New Poetry Foundation COO and Trustees

The Poetry Foundation is pleased to announce the addition of Jennifer Casteller as chief operating officer (COO) and four new appointees to its Board of Trustees: John S. Bracken, Michael Fassnacht, Lindsey Peckinpaugh, and Lynne Thompson, who is the third poet to serve on the current board. 

“Jennifer’s leadership and expertise will be assets to the executive team,” said Poetry Foundation president, Michelle T. Boone. “I look forward to working alongside her to advance our mission.”

Caren Yanis noted, as board chair, “I’m thrilled to welcome this skilled new class of board members to help steward the future of the Poetry Foundation.”

Jennifer Casteller joins the Poetry Foundation from the Barack Obama Foundation, where she was the vice president of finance, overseeing finance, accounting, procurement, and workplace services. Previously, she was the vice president/controller at the John G. Shedd Aquarium and an auditor at Ahlbeck and Company and Blackman Kallick. Casteller is a board member and treasurer of the Cultural Access Collaborative and a member of the AICPA, Chicago Finance Exchange, and Illinois CPA Society.

John S. Bracken is the executive director of the Digital Public Library of America, a nonprofit organization committed to expanding access to information in the digital age. As vice president for technology innovation at the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, he led the creation of the Ethics and Governance of AI Initiative and oversaw efforts to improve the creation, curation, and accessibility of information through Knight News Challenge, the Enterprise Fund, and the Knight Prototype Fund. Bracken previously helped to establish media policy and civic innovation grantmaking programs and global consulting services at the MacArthur Foundation and the Ford Foundation. Bracken serves on the board of Illinois Humanities.

Michael Fassnacht works alongside the Chicago Mayor’s Office as the chief marketing officer, ensuring that all marketing, branding, and business development activities for the city are aligned with Mayor Johnson’s economic growth plan. Since January 2021, he has served as president and CEO of World Business Chicago on the economic development organization’s business-centric board. Fassnacht has led critical pro-bono work for the rebranding of the Chicago Public Library and its foundation, Chicago’s Amazon HQ2 pitch, Chicago’s Census 2020 activities, and Boards of Change, an award-winning initiative to encourage residents to register to vote. Fassnacht served as a co-chair on Mayor Johnson’s transition sub-committee for Economic Vitaly & Equity. He has served on the boards of Choose Chicago, the Chicago Public Library Foundation, the Civic Consulting Alliance, CURRENT, Marwen, and World Business Chicago while providing counsel to P33 and the Pritzker Traubert Foundation’s Chicago Prize. Fassnacht is a 2022 Daniel Burham Fellow.

Lindsey Peckinpaugh is the managing director of the Chicago studio of Perkins&Will, a global architecture and design firm. In addition to her role leading the founding studio of the firm, Peckinpaugh serves as the Midwest regional director and on the firmwide board of directors. An avid reader and licensed architect, her practice is founded on projects that prioritize well-being, equity, and resiliency. Prior to joining Perkins&Will in 2017, Peckinpaugh built and led the successful Chicago studio of Sink Combs Dethlefs with specialized expertise in community recreation and inclusive design. She serves on  Ball State University’s Department of Architecture Professional Advisory Board and the Whiting YMCA Advisory Board. In 2021, she received a Ball State University College of Architecture Outstanding Alumni Award and the Crossroads YMCA Volunteer of the Year Award. Peckinpaugh was named to Crain's Chicago Business “Who’s Who in Construction, Architecture, and Engineering” in 2023.

Lynne Thompson served as the 2021–22 poet laureate of Los Angeles and has received an Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellowship. The author of three collections of poetry, Beg No Pardon, Start With A Small Guitar, and Fretwork, her newest collection, Blue on A Blue Palette, will be published by BOA Editions in spring 2024. Thompson serves on the boards of Cave Canem and the Los Angeles Review of Books and recently completed service as chair of the board of trustees at Scripps College, her alma mater.

The Foundation bids farewell to the following trustees, and thanks them for their years of leadership, dedication, and service: Allan Bulley III, Lynn Jerath, Brian Provost, and Scott Turow.