Gubernatorial candidates to declare visions for future of the region

Blagojevich, Ryan to speak at Metropolitan Planning Council June 25 Annual Meeting

June 25, 2002

In their first ever joint appearance, the two major party candidates for Illinois Governor, Congressman Rod Blagojevich and Attorney General Jim Ryan, will discuss issues unique to the Chicago metropolitan area before a crowd of mroe than 800 business, government and civic leaders at the Metropolitan Planning Council's (MPC) Annual Luncheon on Tuesday June 25, 2002 at the Hilton Chicago and Towers.

"There are some special challenges facing our region," says MPC President MarySue Barrett. "Coordinated transportation and development, fair funding for education and expanded housing options, are pressing issues that require attention in the Chicago area and are vital to the long-term economic health of the state. MPC's annual meeting is an excellent opportunity to compare each candidate's vision for the future."

MPC provided each candidate with an overview of regional challenges and posed four questions in areas in which MPC is active and state government plays a key role: education, sensible growth, transportation and housing.

The Annual Meeting is also the venue for the presentation of the annual Daniel H. Burnham Award for Excellence in Planning. The 2002 winner is Will County for its Land Resource Management Plan, which casts a broad, regional vision of sensible growth for Will County. It encourages high-quality growth in and around areas already served by infrastructure, and identifies natural resources and open spaces that should be preserved before development encroaches. Since 1988, the Burnham award has recognized innovative plans and projects throughout the Chicago region. For the first time the award recipient will be presented with a check for $5,000.

Also at the Tuesday meeting MPC will welcome and introduce new board members Jill Billhorn of AT&T, Polly A. Flinn of BP America, Inc., Michael J. Mihelbergel of Bank of America and Joyce E. Mims of Ryerson Tull, Inc., along with newly elected officers John S. Gates, Jr. (Chair) of CenterPoint properties Trust and King Harris (Vice Chair) of Harris Holdings, Inc. New Resource Board members are Carrie Broughton-Irving, Lori T. Healey and Leticia Peralta-Davis.

Founded in 1934, MPC is a nonprofit, nonpartisan group of business and civic leaders committed to serving the public interest through the promotion and implementation of sensible planning and development policies necessary for a world-class Chicago region.

We express our heartfelt appreciation to the following individuals and companies who (at press time) bought fund-raising tables or tickets:

Benefactors

CenterPoint Properties Trust
Perkins & Will (Sponsor of Burnham Award)
Walgreen Co.

Patrons

Abbott Laboratories
The Alter Group
Altheimer & Gray
Baird & Warner
Bank of America
Bank One Corporation
The Boeing Company
Booth Hansen Associates
The John Buck Company
R.M. Chin & Associates
CSX Transportation, Inc.
Deloitte & Touche
Draper and Kramer, Incorporated
Ernst & Young LLP
Exelon Corporation
Gardner, Carton & Douglas
The Habitat Company
Harris Bank
Edward R. James Partners, LLC
Jones Lang LaSalle
Leo Burnett Worldwide
Material Service Corporation
Mayer Brown Rowe & Maw
McKinsey & Company, Inc.
National City Bank
The Northern Trust Company
Peoples Energy Corporation
Pepper Construction Company
SBC Ameritech Illinois
Winston & Strawn

Contributors

Household International
Edward A. Brennan
Illinois Tool Works Inc.
Nagle, Hartray, Danker, Kegan, McKay Architects Planners Ltd.
PJH & Associates, Inc.
Schwarz
Ald. Burton Natarus, 42nd Ward
Willis Stein & Partners
Azteca Foods