CCFs Staff Changes
There have been a lot of changes at Chicago Chess Foundation over the past year, and as we begin a new school year, it feels like the right time to share where we are and where we’re headed.
The biggest change is also a bittersweet one.
After helping lead CCF through an important period of growth and transition, our Communications Director, Luke, is moving on from the organization.
Luke's impact on CCF is difficult to fit into a job description. Over the past year, especially after our former Executive Director Matt Kearney stepped down, Luke and I found ourselves filling a lot of spaces that weren't necessarily part of either of our original roles. We worked together to keep programs moving, communicate with families and partners, support fundraising, and figure out what the next version of CCF could look like.
I'm incredibly grateful for what Luke gave to this organization and, personally, for having someone beside me during a year when we were both learning a lot in real time.
CCF is stronger because he was here.
Stepping into the Executive Director role
I joined Chicago Chess Foundation a little over a year ago as Program Director. My job was supposed to be pretty straightforward: build good chess programs for young people.
That work quickly became something bigger.
The more time I spent visiting schools, talking with families, working with coaches, meeting community partners, and listening to our board, the more I started thinking about not only the programs we were running, but the kind of organization we wanted to become.
This year, I officially stepped into the role of Executive Director.
My vision for the next chapter of CCF starts with going deeper instead of simply getting bigger.
We're moving toward a neighborhood hub model that allows us to concentrate our resources in a few communities, build stronger relationships with families and local organizations, and create consistent chess opportunities that don't disappear when one program ends.
We're also expanding what we mean when we talk about access.
That means continuing to serve young people in communities where cost has historically been a barrier, while also becoming much more intentional about girls and women in chess, players with disabilities, advanced students looking for their next opportunity, and families who want chess to become a meaningful part of their community.
Over the next year, I want us to strengthen those programs, invest in coaches who are connected to the neighborhoods they serve, create more opportunities for our strongest students, and build a fundraising model that can sustain this work for years to come.
The goal isn't to run the most chess programs.
It's to build programs that matter.
Mia joins CCF full time
A big part of making that possible is Mia Campuzano, who is joining CCF full time as our Program Manager.
Mia already knows this organization and our chess community incredibly well. She understands the students, the coaches, the tournaments, and the small details that determine whether a program actually works once it leaves the planning document and reaches a classroom.
As Program Manager, Mia will take on a much larger role in the day-to-day operation of our youth programs, school and community partnerships, coaches, tournaments, and events.
Her move to full-time also represents something important about where CCF is going.
As Executive Director, I need to spend more of my time building partnerships, raising money, supporting our board, developing our long-term strategy, and making sure the organization has the resources to grow responsibly.
For that to happen, we also need someone whose primary focus is making sure the programs themselves are excellent.
That's Mia.
What comes next
Transitions always create a strange mix of emotions.
We're saying goodbye to someone who helped CCF navigate an important chapter. We're welcoming Mia into a larger leadership role. And I'm beginning my first full year responsible for where this organization goes next.
But there is also a lot that isn't changing.
We're still going to put kids in front of chessboards.
We're still going to create places where someone can walk into a room knowing almost nothing about chess and discover that they love it.
We're still going to challenge strong players to keep getting better.
And we're still going to work toward a Chicago where your neighborhood, your family's income, your gender, or your circumstances don't determine whether you get to be part of the chess community.
The team looks a little different.
The vision is getting clearer.
And we're excited about what we're building next.