Andrea Sáenz

Andrea Sáenz is the President & CEO of The Chicago Community Trust, a community foundation whose strategic focus is on closing the racial and ethnic wealth gap in the Chicago region. Before being named president and CEO in 2022, Andrea served as the Trust’s chief operating officer, overseeing information technology, learning and impact, and talent. In this role, she applied professional and personal insights to improve systems that affect people still left out of decision-making.

She came to the Trust from the Chicago Public Library, where she served as first deputy commissioner and chief strategy officer. She previously served as chief of staff to Chicago Public  Schools’ CEO, leading planning and implementation of district-wide initiatives. Her previous roles also include policy advisor to the Assistant Secretary for Career, Technical and Adult Education at the U.S. Department of Education and executive director of the Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement, a national nonprofit working collaboratively with employers, universities and schools to increase Latinos’ entry and success in professional careers. She began her social sector career at Congreso de Latinos Unidos in Philadelphia, leading community-based adult education and workforce development.

Andrea holds a Master’s degree in government administration from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor’s degree in Latin American studies from Scripps College. A 2010 Broad Resident and Leadership Greater Chicago Fellow since 2009, Andrea serves as a mentor at 1871, Chicago’s tech entrepreneurship hub; serves on the boards of the ACLU, Albert Pick Jr. Fund, Chicago Learning Exchange and the James Dyson Foundation; and chairs the board of Instituto del Progreso Latino.