honoring Who’ve Made a 4Difference Business and Professional People for the Public Interest 4o Who’ve Made a Difference Awards Business and Professional People for the Public Interest 4oth Anniversary Celebration The Fairmont Chicago May 1, 2oo9 INTRODUCTION As our 40th Anniversary approached, BPI’s Board of It is BPI’s privilege to introduce our 40 Who’ve Made Directors decided to focus our celebration on the a Difference—a stunning kaleidoscope of vision and amazing range and richness of public interest work in accomplishment by a diverse group of individuals our region by shining a spotlight on people whose representing many different fields of endeavor— civil leadership, vision and courage have made a significant rights, education, law, housing, the arts, healthcare. difference in the lives of others—people whose efforts We honor their individual commitment and achievement derive from and contribute to the social justice values as we are inspired by their collective contribution to to which BPI has been dedicated for four decades. the people of the Chicago region. BPI issued an open Call for Nominations and convened How to estimate the impact of their efforts? As you read a Selection Committee of respected leaders from various through these brief narratives, you might consider what fields. The Committee faced a difficult challenge in life here would be like without their work. There would fulfilling its mandate of choosing “40 Who’ve Made a be significantly less equality of opportunity in housing, Difference” from scores of exceptional nominees. education and healthcare…less cultural vitality and After hours of research, review and deliberation, the opportunity to experience it…less access to justice... Committee selected the individuals whose stories are told less justice itself. on these pages. BPI is deeply grateful to the members of the Selection Committee for generously sharing their Life for everyone in our region is better because of time and expertise. the 40 Who’ve Made a Difference—BPI salutes, honors and thanks them. BPI4o introduction 2 BPI4o introduction 3 4o Who’ve Made a 4o Who’ve Made a Difference selection Difference Award committee Honorees Rosanna Márquez Kimball R. Anderson Zoe Mikva and Hon. Abner Mikva Chair Ben Applegate and Rev. Calvin S. Morris, Ph.D. President Thomas Thorne-Thomsen Thomas H. Morsch Eleanor Foundation Joy Aruguete Dawn Clark Netsch Rev. Willie T. Barrow Eboo Patel Scott Bernstein Alexander Polikoff Deborah Harrington David Perry Barbara Bowman George Ranney President Director Marca Bristo Raul Raymundo Woods Fund of Chicago Great Cities Institute Thom Clark Leonard S. Rubinowitz University of Illinois Leon M. Despres Jane M. Saks E. Hoy McConnell, II at Chicago Sunny Fischer Bettylu Saltzman Executive Director Jesus “Chuy” Garcia Dr. Gary Slutkin BPI Julia Stasch Samir Goswami Robin M. Steans Vice President Ronald Grzywinski Randolph N. Stone Clyde Murphy The John D. and Catherine T. Joan W. Harris Jackie Taylor Executive Director MacArthur Foundation Joshua Hoyt Carlos Tortolero Chicago Lawyers Committee Richard P. Kiphart Lois Weisberg for Civil Rights Under Law Geoffrey Stone Elliot Lehman Kale Williams Edward H. Levi Distinguished Robert “Bud” Lifton Judy Wise Service Professor of Harriet Meyer Bernie Wong Law and former Dean of Dr. Quentin Young the University of Chicago Law School BPI4o selection committee 4 BPI4o honorees 5 kimball r. anderson Senior Partner, General Counsel Winston & Strawn LLP Lacking effective access to justice, low-income G Senior Partner, General Chicagoans are subject to homelessness, wrongful Counsel, Winston & Strawn LLP convictions, sentences disproportionate to their offenses, and even death sentences. Kimball G Created the pro bono Anderson has represented many such individuals program at Winston & Strawn in 1984 pro bono for decades, and he has inspired talented young lawyers to do public interest work. G Chicago Lawyer “Person of the Year” in 1996 In 1984 Kimball Anderson created Winston & Strawn’s first formal pro bono program, which has become widely G ABA’s Pro Bono Publico Award in 2003 recognized as a model for the large law firm community. He has received numerous honors for this work—including G Laureate, Illinois the ABA’s national Pro Bono Publico Award Academy of Lawyers Inspired to public interest work by his parents (a social G Recent awards: worker and nurse), Mr. Anderson was named Chicago Lawyer Legal Assistance magazine’s Person of the Year for a distinguished career that Foundation of includes representation of death row inmates, exoneration Metropolitan Chicago Lifetime Achievement of the wrongfully convicted, a U.S. Supreme Court challenge Award (2008); Chicago to federal habeas corpus procedures, and representation