Marilyn Turkovich, Executive Director

Marilyn Turkovich started with the Charter for Compassion in 2013 as the education director and since that time has moved into a number of different roles with CFC. Marilyn's background has been primarily in higher education and most specifically in directing teacher training programs for the Associated Colleges of the Midwest, and chairing Columbia College-Chicago's master's program in multicultural and global education.  She has done a considerable amount of curriculum writing through the years, much of it related to international and cultural topics. She worked with Independent Broadcasting Associates on a series for airing on National Public Radio, BBC and the Australian Broadcasting organizations. There was a period of time in the 1990s when she worked in organizational development and specialized in instructional design work, strategic planning and leadership development.  She also wrote and developed training on race and social justice initiatives.

Mérida McCarthy, Program Coordinator

Mérida has been involved in the Charter for Compassion since 2016. CfC has been her inspiration collaborating in various projects through her work with Encuentro Mundial de Valores ABP in Mexico, where she successfully helped coordinating the roll-out of CIT and Think Equal as part of the Compassionate Cities program. She has now joined the CfC team and is looking forward to continue coordinating and inspiring partners, cities & communities to introduce compassionate actions as a foundation and guide to live in a kinder world that enhances wellbeing and peace for all.

Vanessa Hurst, Consultant for Community Growth

Vanessa F. Hurst is Compassion Officer at Intent & Action. She consults with organizations to identify and strengthen compassion cultures and create sustainable, collaborative environments. As a community builder, she facilitates the strengthening of relationships with current stakeholders and the growing of community membership. Vanessa is author of Engaging Compassion Through Intent and Action and A Constellation of Connections: Contemplative Relationships. She holds a master’s degree in Natural Health. In her practice as an intuitive coach, she assists clients in transformation through the integration of mindfulness practices and compassion.

Thea LaGrou, Lead for Film and Media Arts

Thea is a cultural creative who is driven by curiosity, imagination and a vision for positive change in the world. As Founding Director at Compathos Foundation she works at the intersection of the arts and creativity, peace and compassion, and social transformation by producing and sharing conscious media that educates and inspires. Cynthia facilitates teams of social change artists, filmmakers, musicians, writers, and technologists in the co-creation of meaningful media experiences from around the world, while working to provide strategic insight and integral solutions for content producers, mission-driven organizations, and networked movements. Cynthia is an author, speaker and event producer who is passionate about bringing people together to unearth their collective stories and inspire meaningful action around the common good. She is working with the Charter to produce community engagement resources and a Media Coalition for Peace and Compassion.

Andrea LeBlanc, CFC Lead for Peace and Non-Violence Sector and annotated bibliographies section

Andrea LeBlanc lost her husband, Robert G. LeBlanc, Professor Emeritus of Geography, on UA#175 when it was flown into the second WTC tower. Together Bob and Andrea parented 5 children and have nine grandchildren. Andrea is a retired veterinarian, having practiced small animal medicine and surgery for 37 years. The family created the Robert G. LeBlanc Memorial Scholarship at the University of New Hampshire which is awarded to undergraduate students for study abroad.

[Since joining 9/11 Families for Peaceful Tomorrows] "I have realized that there is a vast global community of wise and compassionate people who all understand the wisdom and power of nonviolence. I believe that the stories of these peacemakers must be told and told again until they become as ubiquitous as all the stories of hatred and violence and war.  I belong to that community and I want to tell their stories."