DMK Foundation

David Scherer

IEF Co-Founder

David Scherer currently serves as President of DBS Partners, a private hedge fund that specializes in derivatives-based trading. He became a partner in 1997 and expanded the business to include a stock index trading operation for the Nasdaq 100. He also opened and managed the New York and London offices for DBS where he started up QQQ, DAX and Euro Stocks trading operations. In 2002, he co-founded the Daniel M. Kerrane, Jr. Foundation, which grants college scholarships and student support services to Chicago area youths, and currently serves as its president and director. The foundation currently has a 66% success rate, well above the national average.  Dave graduated with honors from Harvard in 1993 with a degree in History. He currently resides in Chicago with his wife Rose and their son Calan.

Michael B. Golden

IEF Co-Founder

A former national award-winning broadcast journalist, Michael Golden is currently a political strategist and campaign manager for U.S. Senate and Congressional candidates.  In 1999, after receiving a media fellowship from the Open Society Institute’s Center on Crime, Communities and Culture, Michael’s investigative and public affairs reporting earned him honors from the Society of Professional Journalists, the Associated Press, and the Edward R. Murrow Awards.  In 2001, while working as Associate Director for the Anti-Defamation League’s Chicago/Midwest Regional Office, Michael earned an M.S. in Public Services Management from DePaul University.  Michael served as one of John Kerry’s communications directors in the 2004 presidential campaign, and most recently managed U.S. Rep. Melissa Bean’s successful reelection campaign in Illinois’ 8th Congressional District.

Michael Episcope

Founder

MEER Development

Michael Episcope began his career at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange in 1990.  In 1993 he became a managing floor broker for the MKJ Brokerage group and stayed there until accepting a trading position with Tradelink LLC in 1997.  Michael left Tradelink LLC in 1999 and started his own trading firm, SCP Trading.  In 2005, after nine years of successful trading, Michael founded MEER Development, a commercial development firm.  Michael is actively involved with many charitable organizations including Lifeline for Pilots, the Daniel M. Kerrane, Jr. Foundation, Himalayan Cataract Project and the Illinois Education Foundation.  Michael is a 1994 graduate of DePaul University, where he is currently enrolled in its Kellstadt Graduate School of Business.  An avid pilot, Michael is married and a father of three boys.

Rose Lizarraga

President

Buddy Pictures

Rose Lizarraga is one of the founding board members of the Illinois Education Foundation and currently assists with marketing for the organization. Rose is also a documentary filmmaker and freelance writer. She recently completed About Face: The Story of the Jewish Refugee Soldiers of WWII, which she co-directed and produced. Prior to working in film, she spent 10 years developing new product and brand strategies as well as marketing and advertising campaigns at Leo Burnett, Foote, Cone & Belding, M&M/Mars as well as for small businesses. More recently, she worked as a writer/editor for Modern Luxury Inc., publishers of CS, Front Desk and Angeleno magazines for 5+years. Rose is actively involved with the Daniel M. Kerrane, Jr. Foundation and served as Vice President/Board of Directors for the Fairygodmother Foundation.  Rose graduated from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor with a degree in English and Political Science. She currently resides in Chicago, Illinois with her husband, Dave Scherer and their son Calan.

Thania Panopoulos

Vice President

Sandbox Industries

Thania Panopoulos has more than 15 years’ experience launching new products, creating marketing strategies and leading process improvement efforts.  An accomplished marketer, her tenure with both multi-national organizations and entrepreneurial firms has driven enterprise growth in the financial services, retail and technology sectors.  Thania received her BA from Boston College and her MBA from Northwestern University.  She was recognized with the community service award for philanthropic involvement while at GE Consumer Finance.  Currently she serves on the Board of Directors of the Lainie’s Angels Foundation and the Illinois Education Foundation.  She is actively involved with the Daniel M. Kerrane, Jr. Foundation, Children’s Memorial Hospital and the Hogar Rafael Ayau Orphanage in Guatemala.

Connie Mixon

Associate Professor of Political Science

City Colleges of Chicago

Connie grew up on the northwest side of Chicago and attended Chicago Public Schools.  She graduated from Cornell College in 1988 with a Bachelor's degree in politics.  In 1995 she earned a Master's degree in Public Administration from the University of Illinois Chicago.  Connie is currently completing a Ph.D. in Political Science and is working on her dissertation which examines public policy and the provision postsecondary remedial education.  Connie has taught Political Science at the City Colleges of Chicago since 1999 and has served as a Dean of Instruction in addition to various other administrative assignments.  In 2001, she was nominated by her students and named the Illinois Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

Jon Callahan

Partner

WH Trading

Jon Callahan is a Partner at WH trading, a member of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.  He has had an extensive history of involvement in charitable causes, including the Children's Research Triangle and the Daniel M. Kerrane, Jr. Foundation, where he served as a mentor to a student at Truman College.  Mr. Callahan graduated from Amherst College with an English major and now resides in Chicago with his wife and two sons.