PUBLIC POLICY ISSUES AND ADVOCACY:

• Executive Director, Illinois Coalition Against the Death Penalty, May - October, 2001;
• Community Fellowship, Center for Urban Research and Learning, Loyola University of Chicago for 1998-1999;
• Interim Executive Director, Illinois Common Cause, December 1996 &endash; March 1997
• Community Service Fellowship, Chicago Community Trust, Chicago, 1994-1995;
• Executive Director, The Public Welfare Coalition, Chicago, 1986-1994;
• Lobbyist on low-income and campaign finance issues in Springfield, 1986-1996
• President of the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, Chicago, 1985-1987;
• Member of the Mayor's Task Force on the Homeless, Chicago, 1983-1989;
• Project Director for several reports on poverty issues; and
• Past member of three statewide councils on poverty and homeless issues (1989-1994).

MEDIA:

• Consultant on strategy and media training to groups seeking media placement for progressive issues, 1994-Present;
• Statehouse correspondent for City News USA, Publisher of State News Service, spring 2000
• Political and social issues columnist for Streetwise newspaper, Chicago, 1998-2001;
• Chair (1999), Editorial Chair (1999-Present) and Board member of the Illinois Editorial Forum, an affiliate of the Washington, D.C. based American Forum that is dedicated to formulating and distributing op/ed pieces to print and electronic media in Illinois, 1997-present;
• Publisher of Poverty Issues...Dateline Illinois, a twice-monthly fax/e-mail news briefing (1996-2001);
• Author of Media Coverage of Public Policy Issues in Illinois, (1998);
• Author of Don't just complain...20 steps to improving MEDIA Coverage of poverty issues (1995);
• Author of Competing Successfully for Media Coverage, a 56 page guide to working with the media for non-profits (1996);
• Extensive experience with local, regional, and national media activities, including developing news conferences, interviews, talk shows, PSA's, Op/Ed pieces, and referral to other sources, 1981-present. Appearances included Nightline, Oprah Winfrey, the Jesse Jackson Show, Beyond the Beltway, and various network news stories; and
• Represented a variety of poverty issues with the media including: homelessness, welfare, energy, gambling issues, campaign finance reform, death penalty and a variety of "watch dog" issues, 1981-present.

LOW INCOME HOUSING REHABILITATION:

• Housing Consultant, then Director (part-time) for the Illinois Migrant Council, 1998-2002 &endash; developed rental subsidy program, funded by the Illinois Housing Development Authority for migrant and seasonal farmworkers; (replaces existing Ill Migrant Council item under housing)
• Organizer (1984-1985), founding President (1985-1990), member of the Board of Directors (1985-1991), of the Lakefront SRO Corporation, the pioneer non-profit developer of Single Room Occupancy (SRO) housing in Chicago;
• Founding Commissioner and Secretary of the Chicago Low Income Housing Trust Fund. An original negotiator on the linked development issue of the Presidential Towers that established the financial basis for the Trust Fund, 1986-present;
• Member of the Board of Lakeview Towers Preservation Corporation, 1991-1996; and
• Member of the Board (1979-1988) and past President (1979-81 and 1984-86) of Voice of the People in Uptown Inc., a non-profit developer of family housing for low income families in Chicago.

DIRECT SERVICE:

• Past Executive Director of The Center for Street People, a drop-in center serving homeless men and women in the Uptown community of Chicago, 1983-1985; and
• Past Director of REST Shelter in Uptown, an emergency shelter serving men and women in two churches in the Uptown community of Chicago, 1982-1985

AWARDS:

• Recipient of the first Community Fellowship, Center for Urban Research and Learning, Loyola University of Chicago for 1998-1999;
• Recipient of one of three Chicago Community Trust Community Service Fellowships for 1994-1995;
• Recipient of the 1991 Advocacy Award from the Interfaith Council for the Homeless;
• Co-Recipient of the 1988 Civic Contribution Award of the League of Women Voters of Chicago; and
• Recipient of 1986 volunteer award from the North Side Community Federal Credit Union.

EDUCATION AND OTHER:

• B.A. in Political Science from Indiana University, 1971
• Two year veteran of VISTA, 1971-1973

• Developed the first rental subsidy program for migrant and seasonal farmworkers in Illinois in conjunction with the Illinois Housing Development Authority;
• Organized Lakefront SRO, the first Single Room Occupancy (SRO) non-profit development corporation in the Midwest, located in Chicago;
• Reorganized troubled community based services for the homeless shelter and drop in center that resulted in permanent locations, community support, and life essential services for over 2,000 individuals over three and half years;
• Greatly increased media coverage and thus public understanding of low income issues. A veteran of over 3,500 media activities with local, regional, national, and international coverage during the past 17 years. These activities covered the issues of homelessness, low income housing, welfare, casinos, currency exchange reform, job training, and school reform among other activities;
• Successfully operated three organizations as the staff director. Instrumental in raising $ 1.7 for operations over 9 years.
• As a volunteer Board member of three organizations raised over $ 1.2 for housing development, social services, and organizational operations;
• Successfully advocated for causes that resulted in adoption of positive policies, stopped negative proposals, or modified negative proposals into less onerous measures;
• Served on several non-profit Boards in a leadership position;
• Developed and implemented the concept of a news reporting service on poverty issues.
• Organized large groups of diverse people and organizations into effectively working together on issues; and
• Wrote articles and spoke to diverse audiences on the issues I have represented.

