Our Leadership Team

Meet the dedicated individuals guiding FHLBank Chicago towards a prosperous future for our communities.

Board of Directors

The Board of Directors of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago is responsible for overall management and oversight of FHLBank Chicago pursuant to the Federal Home Loan Bank Act. Like each of the other FHLBanks, our Board of Directors is composed of two types of directors: member and independent. For 2026, there are eight directors elected by our members and serve to represent our members in Illinois and Wisconsin. And there are six independent directors, whose positions are filled through a district-wide nomination and election process. Generally directors serve four-year terms.

See Director Elections

Michelle L. Gross, Chairperson

Chairman of the Board, Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer, and Information Systems Officer

State Bank of Bement

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Daniel G. Watts, Vice Chairperson

Director and President

Forest Park National Bank and Trust Company

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Kenneth D. Thompson, Vice Chairperson Elect

Chairman of the Board

Capitol Bank

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Dean A. Ahlers

President and CEO; Board Director

Sterling Federal Bank

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Kathy Burns

Chief Executive Officer

Aclaimant

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Joseph Fazio III

Chairman of the Board of Directors

Bristol Morgan Bank

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Betsy A. Johnson

President and CEO

Solutions Bank

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Phyllis Lockett

Chief Executive Officer

LEAP-X

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Kevin L. Newell

Founder and CEO

Royal Capital Group

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John W. Pietrowicz

Former Chief Financial Officer

CME Group

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Bradley J. Schroeder

Chairman, President and CEO

DMB Community Bank

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Lois Alison Scott

President

Epoch Advisors

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Ty R. Taylor

Chairman of the Board, President, and Chief Executive Officer

Waukesha State Bank

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Mary Wright

Former President

Wisconsin Housing Preservation Corp

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Executive Team

The Executive Team develops and implements the overall business strategies of FHLBank Chicago, subject to Board approval. It acts as the primary management committee across all functions and considers and addresses significant issues affecting our business and operations. Learn more about each leader’s role and access their bio below.

Michael A. Ericson

President and CEO

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Christian Claffy

Executive Vice President, Group Head, Member and Bank Operations

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Kim Cullotta

Executive Vice President, Group Head, People, Culture, and Communications

Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago

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Virxhini Gjonzeneli

Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, Group Head, Financial Accounting and Markets

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Thomas H. W. Harper

Executive Vice President, General Auditor

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Carolyn Jaw

Executive Vice President, Group Head, Sales, Strategy, and Solutions

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Michelle Jonson

Executive Vice President, Chief Risk Officer, Group Head, Risk Management

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Kevin Solchenberger

Executive Vice President, Chief Information Officer, Group Head, Information Technology

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Patrick Sullivan

Executive Vice President, Group Head, Mortgage Partnership Finance® Program

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Cedric D. Thurman

Executive Vice President, Group Head, Community Investment

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Laura M. Turnquest

Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary

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Community Investment Advisory Council

The Community Investment Advisory Council of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago consists of representatives from community and nonprofit organizations actively involved in providing or promoting affordable housing and/or community lending in Illinois or Wisconsin. The Advisory Council meets quarterly with representatives from FHLBank Chicago's Board of Directors to advise FHLBank Chicago on ways in which it can better carry out its housing finance and community investment missions. Nominations to the Advisory Council are accepted annually.