Rita Fry

Board Member

Rita Fry is an accomplished lawyer and consultant who earned her J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law in 1979.

Fry joined the Cook County Office of Public Defense in 1980 and served as an assistant public defender until 1986, when she would leave briefly to work for the Chicago Law Department. In 1988, Fry returned as the first woman head of the Public Defender's Office, where she stayed until she retired in 2003.

She then openend RAF Consulting, which provides expertise in housing, criminal justice issues, and government relations and incorporates strategic planning to address community needs and available resources for nonprofit organizations. Fry remains the president of RAF Consulting today.