  ---

Policy Issues and State Government

• Served as an active Steering Committee member for the Homeless Prevention Project of AFDC mothers done by Loyola University for Travelers and Immigrant Aid, 1987-88.
• As Executive Director (1986-94) of the Public Welfare Coalition (PWC), I supervised and partially authored an evaluation of the 1988 Project Chance report to the Illinois General Assembly. This 90 page report for the first time critiqued thestate's job training program for AFDC mothers. The study had a major impact on bringing about some reforms of the approach to job training programs for mothers in the late 1980's and early 1990's, 1988.
• Conducted a survey of candidates for State government offices on their views of welfare prior to the 1990 election, 1990.
• Supervised and partially authored an analysis of Earnfare, Will This Report Make Any Difference: An Evaluation of Earnfare in Illinois, Public Welfare Coalition (PWC), 1994. This study, done by Northern Illinois University for PWC, was the bench mark evaluation of this controversial program for ex-General Assistance participants, 1994.
• Conducted a survey of candidates for State government offices on their views of increased casino gambling prior to the 1994 election, Win Lose, or Draw: A survey of Illinois Candidates, the Religious Task Force to Oppose Increased Legalized Gambling, 1994.
• Directed an analysis of how proposed welfare changes will impact Chicago's neighborhoods. The report, Chicago Endangered: The Impact of Federal and State Welfare Changes on Chicago's Neighborhoods, Community Renewal Society, 1995. The report details the dollar reductions if there was a fifty percent cut for each of Chicago's communities, 1995.
• Conducted research and wrote two brochures, LEGISLATIVE ACTION...AND YOUR ISSUE and MEDIA AND ADVOCACY IN A CHANGING WORLD for the Chicago based Center for Economic Policy Analysis and the Connecticut Council on Developmental Disabilities, 1996.
• Designed and conducted a written survey and interviews on social service needs in the Lincoln Park community of Chicago. Wrote a final report with recommendations, 1997.
• Conducted interviews, research and co-authored with Patrick Barry three publications for a welfare information project for the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Material published by the City of Chicago-Cook County Welfare Reform Task Force: 1.) Guiding Principles, 2.) Understanding Welfare Reform and Guideposts for Moving Forward and 3.) Resources on Welfare Reform, August 1997.
• Designed and conducted a written survey and interviews on housing needs for migrant farm workers in the State of Illinois for the Illinois Migrant Council final report with recommendations, Spring, 1999.

Media Related Research

• Conducted interviews and other research for my publication, Don't just complain...20 steps to improving MEDIA Coverage of poverty issues. This publication summarizes 100 interviews conducted during a year long community service fellowship (1994-95) through the Chicago Community Trust, 1995.
• Conducted a planning process for the Community Media Workshop on the development of the Community News Project. This resulted in the project being funded and operational during the 1996 political campaigns and the 1996 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, 1996
• Conducted research, developed as part of a team the format of media resources, editorial input, provided drafts of three articles of 32 background articles for the Community News Project's NATIONAL ISSUES: The Chicago Experience, August 1996.
• Conducted on going research and interviews for Poverty Issues...Dateline Illinois, a twice a month publication I started in January 1996. Produced 382 articles on poverty issues in 119 editions through 2001. These articles have resulted in over 400 other media stories, January 1996 &endash; 2001.
• Conducted on going research and interviews for my On Issue column in Streetwise, a now-weekly publication since April 1998. Produced articles on political and social issues in 62 editions, April 1998 &endash; 2001.
• Conducted or assisted in research on various issues for media outlets in Illinois, 1995 &endash; Present.
• Conducted research to write Competing Successfully for Media Coverage, a guide to working with the media for non-profits. This 56 page book can be used with media training sessions or by itself, 1996.
• Conducted research to write Media Coverage of Public Policy Issues in Illinois, a survey of media and non-profit organizations about media coverage of public policies in the state. 21 page booklet done for my fellowship at the Center for Urban Research and Learning at Loyola University, October 1998.
• Researched and designed media plans for various clients. Examples included issues of education, welfare, campaign finance reform, housing, federal earned income tax credits, homelessness, hunger, the release of a video on survivors of a Czech village destroyed by the Nazis in World War II.