Cheryl Mendelson, CEO of the Van Wezel Foundation, has been appointed to the Gulf Coast CEO Forum, an organization comprised of a  group of local leaders, presidents and CEOs from the business and nonprofit sectors. The forum provides members with opportunities to build relationships, generate ideas and formulate solutions to issues facing the community. With a focus on business leadership, the CEO Forum hosts educational programs designed to reflect the culture and needs of today’s business executives. Mendelson was appointed CEO of the Van Wezel Foundation in January 2019; previously, she served as executive vice-president and chief operating officer at the Harris Theater in Chicago's Millennium Park. She received her B.A. from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and completed the Management Institute Program at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.