Susan Schmitt
Chair
Women’s Board
An integral part of Ravinia for over 60 years
The Ravinia Women’s Board, founded in 1962, has raised over $35 million for Ravinia over its storied history.
Major fundraisers led by the Women’s Board include the annual Women’s Board Gala, Ravinia Festival Shop and Wintrust Chair & Table Rental, the Tribute Fund, and the biennial Ravinia Women’s Board Cruise. All proceeds from these fundraising efforts help enhance the “Ravinia experience” at the park and support Reach Teach Play education and community programs and fellowships at the world-renowned Steans Institute. The board is extremely proud of its cornerstone contribution to the creation of Reach Teach Play’s Sistema Ravinia student orchestra program, based on Venezuela’s acclaimed El Sistema, which fosters social development through exceptional music training.
Projects Led by the Women’s Board:
Officers
Kelly Epstein
Vice-chair
Elizabeth Karabatsos
Administrative Vice-chair
Ellen Falkof
Recording Secretary
Andrea Bechtel
Treasurer
Mary Boyer
Member-at-large
Kiki Katz
Member-at-large
Hyon Kim
Member-at-large
Members
- Robin Abeles
- Megan P. Anderson
- Sarah Barden
- Andrea Bechtel
- Debra Beck
- Michele P. Becker
- Jean S. Berghoff *
- Allegra Biery
- Mary A. Boyer
- Audrey C. Rubinstein Buntman *
- Leslie S. Carothers
- Wendy A. Cartland
- Mamie Case
- Jane D. Casper *
- Judith B. Castellini *
- Amirh Collis
- Catherine Cooper
- Chloe Mendel Corgan
- Gayla W. Cox
- Chandra Cramer
- Elizabeth Crown
- Barbara Daniels
- Jeanne M. Denison *
- Bobbie B. Denison *
- Melinda Meade DeStefano
- Pratyusha Devarakonda
- Annette G. Dezelan *
- Victoria Dorgan
- Susan Elliott
- Kelly Epstein
- Ellen Falkof
- Melody M. Farmer
- Venita E. Fields
- Virginia Foreman
- Christy Fowler
- Nina Freedman
- Dottie B.B. Gordon
- Barbara G. Greis
- Charlotte Hadley
- Gail Hodges
- Betsy Holden
- Karen Morgan Holmberg
- Michele Ihlanfeldt *
- Kathryn D. Ingraham
- Jeannie W. James *
- Elizabeth Karabatsos
- Kiki T. Katz
- Liz Katz
- Hyon Kim
- Carol E. Klenk
- Emily T. Knight *
- Dolores Kohl Kaplan
- Devi Koya
- Beth Lambert
- Claudia Lane
- Deanne (Dee) Rotfeld Levy
- Amy Lubin
- Jen Luby
- Betsey Madden
- Debra Marks
- Nicky Mayber
- Pam Mayo
- Tera McBlaine
- Judy McCarter
- Jean McClung *
- Patricia L. McGrath
- Elizabeth McLean
- Sheila Medvin
- Mary Jo Miller
- Mary Alice Miller
- Randi Miron
- Cindy Montgomery
- Iliana A. Mora
- Catharine Murphy
- Rebecca Murray
- Roni Moore Neumann
- Toby M. Newman
- Judy Newton
- Daniela A. O’Leary-Gill
- Rosemary Olson
- Angela M. Pace-Moody
- Kathy Paleczny
- Marian P. Pawlick
- Jane Perkins
- Jody Perl
- Sara Pfaff
- Kristin Pilant
- Betsey Pinkert
- Cynthia Pinkerton
- Carol Pollock
- Alyssa Quinlan
- Gloria Reisner
- Silvia Rota
- Nancy A. Rotering
- Onnie Scheyer
- Susan B. Schmitt
- Carol W. Schroeder
- Evey Schweig
- Molly Selsby
- Stephanie A. Sick
- Patricia Sikorovsky *
- Heather Smith-Vanduan
- Jennifer W. Steans
- Marcie Stein
- Toria Stender
- Katherine Stevens
- Julie Stone
- Pamela B. Strobel
- Kimberlee Taylor
- Elizabeth Maxwell Thomas
- Kelly Thompson
- Lisa Brown Tribbett
- Courtney Trombley
- Marilyn M. Vender *
- Evette Williams
- Janet Winter
- Jane Woldenberg
- Patricia R. Zeeman
* Former Chair
In memoriam
Florette Weiss
Updated: January 21, 2026