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Explore the leadership team that's creating long-lasting change throughout our communities in Chicago. Learn more about the Association House leadership team. Executive Staff Juan Carlos Linares President and CEO Learn More Jaime Garcia Senior Director of Human Resources Learn More Margarita Rosas Director of Finance Learn More Emily Marion Director of Behavioral Health Learn More Tanya A. Wade Senior Director of Clinical Operations Learn More Julie Rodriguez Executive Vice President Learn More Tom Mathews Director of Facilities Learn More Lincoln Stannard Senior Director of Community Development Learn More David Pieper High School Principal Learn More Harriet Sadauskas President Emeritus Learn More Lillian Bui Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives Learn More Jacqleen Musarra Senior Director of Performance and Quality Improvement Learn More Damaris Acevedo Director of Child Welfare Learn More Filiberto Rios Director of Community Health and Workforce Development Learn More Auxiliary Board Board of Directors

< Back Tom Mathews Director of Facilities Tom manages the maintenance of the buildings, grounds, and equipment of Association House’s 153,000 square foot community center and three residential locations. He assures safe and efficient operations and meets agency, accreditation, funder, State Fire Marshall and Department of Building standards. His background includes thorough knowledge of mechanical, electrical, and control systems including computerized building automation and energy management systems. Tom loves his work at Association House, enjoys helping to make a difference, and is happy to be an integral part of the leadership to continue our mission. Prior to Association House, Tom served as the Operations Manager at AvAirPros serving Midway Airport where he was responsible for maintenance, contracts, operations, and general day-to-day interactions of various operational equipment and facilities systems. In 2005, he adopted his youngest daughter from China. Recently, his eldest daughter has blessed him with two granddaughters. Tom holds a certification in HVAC, a universal refrigeration license, and a stationary engineer license and a Bachelors of Science degree from Southern Illinois University’s College of Engineering. Finally, he has a certificate in e-Business Strategy from University of Chicago.

< Back Lillian Bui Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives In partnership with Lincoln Stannard, Lillian also serves as Co-Executive Director of LUCHA, the organization’s affordable housing development arm. She approaches this work with a deep understanding of how housing, equity, and opportunity intersect — insights rooted in early roles with Habitat for Humanity and as an AmeriCorps member at Lafayette Elementary in Humboldt Park. She is passionate about growing programs that address the economic, educational, and racial disparities that keep people from reaching their fullest potential. She believes in building relationships and treating all people with dignity. Lillian holds a Master of Arts in Public Policy from the University of Chicago Harris School, a Bachelor of Arts in History from Lake Forest College, and an Associate of Arts from Bard College at Simon’s Rock. Lillian also currently serves as a board member with Corazon Community Services, a leading youth-development organization based in Cicero.

< Back Lincoln Stannard Senior Director of Community Development Lincoln is a passionate community development practitioner and housing advocate. Over 7 years at LUCHA, he has overseen accomplishments including the completion of Tierra Linda and groundbreaking of Encuentro Square. As Director of Community Development, he has grown a project pipeline with the greatest number of units under development in LUCHA’s history. He brings a mission-centered approach, strong analytical skills and deep experience with a variety of project types and financing models. Lincoln began his career at the Chicago Community Loan Fund, where he managed construction lending for the City of Chicago’s Neighborhood Stabilization Program. He holds a Grow America Economic Development Finance Professional certification. Born and raised on Chicago’s West Side, Lincoln has called Logan Square home for 14 years. He has been active in local housing justice and tenant organizing projects, including time spent on the boards of the Here to Stay Land Trust and Somos Logan Square. An avid biker, his favorite destination in the city right now is the Montrose moonrise observation point on the lakefront.

< Back Jacqleen Musarra Senior Director of Performance and Quality Improvement As the Senior Performance & Quality Improvement Director, Jacqleen partners with our teams to drive transformative program delivery and embed the mission and vision of our agency at every level of engagement. Jacqleen is thrilled to return to the House after previously supporting our teams as the Director of PQI last in 2011. A counselor by training, her commitment to providing exemplary care is rooted in cultivating meaningful consumer, family, and employee experiences. Jacqleen most recently held roles as the Director of Community Outreach within Medicaid-managed care and Director of Hospital Relations at a critical care hospital and ER. Jacqleen's passion for advocacy has provided opportunities to facilitate collaborations within the community to positively influence health outcomes. Jacqleen uses each of her experiences to leverage her critical understanding of the intersection of factors that influence health while cultivating relationships to drive diverse and inclusive culture. Jacqleen was awarded the "Courage to Change" recognition at Aetna for developing peer recovery roles within the managed care framework. Jacqleen received a Master of Arts in Counseling and Human Services from John Carroll University and a Bachelor of Arts from Miami University.

< Back Damaris Acevedo Director of Child Welfare Damaris currently oversees the Child Welfare Division, which provides quality services for more than 200 active family cases, including foster care, intact family services, and adoptions. She is a Licensed Social Worker with an Illinois Department of Children and Family Services license and is 402 & CCA certified. Since 2005, Damaris has worked in the Child Welfare Division and began her tenure as a foster care case manager. Damaris attended the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Jane Addams School of Social Work, where she received her Bachelors of Social Work; and received her MSW from Dominican University. Damaris also obtained her LCSW in 2019. Damaris is passionate about helping families, and her commitment is to ensure we treat every participant with dignity and respect regardless of what brought them to our program. She says her work is difficult but very rewarding.

