Vice President and Executive Director, Research & Policy Center, Chicago Urban League
In her role as V.P. and Executive Director of the Research and Policy Center at the Chicago Urban League, Stephanie J. Schmitz Bechteler brings over sixteen years of experience in research and policy to the position. Stephanie built the Research and Policy Center in 2016 and in her current role oversees all external research and advocacy activities for the League. She is responsible for aligning Chicago Urban League’s policy, advocacy and government affairs agenda with the vision, mission and strategic goals of the organization. She also developed and oversees the League’s “Race and Equity Initiative,” designed to help the League engage in thoughtful, informed discussions on race, structural racism and racial equity for African Americans. From 2013-2016, Stephanie served as the Director of Research and Evaluation. Bechteler received her A.M. from the University of Chicago’s School of Social Service Administration in 2006 and her Ph.D. in Social Work from the Jane Addams College of Social Work at the University of Illinois in 2015.