DuPage Community Board Highlight: Max Leichtman

We are pleased to highlight Max Leichtman of ComEd, a member of our DuPage Community Board since 2020! 

Below, Max shares about his commitment to Metropolitan Family Services DuPage (MFSD):

Tell us about your professional background? I am currently the Chief of Staff to the CEO of ComEd. I have been with ComEd since 2010, and was with the parent company Exelon for three years prior to that. I have held a variety of positions in Finance, Regulatory, Transmission & Distribution Operations, and Customer Operations. I have been lucky to be exposed to so many of the parts of the business and gain an understanding of all aspects of bringing clean energy and powering lives in Northern Illinois. What brought you to serve on the MFSD Board? I was introduced to MFSD and encouraged to join the Board by a family friend who formerly served on the Board and, later in his career, joined MFS as a staff member. This was right around the time of the merger with Family Shelter Service.

What’s your favorite memory or experience in being able to help others?

My favorite memory is taking my eldest daughter to a service project at a local food bank when she was eight. We both learned the extent to which, even in DuPage County which is considered one of the nation’s more affluent areas, families and kids struggle every day with food insecurity. It was eye opening for me, but I could see how it changed the way my daughter thought about our community.

Tell us about something that surprised you about being involved with MFSD?

One of the first Board meetings I attended was at the Family Shelter Service headquarters. I was surprised by how extensive the need is for domestic violence resources in DuPage County. I am fortunate that domestic violence has not touched my family or families we know. But learning about the work that FSS does gave me an understanding of how many women and children are in desperate need of a safe place to live and how challenging it can be to assemble the resources needed to help start a new life.

What do you hope to accomplish while serving as a Board Member?

I want to use my time on the Board to help spread awareness of the role of MFSD and similar organizations in our community. I had a friend reach out to me right as the pandemic hit. She said she wanted to provide help to people who would be in need more than ever but didn’t know who to support. I was really glad I could connect her to MFSD.

We live in communities that are socially conscious and generous with their time and resources, and I think volunteers of MFSD can do a great service just by helping to educate those we know.

What else would you like others to know about you?

My family and I have lived in Naperville for over six years. It has been a great community for my wife and I and our daughters. I am really grateful to have the opportunity to give back to my community through my association with MFSD.