Peggy Parfenoff has extensive experience in nonprofit management, having served as the president of WorldChicago for 22 years. At Conlon Public Strategies, Peggy shares her experience with nonprofit growth and capacity building, strategic plan creation, and board development. She also has experience with federal grant management, fundraising strategies, and intentional international travel and expansion.

Peggy’s international perspective stems from her time at WorldChicago, which implements international exchange programs for the U.S. Department of State. She welcomed thousands of emerging leaders from all over the world to Chicago, highlighting the amazing people throughout Chicagoland that work each day to make our community vibrant. Prior to leading WorldChicago, Peggy was the director of development at the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and worked at the National Endowment for the Arts in Washington, D.C.

In her free time, Peggy and her husband love to travel around the world and around the beautiful United States. When not traveling, they enjoy exploring the many unique communities around Chicago. Peggy lives on the north side of the city along with her college-aged child and French bulldog.

Community

• International Women’s Forum, Programs Committee
• Adjunct Professor, Communications Department, Columbia College Chicago
• Japan America Society Board of Directors
• Past Board Member, Global Ties U.S.

Education

While at the Department of Cultural Affairs, Peggy earned her MBA in Public/Non-Profit Management and Marketing from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Peggy attended Central College in Pella, Iowa, for her communications and French undergraduate degrees. Her studies included the Chicago Semester and a year at the Sorbonne in Paris, France, the first of her many international travels.