2025 UCAN Leadership Award Honorees

Gerald Hamilton is a dedicated foster parent and former Chicago homicide detective who has opened his home—and his heart—to over 100 foster youth from Chicago’s South Shore over the past 40 years. His residence, known as the “Hamilton House,” has become a place where young people—regardless of background or life circumstance—find stability, care, and opportunity to thrive.

Mr. Hamilton began fostering children shortly after purchasing the home in the late 1970s, inspired by his grandmother’s influence and a strong sense of community. He later joined the Chicago Police Department in 1985 and served as a homicide detective until his retirement in 2010. Through it all, his commitment to offering a safe, loving home never wavered .

Forming deep, lasting bonds with youth, Gerald supports not just their emotional well-being but their daily needs—laundry, meals, mentorship—and helping them transition to independence, including job connections and life skills. His approach has proven powerful: many former foster youth return to visit, describing him as a father figure who taught them how to be men with dignity and responsibility.

Bon is the Chairman of the Board of Directors and has been with Adams Street Partners and its predecessor organizations since 1980. He was instrumental in the development of Adams Street's private equity investment strategies, fund management, and investor relations. He is sought out by private equity firms, consultants, and investors for advice and recommendations on a variety of private equity topics.

Throughout his career, Bon has been a guest lecturer to business schools, Wall Street Firms, private equity conferences, and industry trade associations about various investment topics and strategies. He was a member of the CFA Institute Committee (formerly AIMR - the Association for Investment Management and Research), which made recommendations concerning standards for reporting performance in private equity. Bon was a contributor to the ICFA's first book on the subject of private market investments, Investing in Venture Capital (1988).

He also sits on the advisory boards of New Enterprise Associates and Madison Dearborn Partners.

He is a member of the Board of Trustees, and former Chairman and current member of the Investment Committee at Northwestern University. He is also a member of the Kellogg Graduate School of Management Dean's Advisory Council. Bon is a member of the CFA Institute, the CFA Society of Chicago Leadership Council, and Chairman of the Board of the Center for Railroad Photography and Art. Bon is former Director of the National Venture Capital Association, and former Chairman ofthe Board of the Chicago History Museum, where he remains  a Trustee

Juliana Stratton is serving all of Illinois as the 48th Lieutenant Governor. She is dedicated and highly qualified, committed to showing that the way we move forward is together.

In this role, she leans on empathy and expertise to open doors and expand pathways uplifting communities statewide. She brings her visionary leadership to more than a dozen councils, commissions, boards, and agencies as Chair or executive liaison. These span the Illinois Council on Women and Girls; the Governor’s Rural Affairs Council; the Military Economic Development Committee; and the Rivers of Illinois Coordinating Council.

Among several responsibilities, Stratton’s portfolio includes overseeing the administration’s Justice, Equity, and Opportunity Initiative; chairing the board of the Restore, Reinvest, and Renew Program; and leading office initiatives that address the needs of Illinoisans—ranging from efforts to build a strong diverse teacher pipeline, to helping create pathways to economic empowerment for women, to establishing the Ag Connects Us All Agricultural Equity and Food Insecurity Initiative.

The Lt. Governor is the immediate past Chair of the National Lieutenant Governor’s Association, is a White House appointed member of the federal Route 66 Centennial Commission and is actively engaged in The Chicago Network; Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated; and The Links, Incorporated. In her free time, she enjoys running, cooking, and spending time with her husband Bryan and four daughters.

Stratton loves the state of Illinois, the people of Illinois, and doing the work that will uplift the next generation in Illinois and beyond.

At McDonald’s, their purpose is to feed and foster communities.

As the leading global foodservice retailer, they believe it’s their responsibility to make their impact on this world a positive one.

The McDonald's Corporation believes in using their influence, size and reach, and engaging with customers, staff, franchisees, suppliers and partners, as a responsible business with a positive impact on communities globally. They are proud of the work they do to help make a difference—and will continue working to deliver progress in the communities in which they operate.

McDonald's is driving impact by living their purpose. The actions they continue to take today across people, communities and the planet will ensure they are building a better business and a more trusted brand for generations to come.