Many individuals, institutions, and organizations have contributed to this endeavor, and provided helpful assistance and advice during the months in which this project has matured.
The development of this report was supported by the Crossroads Fund, the Polk Brothers Foundation, Wieboldt Foundation, the Woods Fund of Chicago, and Jim Hanig.
Project coordination and principal authors are Brian Gladstein and Rian Wanstreet of the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs.
Instrumental in the development were Margo Alpert, Rey Lopez-Calderon, Cheryl Spivey-Perry, Alejandra Ibañez, Gabriel Machabanski, James Pfluecke, Susuan Klonsky, Janet Smith, and Ken Snyder.
The DGAP Steering Committee includes Alianza, the Coalition to Protect Public Housing, Jewish Council on Urban Affairs, Lugenia Burnes Hope Center, Pilsen Alliance, and the Southside Organizing Summit.
We thank the many organizations that have participated in the DGAP project over the past year, and in the creation of the report card. They include:
Access Living, Alianza, Applied Research Center, Better Government Association, Blocks Together, Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, Chicago Recycling Coalition, Community Renewal Society, Coalition to Protect Public Housing, DePaul Egan Urban Center, DePaul University Geography Department, The Dina and Eli Field EZRA Multi-Service Center, Grassroots Collaborative, Illinois Public Interest Research Group, Independent Voters of Illinois - Independent Precinct Organization, Jewish Council on Urban Affairs, Jobs with Justice, Lakeview Action Coalition, Lugenia Burns Hope Center, Metro Seniors in Action, Nathalie P. Voorhees Center for Neighborhood and Community Improvement, Pilsen Environmental Rights and Reform Organization, Pilsen Alliance, San Lucas Workers Center, SEIU Local 73, Student Tenants Organizing Project, Southside Organizing Project.
We owe a debt of gratitude to the following civic leaders who graciously granted us their valuable time for conceptualizing the aldermanic report card, and helped us to understand the multifaceted roles of an elected official: Leon Despres, Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, Michael Glasser, Judd Miner, Marty Oberman, David Orr, Sonia Silva, Dick Simpson, and Laura Washington.
We could not have done this without the advice and assistance of the following people:
Shannon Bade, Jane Bohman, Martha Boyd, Deirdre Brewster, David Chandler, Julie Dworkin, Willie J.R. Fleming, Craig P. Futterman, Isabel Garcia, Cozy Hendricks, Brian Imus, Verna Jaunes, Rachel Johnson, Terry Keleher, Michael Klonsky, Valery Krieg, Jon Labaschin, Whitney Lacefield, Sarah Lessem, Maggie Marystone, Eithne McMenamin, Ethan Michaeli, Cory Muldoon, Jackson Potter, Dan Pozzie, Josh Prudowsky, Karin Pritikin, Julie Putterman, Jane Ramsey, Kent Redfield, Irene Lehrer Sandalow, Jessica Shimberg, W. Robert Schultz, III., Julie Shevrin, Gretchen Solomon, Den Sprehe, Carol Steele, Betsy Vandercook, Tom Walsh and Rachel Weber.
This report could not have been completed without the assistance of our primary researcher and photographer, Virginia Tangel. Thank you for all your amazing work, and for gracefully handing the suspicion of government employees.
To Paul Lefebvre, our graphic designer: There is no way we can adequately express the depth of our appreciation. This product has gone far beyond our expectations, and you are the primary cause of that. We admire your talent, and cannot thank you enough for working (and putting) up with us.
Thanks to Devon Persing, our web designer. We apologize for the continuous delays. And thanks to Bob Smith for the site information architecture, and we promise this is the last favor you’ll be asked for at least a month.
Thank you to Jonit Bookheim, our nick-of-time Champion.
A big thanks to Steve Juhasz and fullline printing, inc., for being so gracious and for understanding the nature of non-profit work.
Thanks to Deborah Midgley for being Brian’s inspiration for the DGAP project and having our second baby during the writing of this report.
A very special thanks to Diane Dubey for being a masterful editor, and for fusing our voices. Authors: Brian Gladstein, Julie Johnson & Rian Wanstreet
Credits for city section, front and back cover photos: Virginia Tangel