Brian Fabes

Since joining Civic Consulting in 2005, Brian has recruited a new leadership team that has built city-wide partnerships with more than 400 organizations and provided, annually, more than $20 million in consulting services to the Chicago region.  Together, this network of consultants, clients, and partners is redefining how the public and private sectors collaborate to make Chicago a great, global city and building the next generation of civic leaders.

Before joining Civic Consulting, Brian was Senior Vice President at National-Louis University, where he was responsible for defining future directions for the institution, including negotiations with for-profit and not-for-profit merger partners. Prior to this, Brian was Acting Provost and Vice President for planning.

Brian came to NLU from McKinsey & Company, where he had been an associate from 1994-1996, on leave at the University of Arizona in 1997, engagement manager from 1998-2000, and elected associate principal in 2000. At McKinsey, Brian co-led the formation and growth of the North American Product Development Practice, and was a leader in Chicago's Healthcare Practice.  Brian was also active in bringing the resources of the firm to help government and not-for-profit organizations on a pro bono basis. His clients in these efforts included the Chicago Housing Authority, Seoul National University, Northwestern University, and the Grand Boulevard Federation, a union of social service providers on Chicago's South side.

After earning his Ph.D. in 1987, Brian taught as an assistant professor of materials science and engineering at the University of Arizona, where he was promoted to associate professor, with tenure, in 1993. Brian earned B.S. and Ph.D. degrees in materials science and engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1984 and 1987, respectively. He was nominated for the University-wide Five Star Faculty Teaching Award at the University of Arizona in 1990, and awarded the University-wide Burlington Foundation Faculty Achievement Award for Excellence in Teaching in 1993.

Brian is a Board member of Year Up in Chicago, Chicago Career Tech, and the Civic Federation. He and his wife, Lisa, share a love of long distance cycling, food, and wine. Both are actively involved in community service in Chicago, as will be their children – Asher, Ari and Leah – who to date share their love of food.