Director, Oak Park-River Forest Chamber of Commerce
Leadership Role: TBD
Member Organization: Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation
Contact Carrie by email: csummy@oprfcf.org
Bio:
Carrie Summy serves as Philanthropic Advisor at the Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation, where she has the privilege and opportunity to work with donors, local businesses, civic leaders, and nonprofit organizations addressing intertwined socio-economic issues, and carries the community as a whole in her heart.
Carrie joined the Foundation in 2016, re-developing and executing its successful local community leadership program, Leadership Lab, and assisting in general Foundation communications and activities. In 2019 she took on an additional role supporting and growing the Foundation’s fund portfolio and increasing charitable giving to and through the Foundation. Shortly thereafter, Carrie was honored to join the leadership team at the Foundation in its strategic planning, to take a deeper dive into its purpose, its influence, and the opportunity to address wealth inequities and structural racism in our region. In 2020, she was an instrumental member of the staff to fundraise and distribute over $1 million in COVID relief funds. Most recently, Carrie has been fortunate to work with Foundation leadership on its Community Voices report, an assessment of structural racial barriers and challenges our community members face in the west Cook County region.
Carrie graduated from University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1996. She held multiple customer-facing and communications roles in the business sector, and in 2009 shifted to social impact, co-creating and leading her own local nonprofit organization, The Neighborhood Giving Project, for seven years.
She currently serves as Vice President of the board of Wonder Works Children's Museum, where she has been a member since 2018. She is thrilled to increase her volunteer work with the Oak Park River Forest Chamber of Commerce, stepping into a board member position in 2023.
Carrie, her husband, four children, and beloved dog live in River Forest. She has a habit of trying to learn new competitive sports - from roller derby to tennis- and enjoys hiking and camping with her family in the fresh air. She rarely says no to a coffee or cocktail.
