Lonnie Nasatir is the President-Elect of the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Chicago. Effective July 1, 2019, Nasatir will be the fifth person in the 119-year history of Chicago’s Jewish Federation to serve at its helm as President and Chief Executive.

Nasatir brings an exceptional track record as a community leader and senior-level experience at both the Anti-Defamation League and at a major government agency.

Serving as the Anti-Defamation League’s Regional Director of the Greater Chicago/Upper Midwest area from 2005-2019, Nasatir led initiatives to fight anti-Semitism and all forms of bigotry. As ADL Regional Director, Nasatir oversaw the six-state Upper Midwest region and was charged with leading the implementation of ADL’s strategic plan among its 26 regional offices. Notably, Nasatir more than doubled the local campaign from $2.6 million to $5.8 million.

A hallmark of Nasatir’s leadership has been his focus on engaging the next generation and his commitment to promoting institutional diversity. Nasatir exponentially increased the representation of next generation young leadership on the Board of the ADL Midwest region, as well as worked closely with the first two female Board Chairs in the organization’s history.

Nasatir’s legacy at the ADL includes establishing the organization as the lead voice on issues of anti-Semitism, Israel and fighting hate in the Midwest. He also championed multiple legislative initiatives to enhance hate crime statutes at both the state and federal level.

Prior to his tenure at ADL, Nasatir served as Administrator for the Illinois Department of Public Aid (now the Department of Healthcare and Family Services), Division of Child Support Enforcement, where he managed a budget of $225 million and led a division of over 1,000 staff to record-high collection and performance numbers. A powerful advocate for children and families, Nasatir worked with the Federal Government, Illinois General Assembly and state agencies in drafting legislation which benefitted the most vulnerable.

Nasatir began his career as a prosecutor for the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, where he quickly became a lead attorney and a supervisor. He serves as a member of the Cook County Hate Crime Prosecution Council and is a member of the Board of Directors at Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School. The recipient of ADL’s Professional Excellence Award and the Cook County SAO Leadership Award, Nasatir was named Man of the Year by the Shomrim Society, the fraternal organization of Jewish law enforcement officers, in 2016. Lonnie is often quoted in local and national news outlets and is deemed on expert on issues related to anti-Semitism, extremism and bigotry in this country and the world.

A graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Nasatir received his law degree from IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law.

He and his wife, Risa, live in Lakeview with their two daughters. They are members of Am Yisrael. He is an Associate Member since June 2019.