Looking back on six great years

The past six years have been exciting for Civic Consulting Alliance, and immensely fulfilling for me as Board Chair. Coming into the role just before Mayor Daley announced he would not run for a fifth term, I knew we had a lot of work ahead. In the nearly six years since then, with the help of 145 pro bono partners, we have completed 375 projects involving more than 1,800 individuals. Together, we have invested more than $75 million in the things that matter most to the region—better schools, safer streets, access to health care, and an economy that works for everyone. Plus, we've done a few special projects—our description of work that doesn't fall neatly into these categories—such as Mayoral, County Board, City Treasurer, and Gubernatorial transitions.

These data points speak to the remarkable investments our partnership has made in the region, demonstrating how much we can accomplish when we work together. I am proud of the impact of our work these past six years, including:

• The Reinvention of the City Colleges of Chicago, where graduation rates have more than doubled since we began our work, even before I became Chair;
• The ongoing reform of Cook County Bond Court, which has contributed to a decrease in the average daily Cook County Jail population of more than 20%;
• The Police Accountability Task Force, which provided a blueprint for fundamentally changing the way in which the public engages with the police;
• The Transformation of the Cook County Health and Hospitals System, which has enrolled more than 95,000 vulnerable adults in the new CountyCare health insurance plan.

We have also made some important changes internally, such as installing Board committees, increasing the engagement of our Board members, and strengthening our level of collaboration with our parent, the Civic Committee.

None of this is possible without the support, hard work, and commitment of our partners, clients, and the Civic Consulting staff. To every one of the more than 1,800 who have been part of this work over the past six years, thank you.

I am delighted to see Deb step into this role, as her experience, keen insights, and energy will help lead Civic Consulting and our region forward. And I am thrilled to continue serving as a member of Civic Consulting's Executive Committee. I look forward to seeing—and helping—Civic Consulting and our partners continue to make our region a better place to live, work, and do business.

James T. Glerum, Jr.
Managing Director and Chairman, Regional Banking for North America
Citigroup