BGA Staff
BGA LEADERSHIP
Andy Shaw, President and CEO
ashaw@bettergov.org
Andy Shaw is an award-winning Chicago journalist who spent 37 years covering local, state and national politics, business, education, and day-to-day news at the City News Bureau of Chicago, Chicago Sun-Times, NBC 5 and ABC 7. Shaw’s coverage of President Obama’s inauguration in January 2009 marked his final "official" report after 26 years as ABC 7’s political reporter. After taking a short break to "recharge his batteries," Shaw joined the BGA in June 2009 as Executive Director. He was named President and CEO in 2011.
Shaw’s professional career in journalism began in 1972 as a general assignment reporter for the City News Bureau, which led to a position as education editor at the Chicago Sun-Times. Shaw joined the paper in 1974, during which time he won several major awards, including first prize in the 1976 American Association of University Professors competition, for a series he wrote on the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Prior to joining ABC 7, Shaw was an education reporter, and then the editorial director at NBC 5, where he won numerous awards, including two local Emmys. He was named "Journalist of the Year" by the Chicago Headline Club in 2007, and received a Lifetime Achievement Award the following year from the Chicago Journalists' Association.
Throughout his career Shaw has been an active contributor of freelance articles to a variety of publications, he writes a monthly "Shaw Thoughts" column for Shore Magazine (www.visitshoremgazine.com) and he's been a regular guest and host on TV and radio stations around Illinois. He currently comments on BGA topics during "Watchdog Wednesday" segments at 10:20 a.m. Wednesday on WBBM News radio 780.
Shaw was born in Chicago and raised in suburban Evanston. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago. His hobbies include running, cycling, reading, crossword puzzles, golf and traveling with his family.
Shaw and his wife Mary also run the Windy City Urban Inn, a bed and breakfast in the Lincoln Park neighborhood. They have three daughters: Kate, a lawyer who worked in the White House counsel's office; Elizabeth, a former administrator for the New Orleans and Louisiana school systems; and Emily, a graduate student in Library and Information Science at the University of Illinois.
Rita McLennon, Chief Operating Officer
rmclennon@bettergov.org
Rita McLennon administers the day-to-day operations of the BGA and manages the BGA’s revenue development activities. With more than 30 years of nonprofit administration and development experience, Rita most notably served for 16 years as executive director of the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law. Rita also served as Director of Development for the New York Legal Assistance Group, National Center for Youth Law, and the Legal Assistance Foundation of Chicago.
Robert Reed, Director of Programming and Investigations
rreed@bettergov.org
Bob Reed has more than 25 years of professional journalism and communications experience. Recently, he served as communications director and senior adviser to Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn. Prior to that position, Bob has been a reporter, editor, columnist and analyst for major publications and news organizations including, Bloomberg Business News, Crain’s Chicago Business, where he was editor, and the CBS-owned WBBM/ Newsradio 780, where he hosted a daily, half-hour business news and interview program during afternoon drive time. In addition, Bob, 57, was a columnist for Businessweek Chicago and Businessweek.com and a longtime columnist and contributing editor at Chicago magazine and Bnet.com, owned by CBS. A frequent guest on Chicago TV news and public affairs shows, Bob is co-author of the book, "Covering Business," published by Marion Street Press, Inc. Bob has won numerous journalism awards for his print and broadcast work.
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BGA INVESTIGATIVE UNIT
The Richard H. Driehaus Charitable Lead Trust Investigative Unit
Robert Herguth, Editor of Investigations
rherguth@bettergov.org
Robert Herguth oversees investigative projects within the organization, and in collaboration with other media. He is a former assignment editor, assistant metro editor and reporter at the Chicago Sun-Times, and the former managing editor of the (Milwaukee) Business Journal. He has contributed to The New York Times, Newsweek, Chicago magazine and Crain's Chicago Business. He launched an online media company in 2009 called Niche Chicago News Corp., which operates several beat-specific news web sites. He is an adjunct professor at Loyola University Chicago, where he has taught courses on investigative journalism, ethics in communication and other topics. He also is the faculty adviser to the school's student newspaper. He graduated from the University of Missouri with a bachelor of arts in political science and history. A native of the Chicago area, he is married with four children.
John Conroy, Senior Investigator
jconroy@bettergov.org
John Conroy is best known for his two books ("Unspeakable Acts, Ordinary People: The Dynamics of Torture," and "Belfast Diary: War as a Way of Life") and for his extensive and ground-breaking coverage of the Chicago police torture scandal, which involved more than 100 victims. Conroy’s articles were cited in cases argued before the Illinois Supreme Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals and ultimately helped free four men who had been resident on death row in Illinois. The four, pardoned by Governor George Ryan in January 2003, sued the city of Chicago, alleging that they had been tortured into confessing to murders they had not committed, and in early 2008, the city settled the suits for $19.8 million. In the wake of the settlement, mother of one of the victims was quoted in The New York Times saying she thought her son would be dead but for Conroy’s articles. Conroy’s work has been published in a variety of newspapers and magazines in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, and has reported on criminal justice issues for Chicago Public Radio. He is also a frequent lecturer on college and university campuses.
