A Father's Lesson, A Daughter's Legacy: Katie Sopic's Story of How She Came to Lead an Echelon Chapter
From an early age, Katie Sopic was guided by one principle: "You've got to be a part of something, not just with your money, but with your time." That lesson came from her father, Scott Sindelar a longtime member and former president of The Salvation Army's Chicago Advisory Board, whose commitment to service extended beyond his boardroom responsibilities and into the values he instilled at home.
Decades later, those words still ring through her head. So much so that she decided to follow in her father’s footsteps and become a Salvation Army leader herself—stepping up as President of Chicago’s Echelon Chapter.
Finding a Leader Close to Home
In late 2023, Scott would sit at board meetings hearing rumblings of reactivating Chicago Echelon after the effects of the COIVD-19 pandemic. The board was searching for the right leader to rebuild the chapter, and for Scott, there was never any question about who could handle the job. He turned to his own daughter.
Anyone else would dwell on the challenges and level of effort spent in a position like this, but not Katie. Standing face to face with the man who had taught her the value of service, the choice was clear to her: She needed to go all in.
"I dove in, headfirst, and absolutely loved it," she said.
Building from the Ground Up
Katie had to start from scratch, but luckily, she had the full support of the Chicago Advisory Board behind her. Making use of local Salvation Army connections, she started with smaller efforts like handing out water bottles at the Chicago Marathon and introducing people to Echelon.
As each event passed, the more traction they gathered. In February 2024, with the help of staff liaison Keri Shay, Echelon Chicago held a relaunch networking event with 75 people in attendance. The event laid the foundation for the chapter's revival, recruiting many of the individuals who now serve on Chicago Echelon's board.
This variety of rising professionals hold responsibilities like creating social media posts, managing funds raised, strategizing recruitment, and much more. Backed by a strong team, Katie quickly found her stride as a leader.
A Halloween to Remember
One service event, in particular, meant something different to Katie. Last October, Echelon Chicago organized a Halloween party for children in underprivileged communities.
During the season, she reminisced on childhood Halloweens spent trick-or-treating and dressing up with her family in her Chicago neighborhood. But throughout projects serving the Chicago area, she began to see the reality of some kids unable to experience childhood normalcies, like trick or treating.
At the party, Katie looked across the room to find kids playing Halloween games and eating candy together, maybe for the first time in their lives. In that moment, she realized the chapter she had worked so hard to rebuild was making a real impact.
Expanding the Network
Two years since its relaunch, the Chicago chapter continues to grow under Katie’s leadership. The chapter now hosts monthly service and networking events while focusing on growing its membership and building more connections.
Recently, the chapter partnered with Milwaukee Echelon to clean up Camp Wonderland from invasive species preventing campers from safely enjoying their summer. As members from both chapters worked as a team, they discussed chapter projects and ideas, and even recommended relatives, friends, and colleagues to their respective chapters. The initiative laid the groundwork for stronger connections and collaboration across Echelon chapters.
Like Father, Like Daughter
From Camp Wonderland to the Halloween Party to much more, these moments reflect the impact Katie envisioned Echelon Chicago would have on both the community and its members. Like she hoped, she had a hand in helping young professionals dedicate their time to be a part of something important.
At the same time, Scott's hopes for Katie come full circle as he witnesses her grow into the changemaker he always knew she could be.
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