Luncheon Honoree

Chicago Debates is Proud to Honor Allstate for a Decade of Support!

featuring Rhonda Ferguson

Allstate Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer, General Counsel 

Rhonda Ferguson

Rhonda Ferguson is Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer, General Counsel and Secretary of The Allstate Corporation and Allstate Insurance Company. She leads Allstate’s 1,900-person legal team to guide the company’s business strategy, ensure sound compliance and foster a healthy legal, legislative and regulatory environment. Ferguson joined Allstate in 2020 from Union Pacific Railroad, where she served as Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary and was responsible for all legal, regulatory and corporate governance initiatives. Before joining Union Pacific in 2016, Ferguson was Vice President, Corporate Secretary and Chief Ethics Officer of FirstEnergy Corp., where she led teams responsible for corporate, real estate and compliance initiatives. Ferguson was previously Assistant General Counsel and Assistant Secretary with Ferro Corp. She was a Partner with Am Law 100 Baker Hostetler LLP law firm and began her career with Thompson Hine LLP. Ferguson has an undergraduate degree in engineering from Northwestern University and a J.D. from Case Western Reserve University.

“Allstate is proud to support Chicago Debates, especially in an era when all of us should be committed to presenting and listening to arguments in a civil and thoughtful manner,” said Ferguson.“Research shows that social and emotional learning skills, like resilience, empathy and teamwork, are a better predictor of lifelong success than academic ability alone, and increasing these skills results in both immediate and long-term improvements in school, work and life, regardless of background, socioeconomic status, interests and aptitudes. Learning, critical thinking, and dialogue are fundamental to solving many of life’s problems, big and small. This forum also reflects Allstate’s commitment to inclusive diversity and equity and youth empowerment. Through Chicago Debates, students develop the skills that will equip them for success in the future.”