Staff

Executive Director

As Lakeside CDC's Executive Director, Brian White brings an innate curiosity about community development and a strong record of activism on behalf of low income residents, diverse communities, and social justice.

Prior to joining Lakeside CDC, Brian was also Director for Development at the Leadership Council for Metropolitan Open Communities, a nationally recognized fair housing organization. Brian was principally involved in advocacy, community organizing, leadership development training, and fundraising.

Brian has developed education and organizing programs covering fair housing, zoning and land use, and municipal code enforcement. In 2004, working with the New Alliances Task Force, a project of the FDIC and the Mexican Consulate in Chicago, Brian helped design a model mortgage product to help immigrant first-time homebuyers. Brian was also a coordinator of the Chicago region's first Immigrants Fair Housing Roundtable and helped organize the first ever Summit on Human Relations in Lake County, IL.

At Lakeside CDC, Brian is responsible for developing programs, guiding advocacy and research efforts, and raising funds to support agency programs and operations. Among research and advocacy projects he has originated or directed are the Community Housing Audit, Partners for Rogers Park's renter survey, a survey of conditions on Western Avenue in West Ridge, and the 49th Ward Rental Improvement Fund. Brian designed and implement Lakeside's community association training program and has been involved in developing and expanding other programs for renters, homeowners, and homebuyers. Under his direction, Lakeside has grown into a comprehensive and HUD-approved housing agency assisting more than 700 residents per year with different housing issues.

Brian holds a Master's Degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago and is a resident of Rogers Park where he and his wife are raising 2 young children. Among his numerous community activities, Brian is a volunteer with the Warren Park Youth Baseball Association and is a principal organizer of the Rogers Park Metra Community Garden.

Rental Housing Advocate/Housing Program Manager

Bibian Guevara serves as Rental Housing Advocate at Lakeside, where she is responsible for helping coordinate agency advocacy and direct-service efforts for low-and moderate income renters ion Chicago's Far North Side, as well as coordinated activities with other community agencies.

In 2011, Bibian added to her responsibilities as Housing Program Manager. In her capacity as Housing Program Manager, she coordinates staff training and reporting, conducts quality control activities, and assists with program development. Bibian is certified in numerous housing counseling topics through Neighborworks America and NHLN.

Bibian is a native of Colombia, who has worked with organizations concerned with immigrant rights, citizenship, and education. While in Colombia, she worked to reform different practices within the fashion industry. Since coming to Chicago, she has worked on citizenship and immigrant rights efforts with Organization of the North East, Centro Romero, and Illinois Coalition for Immigrants and Refugee Rights. Bibian is also the former president of Colombia Vive Chicago, an organization that helps women, in Colombia and Chicago, rebuild the social, cultural and economic webs that have been damaged by the processes of displacement and migration. Through her work in those organizations, Bibian has gained expertise in the planning and implementation of community outreach, education, and direct service activities.

Bibian lives in Edgewater on Chicago's Far North Side.

Community Housing Specialist

Julio is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where he received his BA in Urban and Regional Planning. Prior to joining Lakeside, he was the Housing Advocate for the Latino Policy Forum, where he worked with regional and neighborhood housing groups on affordable housing and community development issues. Julio also completed two summer internships at the Congress for the New Urbanism, a national urban planning organization located in Chicago, which contributed to his interest in grassroots community development planning.

As Community Housing Specialist, Julio will coordinate Lakeside’s Citywide Resource Center program, through which the agency provides education and technical assistance services to Chicago condominium owners and association leaders. He will also work with housing organizations and industry groups and contribute to agency research, analysis, and policy advocacy concerning community association topics at the state and local levels.

Housing Specialist

As a Housing Specialist for Lakeside CDC, Israel assists low to moderate income homeowners facing foreclosure and works to help organize educational opportunities for prospective home buyers. Before joining Lakeside, Israel worked in community organizing, immigrants’ rights, and heath justice with Action Now and Organization of the NorthEast in Chicago and Physicians for Social Responsibility in Los Angeles. Originally from Nicaragua, Israel is focused on issues affecting many immigrants and minorities in Chicago such as violence prevention, education, affordable housing, and family-supporting wages.

Israel has a Bachelor’s Degree in computer programming from the Instituto Nacional Tecnologico de Nicaragua. He lives in Rogers Park with his wife and son.

Susan deBeaubien:

Susan joined Lakeside CDC as a volunteer in the spring of 2011, helping conduct a street-level survey of rental housing opportunities in Rogers Park. Canvassing the community and learning about the housing challenges facing Lakeside's clients led Susan to train as a foreclosure counselor. After completing courses through Neighborworks America and becoming certified as a housing counselor, Susan joined Lakeside's staff as Intake Specialist with the agency Home Ownership Program.

As Intake Specialist, Susan meets with homeowners who are at risk of foreclosure to explain their options and prepare them for counseling with Lakeside. She also supports other counselors sharing news on trends in the broader marketplace, conducting outreach, and maintaining client files.

Susan has a diverse background in science technology, health care, and legal work. She enjoys torts and tortes, but finds she prefers the sweet variety to the other. In her spare time, she volunteers at Shedd Aquarium in Chicago.