Leadership Makes the Difference
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Leadership Makes the Difference 17th Annual Chicago Neighborhood Development Awards® The public face of our city has changed enormously in the last two decades. Former rail yards now flourish as down- town green space. Millennium Park stands as an architectural jewel in our cultural crown. The brilliantly-engineered Museum Campus bustles with activity seven days a week. Our river supports commerce, recreation and entertain- ment. Our streets are lined with flowers. Visitors from around the world embrace Chicago as a global city, an international destination renowned for its beauty and spirit. Welcome to the Our city has always had a private side, th 17 Annual Chicago too: the neighborhoods beyond the skyscrapers, rolling west from the Neighborhood lakefront, where tidy courtyard build- ings give way to two-flats and then to Development® bungalows. Chicagoans know that these quieter streets, where we live and play and go to school, are the Awards true heart of our hometown – the places that nourish and inspire us. And this part of our city has changed, too. Parks and playgrounds are being built and renewed. Schools are reinventing them- selves. Public transportation links neighborhoods to one another. Com- munities are establishing new identities, building new enterprises and The winners of the 17th embracing new immigrants. Annual Chicago Neighborhood De- We are quick to identify velopment Chicago’s public face with the Awards are, in- vision of our most prominent deed, leaders leaders. But leadership also who make the makes a difference in our differ- neighborhoods. Leaders who ence. work within their own commu- Thanks to nities – bringing change from their dedication, vi- person to person, from home sion and tireless ef- to home, from block to block – forts, the city’s are as vital to our city’s contin- neighborhoods are stronger, ued development and success safer and healthier. Our city as those who stand, more visi- has not just put on a beautiful bly, at the center of the Loop. face to show the world, but also has become, in the broad- As the city stands poised to est sense, a sweet home for its elect its first new mayor in 21 citizens. years, the issue of leadership is at the center of our civic Leadership makes the differ- agenda. We ask ourselves ence. As Chicagoans antici- who can tackle the city’s chal- pate the first change in lenges, making it a city that leadership in City Hall in more works for all. As we consider than two decades, this much is the question of who will take clear: we are defined as much on our most public mantle of by the neighborhoods we call leadership, we must also home as by the skyline that pause to consider how we can identifies us to the world. The continue to cultivate and em- strength and stability found in power great leaders in our our neighborhoods fuel the vi- neighborhoods. tality and creativity of the entire city. Dear Friends, As Mayor and on behalf of the City of Chicago, I welcome everyone to the Chicago Neighborhood Development Awards (CNDA) ceremony and congratulate those being honored tonight. For 17 years, CNDA has fostered growth in our communities by recognizing outstanding individuals who have created positive change. These awards mark not only the progress our city has made, but also reinforce our shared commitment to strengthening our neighborhoods. Chicago is privileged to have tremen- dous support from its civic and business communities. I have appreciated the opportu- nity to work with these leaders during my tenure as Mayor and am proud of all that we have achieved in making our city an even better place to live, work and raise families. I commend the organizers of CNDA and everyone gathered here tonight for your dedication to our residents. You have my best wishes for an enjoyable and memorable event. Sincerely, Richard M. Daley Mayor, City of Chicago Dear Friends, It is a privilege to welcome you to the 17th Annual Chicago Neighbor- hood Development Awards. You have put such tremendous effort into developing our communities and I am so pleased to have the opportu- nity to recognize your achievements tonight. This is a wonderful forum for both celebrating and recommitting to the essential work of ensuring that Chicago’s neighborhoods remain vibrant and strong. The continued success of our neighborhoods depends upon the inno- vative thinking and commitment of everyone here tonight. The part- nerships you’ve built among community leaders, elected officials, civic-minded businesses and philanthropic organizations have en- hanced the lives of all our citizens. Chicago’s neighborhoods are unparalleled in their diversity, but what makes our city truly unique is the unity and strength that binds these differ- ent communities