ABOC

ABOC is grateful to have the opportunity to highlight a valued Union partner in honor of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPI) Heritage Month. Don Villar serves as Secretary for the Chicago Federation of Labor and exemplifies the meaning of allyship between the Bank and our Union clients. We work side by side to help our communities while also raising awareness about important topics, such as the contributions of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders.

On the topic of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Don said “That’s what it’s all about, celebrating the rich diversity of our country, and in this month especially, the contributions of Asian Americans. Diversity is something to be proud of and AANHPI Heritage Month reminds us of this.”

The official theme this year is “Power in Unity: Strengthening Communities Together.” This theme has significant meaning to Don, and he shared, “Racial solidarity is so important – we need it more than ever. This is 2026! From a labor union perspective, we need to recognize the culture behind movements, whether it’s Filipino Americans fighting for workers rights or Alaskan/Native Hawaiians - I think about the contributions of Asian Americans for these movements and how it continues today. The fight for racial justice and solidarity has come a long way, and an example of this is from the 1991 Civil Rights Act Amendment, which was in large part due to Filipino Americans fighting for workers’ rights and against racial disparity. This amendment later helped Chicago Firefighters who were facing discriminatory hiring practices.”

Finally, when asked what AANHPI Month means to him, Don reflected “It means a chance to celebrate the diversity and see how far we’ve come, but also recognizing there’s still work that needs to be done. Meaningful ways to celebrate AANHPI culture would be to acknowledge it, take a moment to recognize the rich diversity, and reflect on history. Without the movements and celebration of cultures, we wouldn’t have the the rich diversity in the workforce that we have today. It’s important to celebrate all the months and to pause to recognize these, because it wasn’t always like this. We’re becoming more diversified and ending discriminatory practices, and we need to continue to strive for this and not roll back. Let’s celebrate our siblings, our neighbors, and know that it’s vital to celebrate these months to help create a more encompassing and welcoming city and workplace.”

This month Sergio Carillo joined Union partners Jen Luetgert and Derek Luetgert of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 196 on the golf course for an important cause: American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees’ 18th Annual Golf Outing to benefit Kreider Services’ Autism Program. ABOC was a proud sponsor of the event. Sergio said “It was great to swing for solidarity! I was honored to have joined and supported AFSCME on the course, standing together as a union family to raise vital awareness and support for autism.”

Congratulations to International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers on a successful Sixth District Progress Meeting and Women’s Conference! Kimberly Kam, Illiana Ebbole, and Sergio Carillo enjoyed attending and supporting the Bank’s IBEW customers as well as meeting new IBEW leadership and delegates. Illiana Ebbole said “There were numerous attendees from across the IBEW Sixth District (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin) – and District Leaders from Kentucky, Texas, and Washington D.C. There was no shortage of energy, collaboration, and knowledge sharing. The last evening of the Conference wrapped up with a reception at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum. It was the perfect week to be in Indy!” The two key topics of the Conference were mental health support for members and leaning in to elevate more tradeswomen. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and ABOC strongly supports IBEW in raising awareness on this important topic.

ABOC is pleased to announce the promotion of Cherie Duve to Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer. Cherie brings extensive experience and expertise and will continue to manage the Bank’s Legal and Corporate Trust Departments, while also serving as a valued member of the Bank’s Senior Leadership team. Read the full Crain's Chicago Business People on the Move article here:

Cherie Duve - Crain's Chicago Business ABOC is pleased to announce the promotion of Cherie Duve to Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer.