Leadership Successions Announced by Organizations Founded by Prominent West Suburban Bishop 

Weeks after the death of Bishop Dr. Claude Porter, one of the Greater West Side’s most influential clergymen and civic leaders, two major organizations he founded have announced leadership successions, formally transitioning into a new chapter following his passing.

Porter, who died Dec. 30 at age 88, founded the Proviso Leyden Council for Community Action in Maywood and later co-founded Interfaith Illinois Inc., building institutions that became deeply embedded in the region’s faith-based social service and civic infrastructure.

The Proviso Leyden Council for Community Action, known as PLCCA, announced new executive leadership on Jan. 23 after the organization’s board adopted a resolution implementing its succession plan.

Claudette Harrell was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer, and Beverly P. Smith was appointed Chief Operating Officer, both effective immediately. The board cited the organization’s existing succession plan and the need to ensure continuity of leadership and operations following Porter’s death.

Harrell was appointed with full executive authority as provided under the organization’s bylaws, while Smith was named to oversee day-to-day operations. The board said both appointees bring experience, leadership, and institutional knowledge to their roles.

Founded in 1975, PLCCA grew into a major regional provider of social services, workforce development programs, housing assistance, youth programming, and energy assistance across Proviso Township and surrounding communities. Porter served as the organization’s founder, president, and CEO for decades.

Interfaith Illinois Inc., another nonprofit co-founded by Porter, also announced leadership changes in January.

The faith-based organization named Bishop Dr. Reginald J. Saffo, as Chairman of the Board, alongside several new board officers. Saffo, the pastor of United Faith Missionary Baptist Church in Maywood and chairman of the Proviso Township Ministerial Alliance Network (PTMAN). Porter was PTMAN’s longtime chairman before he passed the baton to Saffo in 2015. 

Interfaith Illinois was co-founded by Porter and the late Rev. Dr. Clay Evans, a nationally known Chicago pastor who died several years ago and previously served as chairman.

In announcing the appointments, Interfaith Illinois said Saffo will support the organization’s governance and strategic direction in partnership with fellow board members and executive leadership.

Additional board officers of Interfaith include Bishop Joseph Jones as First Vice Chairman, Bishop James Springfield Jr. as Treasurer, and Bishop William Teague as Secretary. All appointments were made effective Jan. 23.

Porter, born Jan. 21, 1937, in Memphis, Tenn., moved to Chicago in the early 1960s and was ordained in 1965. In 1972, he founded Proviso Missionary Baptist Church in Maywood, where he later served as bishop.

Over more than half a century, Porter operated at the intersection of faith, politics, and social service, helping establish organizations that connected church networks with government programs and community-based initiatives across the Greater West Side and suburban Cook County.

With new leadership now formally in place at PLCCA and Interfaith Illinois, the organizations Porter founded are continuing operations under successors selected through board action and established governance processes.