Kathie Bender Schwich

Kathie oversees chaplaincy, clinical pastoral education, church affiliations and faith community relationships, ethics, environmental affairs and sustainability and physician and team well-being.

She has been with Advocate Aurora for over a decade and has more than 30 years of experience in spiritual care and executive leadership at the national level.

Previously, she served as Assistant to the Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and Executive for Synodical Relations.

An ordained pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, she serves on the Boards of Portico Benefit Services and Lutheran Social Services of Illinois, is convener of the Senior Mission Leaders Group of Lutheran Services in America and is a member of the Women’s Executive Leadership Team for the Go Red for Women Campaign of the American Heart Association’s Chicago Chapter.

She received undergraduate degrees from the University of Michigan and Saginaw Valley State University and a Master of Divinity degree from Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. She is a graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School’s Executive Leadership program, holds graduate certificates in Healthcare Management and Patient Experience Leadership and is a fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives.