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Yoo-Jin Hong, Interim Executive Director
Yoo-Jin brings over 20 years of leadership experience in nonprofit and cultural institutions, and specializes in supporting mission-driven organizations through moments of change with steadiness, collaboration, and care. She will partner with the Chamber’s staff, board, and members to ensure continuity and support for our community. We deeply appreciate the trust of our members as we move forward together to continue building a resilient, dynamic, and vibrant local economy.
Contact Yoo-Jin: executivedirector@oprfchamber.org
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Melissa Mallinson, Director of Programming and Membership
Melissa Mallinson brings 20 years of experience in nonprofit leadership and community engagement. A 2018 Allstate Foundation Executive Leadership Fellow, she held key roles at the Old Town School of Folk Music, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, and the Mary Crane Center, among others. Melissa designs highly effective programs, develops assessment and evaluation protocols, and facilitates deeply engaging community-centered activities. As Director of Membership for the Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana, she led a team of 27 in serving more than 40,000 members.
Notable projects include Guitars for Growth in the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center, in partnership with the Chicago Community Trust Arts Infusion Initiative, and The Lullaby Project in collaboration with Carnegie Hall, which partnered teen mothers with songwriters to create original lullabies for their little ones. Melissa's volunteer efforts include founding the 501(c)(3) Harvest Chicago Contemporary Dance Festival, serving as Board Treasurer for the Acts of Kindness Cabaret, and Financial Review Committee for Impact Grants Chicago, a women-led grantmaking collective. She received her MBA from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and holds a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management.Contact Melissa: mmallinson@oprfchamber.org
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Julian Sanchez, Events and Engagement Manager
Julian Sanchez is the Events and Engagement Manager at the Oak Park–River Forest Chamber of Commerce, where he works to make every gathering a reason to be glad you left the house. With a talent for creating events that are both well-run and genuinely fun, Julian focuses on fostering connections that strengthen the local business community.
A professional portrait photographer and lifelong artist, Julian draws on a creative foundation built during his time at Northwestern University, where he earned a degree in Film, Television, and Radio, a minor in Theater, and a certificate in Civic Engagement. His experience teaching middle school drama and working in the nonprofit sector deepened his commitment to building inclusive, welcoming spaces.
Growing up in Pilsen, Julian witnessed firsthand the impacts of rapid gentrification, which fueled his passion for community building on a larger scale. Today, that perspective shapes his work — ensuring Chamber events don’t just bring people together, but also celebrate and preserve the unique character of Oak Park and River Forest.
Contact Julian: jsanchez@oprfchamber.org
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Mark Walden, Program Manager
Mark is Program Manager at the Oak Park Chamber of Commerce, and at other times of the week wears the hat of a property manager, nonprofit fundraiser, or snow removal contractor. He sometime looks goofy due to wearing all those hats. Mark appreciates the OPRF area for its independent businesses, trees, garage sales, and architecture. But he lives in Chicago because that's where his wife and his ultimate frisbee game are.
Contact Mark: mwalden@oprfchamber.org
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Carolyn Henning, Billing & Membership Coordinator
Carolyn is a lifelong resident of Cook County and lives in Oak Park. She spent 15 years working at consumer ad agencies in Traffic/Print Production. One day she responded to a Mom's Mail help-wanted ad that down the road fortuitously landed her a job at the OPRF Chamber. Carolyn likes good barbeque and dabbles in gardening and cooking.
Carolyn is the person you will be contacting to talk about your billing, updating your membership data and creating eblasts.
Contact Carolyn: chenning@oprfchamber.org
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Jordi Murillo, Marketing Coordinator
Jordi joined the Chamber team in late 2024 and now serves as Marketing Coordinator. With a Fine Arts background and a strong foundation in visual storytelling, he brings both creativity and strategy to the Chamber’s marketing efforts. His work is rooted in a passion for inclusive, community-focused projects that bring people together and strengthen local connections.
Outside of work, he’s a multidisciplinary artist—and a lifelong Sonic the Hedgehog superfan.Contact Jordi: jmurillo@oprfchamber.org
