Brandie Knazze

As COO, Brandie Knazze oversees The Chicago Lighthouse’s Social Business Enterprise and Social Services Enterprise offerings to ensure development and implementation of efficient operations and cost-effective systems to meet the organization’s current and future needs.

Previously, Brandie served as Commissioner of the City of Chicago’s Department of Family Services, which supported more than 450,000 of the city’s most vulnerable residents across areas including early learning, youth services, homelessness, gender-based violence, workforce development, new arrivals, social services and senior services. Brandie also led the city’s humanitarian response to over 50,000 migrant families who arrived in Chicago between August 2022 and December 2024, coordinating access to food, shelter, and healthcare services for these individuals.

Brandie’s deep dedication to the importance of vision care and the ability of those with low vision to maintain their independence led her to The Chicago Lighthouse. Brandie has a bachelor’s degree in economics and women’s studies from Emory University and a

master’s degree in public policy and management from Carnegie Mellon University. She is also a graduate of the University of Chicago Civic Leadership Academy and has held leadership roles with the Chicago Continuum of Care, the Chicago Metropolitan Chapter of 100 Black Women and the Chicago Chapter of the National Forum for Black Public Administrators. In her spare time, Ms. Knazze enjoys reading, traveling, and volunteering.