Have You Heard- Fra Nasatir

Jewish United Fund President & CEO Lonnie Nasatir (Wisconsin, '87) recognized for Community Leadership. Lonnie Nasatir is only the fifth person in the Jewish United Fund’s (Federation of Chicago) more than 120-year history to serve as President and Chief Executive. Taking the helm just prior to a global pandemic, Lonnie quickly mobilized JUF resources to understand and address the complex and emerging needs of the community. Under Lonnie’s leadership, JUF allocated $21.6 million in COVID-19 emergency relief funding. These funds are above and beyond JUF’s regular annual allocations, providing critical dollars in five key areas: food assistance; emergency financial aid; health and safety; expanded social services; and organizational stability.

During his time at JUF, Lonnie has focused a great deal of energy and attention to organizational culture and alignment. A hallmark of Lonnie’s leadership has been his focus on engaging the next generation, coupled with his commitment to promoting institutional diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).

Before coming to JUF in 2019, Lonnie was the Anti-Defamation League’s longtime Regional Director of the six-state Greater Chicago/ Upper Midwest area, where he distinguished himself as a community leader in fighting antisemitism and all forms of bigotry. Lonnie was also a featured speaker at Sigma Alpha Mu’s Summit Against Hate (in collaboration with AEPhi, SDT, and ZBT) in 2016.

Prior to his tenure at ADL, Lonnie served as Administrator for the Illinois Department of Public Aid (now the Department of Healthcare and Family Services), Division of Child Support Enforcement. He began his career as a prosecutor for the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Lonnie received his Juris Doctor from IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law.