312.339.6315
“The period of crisis we have lived through for the past two years has brought a wide recognition that we must make systemic change. The only way to do this is through advocacy. For nonprofits and funders to succeed
at this they will have to be willing to take risks and share power with groups that have not always been inside the rooms where decisions are made.”
Roberta brings years of successful experience in advocacy, communications, and community affairs to her work at Rakove and Strassberger. In 1991 she joined the leadership team at Sinai Health System, one of the largest providers of health care for low-income people in Illinois. In her role as Senior Vice President for External Affairs she directed Sinai’s federal, state, and local advocacy and helped Sinai become a national voice on Medicaid, immigration justice, and gun violence. She has served on numerous national and state policy and advocacy councils. Following the election of Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Roberta was appointed to the Mayor’s Health Care
Transition Team. She was the Illinois recipient of the American Hospital Association Grass Roots Champion Award and the Chicago Avodah Partner in Social Justice Award. At Rakove and Strassberger, she is particularly proud of the work the firm has done to bring a diverse range of community voices to the strategy and actions of clients.
Roberta received her BA in political science from Pitzer College in Claremont, California and her MPH from the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health.
