Toni S. Smith Elected Chair of ESC's Board of Directors

CHICAGO, IL  – Toni S. Smith, a resident of Chicago’s East Lakeview neighborhood and retired partner of Spencer Stuart, has been elected Chair of the Board of Directors of Executive Service Corps (ESC) of Chicago.

As Chair of the Board of Directors, Smith will lead the organization in continuing to strengthen its services and programs for nonprofits and public agencies in response to the stress on the nonprofit sector in the current economic climate.

“What ESC does – helping to strengthen metro Chicago’s nonprofits and, through them, better serving the needs of Chicagoans who depend on these organizations – is really important,” said Smith. “I firmly believe that a healthy nonprofit sector is critical to maintaining the economic vitality and cultural vibrancy of Chicago.”

Smith joined ESC’s corps of volunteer consultants to nonprofits in 2002 after thirty years with the leading international executive search firm Spencer Stuart, where she created and managed their not-for-profit practice. With ESC she has served over twenty metropolitan Chicago clients as a consultant and engagement manager. Smith’s expertise has been critical to the development and expansion of ESC’s executive transition and succession management services, of vital importance to the health and sustainability of Chicago’s nonprofit sector as seasoned Boomer generation leaders enter retirement.

Smith joined ESC’s Board of Directors in 2007 and has served as Vice Chair, managing the Governance Committee. In this role she has strengthened the board’s governance performance and expanded diversity of its membership.

Dedicated to the strength of the nonprofit sector, Smith serves on the boards of One Hope United, Associated Colleges of Illinois, FEI Behavioral Health and The Chicago Network.

About Executive Service Corps of Chicago

ESC is a nonprofit that enhances the overall impact of Chicago area nonprofits and public agencies through professional, affordable consulting services. Since 1978 ESC has completed more than 3,500 engagements with nonprofits to enable them to better meet the needs of those they serve. This includes serving over 175 nonprofits in 2011, work that affects the lives of 3.7 million metropolitan Chicago men, women, children and families each year. ESC creates lasting solutions and sustainable change at rates that fit nonprofit budgets.