Baird & Warner COO and executive vice president Jennifer Alter Warden received the 2020 Alter & Stone Outstanding Volunteer Award for her service to the literacy program Working in the Schools (WITS). She accepted the award virtually Thursday, Dec. 3.
Alter Warden serves on the WITS board of directors, where she leverages her leadership and strategic skills to enable WITS to become the largest provider of literacy programming to Chicago Public Schools.
Giving back is a passion of Alter Warden on a professional level as well. She was the architect of Baird & Warner’s philanthropic arm, now called Good Will Works, founding it in 2002. Since it’s inception, the program has donated $3 million to Chicagoland nonprofits focusing on housing-related causes. Through additional volunteer opportunities, office initiatives and innovative Volunteer Time Off program, agents, loan officers and staff have volunteered thousands of hours of their time to organizations that are making a difference in communities.
“Jennifer is one of Chicago’s philanthropic leaders, and she does it by doing. Her ability to bring people into the organizations she supports is incredible. She doesn’t say, ‘Will you do this?’ She asks, ‘Will you be my partner in this?’ It is a small difference, but one that inspires Board peers and other philanthropists alike,” said WITS CEO Tena Latona.
