MPC-led partnerships win three awards in 18 hours.
The Metropolitan Planning Council may have broken some kind of record on Dec. 6 and 7, 2001, when its people and partnerships garnered three prestigious awards conferred by three different organizations.
The roll began on a Thursday night in the grand lobby of Bank of America, where MPC governing board member King Harris was honored with the bank's Chicago 2001 Community Leadership Award. Harris, of course, has been a driving force behind one of MPC's most successful programs — Employer-Assisted Housing, which helps employers help employees buy housing closer to work. It was Harris who invited MPC and its REACH partners to begin the region's first employer-assisted housing program at his System Sensor plant in west suburban St. Charles. The company was subsequently sold to Honeywell Inc., but Harris, who is also a senior executive with Chicago Metropolis 2020, has continued to market the concept to fellow business leaders.
"King Harris is an ardent volunteer and advocate for affordable housing," said the Bank of America citation. "Over the years, he has worked to develop neighborhood services and resources, help the unemployed fund jobs, and to locate affordable housing for people in need."
The following morning, Dec. 7., the MPC co-led Campaign for Sensible Growth captured an "Illinois Tomorrow Award" at a special ceremony held at Roosevelt University's historic Auditorium Building. The award is an outgrowth of Gov. George Ryan's "Illinois Tomorrow" initiative to promote balanced growth across the state. Lt. Gov. Corrine Wood, assisted by IEPA Director Renee Cipriano, made the presentations immediately following a CSG membership meeting and panel discussion on sensible growth's legislative prospects.
Lt. Gov. Corinne Wood (right) presents NIPC's Ron Thomas (left) and the Campaign for Sensible Growth's Ellen Shubart with an Illinois Tomorrow Award.
The Campaign, which is co-chaired by MPC and the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission, won in the "state-of-the-art" category for its innovative methods — from e-mail bulletins to bus tours — for "increasing both public and government awareness of sensible growth issues."
"Because of such programs," Lt. Gov. Wood said, "we are achieving a better quality of life here in Illinois — a cleaner environment, safer streets, more affordable housing."
Other "Illinois Tomorrow" winners included: Algonquin's Wood Creek Watershed Protection Plan; the Downtown St. Charles Partnership; Highland Park's Affordable Housing Plan and Trust Fund; Holsten Real Estate and Kenard Corporation for their North Town Village redevelopment of the Cabrini-Green public housing area; Kane County's Farmland Protection Program; the Regional Transportation Authority's Regional Technical Assistance Program; and Round Lake Beach's redevelopment of the failing Meadow Green townhouse subdivision.
Three hours later, at an awards luncheon at the Fairmont Hotel, MPC and its partners were climbing the dais again, this time to accept one of the prestigious 2001 BP Leader Awards. The multi-national energy corporation specifically honored the Regional Employer-Assisted Collaboration for Housing, or REACH Partnership, for its successful launch of the employer-assisted housing effort.
REACH partners receive BP's Leader Award. Bottom row (from left): Hill Hammock, MPC Board Chair; Steve Friedman, Interfaith Housing Development Corporation (of Winnetka); Mary Ellen Tamasi, Lake County Affordable Housing Corporation; Julie Biel Claussen, Corporation for Affordable Homes of McHenry County; and John Petruzak, South Suburban Housing Center. Top row: Charles Leeks, Neighborhood Housing Services; Robin Snyderman, MPC; Richard Koenig, Interfaith Housing Development Corporation; Greg Shiefelbein, Joseph Corporation; Jim Durst, Joseph Corporation Board Member; Andrew Lindstrom, South Suburban Housing Center Board member. Not pictured: Donna Thomas, North West Housing Partnership; Lisa Tapper, DuPage Homeownership Center.
Brought together two years ago by MPC, REACH consists of MPC and: Corporation for Affordable Homes of McHenry County; DuPage Homeownership Center; Interfaith Housing Development Corporation; Joseph Corporation; Lake County Affordable Housing Corporation; Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago; North West Housing Partnership; and the South Suburban Housing Center.
Accepting for REACH/MPC was MPC Governing Board Chairman M. Hill Hammock and Housing Director Robin Snyderman. Presenting the Leader Award, which carries a $100,000 grant to further the program, were Ross J. Pillari, President of BP America Inc., Irene Brown, executive director of BP Foundation; and Doris Salomon, BP's regional director of community affairs.
Pillari credited the REACH employer-assisted housing effort with "promoting economic growth and development in the region by helping create a more stable workforce."