Board of DiRectors

Mia Furlong and her husband Mark first moved to North Center in 1994 and have been here ever since. Mia was born and raised in Chicago, leaving only to attend William College. Her first job in the city was as a social worker at Thresholds — she actually worked for the Young Adult Program when it relocated from Lincoln Park to North Center. After graduating law school in 1996, Mia  worked for the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, where she worked in the Staff Attorneys Office specializing in habeas corpus and discrimination cases. Since resigning in 2017, Mia has been active in the League of Women Voters, canvassing for local and national political candidates, and volunteering at Common Pantry.

Shane Devins is an attorney with Clean Energy Counsel, a mission-driven law firm focused on accelerating the transition to sustainability and clean energy. He and his husband, Ryan,
moved to North Center in 2022, but have lived in the Chicago area most of their lives. Shane has years of experience on nonprofit boards, including Friends of the Parks and SGA Youth & Family Services in Chicago. Shane is an avid Bulls fan, and in his free time enjoys exploring the latest restaurants and breweries in the City. 

Inka Cherry is originally from Germany and is married to a Brit. She first moved to Chicago with her family more than 13 years ago. After almost returning to Europe, she and her husband bought and rehabbed an old two-flat in North Center.  Her two sons attend Lane Tech.  Inka has a background in finance and has volunteered on the Friends of Coonley board for 7 years. She also works part-time as a swim instructor at LSAC, but is looking for more involvement in the broader community. When she is not enjoying pouring over excel spreadsheets, Inka likes to run, swim, bake and be outside.

Erick Harris, along with his wife Soniya and their two children (Rajan, age 4, and Priya, age 2), have been residents of North Center since October of 2019. Erick is the General Counsel at Blue Vista Capital Management, a real estate-focused investment management firm here in Chicago.  Previously, he was the CFO for the Americas Real Estate Department at the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (a sovereign wealth fund in Abu Dhabi), as well as a lawyer at two national law firms.  Prior to serving on NCNA's board, Erick served on the board of Stage Left Theater Company here in Chicago, and participated in the planning and production of the company’s annual fundraiser.

Marni Berliner moved to Chicago on a whim after college and, after leaving for 6 years, moved back and settled in North Center in 2021 with her family. She quickly got involved in planning her street's block party, and is looking forward to organizing engaging events for the broader neighborhood. She currently works as the Director of Sales at Certasun, a local solar installation company, and is passionate about clean energy, safer streets for pedestrians and cyclists, and environmental issues.

Christina Carlile has lived in Chicago for nearly 15 years with her husband Jay. They and their two young children moved from Lakeview to North Center in 2019, and their kids attend St. Benedict Preparatory School. Christina spent 10 years at some of Chicago’s top advertising agencies as a strategist and planner. Christina took a step back from agency life to spend more time at home, and now juggles freelance marketing and consulting with carpooling to baseball games and dance class. Christina aspires to better connect the NCNA to her local network and to identify untapped opportunities to better engage with the neighborhood.

Jim Nathan has been active in NCNA since becoming an original member of its Zoning Committee. Raised at Irving Park Road and Clarendon Avenue, Jim graduated from Lake View High School, returning to Chicago after earning degrees in business and law. In 1986 Jim bought the home he and his wife Mary Jo occupy today on Seeley Avenue. Jim's multifacested background includes experience in journalism, public relations, law and the real estate industry. He volunteered for 15 years as a Chicago Architecture Foundation docent and served on the board of the Unity Temple Restoration Foundation in Oak Park. He is eager to work toward building a stronger, more connected community and advocate for our North Center's long-term interests and immediate needs.

Allison Noback is the General Counsel at the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA). She has worked in public transportation since 2008, serving as a Chief Attorney at the CTA and later as Deputy General Counsel and Director of Human Resources at the RTA before becoming General Counsel. She attended the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. She graduated from Loyola Chicago School of Law. Allison has lived in the North Center neighborhood since 2006 with her husband and two daughters. Her daughters attend Lane Tech High School, and Allison spends much of her free time volunteering with her daughters’ activities. Allison is excited to be a board member with the North Center Neighborhood Association and looks forward to working with the board and members.

Lindsay, her husband Dylan, their two children and their  Bernese Mountain Dog, Addy, have been residing in North Center since 2021. Lindsay is the Senior Director of Marketing at Aeropay, a leading fintech company that offers innovative payment solutions. Prior Aeropay, she worked with several Chicago-based technology start-ups and agencies, helping them launch and expand their marketing and public relations programs. In her free time, she enjoys browsing through cookbooks for inspiration, trying new restaurants, and spending quality time with her friends and family.

Originally from Mutare, Zimbabwe, Nillam recently moved to Chicago with her husband and toddler. Nillam is a makeup artist by profession and studied in the United Kingdom after which she settled in beautiful Cape Town, South Africa. Nillam is looking forward to becoming part of the North Center community and serving the neighborhood, making long lasting friendships. Nillam enjoys cooking, trying different cuisines, yoga and pilates.  

Raised in Tennessee, Maureen (Mo) Richey has lived in Chicago for more than six years and moved to North Center in 2021. She has a Masters in Public Policy and works at a consulting firm focused on affordable housing, homelessness, community development, and public health. She has been a member of the NCNA Planning & Zoning Committee since 2021 and enjoys walking her dog around the neighborhood, spending summers in northern Michigan with her family, reading, sleeping, food and wine, crossword puzzles, and true crime podcasts.