Board of Directors

Laurie Williams

Laurie and her husband Rick are the founders of Collaborative Community Housing Initiative. They have one adult son Zachary, who inspired them to form CCHI. Laurie is leading this grassroots movement for inclusive living options with a group of volunteer families and stakeholders throughout the country.   By collaborating with educators, organizations, housing specialists  and urban planners, CCHI is encouraging public dialogue regarding inclusion, as well as creating space for community problem solving regarding affordable housing for people with IDD.   By researching and visiting various living models around the world, they learned that creating neighborhoods where everyone can thrive is possible!  Laurie is committed to building a more equal, diverse, inclusive and welcoming community for people of all abilities.  In addition to working full time as an Executive HR Consultant, Laurie is involved in the National Fragile X Association as an event organizer, speaker and mentor.  

Anthony Bilotti, Ph.D.

Anthony has advised government and private sectors in the planning and implementation of health and environmental initiatives, property redevelopment, and educational curricula during his professional career of 40 years. He is an Adjunct Lecturer at Northwestern University, McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science. He was also Adjunct Assistant Professor of Public Health at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He has served on municipal and county planning commissions, and boards of professional societies. Anthony and his wife Emma Kowalenko enjoy involvement with the community and have been active volunteers in civic and community organizations. 

Richard Koenig

Richard has been the Executive Director of Housing Opportunity Development Corporation since 1997. So far he has completed over 30 affordable developments with over 500 affordable units. He has a PhD in Community Economic Development from Southern New Hampshire University and a Masters of Urban Planning from the University of Illinois. He is a member of Lambda Alpha and was selected as a Fellow by the American Institute of Certified Planners. Richard previously served on the board of Housing Options for the Mentally Ill and as Chair of the Alliance to End Homelessness in Suburban Cook County.

Carole Rosen, MAID, CAPS

Carole served on the Community Housing and Inclusion and Executive Committees of the Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities. Her diverse background in advocacy includes serving on The Going Home Coalition, The New Trier Township Funding Committees and organizing community wide events promoting affordable community supported housing. Her driving belief is that Community is strengthened by diversity and whether the issue of community housing and inclusion is analyzed from an ethical or economic viewpoint, it is crucial that current living situations for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities innovate and change.  In addition to her Masters of Interior Design degree, she is a Certified Aging in Place Specialist with additional coursework in Universal Design.  She is an award winning photographer with work shown in numerous regional and national photography exhibitions. Carole and her husband, William, have a daughter who has developmental disabilities and a son.

Laura Fine 

Laura has been working and leading programs for individuals with autism and intellectual disabilities over the past 20 years, supporting students in a variety of ways throughout their high school and transition years in school. Laura has worked tirelessly throughout her career collaborating with outside agencies to help empower families to begin thinking about building a meaningful day once school ends at a much earlier age. Her innovative thinking and passion for preparing students for the future continue to propel individuals with disabilities and their families in living a purposeful life beyond school.  Currently, Laura works for the Exceptional Learners Collaborative at Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Illinois where she serves as the Assistant Director of Programs and Services.  Laura and her husband Ken have two children Sara and Ben.  

Marla Davis Henry, LCSW 

Marla is the special parent of two young men and has been a part of CCHI for 4 years.  She is passionate about connecting with other families and discovering creative housing solutions.    
Marla is also a psychotherapist and has a private practice working with special families and caregivers. She has written and presented about raising kids with special needs including a program she created called Mindfulness for the Special Parent.   Marla lives with her husband and son in Deerfield and is also active in her congregation as an ordained officiant and teaching Sunday School.  
Marla has been managing CCHI's Membership Program and is thrilled to take on a bigger role working with our members and their families!

Alison (Ali) Friduss 

Ali is the Chef Ann Foundation Senior Director of Development. In that role, she oversees a national fundraising program that supports school districts throughout the nation with the tools and resources to elevate their school food programs under the current USDA National School Lunch Program.  Prior to joining the CAF team in 2021, Ali was the Director of Development at The Jewish Community Centers of Chicago, which is the largest JCC affiliate agency in the nation. During that time, she championed the JCC Chicago Annual Giving Campaign, worked very closely with the Board of Directors and was the primary relationship manager for the JCC Chicago Women’s Board.Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, Ali currently lives in the suburbs of Chicago, IL with her husband Paul, their two teenage children and 2 very unique rescue pups.