Board of Trustees & Senior Management : Loretto Hospital

Edward M. Hogan, Esq - Chairman of the Board
Edward M. Hogan is a founding partner of Hogan Marren, Ltd., formed in 1993. Mr. Hogan has been actively involved in governmental, regulatory and legislative issues in labor, education, banking, real estate, and commercial law, as well as litigation and alternative resolution activities on behalf of the firm's clients.

State Senator Kimberly A. Lightford - Vice-Chairman of the Board
State Senator Kimberly A. Lightford has been on Loretto Hospital Board of Trustees since 1999, and has been a champion in securing funds to deliver comprehensive healthcare in her district. In recognition of her boundless efforts for Loretto Hospital and the communities it serves, Loretto named its brand new emergency department in Senator Lightford’s honor.

Senator Lightford was first elected to serve in the Illinois Senate in 1998. Over the last ten years, she has become one of the Senate’s strongest advocates for education funding reform and women’s issues. She was appointed to the position of Senate Assistant Majority Leader in 2009.

Senator Lightford’s legislative career is highlighted by her passionate support for promoting quality educational and development programs for Illinois’ youth. As Chair of the Senate Education Committee from 2005 to 2008, she was able to pass legislation providing specialized curricula for bullying prevention and a universal preschool program for at risk three-and four-year-old children.

As Assistant Majority Leader, Senator Lightford has only enhanced her role as an advocate for education reform. Because of her leadership, the Senate has passed legislation reforming the charter school system to allow for more charter schools both in Chicago and downstate. In addition, Senator Lightford has worked tirelessly to pass legislation aimed at re-enrolling high school dropouts. The Illinois Hope and Opportunity Pathways through Education (IHOPE) program will offer classes to students who have dropped out of high school, allowing them a second chance at earning a diploma.

As the youngest African-American woman ever elected to the Illinois Senate, Senator Lightford has taken a lead role in promoting women’s issues. In 2003, she played a major role in the passage of the Equal Pay Act, which states that no employer may discriminate between employees on the basis of sex when it comes to salaries. This year, Senator Lightford sponsored legislation strengthening the Equal Pay Act by providing women who have been discriminated against more time to file an action against an employer.

Lightford has placed herself at the forefront of women’s health issues by sponsoring the Community Health Center Construction Act of 2009, allowing grants to be given to community health centers that provide prenatal and perinatal services, screenings for breast, ovarian, and cervical cancer, and emergency medical services

In addition, Senator Lightford has been a tireless advocate for working families and is responsible for passing legislation in 2006 that gradually increases the minimum wage each year until 2010. The legislation has helped thousands of low-income citizens throughout Illinois to be able to provide for their families.

Currently in her third term representing the 4th Legislative District, Senator Lightford serves as an active member of the Labor, Education, Executive, Financial Institutions and Redistricting committees. She currently resides with her family in Maywood.

Michelle Collins - Secretary/Treasurer of the Board
Michelle Collins is the Senior Vice President of Mortgage Lending at ShoreBank, the nation’s first and leading community development and environmental bank. With more than $2 billion in assets, ShoreBank provides individuals, small businesses, and faith-based organizations with access to more financial resources for the rehab and purchase of affordable housing residences in Chicago’s underserved South Side neighborhoods. Under her leadership, ShoreBank launched the nationally acclaimed Rescue Loan Program that has enabled homeowners trapped in an adjustable rate mortgage to refinance and receive a new fixed-rate loan from ShoreBank that builds equity and prevents foreclosure.

Mrs. Collins joined ShoreBank in 1995. Her responsibilities at the bank include: co-chair of the bank’s loan committee; administering the strategic planning and implementation of the department’s business development initiatives; coordinating lender training and support programs; and spearheading the development of new customer programs and real estate lending products.

Prior to being promoted to Senior Vice President in 2007, she served as president of ShoreBank’s Austin Banking Center, and managing director of Mortgage Lending. Her passion for helping others to build appreciable wealth and experience the benefits of homeownership in addition to her creative lending style has been instrumental in her becoming a leader in the industry. She attributes her “hands on” personal customer service and ability to identify the product that is best suited for each customer’s needs as the key to her department’s success.

