Theresa Nihill Named Chief Operating Officer of Metropolitan Family Services

Theresa Coye Nihill, Executive Director of Metropolitan DuPage Center, has been named Chief Operating Officer of Metropolitan Family Services, effective August 1, 2016.

Nihill will lead the human services agency’s work to expand and build new systems, further strengthen its community partnerships, and continue to deliver and build its high-quality programming and services. She will be based in Chicago.

“Theresa’s servant-leader focus in putting clients and staff first, as well as her insight and experiences, will help Metropolitan Family Services move forward as the agency works to expand and build new systems, further strengthen its client/customer service, and continue its best-in-class programming,” said Ric Estrada, Metropolitan’s President and CEO.

Nihill was formerly Executive Director of Metropolitan Family Services DuPage, located in Wheaton, Ill., from 2007 – 2016. She first joined Metropolitan as a social worker in 1986. Throughout her 30-year career providing lower-income families with job, education, health and other services, Nihill has demonstrated leadership. She helped create numerous programs, including SHIFT, a homeless transitional housing program; WeGo Together for Kids, a collaborative that addresses students’ and families’ health, safety and well-being in West Chicago, Ill.; several integrated behavioral health and primary healthcare programs; and Family Self Sufficiency, which provides lower-income families with access to job training, child care, and intensive emotional support. Each program was developed to meet a gap in services for DuPage County’s ever-changing population.

Nihill has proven to be a strong leader at Metropolitan and within the community, fostering a wealth of relationships with residents, legislators, partner agencies and more. Examples include the Steering Committees for Impact DuPage and for the Behavioral Health Collaboration for DuPage County, the Board of Directors for the DuPage Federation on Human Services Reform, the Board of Directors for Positive Parenting DuPage, and the Steering Committee for WeGo Together for Kids. Honors include having been named one of DuPage County’s “50 Under 50” and a Woman of Distinction, the latter by Suburban Life Media.

Her work also was key to Metropolitan winning the grants to provide Head Start and Early Head Start programming in DuPage County, and in securing support for the Addison Children’s Center, a partnership with Addison School District 4, which opened in spring 2016.

Nihill earned her Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from St. Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Ind., and her Master’s degree in Social Work from Tulane University in New Orleans, LA.

About Metropolitan Family Services
Metropolitan Family Services empowers families to learn, to earn, to heal, to thrive. Part mentor, part motivator, part advocate, since 1857 Metropolitan Family Services has been the engine of change that empowers families to reach their greatest potential and positively impact their communities. Metropolitan is Illinois’ first comprehensive human services agency and reaches more than 68,000 families and individuals annually through seven community centers in Chicago, Evanston/Skokie, the southwest suburbs and DuPage County. Metropolitan’s services promote education, economic stability, emotional wellness and empowerment.