Donald McGruder

Donald McGruder is the Chief Financial Officer of Heartland Alliance Health, where he works with the leadership team to strengthen operations and protect access to care for the uninsured, people experiencing homelessness, and families facing food insecurity.

He previously served as Deputy CIO for the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County and as CIO of South Shore Hospital. Beyond his professional work, Donald is a civic and political leader and longtime community advocate who has spent decades advancing opportunity, dignity, and justice across Chicago and the Southland.

A Life Member of the NAACP, he served more than six years as president of the Chicago Far-South Suburban Branch. He is also a founding member of the Emerald South Economic Development Collaborative, working to build community wealth and strengthen the economic fabric of Chicago’s South Side. In addition, he serves as treasurer of the Jackson Park Conservancy and is deeply committed to mentoring young people and expanding access to education and civic engagement. Above all, Donald is proudest of his two college-aged daughters—his greatest accomplishment and his greatest inspiratio