Lourdes Duarte Co-anchor and Lead Investigative Reporter, WGN Lourdes Duarte is a four-time EMMY Award winner. She co-anchors the WGN Evening News at 4pm and is one of the station’s lead investigative reporters. Prior to her role on the evening news, Lourdes co-anchored the top-rated WGN Morning News. She also hosts WGN’s public affairs program Adelante Chicago. She started her journalism career as a reporter for Telemundo Chicago. She then went on to work in news markets throughout the country including Miami, Indianapolis and Detroit. While in Indianapolis she launched, produced and hosted the public affairs show “Hoy en Dia” which won an EMMY for its impact on the Latino community. Lourdes has been recognized for her volunteer work and engagement with Chicago’s minority communities. Her alma mater, De Paul University recognized her as one of DePaul’s 14 Under 40. Most recently, the Center for Journalism Integrity and Excellence awarded her the Distinguished Alumna Award along with New York Times Executive Editor Dean Baquet. When she’s not at WGN-TV, Lourdes is checking off locations from her travel bucket list with trips to Europe and South America. In 2017, Modern Brown Girl and Chicago Woman Magazine published her travel essay on her one-week stay in Argentina. She’s also been a featured speaker and panelist for events and organizations throughout Chicago including the annual Dare to Dream Conference, Negocios Now, The Miracle Center and the National Latino Education Institute. Lourdes received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication from DePaul University. She lives in Chicago with her husband and daughter, Madeline. Meena Beyers Vice President of Business & Community Development, Nicor Gas Meena Beyers is vice president of Business and Community Development for Nicor Gas, Illinois’ and Southern Company’s largest natural gas distribution utility serving 2.3 million customers across northern Illinois. In this role, Meena leads growth, customer solutions, energy efficiency, economic development, external community affairs and community impact, as well as innovation and partnership strategies for customer technologies. Meena brings more than twenty years of public and private sector experience to her role. Meena was recognized as a 2023 Crain’s Chicago Business Notable Leader in Sustainability and 2024 Woman of Power by the Quad County Urban League. She serves on the boards for Metropolitan Planning Council, Chicagoland Habitat for Humanity and the Women’s Energy Summit, and the Executive Advisory Council for Intersect Illinois, the state’s economic development organization. She earned a bachelor’s degree in urban planning and development from Ball State University and a master’s degree in public service management from DePaul University. Meena lives with her husband and two children in Westmont, Illinois. SEPTEMBER 2025 11
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