of Legal Clinic Cardinal the homeless. He and his wife Karen created the Anderson Bernardin Public Public Interest Fellowship, which provides an annual grant of Service Award (2008); AIDS Legal Council of $50,000 to young public interest attorneys with significant Chicago Advocate of law school debt. the Year (2006); U.S. Chair of the Chicago Bar Association’s Lincoln Circle of District Court for the Justice, Kimball currently serves on the Advisory Boards of the Northern District of Illinois and Federal Bar Cabrini Green Legal Aid Clinic and Northwestern University’s Association Public Center on Wrongful Convictions. He is the past President of Interest Service Award the Public Interest Law Initiative, the Chicago Bar Foundation, (2003 and 2004) and DePaul University’s Center for Justice in Capital Cases. In the words of a fellow attorney, “Kimball Anderson exemplifies what it means to be a public interest lawyer, committing his time, talents, leadership and personal resources to the development of a justice system that is fair to rich and poor alike.” BPI4o kimball R. anderson 6 BPI4o kimball R. anderson 7 BEN APPLEGATE and Thomas THORNE-THOMSEN Applegate & Thorne-Thomsen, P.C. Experts in structuring housing and commercial G Created an innovative development finance, Ben Applegate and Thomas law firm dedicated to the social mission Thorne-Thomsen launched an innovative law of affordable housing firm that has helped to produce thousands of and community affordable housing units and develop commercial development and retail ventures responsible for new jobs and G Ben Applegate: revitalized communities. President of the Illinois Housing In 1998, leaving the security of of large firm practice behind, Council; governing Ben Applegate and Tom Thorne-Thomsen created an innovative board member, ABA Forum on law firm focused on real estate finance, affordable housing Affordable Housing; and community development. They help clients identify and Board member access loan and grant programs that help finance the rehab or and volunteer, St. Leonard’s House construction of multi-family housing, including housing for families, the elderly, the homeless and individuals with G Tom Thorne-Thomsen: special needs. They have assisted clients in preserving President’s Council, HUD’s older-assisted inventory and developing public housing Heartland Alliance; Boards of Howard mixed-finance projects. Brown Health Center, Ben and Tom are very active in area nonprofits committed Century Place to affordable housing and neighborhood development. Both Development Corp. are frequent speakers and guest lecturers on affordable housing and Point Foundation development. One local affordable housing expert identified their special role: “Ben and Tom are visionary leaders who have created and nurtured one of the most innovative law firms in the nation. They provide a real example of what it means to be an active citizen in a democracy.” BPI4o Ben Applegate and Thomas Thorne-Thomsen 8 BPI4o Ben Applegate and Thomas Thorne-Thomsen 9 joy aruguete Executive Director Bickerdike Redevelopment Corporation As Executive Director of Bickerdike Redevelop- G Executive Director, ment Corporation, Joy Aruguete has built Bickerdike Redevelopment a nonprofit that exemplifies how mixed-income Corporation communities can be built to create employment and housing opportunities for residents of G Former President, all incomes and circumstances, as well as the Chicago Rehab Network opportunity to participate in community decision making. G Taught at the University of Illinois Joy Aruguete has devoted over two decades of her life to at Chicago in the Urban Developers community-led redevelopment, as an organizer in war-torn Program of the El Salvador, and for the past 15 years, as Executive Director of College of Urban Bickerdike Redevelopment Corporation. Under her leadership, Planning and Policy Bickerdike has become one of the metro area’s most highly Administration respected CDCs. Significant projects underway today include G Boards: Latino Policy construction of the 94 unit Rosa Parks Apartments in Humboldt Forum; Chicago Park and the 26th Ward New Homes Project which will Community Land Trust; Enterprise produce 32 homes on formerly vacant lots. Community Partners Beyond affordable housing development, Bickerdike is Network Advisory leading the New Communities Program in its area, bringing Board together over 60 groups to create and implement a Quality of Life plan that addresses critical community issues such as safety, health and jobs. Under Ms. Aruguete’s leadership, Bickerdike has received numerous awards, including the national Jim and Patty Rouse Award for excellence in community revitalization in 2006. Joy recently summarized her work: “If we truly value