HOPE CHICAGO PRESS RELEASE: AUGUST 14, 2025

Hope Chicago Names Dr. Aaron Kuecker as Chief Executive Officer

CHICAGO -- Hope Chicago, the two-generation economic mobility and gap-closing scholarship program, announced today that Dr. Aaron Kuecker (pronounced Kee-Ker) has been named Chief Executive Officer. He will officially begin the role on September 15.

Dr. Kuecker joins Hope Chicago from Trinity Christian College, where he advanced broad institutional transformation focused on increasing affordability, access, and student belonging. Under his leadership, Trinity reduced tuition costs by more than 40 percent, improved financial transparency and holistic support for students, and launched Earn, Network, & Learn, a paid career readiness initiative with more than 50 Chicagoland employers.

Dr. Kuecker’s career as a professor, academic dean, and youth and associate pastor shaped a leadership style grounded in mentorship, belonging, and purpose-driven service. He is a recognized thought leader in reimagining higher education economics, a frequent national presenter on community economic development, and a convener of influential conversations in collaboration with the Aspen Institute’s Financial Security Program.

“We founded Hope Chicago to break the cycle of generational poverty through education — and Dr. Kuecker is exactly the kind of visionary leader we need to drive that mission forward,” said Pete Kadens and Ted Koenig, co-founders of Hope Chicago. “We stand at a pivotal and exciting moment. In four short years, we have built an innovation movement in Illinois higher education and delivered meaningful results. As barriers to higher education persist, now is the opportune time for Dr. Kuecker’s experienced leadership to carry our work onward.”

Launched in 2021, Hope Chicago has implemented a two-generation scholarship model that supports both high school students and their parents or guardians from communities historically excluded from postsecondary opportunities. Since then, the organization has raised more than $90 million and served more than 2,000 Hope Scholars and Parent Scholars in Illinois. Postsecondary enrollment at Hope Chicago’s five partner high schools has increased by more than 30%, and Hope Scholars have shown significant gains in college persistence. To date, more than 110 Scholars and Parent Scholars have earned debt-free degrees or credentials. Hope Chicago partners with 29 in-state colleges and workforce programs to provide comprehensive financial coverage, academic support, and career development opportunities. In 2024, under Dr. Kuecker’s leadership, Trinity Christian College joined the Hope Chicago partner network as one of six new private university additions.

“I’ve spent my career working to expand educational opportunity—and I’ve seen what’s possible when institutions invest not only in students, but in their families and communities,” said Dr. Aaron Kuecker. “Hope Chicago is redefining what postsecondary success can look like, and I’m honored to lead this next chapter of the work alongside those committed to building a more just and accessible future for Chicago’s students and families.”

“Building Hope Chicago from the ground up has been one of the greatest honors of my career,” said Dr. Janice K. Jackson, founding CEO of Hope Chicago. “As the organization shifts from a bold promise to a long-term change movement, Dr. Kuecker’s deep experience leading from within higher education is exactly what Hope Chicago needs. He understands the complexity of postsecondary systems and how to transform them to better serve students, especially those typically left on the sidelines.”

Further updates on the organization’s next phase of impact will be shared in the weeks ahead.

Dr. Kuecker will spend the coming weeks visiting schools, meeting with families and partners, and preparing to begin his tenure.

For more information, visit www.hopechicago.org.

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