programs like those provided by Candor Health.  Brad looks forward to volunteering his time and effort to a cause that is near and dear to his heart and to the hearts of all parents with younger children.

With ever evolving threats, distractions and pressures on today’s youth, Brad feels that the need for education programs to arm kids and parents with the tools to make good decisions have never been greater.  The importance of emotional, social and mental health are even more critical in these uncertain times.

Brad Schmidgall is a Client Director with Burwood Group, a technology consulting firm based out of Oak Brook.  Now in his 13th year with the firm, Brad is passionate about helping his clients design, deploy and adopt cutting edge technology in a sustainable manner that drives strategic business outcomes. Burwood Group’s focus areas include, Business and IT Alignment, Operational Excellence, Business Productivity Enhancement, Financial Optimization, and Business Risk Mitigation. Our team at Burwood Group prides itself in being seen as a trusted business advisor to clients by delivering innovative solutions and superior quality through the employment of exceptional people.

Brad received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Illinois with a minor in Information Technology Studies.  In his spare time, Brad enjoys rooting for the Fighting Illini, playing golf, paddle tennis and traveling with his family.

Eric Pitcher, a long time Hinsdale resident, grew up in a loving home but one in which topics like body changes, sexual health, and drug use weren’t openly discussed. His family experienced the downside of not talking more about these issues.

As a father of a boy and a girl who both participated in Candor’s puberty program, he was impacted by the conversations it stimulated at home. He is a strong believer in early education about topics that can shape a student’s life – and in some cases, save it.

Eric is the Regional Manager, Economic Development, at BNSF Railway Company where he has worked since 2005. He develops strategic products and services for industry groups, including rail transport, industrial real estate, electric/gas utilities, economic development agencies. Prior to that, he worked in an economic development role for Northern Indiana Public Service Company and in sales roles with Trigen Energy and Enron Energy Services. He earned an MBA from the University of Chicago in 1995.

Eric and his wife Ann enjoy volunteering in the community where they have lived for 25 years. He is an avid platform tennis player, history buff, and is looking forward to being a grandfather in 2022.

Alisa Messana is an Independent Mental Health Consultant. She joined the Candor Health Education Board because she believes strongly in developing empowerment and awareness through education. Candor Health Education offers programming for both children and parents that supports this development. As a community, it takes family, schools and community resources to support and empower our children as they navigate the developmental stages to adulthood. As a Board Member she hopes to impact the interrelation between physical and social emotional health. As a clinical social worker with a background in mental health, she has a passion for educating children and parents about emotional well-being.

Alisa also enjoys spending time with family outdoors, playing family board games; fitness, dance, music and writing.

Bio coming soon!

Andrea Siok is an accomplished healthcare executive with more than 20 years of leadership experience spanning medical devices, medical technology, and life sciences. Passionate about healthcare and its impact on families, Andrea brings both professional expertise and a personal appreciation for Candor’s mission. As a mother witnessing her own children navigate the societal pressures and health decisions of adolescence, she is deeply committed to empowering youth with the knowledge, attitudes, and skills Candor promotes.

Throughout her career, Andrea has held senior strategic and commercial leadership roles, including Vice President of Zone Sales, Senior Director of Global Success Enablement, and Senior Director of Global Strategic Accounts. She has championed growth initiatives in sales effectiveness, team and account turnarounds, enterprise sales strategy, and process optimization—helping organizations deliver innovative, patient-centered solutions.

As an Elmhurst resident and mother of three children in grade school and middle school, Andrea is passionate about increasing awareness and education so that young people are prepared to make smart, informed health decisions. She believes strongly in the power of community-based programs to equip children and parents with the knowledge and tools needed to navigate today’s complex health, social, and emotional challenges.

Andrea holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Marketing from the University of Cincinnati and completed post-baccalaureate pre-medical studies at Loyola University Chicago. In her free time, she enjoys golfing, traveling, and cheering on her three kids in their activities.