Our Team

Doris Christopher

Doris is the Founder and Chairman of Pampered Chef, one of America’s great entrepreneurial success stories.

After graduating from the University of Illinois at Urbana, Doris spent her early career working for the Illinois Cooperative Extension Service, where she taught home economics to adults and 4H youth. Doris returned to the workforce in several capacities after raising her daughters to school age, before arriving at the plan to start a company. Her vision was to create a company that would offer professional quality kitchen tools through in-home cooking demonstrations. The Pampered Chef was started from the basement of her suburban home in 1980 with a $3,000 loan from an insurance policy. The company blossomed into a multimillion-dollar enterprise serving millions of customers with tens of thousands of direct-selling consultants worldwide. In 2002, Pampered Chef was acquired by Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway. Doris remained active in the company leadership until 2014; and continues in the role of Founder and Chairman today.

Doris has served on several boards and advisory boards including those of the University of Illinois Foundation, Opportunity International, Feeding America, the ELCA Presidents Council, and Walther Christian Academy. She has received two honorary doctoral degrees, one from Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Indiana and the other from Dominican University in River Forest, Illinois.

Doris resides in the western suburbs of Chicago and enjoys travel and time spent with her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Julie Christopher Maloney

Julie Christopher Maloney is an active volunteer and board member, serving many organizations in the Chicago area and beyond. These include, among others, Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago (Corporate Board) and Indiana University (IU Foundation, Women’s Philanthropy Leadership Council). She also volunteers with several local organizations in her adopted town of Nantucket, Massachusetts.

Julie is a 1994 graduate of Indiana University, where she earned a BA in Journalism.

Julie grew up in West Suburban Chicago and currently resides between Chicago and Nantucket. She especially enjoys cheering for her favorite sports teams (Indiana University and the Chicago Blackhawks) and frequent travel with family and friends.

Kelley Christopher Schueler

Kelley Christopher Schueler is a past Executive Director and current Trustee and Chair of the Christopher Family Foundation, roles in which she helps facilitate financial support for charitable organizations whose missions resonate with that of the Foundation.

Kelley spent eight years as a grade school teacher at Lutheran schools in the Chicago area. During her tenure, she was an advocate of differentiated learning and integrating technology across the curriculum.

She earned her B.S. in Education from Valparaiso University (Valparaiso, Indiana) in 1997. She received her M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction, with a concentration in Technology, from Loyola University (Chicago, Illinois) in 2002.

Kelley is currently a fourth-grade teacher at a school in the Chicago suburbs. She also serves as a Trustee of the Chicago Zoological Society.

She resides in the western suburbs of Chicago with her four children. By example and through experiences, Kelley is teaching her kids about the important of sharing their time, talent, and treasure with those in need.

Scott Christopher

Scott Christopher, brother of Jay Christopher, is deeply embedded in the philanthropic endeavors of the family. The Foundation mission of thriving families is mirrored in Scott’s own family, including his 46-year marriage to his late wife, Nancy. Scott now resides in Lake Forest, Illinois. He and Nancy have two daughters, Amy and Joy. Scott graduated from Grace Lutheran School in 1960, Walther Lutheran High School in 1964, Valparaiso University in 1968 with a B.A degree and Valparaiso University Law School in 1973 with a J.D.. Scott practiced law for 20 years and then became Jay and Doris Christopher’s personal business manager. He has been a trustee or distribution committee member of the Christopher Family Foundation since its inception. He is a lifelong member of Grace Lutheran Church in River Forest, Illinois. Scott served on the Board of Directors at Walther Lutheran High School for over 10 years. He also has served on various Boards at Grace Lutheran Church.

Monique Schlichtman

Monique Schlichtman joined the Christopher Family Foundation as Executive Director in October 2025. Previously, Monique served as Senior Program Officer with the Lumpkin Family Foundation (LFF) where she led the Mattoon, Illinois-based foundation’s Chicago grantmaking, partnering with CFF on the Austin Fresh initiative to improve access to healthy food in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood. She also led LFF’s learning and evaluation efforts and launched their mental health portfolio. Monique brings more than two decades of leadership experience in philanthropy, non-profit, and public sector roles. She was previously Executive Director of a nonprofit organization that provided mental health supportive services and has extensive experience in team leadership, program design, strategic planning, and financial management. Monique is in the process of completing a PhD in Public Policy, Management and Analytics at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She received a Master’s degree in Public Administration as a National Urban Fellow from Baruch College and a Bachelor’s degree in Public Policy from Brown University. Monique can be reached at monique@christopherff.org.

Monica Thorns

Monica Thorns joined the Christopher Family Foundation as Grants Manager in 2022. Her immediate past position was as Assistant to the CEO of Youth Guidance, a national social service agency providing school-based services. In her work with Youth Guidance, she drew upon her prior for-profit and non-profit work history, prioritizing social impact with people identified as marginalized. Her expertise includes project management, marketing and public relations, national account reconciliation and performance management, recruitment, event planning and logistical coordination, cost tracking and analysis, and fundraising. When not working, she enjoys philanthropic work at local and regional levels. Monica is also a University of Chicago alumna, with a B.A. in Behavioral Science and a trained Special Education Advocate, supporting families in meeting preparation, goal setting, and outcome tracking. She was born and raised on the West Side of Chicago. Monica can be reached at monica@christopherff.org.

Molly Truglia

Molly Truglia joined the Christopher Family Foundation in 2019. Prior to that, she served as Learning Programs Manager at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, where she managed teacher professional learning programs, developed standards-based curricular resources, redesigned program evaluation tools, and led the pilot process and program launch of a regional high school performance program. She has also led efforts to increase access to the arts for Chicago Public Schools students with Communities In Schools of Chicago and American Theater Company. Molly is an alumna of the University of Notre Dame and obtained her MSW from UIC Jane Addams College of Social Work in 2024. Molly can be reached at molly@christopherff.org.

Carla Land

Carla Land joined the Christopher Family Foundation as Program Associate in 2023. Prior to joining the Foundation, Carla served as the Director of Development and Communications at PCC Community Wellness Center, where she managed a portfolio of federal, state, city, and foundation grants to increase health care access for residents of the Austin community on Chicago’s West Side. She also coordinated marketing, communications, and community engagement to raise awareness of health care services and increase patient volume. Previously, she worked for Greater Southwest Development Corporation, providing technical assistance to small business owners. Carla is an alumna of the University of Pennsylvania—Wharton School, where she holds a B.S. in economics with a focus on entrepreneurial management. In her leisure time, she enjoys trying new restaurants and dancing. Carla can be reached at carla@christopherff.org.