HOW PLACE MATTERS FOR ECONOMIC MOBILITY PROMISING PUBLIC- AND PRIVATE-SECTOR STRATEGIES WITH SUPPORT FROM THE JOHN D. AND CATHERINE T. MACARTHUR FOUNDATION, THE COMMUNITY TRUST, AND JPMORGAN CHASE

Speaker Biographies

MarySue Barrett is president of the Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC). She is an expert on designing effective urban solutions through creative collaboration across governments, businesses, and communities. Barrett builds bridges between the public and private sectors to solve metropolitan Chicago’s urgent planning and development challenges, refining the tactics that can help regions everywhere prepare for tomorrow’s needs. Barrett speaks and writes frequently about why and how cities must continually reinvent themselves. Before joining MPC, Barrett was chief of policy for former Chicago mayor Richard M. Daley. She counts among her top accomplishments Chicago's early implementation of community policing and the city's successful bid to host the 1996 Democratic National Convention. Barrett recently led transition committees for Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel and governor Bruce Rauner. Barrett is a steering committee member of World Business Chicago’s Plan for Economic Growth and Jobs, cochairing the infrastructure team. She also serves on the advisory boards of the Chicago Infrastructure Trust, the Harris School of Public Policy’s Visiting Committee at the University of Chicago, and Illinois Issues magazine. She is also active with The Chicago Network and the Economic Club of Chicago. She has a bachelor's degree from Northwestern University. Randall Blakey is executive director of the Near North Unity Program. Since June 2011, he has been executive pastor of Chicago’s LaSalle Street Church, where he is chief of staff and shares the pastoral responsibilities of the ministry team. Before joining LaSalle, Blakey was a 23-year member of the Faith Community of St. Sabina, where he was director of ministries and pastoral associate. As a freelancer, Blakey is director of photography for the ABC 7 television shows Heart & Soul, The N-Beat, Asian Influences, and 190 North. He has worked in television for the past 30 years and has won numerous awards, including four Emmy Awards for television photojournalism. Blakey is a graduate of Tennessee State University, McCormick Theological Seminary, –the Harvard Divinity School, Northwestern University, and the University of Chicago’s Civic Leadership Academy. Atif Bostic is executive director of UpLift Solutions. Before joining UpLift, he was vice president and sales manager of the YourPlace Banking program for Citizens Bank. In 2011, Bostic was recruited to Citizens Bank to develop a consumer acquisition strategy and build a national business development sales team across the bank’s 12-state footprint. Bostic was recognized for his work in 2012 with the Chairman’s Award for “employing a high-performing and engaged workforce,” and in 2014 with the Community Development Business Partner Award. Bostic has been active with nonprofit organizations in Greater Philadelphia. He has been interim president and CEO of the Philadelphia OIC; provided strategic planning support for multiple organizations, including the Mayor’s Office of Community Service; provided marketing support to the Delaware Financial Literacy Institute; and partnered with the Pennsylvania Department of Health, the Chester Housing Authority, and the School District of Philadelphia to host community open houses to increase health awareness and provide access to free health screenings in Chester and Philadelphia. Bostic is board chair for the Philadelphia OIC and board director for the Urban League of Philadelphia, PathWays PA, and the Main Line Chamber of Commerce. #HowPlaceMatters