Alden Loury, Senior Investigator
aloury@bettergov.org
Alden Loury spent 12 years at The Chicago Reporter, an investigative bimonthly focusing on underserved communities, where he worked as a reporter, editor and publisher. During his time there, Loury won several national and local journalism awards, including the Studs Terkel Award. He led more than 50 investigative projects examining the impact of race and poverty on numerous social, economic and public policy issues. Loury has discussed his work on CNN, NBC5, WTTW Chicago Tonight and Chicago Public Radio. His research has appeared in The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, Crain’s Chicago Business, Los Angeles Times, Forbes, the Chicago Defender, and on the local NBC, ABC, FOX, WGN affiliates and various radio stations.
Patrick Rehkamp, Senior Investigator
prehkamp@bettergov.org
Patrick Rehkamp is responsible for fielding and evaluating tips, conducting research and interviews, forging and fostering media partnerships, and facilitating the release of BGA findings. Rehkamp joined the BGA in 2008 after several years at the Chicago Sun-Times. In 2009, Rehkamp contributed to a Fox News Chicago report that later earned a Peter Lisagor Award and an Emmy nomination. He has collaborated on other investigative projects that ended up in The New York Times, the Chicago Sun-Times, Crain’s Chicago Business, Chicago Magazine, Daily Herald and ABC7 and CBS2, among others. Patrick is a graduate of Loyola University Chicago.
Andrew Schroedter, Investigator
aschroedter@bettergov.org
Andrew Schroedter is an important part of the investigative team, and is involved in research, writing and, at times, surveillance. He has contributed to the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times and Daily Herald, as well as Chicago magazine and other publications. Prior to joining the BGA, he covered the residential and commercial real estate industries as a contributing writer for Crain’s Chicago Business. His work has been honored with numerous national and local awards, including high honors in the Suburban Newspapers of America’s weekly journalist of the year competition. A native of the Chicago area, Schroedter graduated from the University of Iowa with a bachelor of arts degree in English literature.
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BGA ADVOCACY & POLICY UNIT
Emily Miller, Policy and Government Affairs Coordinator
emiller@bettergov.org
Emily Miller shapes and directs the public policy and advocacy agenda for the BGA. She comes to the BGA after four years working in Illinois politics and policy. Miller entered Chicago politics by working as a campaign staffer in the hotly contested aldermanic races of 2007. Moving on to the realm of policy analysis and advocacy, Miller became the Staff Attorney and Health Care Advocate for the Illinois Public Interest Research Group. Working side by side with non-profits, state agencies, and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, Miller helped to shape and pass meaningful health insurance consumer protections in Illinois. Before coming to the BGA, Miller spent a year with the Government Relations Communications team at SEIU Healthcare Illinois and Indiana. Miller earned her B.A. from Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, PA and her J.D. from DePaul University College of Law.
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BGA DIGITAL & COMMUNICATIONS
Solomon Lieberman, Web Editor
slieberman@bettergov.org
Solomon Lieberman manages and shapes the creative development and day-to-day operations for all things digital at the BGA. He joined the BGA in August 2010, after working for more than a year as an editor, and digital creative director for a Chicago-based publisher of business-to-business magazines and websites. Lieberman holds a master’s in journalism from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, and a B.A. in political science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Mary Frances O'Connor, Media Strategist
mfoconnor@bettergov.org
Mary Frances O’Connor manages media and communications for the BGA and Mr. Shaw. She's an award-winning news and documentary producer. Her production background includes six years with Bill Kurtis Productions where she worked as a supervising producer and producer on the Primetime Emmy-nominated documentary series Cold Case Files. She's a graduate of DePaul University in Chicago and the Coro Fellows Program in Public Affairs in St. Louis, Missouri.
Emma Smith, Social Media Coordinator
esmith@bettergov.org
Emma Smith coordinates the Better Government Association’s social media outreach and development. Prior to joining the BGA in August 2011, she interned as communications manager at the World Resource Institute’s The Access Initiative and was office coordinator in Northwestern University’s University Relations Web Communications office. Smith is second-year MPP graduate student at Loyola University, and holds a B.A. in English Writing from Marquette University.
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BGA CIVIC ENGAGEMENT UNIT
Barb Macholz, Community Outreach Coordinator and Administrator
bmacholz@bettergov.org
Barb Macholz runs the BGA's Citizen Watchdog Training program, including the Citizen Watchdogs of Education Training program. Additionally, she is responsible for office management and financial tasks. She is a graduate of Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Spanish. Prior to her employment at the BGA, Barbara served as an AmeriCorps*VISTA Volunteer at the New York Legal Assistance Group in New York City.
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BGA ADMINISTRATION
Joseph Malinowski, Administrative Assistant
jmalinowski@bettergov.org
Joseph Malinowski is primarily responsible for supporting and assisting with the administrative and development activities of the Chief Operating Officer and Administrator. He is a graduate of Loyola University Chicago with Bachelor of Arts degrees in History and Classical Civilizations.
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