Inside ICAP

Executive Director

Maria Woltjen is an attorney whose career has centered on children’s rights. From 1991 to 1996, Ms. Woltjen directed the Children’s Advocacy Project of the Chicago Lawyer’s Committee for Civil Rights, focusing on delinquency, health and disabilities. From 2001 to 2004, Ms. Woltjen was adjunct faculty at the ChildLaw Center of Loyola Law School, working on environmental hazards affecting children. Ms. Woltjen lives outside Chicago with her husband and two children.

Senior Advocates

Mary Bird is an attorney who has devoted her career to child welfare. Ms. Bird worked for five years as Senior Attorney with the Children’s Rights Project of the Legal Assistance Foundation of Chicago. She subsequently worked for the Cook County Office of the Public Guardian and the Inspector General for the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. Ms. Bird is adjunct faculty at Loyola University School of Law where she teaches Street Law. Ms. Bird lives outside Chicago with her husband and two children.

Fanny Clonch is a high school teacher who grew up in Morocco and France. Ms. Clonch, who speaks Arabic, French and Spanish, has served as Child Advocate for children from all over the world – Yemen, Morocco, Haiti and Gambia. Ms. Clonch lives with her husband and two children in Chicago.

Mo Yan Leung is a social worker who has worked for more than ten years with unaccompanied immigrant children. Before serving as Child Advocate, Ms. Leung worked as a senior case manager at the International Children’s Center in Chicago. Ms. Leung provides expert guidance on cases involving unaccompanied children from China. Ms. Leung lives in Chicago with her husband.

Antonieta Diaz has devoted her career to working with victims of domestic violence. Ms. Diaz is currently studying for her doctorate in psychology at Northwestern University. Ms. Diaz lives with her family in Chicago.

Mirela Vesa has a Master’s Degree in Special Education and has worked with unaccompanied immigrant children for the past five years. Ms. Vesa, herself an immigrant from Romania, also speaks French, Spanish, and Hungarian. She teaches at a private elementary school and is working toward her Master’s Degree in Human Resources Development. She lives with her family in Evanston.

Board of Directors

Fanny Clonch, Chicago Public Schools

Antonieta Diaz, Chicago Abused Women’s Coalition

Deb Hass, Serendipity Consulting

Andrea Jett, McCormick Tribune Foundation

Jennifer Nagda, MALDEF, Chicago

Vanessa Lucas Melendez, Attorney

Kathy Pate, Attorney

Elissa Steglich, American Friends Service Committee

Advisory Board

Jacqueline Bhabha, Executive Director, University Committee in Human Rights, Harvard University

Elizabeth Dallam, Protection Officer, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

Brigette DeLay, JD, MSW, UNICEF International, Geneva

Susan Krehbiel, Director for Children’s Services, Lutheran Immigrant & Refugee Services

Irena Lieberman, Director, Commission on Immigration, American Bar Association

Mary Meg McCarthy, Executive Director, National Immigrant Justice Center

Christopher Nugent, Holland & Knight

Linda Rio, former Director, Child Custody Pro Bono Project, American Bar Association

Hugo Ruiz, Director, Youth & Residential Services, Heartland Alliance

Susan Schmidt, Seeking Asylum Alone Project

Julie Gerber Sollinger, Attorney, Office of the Public Guardian of Cook County

Aryah Somers, Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project

Angela Coin-Vigil, Baker & McKenzie

Wendy Young, Coordinator, U.S. Government and External Relations, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

Adriana Ysern

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