Raphael Bostic is the Judith and John Bedrosian chair in governance and the public enterprise at the University of Southern California’s Sol Price School of Public Policy and director of the Bedrosian Center on Governance and the Public Enterprise. For three years, he was the Obama administration's assistant secretary for policy development and research at the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). In that Senate-confirmed position, he advised HUD’s secretary on policy and research to promote informed decisions on HUD policies, programs, and budget and legislative proposals. Bostic’s work at the Price School spans many fields, including homeownership, housing finance, neighborhood change, and the role of institutions in shaping policy effectiveness. A particular emphasis has been on how the private, public, and nonprofit sectors interact to influence household access to economic and social amenities. He earned his BA from Harvard University and his PhD in economics from Stanford University. Cheryl Corley is an NPR correspondent based in Chicago. She travels throughout the Midwest covering issues and events throughout the region's 12 states. She’s also focused on youth violence in Chicago, on high lead levels in Chicago schools’ drinking fountains, on the struggles in to overcome urban blight, and on how changes to the Fair Housing Act may help former incarcerated people find homes. Corley was among the NPR reporters covering Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, and she has returned to the area to report on efforts to combat crime in New Orleans and on how blacks and whites perceive recovery in the area differently. Corley has also been a fill-in host for several NPR shows, including All Things Considered and Morning Edition. Before joining NPR, Corley was the news director at Chicago’s public radio station, WBEZ. She was also a news director and reporter for WCBU in Peoria, Illinois, and a television director for Peoria’s NBC affiliate, WEEK-TV. She is a past president of the Association for Women Journalists– Chicago, cofounder of a critics and journalism program for female high school juniors with Chicago’s Goodman Theatre, and past president of an organization that trains Chicago youth in video and multimedia production. Corley has received awards from several organizations for her work. Robert Croston is principal of Jenner Academy of the Arts. He is a pastor in the children ministry of Crusaders Christian Church and a member of the Near North Unity Program, Educators 4 Excellence, Literacenter, and #TeachStrong. He is a past recipient of the Near North Unity Program Community Advocate Award and the 2016 Educator of the Year from Chicago State University's Phi Delta Kappa International chapter. Before leading Jenner, he was principal resident of the Chicago Leadership Collaborative at Coles Elementary Language Academy. Croston studied school leadership at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He is a Teach for America: Chicago 2008 alum and holds additional graduate degrees from the University of Chicago and Dominican University. He earned his BA in political science and social philosophy at Marquette University. Derek Douglas is the vice president for civic engagement at the University of Chicago. He spearheads the university’s efforts to advance urban development, enhance the quality of life for urban residents, and enrich the work of university faculty and students through research, education, and direct engagement. He is also senior fellow and lecturer at the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy. From 2009 to 2011, Douglas served on the White House Domestic Policy Council as special assistant to President ; he led the council’s work on urban and metropolitan policy issues. Before his White House service, Douglas was counsel to New York governor David A. Paterson and director of Paterson’s Washington, DC, office. Douglas was the governor’s chief architect for federal policy and oversaw federal policy development and advocacy on domestic, economic, and urban policy issues for New York. Douglas has also been associate director of economic policy at the Center for American Progress, where he founded and directed the economic mobility program. Before that, Douglas was a counsel at O’Melveny & Myers LLP and an assistant counsel at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. Douglas is a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution’s Metropolitan Policy Program and a fellow at the Penn Institute on Urban Research. Douglas graduated from the University of with highest honors in economics and from Yale Law School.

#HowPlaceMatters Arne Duncan, former US Secretary of Education, is a managing partner at Emerson Collective. Through partnerships with local business leaders, community organizers, and nonprofit groups, Duncan aims to create job and life opportunities for disconnected youth between the ages of 17 and 24. Before joining the Obama administration, Duncan was CEO of Chicago Public Schools. From 2001 to 2008, Duncan won praise for uniting the city’s stakeholders behind an education agenda that included opening 100 new schools; expanding after-school, summer learning, early childhood, and college access programs; dramatically boosting the caliber of teachers; and building public-private partnerships around education initiatives. Duncan graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University, majoring in sociology. Garry Embleton is the vice president for operations and supply chain for Method Products Inc. He runs all aspects of manufacturing, supply chain, procurement, planning, and operations for the People Against Dirty brands. This includes overseeing multiple sustainable factories, such as the newly opened South Side Soapbox plant and distribution center in Chicago. Embleton was previously chief procurement officer at SC Johnson & Son, and before that held supply chain and research and development leadership positions at Clorox and Procter & Gamble. Ricardo Estrada is the vice president of programs and education at the Instituto del Progreso Latino. He is a nationally recognized education scientist and architect of new and innovative educational models and methodologies, especially in adult education and workforce development. Estrada is a frequent speaker at national conferences and summits organized by the US Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, Labor, and Transportation, and is one of 20 educators in President Barack Obama’s Expert Committee in Education. Estrada’s work in education and workforce development has been referenced in several documents and studies. Estrada has a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in business administration from North Park University and a doctorate degree from National Louis University. Aaron Gornstein is the president and CEO of Preservation of Affordable Housing Inc. He leads and oversees the organization, including strategic planning, financial management, supervision of the executive team, and external relations and partnerships. From 2012 to 2015, Gornstein was undersecretary for the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development, under former governor Deval Patrick, where Gornstein expanded rental assistance and homeless prevention programs, reformed and improved state public housing, and launched a comprehensive supportive housing initiative. Before that, he was executive director of Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association, where he spearheaded passage of state and federal legislation, launched innovation programs, and helped form numerous coalitions. Gornstein earned his BA in political science from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and his MA in urban and environmental policy from Tufts University. He is a senior research fellow at Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies and serves on the board of directors of the Technical Assistance Collaborative and the Massachusetts Community Preservation Coalition. Jackie Holsten is senior vice president and general counsel of Holsten Real Estate Development Corporation. Previously, she was an assistant commissioner in the City of Chicago's Department of Planning and Development, where she coordinated all public housing redevelopments, with particular focus on the ABLA Homes, a 99-acre public housing site adjacent to the Illinois Medical District. She held several positions in the City of Chicago's Department of Buildings and handled special projects for the mayor's office. She is a trustee of Loyola University Chicago. She is a member of the board of directors of Loyola University Health System and Loyola University Medical Center. Holsten received her bachelor's degree from Northwestern University and her juris doctorate from Loyola University Chicago School of Law.

