Auxiliary Board Leadership

The UCAN Auxiliary Board is a dynamic group of young leaders and professionals who are dedicated to assisting with resource development by strengthening ties with current supporters and helping to recruit new friends of UCAN. The Board has recently undergone some leadership changes! The current Board President is Samantha Frost and Chaidan Upp is the Vice President. Allison Winton Nemirow presided as the President previously.

Sam and Chaidan have each been Board members for roughly two years. Samantha came to know UCAN through her employer, public relations agency L.C. Williams & Associates, who does pro bono work for UCAN. "The more I found out about UCAN, the more I realized that this is a great organization with a valuable mission that serves a lot of members of the community. I started looking for ways to be more involved," said Sam. She currently works as a senior account executive at L.C. Williams, and greatly enjoys her position because "it allows me to work with a variety of clients, from home products that are known nationwide to local theatres and non-profit organizations."


Chaidan, a lifelong volunteer and firm believer in the power of education, was attracted to UCAN's mission to build strong youth and families through compassionate healing, education, and empowerment. After graduating from DePauw University and completing an internship as a sixth grade Language Arts teacher, Chaidan confirmed her lifelong dream of teaching. She is currently completing the Master of Education program for Elementary Education at Loyola University Chicago, and will graduate at the end of this semester. This past school year she has been student teaching in Kenilworth, IL, teaching sixth and eighth grade math. "I hope to continue to teach middle school math, and one day be part of the driving force behind creating and implementing the math curriculum for a school district," said Chaidan.

Chaidan and Samantha have both served as event chairs for various Auxiliary Board fundraising events throughout the year; past celebrations have included holiday parties, bowling tournaments, and cocktail gatherings. The Board also plays a key role in donation solicitation for UCAN's Annual Youth Leadership Awards Dinner silent auction, UCAN's signature event that is held each year in June - both Sam and Chaidan helped make last year's silent auction a huge success!

When asked what people should know about UCAN and our Auxiliary Board, Samantha said, "UCAN is such a great organization with many caring employees and volunteers - and each and every person plays an important role in making the difference of young people all over the city. Just as the programs offered by UCAN are so diverse, there is no shortage of ways that people can get involved with UCAN. There are opportunities for everyone - from organizing fundraising events to serving as a mentor to youth to generously donating to UCAN's mission. It's been a fantastic experience so far and I am so excited to continue working with UCAN and the Auxiliary Board!"

Chaidan added, "I believe that UCAN's vision speaks directly to the notion that everyone is capable of having a second chance. Whether someone's initial situation was self-created or "handed" down to them from an external source, I think UCAN's vision and mission allows children and adults alike to advocate for themselves, to recognize the need for change, and to be proactive in accomplishing that task. There is not one person who cannot relate to that."

Thank you to Chaidan and Samantha for your service to our youth and our Board - congratulations on your new leadership positions!

For more information on UCAN's Auxiliary Board please click here or contact Nina Yung at 773.290.5867 or yungn@ucanchicago.org.