In addition to her professional responsibilities, Mrs. Collins is “giving back to the community.” She is active in community service, being a member of several civic and community organizations’ boards, including: Loretto Hospital’s Board of Trustees; The Austin Chamber of Commerce’s Starry Night over Austin; Youth Employment Program; the 29th Ward Zoning Advisory Board; the 7th Congressional District Housing task force; and the 4th Ward Redevelopment planning program. In addition, she is the choir director and a Sunday school teacher at the Rose of Sharon Church.

Mrs. Collins’ rewards and recognition are derived from her accomplishments in both her professional and volunteer roles, including: The 2005 Ford Desired Realtors, “Outstanding Customer Relations” award; The 2003 Changing a Generation Foundation, Community Service Award; The 2002 Resurrection United Methodist Church’s Mary Alice “Ma” Henry Service Award; the 2001 Westside Holistic Family Services, Faith In Action Award; the 1997 Austin Hope Award; The Northwest Austin Council’s Community Service Award; and The National League of Business and Career Women Organization’s Community Service award.

She earned a B.A., from Elmhurst College (Elmhurst, Illinois) in Political Science and a M.A., from Loyola University (Chicago, IL) in Political Philosophy and Urban Planning. Mrs. Collins is the daughter of Pastor James and Clementine Murphy; and married to Cedric Mays Collins Sr. with whom she has three children.

James D. Montgomery, Esq - Member of the Board
James D. Montgomery is the newest member of the Loretto Hospital Board of Trustees. Named one of Chicago's 30 Toughest Lawyers by Chicago Magazine, whose career spans nearly one-half century, this seasoned litigator is well respected and admired throughout national legal, professional, and academic circles. Additionally, prior to Mr. Montgomery’s appointment to the Loretto Hospital Trustee Board the Men’s Health Program at Loretto was named in his honor.

In 1983, Mr. Montgomery was appointed Corporation Counsel for the City of Chicago, under the late Mayor Harold Washington, where he supervised a legal staff of over 190 lawyers. He was also named a Fellow of the prestigious, invitation-only, International Academy of Trial Lawyers.

In 1999, the Illinois Academy of Lawyers inducted Mr. Montgomery as a Laureate in the Academy. As described in its bylaws, a Laureate must personify the greatness of the legal profession and help to establish and maintain its highest principles through a pervasive record of service to the law, the profession and to the public. In addition to his professional activities, Mr. Montgomery is a frequent lecturer in various seminars and trial skills workshops all over the country. He taught a trial advocacy class at DePaul University Law School and trial skills workshops for the National College of Criminal Defense Lawyers. He participated in a week-long trial advocacy workshop at Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Massachusetts in January and in the fall of 1993. Mr. Montgomery has taught several times at the University of Chicago Law School for its Intensive Trial Practice Workshop.

In March 2000, Mr. Montgomery teamed up with famed attorney, Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr., to form Cochran, Cherry, Givens, Smith & Montgomery, L.L.C. Referred to as the Dynamic Duo, the team of Cochran and Montgomery lead one of the most prolific personal injury firms in Chicago and throughout the country.

Presently, he is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, Chicago Bar Association, Illinois State Bar Association and has previously served as president of the Cook County Bar Association. Mr. Montgomery has served on numerous advisory groups and committees: The Civil Justice Expense and Delay Advisory Group for the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and the Judicial Evaluation Committees for the State and Federal Courts, just to name a few. He was recently appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court as Chairman of a panel of the Capital Litigation Trial Bar that screens candidates who seek to defend capital cases.

James D. Montgomery was born in Louise, Mississippi on February 17, 1932 and earned a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Illinois in 1953. Mr. Montgomery earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Illinois Law School in 1956. He is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth and Seventh Circuits, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, and the State of Illinois. Mr. Montgomery has also appeared before several other federal and state courts on particular cases.

Steve C. Drucker - President and CEO of Loretto Hospital
Steve C. Drucker has been President and CEO of Loretto Hospital since December 1, 1995. As President and CEO he serves as an officer of Loretto Hospital Board of Trustees.

Dr. Amjad Z. Khan - President of Loretto Hospital Medical Staff

Marc Trznadel - CNO of Loretto Hospital

John F. Valles - Senior Vice-President and CFO of Loretto Hospital
John F. Valles is Senior Vice-President and CFO of Loretto Hospital dating back over 20 years. He is a highly qualified and experienced professional third party specialist who brings over 30 years of financial and administrative experience in the inner-city hospital environment.