#HowPlaceMatters Mary Howard is the chief resident services officer for the Chicago Housing Authority. She implements programs that increase economic independence and earning power, and enhance academic achievement, housing stability, and quality of life for residents. Since joining the authority, Howard has developed and strengthened programming to include evidence-based models that have led to over 7,000 job placements for adults and more than 6,000 paid work experiences for youth. She also strengthened educational opportunities, including programming with City Colleges of Chicago and the implementation of a Chicago Housing Authority scholarship program. Howard has more than 30 years of experience in the nonprofit and housing service industry and is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in Illinois. She received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Elmhurst College, her master’s degree in psychology from United States International University, and her doctorate degree in psychology from Capella University. Mark Kruse is vice president for development at the Hispanic Housing Development Corporation. He has over 25 years’ experience in community development, specializing in finance and real estate development. Kruse works on the acquisition, renovation, and construction of more than 1,200 apartment units and development of more than 60,000 square feet of commercial space. His responsibilities also include financial proposals such as capital budgets, pro forma cash flow statements, and coordinating development activities with Tropic Construction Corporation, Hispanic Housing Development Corporation's for-profit general contractor. Kruse is responsible for $145 million in development. He previously worked at Harris Trust and Savings Bank's metropolitan banking division, where he acquired experience in underwriting low- income, multifamily housing. From 1982 to 1989, Kruse worked for the City of Chicago's Department of Economic Development, where he was responsible for business and real estate loans. Kruse's commitment to urban development stems from his college education and continued professional training. He began his college education studying business administration at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, completing his degree in regional development at the University of Arizona. He continued his education at the Institute of Real Estate Management, the Commercial Investment Real Estate Council, and the National Development Council. Terry Mazany is president and CEO of The Chicago Community Trust, one of the nation’s leading community foundations. With more than $2.3 billion in assets, the trust partners with donors to distribute over $150 million annually. In 2011, Mazany was also interim CEO of Chicago Public Schools. He is also chairman of the National Assessment Governing Board and principal investigator for the Chicago Area Patient Outcomes Research Network clinical data research networks. He was on the board of directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. Mazany and his colleague David Perry coedited Here for Good: Community Foundations and the Challenges of the 21st Century. Before his work in philanthropy, Mazany enjoyed earlier careers in public education, archaeology, and dendrochronology; with degrees in anthropology, business, and education. He has also been awarded honorary doctorate degrees from DePaul University and Lewis University. Natalie Moore is the South Side reporter for WBEZ. Before joining WBEZ, she was a city hall reporter for the Detroit News. She has also been an education reporter for the St. Paul Pioneer Press and a reporter for the Associated Press in Jerusalem. Moore’s work has been published in Essence, Black Enterprise, the Chicago Reporter, In These Times, the Chicago Sun-Times, and the Chicago Tribune. Moore is author of The South Side: A Portrait of Chicago and American Segregation; coauthor of Deconstructing Tyrone: A New Look at Black Masculinity in the Hip-Hop Generation; and coauthor of The Almighty Black P Stone Nation: The Rise, Fall, and Resurgence of an American Gang. Moore has a BA in journalism from Howard University and an MSJ in newspaper management from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. She is a 2009 fellow at Columbia College Chicago’s Ellen Stone Belic Institute for the Study of Women and Gender in the Arts and Media. She is also a 2010 recipient of the Studs Terkel Community Media Award. She has won several journalism awards, including a Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism. She is a member of the Windy City Chapter of The Links Inc.

