Candidates Wow Record-breaking Crowd; Council Presents Burnham Award for Excellence in Planning to City of Chicago, Welcomes New Board
(CHICAGO)….. Offering their
perspectives on the federal government’s role in addressing issues critical to
the Chicago region’s future, former U.N. Ambassador Alan Keyes (R-Calumet City)
and Ill. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Chicago) appeared jointly for the first time
before a record-breaking crowd of 877 business, government and civic leaders at
the Metropolitan Planning Council’s (MPC) Annual Meeting Luncheon, Oct. 7, at
the Chicago Hilton & Towers, 720 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago.
Each candidate separately
shared how, if elected to the U.S. Senate by
Illinois
voters, he would advocate for issues critical to
businesses and residents in the
Chicago
region, such as transportation
priorities, housing options, and quality education. Keyes and Obama responded to
specific questions posed by MPC in advance, as well as to follow-up questions
from moderator Michael Flannery, CBS2 Chicago political editor.
“Over the last 18 months
I’ve traveled across the state of
Illinois
and heard a lot of talk about how we
face global competition,” said Obama. “The single most important determinant as
to how we face global competition is going to be the state of our education
system.”
Obama said he is very
supportive of the quality standards set by No Child Left Behind, but, he added,
“money does make a difference. … And the money was left behind for No Child Left
Behind.”
Keyes suggested that public
policy debate erroneously tends to revolve around finding money to purchase “the
buckets” when the real problem is “the leaky roof--” which, Keyes said, is the
“collapse of the family structure.”
“You can spend more money,
but if you haven’t addressed this critical point, you’re money won’t make a
difference,” Keyes said.
Also at the meeting, MPC presented the annual Burnham
Award for Excellence in Planning to the City of Chicago’s Department of Planning
and Development for its
Calumet Area Land Use Plan
, a broad plan for
sustainable development in the Calumet area. The Council also recognized the
work of its outgoing officers and board members, welcomed new board members, and
reported that it has raised $6,816,450 toward the Bold Plans, Bright Future
campaign goal of $8 million by year-end for an endowment and special programs
and initiatives.
“The staff, board, funders
and partners of the Metropolitan Planning Council all worked hard in the past
year to advance regional issues such as sensible community planning, education
reform, and workforce housing,” said Barrett. “The Annual Meeting Luncheon is a
celebration of our accomplishments and a chance to show our appreciation to all
of the individuals and organizations that have helped us make the
Chicago
region a better
place to live, work and play.”
Historically, MPC has
delivered a knock-out program for guests of the Annual Meeting Luncheon, the
Council’s sole fundraising event. This year’s event, co-chaired by Tyrone C.
Fahner, chairman, Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw LLP, and Terry E. Perucca,
president, Bank of America Illinois, was no exception. The audience was riveted
as Keyes and Obama detailed their intentions for advancing the
Chicago
metropolitan
region’s interests on Capitol Hill.
“Coordinated transportation
and land use planning, fair funding for education, and expanded housing options
are pressing issues that state and federal legislators – and MPC staff and
volunteers – grapple with daily,” said Barrett. “Our Annual Meeting was a
wonderful opportunity for our guests to compare how each candidate, if elected
to the U.S. Senate, will address the issues that matter to the
Chicago
metropolitan
region.”
Between the candidates’ keynote remarks,
Perucca presented MPC’s Burnham Award for Excellence in Planning to the City of
Chicago’s Department of Planning and Development for its
Calumet Area Land Use
Plan
. City leadership catalyzed
a strong working relationship among Southeast Side business people, community
leaders, conservationists, and residents, resulting in a broad plan that, for
the first time in the
Calumet
region,
encourages sustainability and synergistic co-existence between industry and
natural areas.
“With this award, we applaud the Department of Planning
and Development for its
Calumet Area Land Use Plan
,” said Perucca. “The
Calumet
region has suffered for too long from the absence of ‘big picture’ planning.
This initiative signals the start of a new era, in which new job opportunities
and restored land and waters secure the
Calumet
region for generations to come.”
Since 1988, the Burnham
Award has recognized innovative plans and projects in the
Chicago
region. This
year’s award included a $5,000 cash prize underwritten by Bank of
America.
MPC also took
the opportunity to welcome and introduce new officers, Executive Committee
members and Board members, including its new Chair John A. Buck, chairman and CEO of
The John Buck Company, a nationwide real estate and development firm
headquartered
in
Chicago.
Buck has served
on MPC’s Regional Development Committee and co-chairs the Council’s Bold
Plans, Bright Future campaign. As developer of
many
of Chicago’s signature attractions, including
the
Sears
Tower, Buck brings a wealth of expertise
to the Council.
“If you’ve done well in
business in the
Chicago
region, you owe some of your success to
the Metropolitan Planning Council,” said Buck. “This group has been a champion
of quality education, more efficient freight transportation, and housing
opportunities … all essential ingredients of a world-class business
environment.”
Buck takes the helm from
John S. Gates, Jr., co-chairman and CEO, CenterPoint Properties Trust, a leading
real estate development firm. Gates served as chair since 2002 and will continue
his involvement with MPC as an Executive Committee member and Bold Plans, Bright
Future campaign co-chair. At the meeting, the Council thanked Gates for his
outstanding contributions to MPC and the
Chicago
region.
“Under John’s active and
innovative leadership, MPC has focused its energies on strengthening the ties
between our various program areas,” said Barrett. “He urged us to rethink the
work that we’ve long been doing, to better connect our transportation agenda,
for instance, to our housing initiatives. John’s leadership has helped the
organization become more effective, and we are grateful for it.”
Barrett also welcomed new
officers and board members, elected at the Council’s Sept. 23 Board Meeting at
the Westin River North in
Chicago
.
New officer Valerie B.
Jarrett, executive vice president, The Habitat Company, will serve as secretary.
New to the Executive
Committee are current board members Mary K. Ludgin, managing director, Heitman,
and co-chair of MPC’s Urban Development Committee; and Bernard Loyd, president,
Urban Juncture, Inc., and co-chair of MPC’s Housing
Committee.
New members of the Board of Governors are:
Todd
Brown, Vice Chairman, Shorebank;
Karen S. Butler, Senior Development
Director, General Growth Properties, Inc.;
Gery Chico, Partner, Chico &
Nunes LLP;
Ann M. Drake, CEO, DSC Logistics, Inc.;
Robert V.
Fitzsimmons, Partner, Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw LLP;
James C. Franczek,
Jr., Partner, Franczek Sullivan P.C.;
Maria N. Saldana, Senior Vice
President, Ramirez & Company, Inc.; and
David Wilhelm, President, Woodland
Venture Management.
New members of the Resource Board are:
Gloria
Castillo, President, Chicago United, Inc.;
Alison L. Chung, President,
TeamWerks; and
Robert A. Kornecki, President and CEO Midwest
Region, Burnson-Marsteller.
At the meeting, Buck
reported on MPC’s Bold Plans, Bright Future campaign to raise $8 million for an
endowment and special program initiatives. With three months remaining until the
campaign’s end date of Dec. 31, gifts and pledges to the campaign total
$6,816,450. The Council has raised $2,816,450 toward its goal of matching a
grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation for $4 million,
which spurred the campaign’s launch. The Council must raise an additional
$1,183,550 and expects to reach its goal, Buck told the
crowd.
Barrett closed the meeting
by thanking all those in attendance, in particular event sponsors Bank of
America; BP America; and Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw, LLP, each of which
generously contributed $20,000.