LSI Information Session

Seth Green is the dean of the Graham School of Continuing Liberal and Professional Studies at the University of Chicago. Under his leadership, the school has grown more than fourfold, strengthened its storied tradition in the lifelong liberal arts, and built new programs in advanced leadership.

Before joining UChicago, Green served as founding director of the Baumhart Center for Social Enterprise and Responsibility at Loyola University Chicago. During his tenure, the Center launched a top-ranked specialty MBA program, a nationally significant award for social innovation in business, and an array of educational programs and events that annually engaged more than 4,000 learners. Green also served as an executive lecturer in Loyola’s Quinlan School of Business, receiving recognition as the Mission-Driven Faculty Member of the Year in 2021.

Prior to Loyola, Green led Youth & Opportunity United (Y.O.U.), a nonprofit organization that prepares low-income youth for post-secondary and life success. At Y.O.U., Green oversaw nearly fourfold growth in youth served and a $16.4 million fundraising campaign to build a state-of-the-art youth center. He also spearheaded two strategic planning processes, resulting in an enhanced program model and deepened impact. Alongside Y.O.U., Green taught courses on nonprofit management as an adjunct lecturer at Northwestern University.

Earlier in his career, Green worked as a consultant at McKinsey & Company, guiding private sector clients through strategy development and change management. A recipient of McKinsey’s Community Fellowship, he spent one year of his time at the firm supporting nonprofit clients, including the Gates Foundation and United Way.

Green speaks and writes on social innovation. His commentaries and research have appeared in the Christian Science Monitor, Fortune Magazine, the Journal of Business Research, and the Social Innovations Journal, and he previously served on the Editorial Review Board of the Business and Society Review. Green has been a featured guest on Slate Podcasts, C-SPAN’s Washington Journal, MSNBC, and CNN, and his efforts have been covered by The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Chronicle of Higher Education. In 2008, Utne Reader named him one of 50 “Visionaries Who Are Changing Your World.”

Green’s civic service centers on education, the arts, and public-interest research. He serves on the boards of NORC, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, North Shore Country Day School, and the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools, and on the Membership Committee of the Economic Club of Chicago. He has previously served on the Campaign Cabinet of the United Way of Metro Chicago, the Impact Investing Advisory Council of the YWCA Metropolitan Chicago, the Advisory Board of Concordia Place, and the Advisory Board of the Executives’ Club of Chicago.

A Marshall Scholar, Green holds a JD from Yale University, a master’s in women’s studies from Oxford University, a master’s in development studies from the London School of Economics, and a bachelor’s degree in politics from Princeton University.

Diana Petty designs and oversees leadership development programming to help senior executives prepare for their next chapters in leadership, service, and philanthropy. She builds collaborations across the University’s Schools and Divisions and with civic partners to deliver a distinctive higher education experience supporting accomplished leaders committed to using their talents toward creating positive societal impact. You can contact Diana at dpetty@uchicago.edu.

Diana has spent her career helping mission-driven organizations deepen impact in their communities, with expertise in strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, and program evaluation. She brings extensive experience working in municipal government and public-sector consulting, particularly leading cross-sector, cross-functional partnerships. Diana received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Media Studies from Macalester College, and is a graduate of the New York Urban Fellows Program, the New York University Wagner School’s Fellowship for Emerging Leaders in Public Service, the StartingBloc Fellowship for Change Leaders, and the University of Chicago Booth School’s Executive Program for Emerging Leaders.

In her spare time, Diana enjoys exploring Chicago by bike with her family and playing cards with friends, specifically bridge, euchre, and cribbage.

Matt Gresge is a seasoned executive and strategic leader with more than 25 years of experience driving growth and transformation for publicly traded and private equity-owned organizations.  He currently serves as Executive Chairman of the Board of The Propelis Group, a global company formed by the 2025 merger of the two largest packaging design, strategy, and production agencies serving consumer packaged goods companies and private label retailers.  In this role, Matt leads the board of directors and oversees the company’s integration, strategy, and corporate development.

Previously, Matt served as CEO and board member at SGS & Co, Archway Marketing Services, and AIA Corporation.  At each organization, he partnered with leadership teams to deliver profound cultural, financial, technological, and commercial transformations.  Matt began his career in sales, assuming successively greater responsibilities as a commercial leader before transitioning to general management.

A committed community leader, Matt has served as Treasurer of the Western Springs Park Board, providing financial oversight and governance, and has taken active roles with the United Way and City of Hope.  He holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Indiana University and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

Matt is known for his collaborative leadership, dedication to community engagement, and ability to build high-performing teams that drive sustained success.  He resides in La Grange, Illinois, with Mary, his wife of 33 years, and is the proud father of four adult children.

Jennifer Vachon is a dynamic healthcare executive with over 30 years of strategy, marketing, and operations experience in complex organizations.  Jennifer retired in 2024 as Executive Vice President of Business Operations at the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA), where she was responsible for driving strategy and overseeing national programs that support the 33 local BCBS Plans who collectively cover 110 million people in all 50 states.

During her tenure at BCBSA, Jennifer held multiple senior leadership positions across the organization, including brand and marketing, policy and advocacy, clinical affairs, and human resources. She had significant P & L accountability, including oversight of the Federal Employees Program 5.6 million members.

Jennifer’s leadership has earned her recognition as one of the “5 Insurance Executives to Watch” by Fierce Healthcare in 2020, and she was named one of the “Notable Women Executives Over 50” by Crain’s Chicago Business. Additionally, Jennifer is an active leader in the community, serving on the boards of several organizations, including the Greater Chicago Food Depository and the Chicago Children’s Museum.

Jennifer holds a Master of Arts in Public Policy Studies with a concentration in health policy from the University of Chicago and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Union College. She has completed executive training programs at institutions such as Harvard Law School and the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Additionally, she was an inaugural member and in the founding class of Health Evolution’s Institute for Rising Leaders.