CAN TV Strengthens Board with Three New Directors and Elevation of Monique B. Jones to Vice Chair
Appointments Bring Deep Expertise in Public Access, Healthcare Equity, and Community Engagement
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA CONTACT:
Kevin Triskett
CAN TV
info@cantv.org
CAN TV STRENGTHENS BOARD WITH THREE NEW DIRECTORS AND ELEVATION OF MONIQUE B. JONES TO VICE CHAIR
Appointments Bring Deep Expertise in Public Access, Healthcare Equity, and Community Engagement
CHICAGO – February 10, 2026 – CAN TV, Chicago’s premiere hub for community access news, hyperlocal stories and educational resources, is pleased to announce the election of three distinguished leaders to its Board of Directors: Baronica Roberson, Chris Brown, and Dr. Gwendolyn Oglesby-Odom. The network also announces the elevation of Monique B. Jones, LCSW, to Vice Chair. These appointments strengthen CAN TV’s commitment to equity, access, and community empowerment across Chicago.
About Baronica Roberson: Baronica Roberson, Director of Finance & Administration at Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, brings extensive expertise in financial stewardship and equity advancement to the Board. She previously served seven years as Deputy Commissioner and Chief Financial Officer of Chicago Public Library, where she oversaw budgeting, staffing, and endowment stewardship. Roberson chairs the African American Legacy Fund of the Chicago Community Trust and serves on boards including Bright Promises Foundation and Chicago Dancemakers Forum. A 2015 Civic Leadership Academy fellow, she holds degrees from Spelman College, University of Illinois at Chicago, and University of Chicago with expertise in nonprofit management, accounting, and finance.
About Chris Brown: Chris Brown, Chicago Public Library Commissioner, brings visionary leadership in expanding public access and equity to the Board. In this role, he has implemented Sunday hours at all 81 CPL branches and launched the Book Sanctuary movement protecting banned books. He has also forged impactful partnerships addressing public health, including distributing thousands of lifesaving Narcan kits and championing a new mental health liaison position in partnership with the Chicago Department of Public Health. His transformative work has earned recognition as a Library Journal Mover & Shaker, Urban Libraries Council Top Innovator, and John Cotton Dana Award recipient from the American Library Association.
About Dr. Gwendolyn Oglesby-Odom: Dr. Gwendolyn Oglesby-Odom, Enterprise Vice President of Community Engagement at Advocate Health, brings nearly three decades of healthcare leadership focused on equity and community engagement to the Board. She serves as the primary liaison bridging community with Advocate Health’s 68-hospital network across six states and leads a $1B investment to improve healthcare outcomes on Chicago’s South Side. Previously she served as Chief Nursing Officer at Advocate Trinity Hospital and has successfully guided healthcare turnarounds and founded two healthcare organizations: NavCare and Peak Home Health. She was named one of Crain’s Chicago Business “Notable Black Leaders,” received the 2025 Unsung Heroes Award, and was inducted into Chicago Vocational High School’s Hall of Fame. She serves on the boards of IFF and the Illinois Alliance of YMCAs.
About Monique B. Jones, Vice Chair: Monique B. Jones, LCSW, was elevated to Vice Chair, bringing over 25 years of nonprofit leadership in mental health, violence prevention, and racial equity to the role. She is President and CEO of Forefront, Illinois’ premier organization connecting philanthropy, nonprofits, and their allies to improve lives across the state. Previously at Evanston Community Foundation, she grew assets from $18M to $30M in five years while establishing the nation’s first Community Foundation Reparations Fund and implementing racial equity across grant-making and leadership development. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she demonstrated extraordinary leadership by restructuring the Foundation, releasing grant restrictions, and raising $6M in emergency support. A 2022 Leadership Greater Chicago Daniel Burnham Fellow and 2020 Changemaker, she has received the 2020 Nonprofit Person of The Year award and the 2018 NAACP Community Service Award. As a person living with Multiple Sclerosis, she serves as Membership Chair for We Are Ill.
“Leadership rooted in equity and community voice is essential to our mission,” said Darrious Hilmon, CAN TV Executive Director. “Baronica, Chris, Gwendolyn, and Monique embody the values that drive CAN TV’s work to inform and empower every Chicagoan.”
For more information on CAN TV, visit www.cantv.org.
ABOUT CAN TV Established by the City of Chicago in 1983 to maximize the involvement of Chicago residents and groups in cable television, CAN TV delivers more than 140 hours of original, hyper-local programming each week. CAN TV gives every Chicagoan a voice on cable television by providing training, facilities, equipment, and airtime for residents and nonprofit groups. CAN TV’s five local cable channels reach more than one million viewers in Chicago.