Our Staff

Soo Ji Min, Executive Director

Soo Ji joined ICAH as executive director in August 2006 after serving as the executive director of Korean American Community Services. She was recently named a 2010 Chicago Community Trust Fellow, a 2010 Chicago Foundation for Women Impact Award Honoree, and was appointed by Governor Pat Quinn to the Illinois Human Services Commission. Soo Ji served on the executive board and the board of directors of the Asian Health Coalition of Illinois (AHCI) from 2002 to 2007 and chaired its annual fundraiser for four years. In 2008, AHCI named Soo Ji an Outstanding Community Health Advocate. Currently, Soo Ji serves as treasurer of the board of directors of Chicago Women in Philanthropy. She is a former member of United Way of Metropolitan Chicago's Chicago Council, served on the board of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, and served on the Chicago Commission on Human Relations Mayor's Advisory Council on Asian Affairs from 2005 to 2008. She is a 2007 Illinois Women's Institute for Leadership delegate and a 2006 Leadership Greater Chicago fellow. Soo Ji graduated from Barnard College and holds master's degrees from Northwestern University and The University of Chicago.

 

Zahra Alabanza, Associate Director

Zahra has worked in fields from political organizing for the League of Independent Voters and community organizing for the 2006 National Hip Hop Political Convention to mental health counseling at the National Teacher Academy and photojournalism with the See ME Project Africa. Excited about her contribution to reproductive justice, she began at ICAH in September 2007 as a youth organizer, moved up to organizing department manager, and is now the general manager overseeing all departments. Zahra received her M.S.W. from Florida A&M University.

 

 

Rebecca Lutz, Development and Communications Coordinator

Before joining ICAH, Rebecca worked for several years with at-risk youth at a young men’s residential treatment facility and advocated for a caseload of several adolescents. Rebecca has also been a short-term counselor with Planned Parenthood/Chicago Area. She holds an M.S.W. with a concentration in community administration from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

 

 

Julia Fedor, Public Policy Coordinator

Julia previously worked as a Chicago field organizer with Population Connection, promoting progressive family planning, environmental, and population policy. She also has experience working on women and children's health policy at the National Organization for Women and in development at Pediatric AIDS Chicago. A 2008-2009 Northwestern University Public Interest Program fellow, she is actively involved in feminist, sexual health, and LGBTQI advocacy. Julia received a B.A. with honors in sociology and urban studies from Northwestern University.

 

Rae, who joined ICAH in December 2008, works in partnership with the Illinois Youth Policy Council to organize, lobby, and advocate for local, state, and federal sexual health education reform.

Jessica Ernst, Policy Intern

 

 

Sunyata Altenor, Organizing Coordinator

Sunyata’s interest in social justice began with print and radio journalism. A writer involved in several media projects, she has a background in human rights youth organizing.

 

Mayadet Patitucci-Cruz, Youth Organizer

Maya has been involved with ICAH for several years as a student organizer and former board member. After graduating from Curie Metropolitan High School, she joined ICAH as a full-time staff member in November 2007. Formerly a Young Chicago Authors editor and Chicago Freedom School instructor, Maya is a dedicated social and reproductive justice activist working with many youth-focused organizations in Chicago.

 

Pleasant Radford, Jr., Pregnant and Parenting Youth Advocate
Prior to joining ICAH in September 2009, Pleasant served as a Peace Corps community health volunteer in Nicaragua from January 2007 to April 2009. He worked with the Nicaraguan Ministry of Health and local and international NGOs to carry out multiple, grassroots, community health education and extension activities on sexual and reproductive health, hygiene, nutrition, and infant, adolescent, and maternal health. Pleasant graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a B.S. in psychology and a B.A. in Spanish.

 

Bevin Mercer, Organizing Intern

 

Tiffany Pryor, Organizing Intern

 

 

Vivian Barrett, Training and Resources Manager

Vivian oversees the provision of training and technical assistance in Illinois. She began her work on sexual health in high school as a peer educator through Stop AIDS Chicago and Planned Parenthood Wisconsin, developing an understanding of and passion for policy work. Vivian also worked as a health educator at Erie Family Teen Health Center for seven years, addressing the needs of underserved populations.

 

Andrew Flechtner, AmeriCorps VISTA Member

After graduating from the College of Wooster, Andrew joined ICAH in November 2008. As part of the training staff, he helps plan and coordinate trainings around Illinois as well as assisting in the development and promotion of ICAH's Adolescent Sexual Health Toolkit. Andrew previously worked with a number of education and voter registration organizations.