#HowPlaceMatters Marisa Novara is director of the Metropolitan Planning Council. She directs the council’s housing and community development work, and manages technical assistance and support to communities facing development challenges related to housing, transportation, environment, and economic development. Her work directly assists communities to promote revitalization, housing in job-rich areas, sustainable development and conservation, and interjurisdictional and corridor planning. Her studies were informed by years of work on the ground in Chicago, most recently as the senior project manager for Lawndale Christian Development Corporation, where she directed more than $30 million in affordable rental and for-sale housing development in the North Lawndale neighborhood. She also worked in community development at the Steans Family Foundation and Carole Robertson Center for Learning. Novara has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan in sociology; a master’s degree from the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration; a certificate in affordable housing finance, development, and management from the University of Illinois at Chicago; and master’s degree in urban planning from the Polytechnic University of Milan (Italy). Marisa serves on the community development committee of The Resurrection Project, the public policy committee of the Urban Land Institute, was a 2014 Marshall Memorial Fellow, and is in the 2016 class of Leadership Greater Chicago. Erika Poethig is an Institute fellow and director of urban policy initiatives at the Urban Institute. Poethig assembles in-house experts to help local leaders draw insights from research and navigate policy challenges facing urban America in the 21st century. She also leads partnerships to develop new programs and strategies, translate research into policy and practice, and align philanthropic investments and federal policy. Before joining Urban, Poethig was acting assistant secretary for policy, development, and research at the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, where she was responsible for research, policy, and market analysis, and program development assistance. During her tenure in the Obama administration, she was also deputy assistant secretary for policy development and was a leading architect of the White House Council for Strong Cities and Strong Communities. At the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, she was associate director for housing. She was also assistant commissioner for policy, resource, and program development at the City of Chicago's Department of Housing. In the late 1990s, she developed Mayor Richard M. Daley's campaign to combat predatory lending, prevent foreclosures, and stabilize communities. Previously, she was associate project director of the Metropolis Project, which produced the Metropolis 2020 agenda for regional leadership around the major issues faced by the metropolitan Chicago area. Poethig was a Phi Beta Kappa member at the College of Wooster, a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Vienna, and has an MA with honors in public policy from the University of Chicago. Sheryl Seiling is director of the Housing Choice Voucher program for the Housing Authority of Cook County (HACC). She has been an affordable housing practitioner for over 22 years. As director of rent assistance, Seiling has been instrumental in restructuring the Housing Choice Voucher program to better serve its participants. The program has achieved high-performing status from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development for the past several years and has improved the HACC’s reputation in the community. She has participated in several panel discussions about mobility and expanding choice for families. She redesigned HACC’s Community Choice Program, which provides mobility counseling services to Housing Choice Voucher program applicants and participants. Dan Sprehe is managing director of corporate responsibility for JPMorgan Chase & Co. in the Midwest region. Sprehe has held prior positions as a government relations manager in the Midwest and as director of civic engagement. Before joining JPMorgan Chase, Sprehe was a legislative analyst for the Senate staff in Illinois, a lobbyist for the McDonald’s Corporation, an assistant to an Illinois lieutenant governor, a government affairs consultant representing clients before the Illinois General Assembly, an alliance development consultant to Pfizer, and held a gubernatorial appointment on the Illinois Human Rights Commission from 1999 to 2004. Sprehe earned a BA in political science from Eastern Illinois University. His work in government and politics began as a student in the Illinois General Assembly Graduate Intern Program at the University of Illinois at Springfield.

#HowPlaceMatters Julia Stasch is president of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Formerly, as vice president for US programs, she was responsible for US grantmaking. Before joining the foundation, she worked for the City of Chicago, first as commissioner of the city's Department of Housing and then as chief of staff to Mayor Richard M. Daley. As commissioner, she led a process resulting in the city's commitment to a $1.3 billion, five-year plan for affordable housing. As chief of staff, she designed and negotiated the $1.5 billion plan for transforming public housing in Chicago. From 1996 to 1997, she was president and CEO of ShoreBank Chicago Companies, where she was responsible for Chicago operations of ShoreBank, including South Shore Bank, the nation's first community development bank. During the Clinton administration, Stasch was deputy administrator of the General Services Administration. Earlier in her career, she was a Vista volunteer and a teacher in the Chicago public school system. Stasch was founding president of the board of the Women's Issues Network and previously served on the board of directors of the Women's Business Development Center. She is a member of the Economic Club, the Chicago Network, and a member of the steering committee for the Economic Growth and Jobs Plan. Stasch is a summa cum laude graduate of Loyola University and has a master's degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Becky Vevea is an education reporter for WBEZ. She writes about Chicago Public Schools and the impact local, state, and federal education policy has on communities across Chicagoland. In 2013, Vevea became the youngest recipient of the Daniel Schorr Journalism Prize for her coverage of Chicago’s 50 school closings. Before joining WBEZ, she covered public education for the Chicago News Cooperative. Before that, she worked at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel as an education and general assignment reporter. Vevea has reported for Marketplace, NPR’s Morning Edition and All Things Considered, and her work has been published in the New York Times and USA Today. Vevea holds a BA in journalism and Spanish from University of Wisconsin–Madison.

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