Liska + Associates
Welcome to MPC’s new web site, which we are proud to debut after months of behind-the-scenes work.
When we decided to revamp the MPC web site, we knew we wanted to reflect not only the changing ways people communicate with one another, but also MPC’s commitment to connect the dots between regional needs, challenges and solutions, and among the individuals and organizations who can help us do that.
This new web site, developed in partnership with the experts at the Chicago-based firm Webitects, marks the final step in MPC’s strategic communications review, which we began in late 2006 with the goal of helping people better understand the organization and its goals. That year, an impressive group of marketing professionals donated their time and expertise to help us determine what was working and what needed to be changed. We’d like to thank the following people for their assistance: Peter Debreceny, retired vice president, corporate relations, Allstate Insurance Company; Luisa Echevarria, community relations director, Univision; Bill Gatewood, designer, Webitects; Carolyn Grisko, president, Carolyn Grisko & Associates, Inc.; Marilyn Katz, president, MK Communications; Robert Kornecki, retired Midwest market leader, Burson-Marsteller; Avis LaVelle, president, A. LaVelle Consulting Services, LLC; Steve Liska, chairman, Liska + Associates Inc.; Lee Mitchell, partner, Thoma Cressy Equity Partners; Mary Moster, senior consultant, L.C. Williams & Associates; Steve Porras, president, Axia Development, Inc.; Mark Shadle, executive vice president and managing director, Edelman Public Relations Worldwide; Stacey Zolt Hara, director, corporate and finance practice, Ogilvy Public Relations Singapore.
MPC’s previous web site, mission and logo served us well for more than a decade, by illustrating our commitment to the greater Chicagoland region. Still, it was clear, times had changed and so had we. At 75-years-old, MPC is a vital part of a growing field of sensible planning and sustainable development proponents.
So, in 2008, the MPC Board of Governors approved a new mission statement and logo, which capture our core essence as a connector of people and ideas committed to making the region a prosperous and desirable place to live and work. We couldn’t have done it without Chicago-based strategic communication design firm Liska + Associates.
We’ve also expanded our online presence with a Facebook fan page, which we debuted in April and already has nearly 500 fans. Our YouTube channel and Flickr pages have been very popular thanks in part to our “What Makes Your Place Great?” photo and video contest. Internally, we’ve been doing more with wikis and Ning, to improve communications around a specific project. And, since 2007, MPC’s monthly e-newsletter, Re-Connection, has been providing our core audience with MPC’s stance about relevant issues as well as timely updates about our work. With a growing circulation of approximately 8,500 readers, Re-Connection is bringing more readers to our web site than ever.
With the launch of Re-Connection, we retooled our printed newsletter, Regional Connection, which now provides a close-up of a specific MPC initiative. We also began publishing a Biennial Report, rather than an Annual Report.
With this fresh perspective on who we are and what we do, MPC strengthens its resolve to put metropolitan Chicago back on the path to prosperity. Through a variety of new communications vehicles, we invite you to join us.
- Become a regular reader of our new staff-written blog, and share your comments on our posts. We promise to update the blog regularly to help you stay on top of the latest news, events and data related to our work. Subscribe to the RSS feed to make it even easier.
- Learn about the work MPC is involved in right now by visiting the Project pages. They provide a hub for each initiative we’re working on, including all related articles and blog posts, reports, background research, videos, photos, maps, and links to the project’s volunteers, partners and funders. If you want to stay up to date on a specific project, just subscribe to its RSS feed, and any new content posted to the page will go directly to your reader.
- Get to know the people behind our work by visiting the Staff section, where you’ll find a bio and snapshot of each staff member, along with links to his or her projects, blog posts, and contact information.
The web site isn’t the only way to engage with MPC. Through the site, you can become a fan of MPC on Facebook to meet and chat with others who are interested in the issues we work on every day. Sign up to receive updates on our postings to YouTube and Flickr. Subscribe to MPC’s official e-newsletter, Re-Connection, or Talking Transit, a bi-monthly e-mail with innovative and inspiring ideas for improving public transportation.
Start today by leaving your feedback about the new site as a comment on this article. We can’t wait to hear from you as we continue to adapt this web site and our other communications vehicles to do a better job of both telling our story and listening to the people affected by our work.