Moonhouse Productions for MPC
There are many leaders in Pullman who have come together to transform the area into a vibrant, bustling community.
Metropolitan Planning Council's (MPC) 2016 Annual Luncheon on Monday, Jan. 9, was an engaging, dynamic discussion about the role of philanthropy in improving equality for all in the Chicago region and beyond. We hosted the heads of the Ford and John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur foundations to discuss their organizations' challenges and paths forward to a more equitable world in front of more than 1,000 of Chicagoland's movers and shakers.
We also took some time to honor local leaders who have made their careers out of effecting change.
We were proud to honor King Harris, chairman of Harris Holdings, Inc., and a longtime MPC Board member, with our 2016 Champion Fighter Award. King has been tireless in his work on behalf of affordable housing and proactive community planning, starting from back in 2000 when he worked with MPC to assist more than 80 of his own employees to buy homes near his company. I can say from my own experience that the amount of time and energy King devotes to the work he does is incredible; after championing the research of statewide supportive housing improvements, he personally edited no less than 17 drafts of the report. He does the work, and it shows—as evidenced by his recent appointment as Illinois Housing and Development Authority Board chair.
We also presented the transforming community of Pullman with the 2016 Burnham Award for Excellence in Planning. The southeast Chicago community, which was designated a National Historic Park in 2015, has recently attracted companies like Method Soap and Whole Foods to the area, bringing with them a commitment to local training and hiring. This is what investing in a vibrant community by and for its longtime residents looks like. Bravo Pullman!
Thank you to King and all those who have come together to transform Pullman, all our sponsors and the thousand people who attended, for continuing their vital work and this vital conversation.
PNC was the Presenting Sponsor of MPC’s Annual Luncheon for the 10th year in a row. See a full list of sponsors.