Kennedy Bartley, Chief of External Affairs, Office of the Mayor

Kennedy Bartley was formerly the Executive Director of United Working Families. Prior to her tenure as UWF’s Executive Director, she was the Director of Campaigns for the Chicago Torture Justice Center where she successfully helped to secure funds for a memorial honoring survivors of police torture. She was the chair of United Working Families’ policy committee and served as UWF’s Senior Legislative Director, leading campaigns to secure crucial community investments at the city and state level. Kennedy has been a community organizer/activist in Chicago since 2013. She was appointed to both Mayor Johnson’s overall transition committee and the public safety subcommittee. Kennedy graduated from DePaul University with a Bachelor’s in Public Policy, an African and Black Diaspora studies minor, and a certificate in Geographic Information Systems.

 Sara Mathers, First Deputy of Community Engagement, Office of the Mayor

Sara Mathers is an experienced Field Director with a demonstrated history of working in the non-profit sector with a focus on racial justice. She is skilled in grassroots organizing, coalition building, electoral campaigns, community organizing, policy strategy, and now, cultural event planning. Sara has a strong background in community and civic engagement, holding a Master’s degree in Sociology. 

 Claudia Guzman, Director of Community Engagement, Office of the Mayor

Claudia is a Director and Community Liaison for the Mayor’s Office, overseeing the Community Engagement Team. With a background in higher education and extensive experience in grassroots organizing, she has worked with organizations such as the Sunrise Movement and United Working Families. Claudia excels in strategic community outreach and policy development, contributing to initiatives that foster civic engagement and social equity across Chicago.

 Ugo Okere, Director of External Affairs, Office of the Mayor

Ugochukwu “Ugo” Okere serves as the Director of External Affairs for the Mayor’s Office of Community Engagement. In his prior role, he served as Policy Director for Raise the Floor Alliance, developing, supporting, and lobbying for worker’s rights legislation primarily impacting low-wage, Black and brown workers. As policy director, Ugo worked to pass one of Mayor Johnson’s most impactful pieces of legislation in 2023-- the Paid Sick and Safe Leave Ordinance. The Paid Sick and Safe Leave Ordinance provides the most expansive protections and guarantees of time off for workers in the United States of America. Aside from City policy, Ugo’s role primarily involved lobbying the Illinois General Assembly and working with state agencies to ensure the needs of low-wage workers across the State of Illinois were met. Ugo’s time at Raise the Floor allowed him to develop a deep understanding of labor law in the city, state and county.

Before his time at Raise the Floor, Ugo worked as the Lead Organizer for the Raise Chicago Campaign to raise the minimum wage to $15 by 2021. This work was anchored by SEIU HCII and Grassroots Collaborative and this is where his interest in government affairs began.

When not working, Ugo has historically been deeply involved in community work on the southwest side of Chicago in several issue areas.

Ugo graduated from Loyola University Chicago with a Bachelor of Arts degree in both Political Science and Social Work.

 Leslie Guzman, Community Engagement Project Manager, Office of the Mayor

Leslie Guzman is the Manager of Data Analytics for Community Engagement, currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Computer Science at DePaul University. With a robust background supporting BND and Infrastructure teams, Leslie excels in gathering, analyzing, and interpreting data to drive impactful community engagement strategies.

 Kevin Barszcz, Director of Veteran Affairs, Office of the Mayor

Kevin Barszcz was appointed Director of the Mayor’s Office of Veterans Affairs (MOVA) in 2023.  

Director Barszcz is a Chicago native, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) graduate, and U.S. Navy Veteran. Barszcz comes to MOVA with over a decade of experience focused on Veterans Affairs. He has held numerous civic and leadership roles building collaborative partnerships at all levels of government as well as the local and philanthropic community providing support to veterans and their family members.

As MOVA Director, Barszcz leads the City of Chicago’s efforts to make Chicago a more accessible city for our active military members, veterans and their family members.  MOVA provides resource navigation, policy recommendations and services through sister agencies and community partners to address the needs of our veteran community including employment assistance, housing, mental health and women veterans services. 

Barszcz is a proud life member of both the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and Disabled American Veterans (DAV), and a member of numerous other veteran serving organizations including the American Legion, and Chicago Veterans. Barszcz is also a graduate of DePaul University (B.A. Public Relations and Advertising).

 Pastor Billy Evans, Chief of Faith Engagement, Office of the Mayor

Pastor Billy Jermale Evans is a native of Chicago, Illinois.  He was raised in a God-fearing home. Both his parents were heavily involved in church and took Pastor Evans with them every time the church doors opened. Naturally, he became very involved and developed a love for the church. He has been involved in children’s ministry, youth ministry, Sunday School and many other auxiliaries, both locally and nationally. In 2003, he accepted the call to the gospel ministry, becoming a licensed minister in the Church of God In Christ, and was ordained as an elder in the Church of God In Christ in 2005. On July 22, 2015, he was handpicked by Bishop Cody V. Marshall to serve as his successor of the Freedom Temple Church of God In Christ. Under his leadership, the church has seen tremendous growth and continues to be a beacon of hope in the Englewood community.  

Pastor Evans completed his formal education at Trinity Christian College in 2005 where he received a B.A. in Communications and Theology. And in 2007, he completed the DeVos Urban Leadership Initiative, which is an intense 15-month faith-based leadership development program for urban youth workers. 

Pastor Evans' love for the Lord has blessed him in many ways.  He has done mission work for local shelters around the city of Chicago as well as abroad in Central America. He worked as an Admissions Counselor. And his work as an admissions counselor, prepared him well for subsequent positions in Chicago Public Schools (CPS): College and Career Coach at Chicago Academy High School, Director of School Improvement at Walter H. Dyett High School, College and Career Specialists for CPS and Dean of Students for Brooks College Prep High School.  

In 2023, Pastor Evans was appointed by Mayor Brandon Johnson to be the Chief of Faith Engagement for the city of Chicago. In this position, he serves as the liaison for the faith community and the mayor’s office.  

Though Pastor Evans has many accomplishments, one of the greatest is his family. He is happily married to Lady Zabrina Evans and they are the proud parents of two boys: Billy Jermale Jr.  (B.J.) and Blake Ellis. 

Christopher Hodges, Policy Analyst, Office of the Mayor

Christopher Hodges was born and raised in Chicago, IL to Pastor Jeffrey D. and Evangelist Virgie M. Hodges.  

Christopher’s employment began with the Cook County Clerk of the Circuit Court’s Office. Where he served for the past 15 years in the capacity of Assistant Chief Deputy Clerk. He currently serves as the Policy Analyst for the City of Chicago. 

Christopher is most famous for his work in the political movement with Faith Leaders across Cook County. He served on serval campaigns such as Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County Dorothy Brown, Mayor Brandon Johnson, and Marianna Spyropoulis Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County.  

Christopher has been a motivational speaker and a mentor for over 16 years. While being a mentor, he has become very active in his community and church.   

He also served as a music choir director and add to Reverend Jesse Jackson and Rainbow Push Coalition. This environment has fired up his passion for community activism. Since his partnership with Rev. Jackson, he has participated in various protests, jail ministry and various community outreach events. 

Darius Newsome, Analyst, Office of the Mayor