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Darwin F. Brown; Jessica Litwin; Joseph Schneider
CHICAGO, IL – The Board of Directors of Chicago Sinfonietta today announced the addition of three new Board members, adding to what is already one of the most diverse Boards in the country. Hailing from the financial, healthcare, and automotive sectors, the three new members are all based in the Chicago metropolitan area.
Stated Jim Weidner, Board Chair and Genhi Givings Bailey, Board Vice Chair, “It is our pleasure to announce three talented community leaders whose passion for the arts matches their passion for their careers. In this season, titled RESONATE, which is all about the power of sound to connect us, we are thrilled to welcome these individuals for whom our mission resonates. As an orchestra whose mission is intrinsically tied to community, and connecting to all members of our community, our newest Board members - all of whom are dedicated to diversity and accessibility, bring added value, connections, and commitment to sharing the experiences Chicago Sinfonietta offers, not only on the performance side but off-stage on the community side, with our various education programs. We proudly welcome Darwin Brown, Senior Vice President and Wealth Strategies Advisor, Bank of America Private Bank, Chicago; Jessica Litwin, Vice President, Healthcare Investment Banking at William Blair; and Joseph Schneider, Plant Manager, Automotive Segment, Illinois Tool Works, (ITW).”
DARWIN F. BROWN
Mr. Brown stated, “Who knew time as a trumpet player in my high school symphonic and marching band would lay the groundwork for engagement with this award-winning orchestra! Then, as now, I’ve strongly believed in an expansive definition of culture. By ‘creating community through bold symphonic experiences’, the Chicago Sinfonietta presents a variety of uplift opportunities through the influence of music. By its musical performances, and the merging of disparate experiences and backgrounds, the Sinfonietta stands as an institutional exemplar of redemptive culture. I am honored to join in the work to grow and champion its groundbreaking programming.”
Darwin Brown is a Senior Vice President and Wealth Strategies Advisor with Bank of America Private Bank in Chicago, Illinois. He coordinates delivery of advanced estate planning, financial consulting, and tax planning to high-net-worth individuals and families. With over 15-years’ experience working closely with clients and their advisors, he has a depth of experience catering to the needs of business owners, art collectors, artists, and high-profile personalities. A member of the Private Bank’s Business Owner Center of Excellence, his wealth advisory practice emphasizes pre-liquidity planning for owners of closely held businesses. An attentive listener and clear communicator, Mr. Brown strives to help clients simplify the structure of their wealth, while advancing their interests in tax efficiency, asset protection, and legacy design.
Mr. Brown joined Bank of America Private Bank after more than a decade working as a portfolio manager in institutional fixed income capital markets. He earned his B.S. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, his J.D. from the University of Illinois College of Law, and LL.M. studies (Taxation) at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law. In addition to his full-time duties at Bank of America, he teaches courses in wealth management and social impact investing to undergraduate and graduate students at the Gies College of Business, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Darwin Brown is admitted to the Illinois Bar, a member of the Chicago Estate Planning Council, and a Certified Exit Planning Analyst (CEPA). In his advisory role at Bank of America Private Bank, Mr. Brown does not provide legal advice. In 2023, continues in his quest to compete in the Chicago Triathlon and Bank of America Marathon.
JESSICA LITWIN
"I truly believe that the arts belong to us all, and I am so proud to support the Chicago Sinfonietta's mission to foster that sense of community in the world of classical music,” commented Ms. Litwin. “Each one of us deserves the opportunity to share in these beautiful symphonic experiences together, which is made possible through the Chicago Sinfonietta's community access programs, as well as to celebrate the incredibly talented and underrepresented composers that are given a voice through its innovative programming."
After growing up as a first-generation Australian and starting a career in the investment banking industry in Sydney, Jessica Litwin relocated to the US to join William Blair’s Chicago office in 2020. Today, she serves as a Vice President in Blair’s Healthcare Investment Banking group, specializing in working with medical technology and other healthcare-focused companies to advise on a variety of corporate transactions, including mergers, acquisitions, IPOs, and capital raises. Ms. Litwin holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Finance major) and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Queensland.
As an avid believer in the fundamental equality of all human beings, Ms. Litwin focused on international and human rights law as an undergraduate and continues to remain passionate about being involved in initiatives that celebrate diversity and foster inclusiveness and acceptance.
Having been raised by parents from two very different backgrounds - a mother who was born in a small farming community in the Philippines and a father who had his upbringing in communist-era Poland, the common theme being a strong focus on arts and culture, Ms. Litwin feels strongly that sharing in the arts should be an inclusive and equalizing experience.
JOSEPH SCHNEIDER
Mr. Schneider said, “I am so proud to represent ITW and its support of the Chicago Sinfonietta. Programs like the Freeman Fellowship that show the Sinfonietta’s commitment to developing diverse leaders in its conductors and musicians, which is needed just as much in music as it is in business today. Seeing and helping others find their rhythm as leaders is one of the most fulfilling things I get to do at ITW, and I'm absolutely thrilled to be doing the same in our community by supporting this group."
Since 2017, Joseph Schneider has been with ITW’s Automotive Segment in Frankfort, Illinois within the Deltar Fasteners division. Having led different functional teams during this time, he was able to learn the business with the help of great mentors and skilled technicians. Today, Mr. Schneider is the Plant Manager for the Frankfort location, and is responsible for the management team, as well as the safety, performance, and talent development of all Frankfort employees. At the enterprise level, he serves as the Communications Chair for Pride at ITW, an employee resource group designed to empower LGBTQ+ colleagues and allies across the globe.
In June of 2023 Mr. Schneider graduated from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management with his MBA, with focus areas in Marketing and Managing Organizations. As an undergraduate student, Joseph Schneider studied Industrial Engineering at Iowa State University, with a minor in Spanish. Outside of this, most of his time in college was spent either playing the trombone or conducting the Cyclone Marching Band as the Drum Major. Having lived in different parts of the country, music was a constant and formative piece of his life, as well as a great source of community. This took many forms, from piano lessons and concert band in grade school, to wind ensemble, orchestra, and marching band in high school and college. Still today he insists that his involvement in music is what taught him the most about leadership, communication, and the value of diversity.
ABOUT CHICAGO SINFONIETTA
A tenured orchestra and acclaimed cultural leader that champions diversity, equity, and inclusion by creating community through curated symphonic experiences, Chicago Sinfonietta is a source of community through music, ensuring and inspiring a continued investment in diversity and inclusivity in the genre of classical music to promote fairness and equity. Recognized as groundbreaking, dynamic and daring, with core values built around being culturally responsive and advocates of inclusivity in all aspects of the 36-year-old organization’s work, Chicago Sinfonietta’s unrelenting commitment to being at the forefront of innovation drives its high standard of symphonic experiences. CS takes pride in leading by example with immersive audience engagement activities, impactful career development, education, and extensive community outreach programs. Chicago Sinfonietta’s progressive board is 53.3 % female, 46.7% male, and a dynamic mix of Black, Latino, Asian and Caucasian. The Sinfonietta also has an Associate Board that is equally diverse.
Learn more at www.chicagosinfonietta.org
Chicago Sinfonietta Board of Directors
(October 2023)
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