When Joanne Alter and Marion Stone founded WITS in 1991, they unlikely imagined the full circle moment 34 years later, when their daughters would carry on their legacy as directors for the organization they created. As Jennifer Alter Warden wraps up her term as board chair of WITS, her contributions to the future of the organization founded by her mother are both impactful and meaningful. She and Marion Stone’s daughter, Debra Levin, will continue as board members as VP Patrick Hatton assumes the Board Chair role.
“I cannot tell a lie; chairing a board is not for the faint of heart,” Jennifer reflects. “But truly, this has been one of my life’s most challenging and rewarding experiences. I feel strongly about the importance of literacy to the future of Chicago, and I am confident WITS is in a great position to help ensure students love reading – and are literate.”
Jennifer joined the board in 2014. She often said, “WITS was my mother’s thing,” in the same breath, she described how “WITS felt like the fifth sibling” to Joanne Alter’s four offspring.
Her previous board and professional experience were invaluable throughout the pandemic and the shifting social landscape of 2020. When she accepted the position of chair in 2022, taking over from Jeremy Cole (with much encouragement and a bit of prodding), she wanted to ensure the organization would be able to sustain itself for the next 30 years.
She set out to rebuild the board following the life transitions of long-term board members. In three years, she recruited nine new members, diversifying the board composition across industries and personal backgrounds and focusing on a leadership pipeline. Notably, she codified three-year pledges into the bylaws, significantly increasing board financial participation. She led board fundraising efforts and introductions by example, securing new foundation investments and other support totaling more than $420,000.
Jennifer’s leadership was felt across the organization. She worked with program coordinators to attend orientations for corporate partners, provided marketing expertise to fine-tune WITS messaging, championed operational excellence, and more.
Her partnership with Ashley Bloom, Chief Development Officer, was critical in ensuring WITS’ financial stability as the NPO industry experienced challenging years in 2022 and 2023.
As a partner to me, she was honest, direct, supportive, and incredibly generous with her time. Jennifer picked up every phone call and text, responded to every email, and was the first to arrive at every WITS event. She was uber-inclusive, opening her home to Board members, Associates Board members, and donors on many occasions.
We are so thankful for all Jennifer Alter Warden has done to ensure WITS will continue to be a vital part of the literacy culture of many CPS schools. Her tenure is an enduring example of Board partnership and leadership. She remains committed to recruiting strong and engaged board members for WITS. So, when she calls, I hope you will pick up the phone.
