ALIVE ADVISORY BOARD (A.A.B.)
David Potts
Board President
Learn More About David Potts
David Potts serves as President of the Alive Center Advisory Board, where he is dedicated to advancing the organization’s mission of creating Teen-Led, Teen-Driven spaces that empower young people to become confident, resilient leaders. With a strong belief in the power of mentorship and skill development, David is passionate about supporting younger generations as they prepare for future careers and develop the skills needed to lead in society.
Professionally, David is the Manager of Labor Relations at Nicor Gas, where he fosters collaboration and builds strong relationships between management and labor. His career journey reflects a commitment to growth and leadership, with experience spanning operations, supervision, and organizational development.
Beyond his professional role, David actively champions community engagement. He founded an Illinois chapter Employee Resource Group (ERG) focused on generational diversity and inclusion, and he continues to advocate for programs that strengthen connections across communities.
David lives in Glendale Heights, IL with his fiancé Jessica, their two cats, Johnny Cash and June Carter, and their dog Luna. In his free time, he enjoys traveling, hiking, and exploring the outdoors.
Madhavi Adivi
Board Member
About Madhavi
Maddie Adivi is a Partner at xVectorlabs, a data analytics platform, specializing in customer operations. With over 20 years of experience in the enterprise software industry, her expertise spans customer solution development, pre-sales, program management, and software development. She is a trusted advisor and a strategic thinker with a customer-centric approach, helping Fortune 500 clients succeed using cloud enterprise software.
Maddie holds an MS in Physics from Purdue and an MS in Computer Science from UIC.
She resides in Naperville with her husband and two adult children, who also volunteer at the Alive Center.
Dawn Portner
Board Member
About Dawn
Dawn Portner was recently appointed as the City Clerk for the City of Naperville after serving as the Special Events Coordinator for the past nine years. She has a bachelor's degree from California State University, Sacramento and a master's degree in criminal justice from Lewis University. Dawn has also received a Certification in Event Management from George Washington University in Washington D.C.
There is nothing more important to Dawn than giving back to her a community that has welcomed and embraced her since she moved back to this area in 2004.
Dawn has volunteered for the Alive Center for the past seven years as a member of the Executive Board and when she decided to leave that position, she was asked to join the Alive Center's Advisory Board. She strongly believes in the Alive Center's mission and welcomes the opportunity to see the Center continue to grow both inside and outside the Naperville Community.
Dawn is currently a member of the Exchange Club of Wheaton where she serves as its President, and she is also a member of the 360 Youth Services Advisory Board and the Strong Families Advisory Board where she also serves as a Parent Mentor.
Dawn lives in Plainfield and is the mother of two kids, a daughter who works in the TV industry in Los Angeles and her son works for a local grocery store in Plainfield. She is also a proud grandmother to a one year old puppy by the name of Noodles.
Roger Iliff
Board Member
About Roger
Roger is a retired family doctor that relocated to Illinois from California.
He resides in Naperville with his lovely wife Kathy, two dogs and one cat. Roger is involved in several community organizations including Rotary Club of Naperville and the Alive Teen Centers. He enjoys travel, reading, playing the piano and volunteering for worthy organizations.
Laurie Donahue
Board Member
About Laurie
Laurie Donahue is a retired Senior Director in the telecom industry with more than 35 years of experience. Her background includes leading large, diverse, global business and technical teams in the various forms of Bell Labs / AT&T / Lucent / Alcatel/ Nokia. Responsibilities included managing a $1B procurement program and a $250M product investment portfolio.
Donahue has been a active volunteer and leader in a variety of community organizations, including the Indian Prairie Education Foundation, Animal Assisted Therapy at Edward Hospital, League of Women Voters, and Naperville’s Sister City Commission. She has served on the Indian Prairie School Board since 2017 and is the current President.
Laurie holds a Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering from the University of Michigan and an MBA from Benedictine University.
Donahue has lived in Naperville for over 40 years where she resides with her husband and raised her two adult children.
Lisa Konick
Board Member
About Lisa
Dr. Lisa Konick is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Founder of Konick and Associates, a quality provider of family behavioral health and psychological assessment services. She obtained her MS and PhD in Clinical Psychology from Northern Illinois University with a specialty focus in child development, and her BS in psychology from the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Konick has expertise in the evaluation and treatment of a range of psychological and behavioral problems in children, adolescents and adults, with specializations in disruptive behaviors, learning problems, neurodiversity, parenting, mood issues, and anxiety.
Dr. Konick takes into account the "whole picture." She strives to assess all aspects of an individual's life to uncover core issues and identify solutions based on the patient’s lifestyle and value system. As a Cognitive-Behavioral therapist, she is able to blend compassionate understanding with evidence-based practice. With this integrated approach, she has been very successful in helping individuals and families reach their fullest potential. In addition to therapy, Dr. Konick is well versed in comprehensive neuropsychological assessments that reflect best-practice methods. Prior to starting her psychology practice, she worked with patients in community mental health, university, residential, inpatient, and intensive outpatient settings. She has numerous publications in professional journals and her research has been presented at the national and international levels.
Karen Lankisch
Board Member
About Karen
Karen Lankisch is a learning experience designer and organizational development consultant with extensive experience across large corporations, mid-sized firms, and independent consulting organizations. In her current role, she focuses on campus strategy, relationship building, recruiting, and onboarding, designing impactful and inclusive programs that prepare the next generation of leaders.
Karen and her husband share a deep passion for empowering young people to lead with purpose. Together, they are proud of their four daughters, who are each finding their own paths as advocates for people and the environment.