Women’s Executive Speaker Series - Fall 2025
Wednesdays, Sept. 17 – Oct. 8 | 7:00 p.m.
Step into fall and step into faith! The Women’s Executive Speaker Series is a four-week journey for women seeking inspiration, connection, and personal growth in both their professional and spiritual lives.
Over the course of the series, participants will explore how our interior life shapes leadership, decision-making, and everyday interactions. This fall, the Women’s Series and Men’s Series will cover the same four key topics (see below), each explored through the lens of faith and practical application.
Please note, Oct. 1 & 8 will be sessions open to both men and women.
Join other women in the parish for reflective discussion, meaningful connection, and actionable insights that strengthen both your leadership and your faith journey.
SCHEDULE:
(Women only)
9/17 - Grounded Leadership: Cultivating Calm Confidence in Action
Speaker: Bridget Gainer, Global Head of Public Affairs & Policy at Aon
9/24 - Dynamic Equilibrium: Balancing Inner Stillness and Outward Strength
Speaker: Michelle Ramirez, Partner and Trial Attorney at Sidley Austin LLP
(Women & Men)
10/1 - Mindful Influence: Aligning Inner Well Being with Organizational Impact
Speakers: Claire McFarland and Cliff Barber - Claire: Founder and Managing Partner of Claire McFarland Law, Ltd; Cliff: CEO of Fillmore Linen Service LLC
10/8 - Sacred Rhythm: Synchronizing Faith, Focus, and Friendship
Speakers: Krista and JP Gallagher - Krista: President of Regina Dominican High School; JP: President & CEO at Endeavor Health
Meet Our Speakers:
Bridget Gainer is the Global Head of Public Affairs & Policy for Aon where she leads Aon's engagement with governments around the world for both commercial and strategic initiatives, bringing the catalyzing power of risk and insurance to bear on some of the most important issues: climate transition, Infrastructure, healthcare and retirement and international market access. She is also the executive sponsor of Aon's apprenticeship program and was instrumental in founding the Chicago Apprentice Network.
With over 25 years of experience across the non-profit, government and corporate sectors, Bridget brings the unique perspective of both public service and private sector expertise.
Michelle Ramirez is a nationally recognized litigation strategist and trial lawyer. She has served as lead counsel for numerous companies in a variety of industries, including pharmaceutical and medical device, food and beverages, consumer products, sports, and manufacturing. She has appeared as lead and/or trial counsel in numerous federal and state courts across the country, and has taken/defended critical fact and expert witness depositions all over the world. Michelle was recognized as a 2025 “Notable Litigator and Trial Attorney” by Crain’s Chicago Business. She is also ranked by Chambers USA in Product Liability & Mass Torts—Nationwide (2023–2025) and Illinois Litigation: Product Liability (2025). Benchmark Litigation recognized Michelle as a “Future Star” in Commercial Litigation and Product Liability—Nationwide and Illinois (2024–2025). Michelle was named to the 2024 Chicago Daily Law Bulletin “Women in Law” list, was honored with the “Emerging Leader Award” at the 2024 Iowa Law Alumni Awards, and has been featured in numerous publications such as Euromoney LMG Life Sciences, Law360, Bloomberg Law, and The Am Law Litigation Daily.
Claire McFarland and Cliff Barber
Claire: Founder and Managing Partner of Claire McFarland Law, Ltd
Claire McFarland is an attorney with over thirty years of legal experience; she is Founder and Managing Partner of Claire McFarland Law, Ltd., a Chicagoland law firm specializing in estate planning, probate and real estate. In her community work, she focuses on issues of reparatory justice, particularly in relation to the racial wealth gap in America and the ways in which institutional discriminatory practices have contributed to this gap. Claire is committed to using her practice to address issues of health and wealth disparities and to work towards repair for the harms caused by systemic racism and discrimination.
Claire McFarland is a member of the historic Reparations Committee for the City of Evanston and sits on the board of the Reparations Stakeholders Authority of Evanston. She also is Vice President of the Descendants of St. Louis University Enslaved. Claire has received the William R. Ming, Jr. Award, honoring her “dedication and substantial contribution to the causes for civil rights and individual liberties”, from the Cook County Bar Association, the oldest Black bar association in the United States. A key reparations organization, the Descendants of St. Louis University Enslaved, also honored Claire with the 2024 Award for Excellence in Social Justice. Claire also has participated in the United Nations’ Forums for Peoples of African Descent as a community member, focusing on her reparations and restorative justice work.
Cliff: CEO of Fillmore Linen Service LLC
Cliff Barber is CEO of Fillmore Linen Service. A proud southside Chicago native, Cliff was most recently partner at Chicago Rises Fund, an impact investing fund. He comes to his current work at Fillmore Linen with a keen understanding of local Chicago communities and challenges; he most recently led the Archdiocese of Chicago’s Renew My Church initiative as Chief Strategy Officer. However, he also has deep knowledge of impact investing having helped develop the vision for a recently closed $29 million impact fund for a syndicate of minority-owned CDFIs from across the nation. Cliff has an MBA from Harvard Business School, a General Course degree in economics from the London School of Economics and a BSc in economics from Grinnell College. He lives with his wife Claire and five children in Evanston.
Speakers: Krista and JP Gallagher
Krista: President of Regina Dominican High School
Krista Gallagher holds a B.A. from Duke University and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. In June 2024, she assumed the presidency of Regina Dominican High School, bringing a dynamic blend of leadership and marketing expertise, a wealth of professional experience, and a deep commitment to the school’s mission and values.
Before joining Regina Dominican, Krista built a distinguished career in the corporate world, serving as a consultant with McKinsey & Company and later as an executive with JPMorgan Chase.
JP: President & CEO at Endeavor Health
J.P. Gallagher is President and CEO of Endeavor Health, Illinois’ third-largest health system, serving 1.4 million patients across greater Chicagoland. He assumed this role in 2022 following the merger of NorthShore University Health System and Edward-Elmhurst Health. Before that, he served as President and CEO of NorthShore and held several leadership roles in hospital operations and administration.
Gallagher earned a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He serves on numerous healthcare boards and advisory councils and is Board Chair of the Gallagher Foundation, which provides scholarships and mentorship to young leaders in developing countries.
A native of Minnesota, he lives in Wilmette with his wife and three children and is active in his parish, Scouting, and type-1 diabetes advocacy.