< Back David Pieper High School Principal As principal, David leverages available resources to ensure students make successful post-secondary transitions and possess critical skills to create lifelong learners and vital contributors to society. He believes the school’s unique character enables him to create an engaging culture for students who have not previously thrived in traditional academic settings. After working as a teacher, David became a Curriculum Specialist focused on secondary education. He obtained his Bachelor’s degree in History Education from Illinois State University and a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from Northeastern Illinois University. David believes when education and community are bridged together, each can support and elevate the other. Association House High School is an extension of the historic, long-lasting impact of education as a component of community advancement through Association House’s work. He feels it is truly a privilege to continue this legacy.

< Back Emily Marion Director of Behavioral Health Serving first as a clinician, Emily came to Association House to counsel youth and adults. Since that time, she has been a Supervisor of the Community Support Team (CST), Supervisor of Community Reintegration and Support, and most recently, the Williams Quality Administrator, working with team-based intensive case management programs, including transitioning participants from institutional psychiatric care to independent living in the community. Currently as Director of Behavioral Health, she oversees the mental health programs, substance abuse services, and services for individuals with developmental disabilities. Emily began her career in clinical services as an intern at the International Children’s Center through Heartland Alliance assisting mostly Central American children, and as a human rights intern through a University of Chicago- placement at Casa Alianza in Guatemala City on the Family Reintegration team. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and has a Bachelor’s of Science in psychology from Loyola University Chicago and a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Chicago’s School of Social Service Administration. Originally from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Emily has lived the past 15 years in multiple Chicago neighborhoods. She’s proud to be a part of the team at one of Chicago’s original settlement houses and enjoys working across diverse cultures and collaborative service disciplines, while empowering, advocating for, accompanying, supporting, and learning from Association House participants. Emily enjoys dancing, camping and gardening and rooting for the Chicago White Sox.

< Back Margarita Rosas Director of Finance Margarita Rosas (she/her) serves as Director of Finance. Reporting directly to the President, Margarita collaborates with the other members of the leadership team, as well as the Board of Directors, to support the financial goals of the organization managing a $17M budget. Margarita brings 20 years of experience in process improvement, systems design, project management, strategic financial planning, monitoring and evaluation, public finance & policy planning across various organizations at the local, national, and international level. Before joining Association House, Rosas served as the Director of Finance with New York Sun Works, driving financial functions and performance. In her five years, Rosas was instrumental in expanding the organization from 90 to over 400 school partners, impacting 120,000+ students annually. Born and raised in Colombia, Margarita has been an international consultant for the International Monetary Fund, deputy director for social investments with the Colombian national government, and Founder of New Life for Everyone, a foundation that supports educational opportunities for over 400 children in marginalized communities in Bogotá. Margarita holds a Master’s of Public Administration from Cornell University, a Master’s in Regional Planning with an emphasis in Local Economic Development, and a dual BA/BS in Business Administration and Economics, both from Universidad de Los Andes. As a Latina, an immigrant, and a mother of a child with disabilities, Margarita feels strongly connected to Association House’s mission for inclusion and creating opportunities for marginalized communities.

< Back Juan Carlos Linares President and CEO Juan Carlos Linares is the President and CEO of Association House of Chicago, where he is inspired by the team’s dedication to serving the thousands of participants that rely on the House annually, and its 125-years of history in stabilizing the lives, households, and communities it serves. Born in the Humboldt Park community and raised in Bellwood, Juan Carlos is an attorney and has held leadership in nonprofit, government, and civic roles over his 22-year career, and is also a part-time educator. From a mixed-immigrant household– his mother from Peru and his father from Guatemala– Juan Carlos himself participated in social service programs, sustained in his youth through food pantries and attending bilingual early education programs. These experiences motivate Juan Carlos to lead the House in celebrating its history, fostering its growth, and serving its communities toward strong, stable, and equitable futures.

< Back Tanya A. Wade Senior Director of Clinical Operations Tanya joined Association House in 2013 and currently serves as our Senior Director of Clinical Operations where she monitors program performance, provides clinical supervision and direction, and ensures participants receive high-quality clinical services and care. Tanya is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and originally joined Association House as a Continuity of Care Coordinator. Tanya graduated from Hofstra University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. In 1998, Tanya moved to Chicago and received a Master of Social Work degree from Loyola University Chicago. Tanya then honed her clinical skills as a trainer, diagnostician, and therapist within Child Welfare and Community Mental Health. Tanya works at Association House because she has a personal commitment to clear the path for participants and staff alike to realize their full potential. She believes that Association House leads by example; opens doors, encourages ideas, nurtures healing, and empowers change.

< Back Julie Rodriguez Executive Vice President As Executive Vice President, Julie is accountable to the President for the full cycle of design, development, delivery, and improvement of programs. Julie executes and leads a continuous quality improvement process through the program and service areas. She currently serves as co-chair of the Race, Equity and Social Justice Committee for the Community Behavioral Healthcare Association and she sits on Governor Pritzker’s Committee for Illinois Adult-Use Cannabis Health Advisory. Julie received her Bachelor’s degree in child development and family studies from the University of Illinois in Champaign, her Master’s of Science in Applied Family & Child Studies from Northern Illinois University. She is also a state-licensed marriage and family therapist since 2001. Julies believes that Association House’s dedication to the community and appreciation for family are what makes the organization so special and drive her to work hard each day.