The Girls Rock! Chicago Board of Directors is comprised of volunteers brought together by a love of music and a desire to foster creativity and self-esteem in young women.
Heather Lember, Director & Co-Founder
Heather grew up in New Jersey and started playing guitar when she was 13. She spent her high school years writing angsty songs in her bedroom, and started her first band after moving to New England to attend the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Heather earned her BA in Comparative Literature and Film Studies and then studied German in Berlin. She moved to Chicago in 2005 where she has played in various rock bands, including her current project, the all-female punk rock 4-piece, Lemmy Caution. When she’s not volunteering her time with GR!C Heather works at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Renee Neuner, Camp Director & Co-Founder
Renee started to play the guitar in high school because there wasn’t much to do in her three-stop-light hometown in Michigan. She helped to establish GR!C in 2005 as a senior at The University of Chicago. After earning her B.A. in Gender Studies and Human Rights she went on to work at several non-profits until GR!C grew big and strong enough to pay the bills. When not slaving away in the GR!C office alongside David Lewis of Riot Act, Renee works on bikes (pedals not motors), plays 8-bit Nintendo games and reads Kurt Vonnegut novels.
Melissa Oglesby, Marketing Outreach Coordinator & Co-Founder
Melissa Oglesby, Marketing Outreach Coordinator & Co-Founder Melissa began playing music at age 8 with the clarinet, had brief run-ins with guitar and piano and eventually settled into drums. She became interested in DIY culture in her formative years and began publishing zines at the age of 14. When writing about independent music was no longer enough, in true DIY fashion, she started making her own, regardless of musical ability. A graduate in Gender Studies from the University of Chicago, Melissa also volunteers for pro-choice organizations, including the Chicago Abortion Fund and the Illinois Choice Action Team. When she’s not advocating for women and girls, she can often be found in the company of cats, bikes and baked goods.
Lauren Viera, Volunteer Coordinator & Co-Founder
Lauren has been playing various musical instruments since age six when she started taking piano lessons from her hometown’s church organist. After a few fleeting years playing clarinet and harp, she took up the bass in high school and began playing in bands while attending Oberlin College, from which she earned a B.A. in Musicology and Visual Arts. She moved to Chicago in 2002 primarily to reap from the city’s diverse music scene, which she has written about for publications including Time Out Chicago and the Chicago Tribune, where she is a Features editor. In addition to GR!C, Lauren plays in the band Coupleskate, teaches English at Columbia College, and volunteers with Chicago’s East Village Youth Program, where she mentors teenage girls.
Jane Danger, Board Member
Jane is the co-founder, vocalist and guitarist for the long-running Chicago indie rock band Three Dollar Bill. Always politically-aware and continually DIY, Jane hopes to foster the activity of young women on their quest for self-expression via playing loud rock music. In her spare time, Jane enjoys making art, disrupting the mainstream, playing tackle football for the Chicago Force (an all women’s full-contact team!) and building exhibits for The Field Museum. She is currently searching for her next band.
Jan King, Curriculum Coordinator
Jan has been playing in rock bands for over 30 years. Her current band, Shrieking Violet, is an original 3-piece band from Chicago. Jan teaches guitar to rock stars of all ages but her focus is on teaching young women. Female artists that have inspired and influenced Jan include Patti Smith (Horses), the Runaways (the Runaways), and the Kills (the Kills).
Meghan Coleman, Events Coordinator
Originally from Boston, Meghan moved to Chicago in the summer of 2007. Meghan has been involved in music from an early age and began playing concert clarinet at the age of 10. In her early teen years, she became passionate about rock music and it has been an important part of her life ever since. When not working for GR!C, Meghan spends her time baking cupcakes, playing guitar, and learning bass guitar for a new music project.
Heather Cunningham, Information Technology Coordinator
Heather’s original creative background is in the visual arts; she earned a B.F.A. in Visual Arts from the State University of New York at Purchase. However, ever since high school it was her dream to be in a punk rock band. In 2004, Heather moved to Chicago to take advantage of the art and music scene, and picked up a guitar for the first time. In 2006, Heather founded the all-girl pop-punk band The Catchelorettes. Inspired by the band’s success, Heather wanted to share her experience with young women. She taught guitar and served as a band coach for the past two years at Girls Rock! Chicago’s summer camp program. Heather joined the board of directors in 2007, and brings twelve years of experience in the Information Technology field as a web developer, programmer and project manager to the team. In her spare time, Heather designs matching t-shirts for dogs and their people at Superbuddy Pets.
Miriam Beyer, Workshop Coordinator
Miriam is thrilled to join the talented team behind Girls Rock! Chicago. With a Feminist Studies degree from Stanford University and a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Chicago, she firmly believes in the transformative effects of creative expression in changing the social, economic, and political landscape for girls and young women. Formerly a board member of the Chicago Chapter of the National Organization for Women and current slave of the nonprofit world, Miriam is looking forward to sharing in the energy, excitement, and vast potential of all the girls who participate in Girls Rock!
Heather Manning, Secretary
Heather has a BS in Psychology and currently runs a housing program for adults with a mental illness. Heather plays soccer, is a die-hard Cub fan, and a devoted groupie of her husband Jerry’s band. In her spare time she loves to cook. Besides a stint playing saxaphone and bassoon in high school (NOT very rock-n-roll), Heather has little musical talent. However, she is always on the lookout for new bands. Heather enjoys a good nap.
