Roberta is a Certified Financial Analyst (CFA) and has had a 30-year career in the investment industry managing institutional investment portfolios. She holds a Masters of Management degree from the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Finance and Economics from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. She spent most of her career at Allstate Insurance where she managed equity portfolios. Since retiring, she has become active in nature and bird conservation in the Chicago and northern Illinois area – and now, with the International Crane Foundation, worldwide.
She is a director of the Chicago Audubon Society, the Bird Conservation Network (a coalition of 21 organizations), and a member of the Chicago Mayor’s Nature and Wildlife Committee. In addition, she has served as a director of the Cradle in Evanston, IL, the Oak Park River Forest Community Foundation, and is a member of the Finance Committee of the Oak Park River Forest Infant Welfare Society. She is involved in Openland’s “Birds In My Neighborhood” program, where she visits Chicago public elementary schools, talks to the students about the birds in their neighborhoods, and takes them on bird walks around their schools.
Roberta has enjoyed her travels to see wildlife, birds, and cranes in particular, around the world. When not watching birds in the Chicago area, she and her husband Ira spend time in Galena, Illinois with their rescued cocker spaniel Chloe. She is honored to participate in the International Crane Foundation’s efforts to save these magnificent birds for future generations.