Christa Clumpner Cauley ’88

After graduating from Wheaton College with a BA in sociology and earning her MBA from Loyola University in Chicago, Christa Clumpner Cauley established roots in the Windy City, where she has spent two decades working in the nonprofit sector. With Emmaus, Christa provided outreach for men affected by substance abuse and sexual exploitation. In 2015, under Christa’s leadership, Monarch Thrift Shop was founded as a social enterprise to provide job training and development for people with barriers to employment. Four years later, Monarch became independent of Emmaus and expanded its partnerships to work with men, women, and youth. Today, Christa serves as founder and co-executive director at Monarch and works to rebuild lives, reduce recidivism, and break cycles of youth homelessness on the northwest side of Chicago. Monarch has been voted best thrift shop in the community and received a Humanity of Arts award and Best Community-Minded Organization award from the local Chamber of Commerce. In her free time, Christa enjoys biking along Lake Michigan with her husband, cooking, making jewelry, and supporting LivingWorks, an area nonprofit for which she sits on the board.