together. Like the many generations of a large, extended family – a topic I happen to know a little something about – our neighborhoods inform, inspire and support one another. I look to the challenges of Chicago’s future with ex- citement and great confidence. I know our com- munities are in strong and able hands. I’m proud to be here tonight to honor your exceptional work. You inspire us all to redouble our efforts and build on these great successes. Congratulations, Christopher G. Kennedy President, Merchandise Mart Properties The awards are managed by the Local Initiatives Support Corporation/Chicago and generously underwritten by the following: Applegate & Thorne- Community Investment Thomsen, PC Corporation Brinshore Development Community Reinvestment Fund, Inc. Camiros, Ltd Enterprise Community Chicago Bears Investment, Inc. Chicago Community Exelon Corporation Loan Fund Federal Home Loan Bank Cole Taylor Bank of Chicago Fifth Third Bank Miner, Barnhill & Galland, P.C. The Habitat Company National Equity Fund Illinois Housing Development Reznick Group Authority Teska Associates, Inc. MB Financial Bank Urban Development The John D. and Catherine T. Fund, LLC MacArthur Foundation Urban Partnership Bank Matanky Realty The Walsh Group Chairperson Christopher G. Kennedy, President, Merchandise Mart Properties Awards Committee Program Committee Deborah E. Bennett, Chair William D’Arcy Polk Bros. Foundation Catholic Charities Housing Development Corporation Leah Bradford The Chicago Community Trust Sunny Fischer The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Julie Chavez Bank of America Carl Jenkins Harris Calvin Holmes Chicago Community Loan Fund Robert McGhee US Bank Deborah L. Kasemeyer Northern Trust Roberta Nechin Nechin Enterprises, Ltd. Rafael Leon Chicago Metropolitan Housing Les Pollock Development Corporation Camiros, Ltd. John G. Markowski Community Investment Corporation Matthew Reilein Chase Stacey R. Sather Charter One Selection Process A wide variety of dedicated organizations and innovative projects contended for the 2011 Chicago Neighborhood Development Awards. Teams of volunteer judges, representing both the non-profit and for-profit sectors, evaluated and rated each applicant on three primary aspects: development process or orga- nizational effectiveness; community impact; and project or organizational chal- lenge. The judges then made a series of site visits. An Awards Committee reviewed the evaluations submitted by the judges to determine the winners. Judges Jody Adler Susan Kaplan Ernest Sanders The Law Project Greater Auburn-Gresham Mark Kruse Development Corporation Vicky Arroyo Hispanic Housing MB Financial Bank Development Corporation Lynn Sasamoto Dawanda Asberry John Kuhnen Steven R. Schaffer Fifth Third Bank IFF Fannie Mae Jack Bernhard Becky Kaufman Patrick Sise JPMorgan Chase Walsh Construction Katherine B. Mazzocco Monica Chada Harris Janet Smith Studio Gang Architects University of Illinois at Chicago Robert McGhee Kathy Clark U.S. Bank Michelle Smolinski Lawyers’ Committee Charter One for Better Housing Roberta Nechin Nechin Enterprises, Ltd. Zack Stanley Lynne M. Cunningham Madison Construction Michael Newman Nora Ferrell SHED Studio Eric Strickland Community Media Workshop Lawndale Business and Local Kenneth Oliver Development Corporation Lesley Flores Interfaith Open Communities MB Financial Bank Karen Thomas Stephen M. Porras Cole Taylor Bank Elliot Frolichstein-Appel Axia Development, Inc. RBC Capital Markets Steve Tinsley Jon Pounds SVJ Properties Michael Goldberg Chicago Public Art Group Heartland Housing Andrea D. Townson Helen Hammond Redding Fannie Mae Adam Gross Citi BPI Katrina Van Valkenburgh Guacolda Reyes Corporation for Pam Daniels Halisi The Resurrection Project Supportive Housing The PrivateBank Liz Reyes Paul Vlamis Matthew Hickey Mercy Housing JPMorgan Chase Bank of America Ravi Ricker Warren Wenzloff Tania Kadakia Wrap Architecture Applegate & Thorne- Enterprise Community Thomsen, P.C. Investment Kasia Rizzo Bank of America Forum Awards Ceremony After more than two decades of consistent leadership, the city’s Welcome voters – and its leaders – now face Lori Healey, The John Buck Company an unprecedented opportunity, Chair, LISC/Chicago Board of Advisors and, with it, an unprecedented challenge. Chicago’s next mayor will have to manage the budget, promote economic development, Opening Remarks keep crime in check, improve pub- Christopher G. Kennedy, President, lic education and strike a balance Merchandise Mart Properties between encouraging private enter- Chair, 17th Annual Chicago prise and offering sound govern- Neighborhood Development Awards ment oversight. It’s easy to talk about these issues Explanation of the Awards in platitudes. But every initiative Darrell Jackson, Northern Trust &