Retired Winnetka Attorney Elected Trustee Of Carthage College

Press release from Carthage College:

KENOSHA, Wis. – Retired attorney LeAnn Pedersen Pope, a 1979 alumna of Carthage College, has been elected to the Carthage Board of Trustees.

She was installed as a trustee at the February 2021 meeting. The board has ultimate governing and fiduciary responsibility for the college.

“LeAnn Pedersen Pope brings a special background and powerful experience to the board and to her alma mater,” said John Swallow, president and CEO of Carthage. “An alumna who grew up in Kenosha and who led a stellar career as an attorney in Chicago, she has also completed a divinity degree and has committed herself to advancing equity. We are thrilled that she will be the board’s newest member.”

Pope was a partner at Burke, Warren, MacKay & Serritella in Chicago, where she maintained a national business litigation practice. As founder and chair of the firm’s Consumer Financial Services Class Action Defense Group, she successfully defended major banks and mortgage banking companies in more than 200 nationwide class action cases filed in federal and state courts across the country.

After over 30 years as a litigation lawyer, Pope retired to pursue a Master of Theology from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, a degree she completed in May. Her thesis, “From Colorblind to Clearer Vision: A White Christian's Unexpected Journey Toward Redemption,” culminated four years of study and reflection on racism, privilege, and whiteness.

Her philanthropy focuses on social justice. Pope and her husband, investment portfolio manager Clyde Smith McGregor, recently pledged $260,000 toward Carthage’s equity and inclusion initiatives.

Pope is chair of the board of Opportunity International, a global nonprofit providing innovative solutions to ending extreme poverty in Africa, India, and Latin America. She also works with young African American men on Chicago’s south side through CRED (Create Real Economic Destiny), an organization dedicated to effecting transformational change in Chicago gun violence.

“As a strong leader with a deep dedication to service, LeAnn exemplifies the college’s mission,” said Jeff Hamar, a 1980 alumnus and chairman of the board. “Her guidance will prove valuable in our ongoing effort to make a Carthage education accessible to all.”

Pope has two grown children. She and McGregor live in Winnetka, Illinois.

This press release was produced by Carthage College. The views expressed here are the author's own.