2026 Lamplighter Award Recipients
Lisa and Stephen moved to Evanston in August 1999 when Lisa began a graduate program at Northwestern University. What started as a new chapter quickly became a lasting commitment to the community they would come to call home. Drawn to Evanston’s world-class university, proximity to Chicago and Lake Michigan, diversity, and excellent schools, they have spent more than two decades investing their time, talent, and resources into the people and organizations that make Evanston thrive.
Lisa, a graduate of Leadership Evanston, has served as chair of the Evanston Community Foundation Board, chaired the Y Women annual event, helped launch and lead the C&W Market Foundation’s work to reduce food insecurity, and supported organizations such as Evanston Latinos. Since the pandemic, she has volunteered nearly every Saturday morning at the C&W Market Food Pantry.
Stephen founded Hagerty Consulting two years after arriving in Evanston and helped grow it into one of the nation’s leading emergency management consulting firms. Through his work, he has supported communities preparing for, responding to, and recovering from some of the nation’s most historic disasters, including 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, and COVID-19. He later stepped away from day-to-day operations to serve as Evanston’s 21st mayor.
Together, Lisa and Stephen have supported numerous Evanston organizations and initiatives uplifting the Black community, including the Warren “Billy” Cherry Fund, Justin Wynn, the NAACP, the Chessmen, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, the Foster Senior Club, and Shorefront. They have also advocated for and supported efforts focused on reparations, affordable housing, youth development, record expungement, guaranteed income, and Black entrepreneurship.
Through their generosity, leadership, and deep belief in community, Stephen and Lisa embody the spirit of the Lamplighter Award. Their work reflects a shared commitment to helping Evanston live up to its highest ideals as a welcoming, equitable, and thriving place for all.