McGowan Milner brings to the organization more than 20 years’ experience in nonprofit finance leadership and a passion for serving women experiencing homelessness.
[CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, June 17, 2021—] Deborah’s Place is thrilled to announce that Maureen McGowan Milner joined the organization as its new chief financial officer on June 16, 2021.
McGowan Milner will oversee the nonprofit organization’s finance, human resources and IT functions, as well as serve as the staff liaison to the board finance and audit committee and the investment committee. Her responsibilities include management of the $6.9 million agency budget, government contracts, legal matters and compliance.
“This role presents many interesting challenges for me – I welcome the opportunity to meet them and serve as the new CFO and continue to open doors for the women of Deborah’s Place,” McGowan Milner said.
McGowan Milner has a long history with Deborah’s Place, having served on the board of directors from 1992-1998 and again from 2000-2006, seeing the organization through the development of its two project-based housing programs: the Patty Crowley Apartments in Old Town and the Rebecca Johnson Apartments in East Garfield Park. McGowan Milner joined the board again in 2018 after returning to Chicago from Milwaukee. During her board terms, Maureen held the leadership positions of board president, treasurer, and chair of the finance and audit committee.
McGowan Milner has 20 years of nonprofit financial management experience, including a recent position as senior director of finance at Marillac St. Vincent Family Services, where she managed financial operations and reporting, oversaw government reporting functions, managed a team of four and was part of the senior leadership team.
McGowan Milner also has 13 years of corporate finance experience at Ameritech and U.S. Cellular. She holds a B.S. in accounting from the University of Illinois and an M.B.A from Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University.
“We are very excited to welcome Maureen to our team at Deborah’s Place,” said Audrey Thomas, Deborah’s Place CEO. “I have worked with Maureen for many years through her three terms on our board of directors, and we are very fortunate to be bringing on someone with her deep understanding of and commitment to our mission. I look forward to working with her in this leadership role.”
Founded in 1985, Deborah’s Place is the largest provider of permanent supportive housing exclusively for unaccompanied women experiencing homelessness in Chicago. With two project-based sites and more than 140 units of scattered site housing throughout the city, Deborah’s Place serves more than 420 women annually. With a mission to open doors of opportunity for women experiencing homelessness through permanent housing and support services, Deborah’s Place offers women their key to healing, achieving their goals and moving on from the experience of homelessness. For more information, visit the Deborah’s Place website at www.deborahsplace.org.