Advisors and Partners
Introduction
Collaborative Work
Supporting its commitment to inter-disciplinary and multi-community engaged research, GCI convenes GCI Advisors, an advisory council that links GCI’s work to the rest of the university, the non-profit, civic, cultural worlds, with the public and private sectors. GCI Advisors meet quarterly to discuss pressing issues facing the region, get a first glance at new cutting edge research, ensure GCI’s 360-degree focus on fulsome engagement of multiple audiences, as well as review and evaluate the Institute’s work.
In addition to our GCI Advisors, we work with many community partners on our projects and value their support.
GCI Advisors
Jennifer Arwade, C0-Executive Director, Communities United
Lawrence Benito, CEO and Executive Director, Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights
Deborah E. Bennett, Senior Program Officer, Polk Brothers Foundation
John Bouman, President, Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law
Gloria Castillo, President and CEO, Chicago United
David Doig, President, Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives
Victor B. Dickson, President and CEO, Safer Foundation
Ricardo Estrada, President and CEO, Metropolitan Family Services
Sunny Fischer, Board Chair, National Public Housing Museum
Sol A. Flores, Deputy Governor, State of Illinois
Mari Gallagher, Principal, Mari Gallagher Research and Consulting Group
Jesús Chuy García, U.S. Representative, Illinois 4th District
Grace Hou, Secretary, Illinois Department of Human Services
Maria Kim, President and CEO, Cara
Rami Nashashibi, Executive Director, Inner-City Muslim Action Network
Darlene Oliver Hightower, Vice President, Community Health Equity, Rush University Medical Center
Sylvia Puente, Executive Director, Latino Policy Forum
Susan Smith Richardson, CEO, Center for Public Integrity
Juan Salgado, Chancellor, City Colleges of Chicago
Andrea Zopp, CEO, World Business Chicago
Community Partners
Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights under Law
Alderman John Arena, 45th ward
Alderman James Cappleman, 46th ward
Alderman Leslie Hairston, 5th ward
Alderman Ricardo Munoz, 22nd ward
Illinois Collaboration on Youth
Community Foundation of Great River Bend
Lawndale Christian Legal Center
Caris Pregnancy Counseling and Resources
Latin United Community Housing Association (LUCHA)
Near West Side Community Development Corporation
North Lawndale Employment Network
Latino Cultural Exchange Coalition
Food Desert Project
La Familia Unida
Carroll Care Center
San Jose Obrero Mission
Confederation of Spanish American Families
Project VIDA
Education Groups
DePaul University, School of Public Service
College of Urban Planning & Public Affairs (CUPPA)
UIC Department of Urban Planning & Policy (UPP)
UIC Department of Public Administration (PA)
UIC Institute for Policy and Civic Engagement
Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy (IRRPP)
UIC Urban Data Visualization Lab
UIC Urban Transportation Center
Natalie P. Voorhees Center for Neighborhood and Community Improvement (VC)
University of Illinois Extension
Community Media Workshop at Columbia College
North Park University, Axelson Center for Nonprofit Management
Government Agencies
Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
Illinois Emergency Management Agency
Illinois Housing Development Authority
U.S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 5
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development