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Deputy Secretary, Illinois Department of Trans
portation
Non-Voting Appointment
André B. Ashmore, currently the Deputy Secretary of Transportation at the Illinois Department of Transportation has been named to the CMAP Board by Governor Pat Quinn. André previously served as the Director of Local Government Affairs in the Governor's Office where he was responsible for all outreach activities related to local, township, and county governments throughout Illinois. Prior to the Governor's Office, André served as the Deputy Director of Regional Outreach at the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. The Office of Regional Outreach is responsible for creating and overseeing a multitude of economic development projects statewide. André also served as Governor Quinn's Chief Liaison for the 2010 Census to ensure a complete Census count for the State of Illinois.
André is a graduate of the The John Marshall Law School in Chicago. In addition to his law degree, André holds a Master of Science degree in Criminal Justice and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. André is also an Adjunct Professor of Business and Public Administration at Governors State University in University Park, IL where he teaches in the MPA and MBA programs. Additionally, from 2001-2008 André served as a Village Trustee in the Village of Matteson and since 2008 has served as Village President of Matteson.
Executive Director, Metropolis Strategies (formerly Chicago Metropolis 2020)
Representing the City of Chicago
Frank Beal has held the position of Executive Director of Metropolis Strategies (formerly Chicago Metropolis 2020) since 2000.
Previously with Inland Steel Industries, Beal served as president and chief executive officer of Ryerson/West, a metals distribution company owned by Inland. He also held the positions of general manager of corporate planning and development and president of Ryerson International (an operating unit of Inland Steel Industries) and general manager of purchasing for Inland Steel Company.
Prior to joining Inland, Beal was director of the Illinois Department of Energy and Natural Resources and a special assistant for energy and environmental affairs for Governor James Thompson. Under Governor Richard Ogilvie, Beal served as the state's first deputy director of the Institute for Environmental Quality, which conducts research on energy, natural resources and environmental issues for the state.
As a former employee of the American Planning Association, he has edited and published several books, articles and research reports on urban affairs and land use planning.
Beal serves on the board of Business and Professional People for the Public Interest, a public interest law and policy center dedicated to social justice issues. Appointed to the CMAP Board by Mayor Daley as one of five representatives for the City of Chicago, Beal serves both the Waste Water Committee and the Regional Coordinating Committee.
Beal graduated from the University of Illinois with a Master's degree in urban planning and has a Bachelor's degree in engineering from Antioch College.
Mayor, City of Palos Hills
Representing Southwest Cook County
Serving his seventh term as Mayor of the City of Palos Hills, Gerald Bennett has been an outspoken advocate for uniting cities and villages. He founded and continues to serve as the President of the Southwest Conference of Mayors. He was a co-founder and serves as Chairman of the Board of the Southwest Central Dispatch (an intergovernmental police and fire 911 service). Bennett has served as past Chair of the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus and is currently a member of the Mayors Caucus Executive Committee. He is also the President of the Illinois Municipal League and was named co-chair of the Mayors Caucus 2016 Olympic Regional Coordinating Committee. As the representative from Southwest Cook County, Bennett holds the position of Chair of the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning and its Executive Committee.
A businessman for 40 years, Bennett is President of Bennett Dental Labs, Inc., in Palos Hills.
Bennett attended Lewis University and the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Private Consultant (formerly Associate Vice President, The University of Chicago)
Representing the City of Chicago
As Associate Vice President at the University of Chicago, Ms. Campbell created "PlaceMaking" programs and initiatives to influence economic growth, establish destination, implement redevelopment projects and improve the quality of life in neighborhoods surrounding the University and its main campus. Ms. Campbell managed research, planning and redevelopment strategies that positioned the university as a key contributor to urban development within Chicago. Working through the university's Office of Civic Engagement, Ms. Campbell advanced community and city government relations and represented the university on a number of civic boards. She focused on campus planning initiatives and worked on projects including the University Police, Neighborhood Schools Programs, the University's off-campus real estate activities, and local government and community affairs. Previously, Susan served as Partner and Vice President/Planning and Development of Campbell Tiu Campbell, Inc. where she was responsible for all business development and the firm's urban planning practice. She has served as a member of the Board of Directors of numerous organizations including the Near South Planning Board, the American Institute of Architects (Chicago Chapter: Associate Vice President), and the National Organization of Minority Architects (as well as serving as National Parliamentarian); and on the Founding Board of Directors, Women in Planning and Development. Susan currently serves as the Chair of the 43rd/Cottage Grove T.I.F. Advisory Panel, on the Board of Directors of Business and Professional People for the Public Interest (BPI), and on the Board of the Quad Communities Development Corporation. Appointed to the CMAP Board by Mayor Daley as one of five representatives for the City of Chicago, Campbell also serves on the Executive Committee as Vice-Chair and chairs the Local Coordinating Committee.
Susan attended Tufts University and received a Master of Urban Planning and Policy from the University of Illinois and a Master of Architecture from the Illinois Institute of Technology.
Mayor, Village of Bolingbrook
Representing Will County
Mayor Claar is now in his 22nd year as Mayor of the Village of Bolingbrook. He was a Village Trustee for 5 ½ years and served one year as a Police and Fire Commissioner. He continues to serve on the Illinois Municipal League Board (of which he is also a past president). Mayor Claar has served on the National League of Cities' Finance, Administration and Intergovernmental Relations Committee and was elected to the Board of Directors for 2 years. He now serves on the NLC's Advisory Committee. Claar served on the International Affair and Jobs/Education Committees of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Currently, Claar is a Vice President of the Will County Government League and chairs its Transportation Committee. He serves on the Council of Mayors. He held the position of Chair of the DuPage Township Republican Organization in Will County for 14 years and now serves on the State Central Republican Committee representing the 13th Congressional District.
Cited with many awards, Claar is most proud of the Silver Beaver Award from the Boy Scouts of America, Citizens of the Year Award from the Bolingbrook Knights of Columbus, the Award of Appreciation for Community Service from the Indo-American Political League, the Grand Asian Award the Friend of the Asian American Community Award from the Asian American Coalition of Chicago and the Crane Gargoyle for Precedent-Setting Advocacy from the Council for Disability Rights for his role in addressing "visitability" issues for Bolingbrook housing.
Representing Will County on the CMAP Board, Claar is also a member of the CMAP Waste Water Committee and the Regional Coordinating Committee.
Claar has a Ph.D. from Kansas State University and obtained the Master's and Bachelor's degrees from Eastern Illinois University.
President, Village of Riverside
Representing West Cook County
Michael C. Gorman has served as Village President of Riverside since May 2009. He has been a Riverside resident since 1979. He and his wife, Linda, have three children who all graduated from Riverside public schools before moving on to college and beyond. For several years prior to becoming President, Mike took an active part in Riverside government as a member of the Long Term Finance Committee, as a constant voice advocating for residents.
Having spent his entire career working for and advising business clients, Mike began as a financial auditor with one of the preeminent international certified public accounting firms, Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co., now KPMG. Mike's audit work as a CPA was concentrated in the insurance, manufacturing and media industries. While attending law school, he gained hands-on experience serving as the law clerk for the Attorney of the Town of Cicero. Upon graduation from Northwestern, Mike worked as an associate attorney with a business law firm in the Chicago loop before taking a position as Corporate Counsel for Leo Burnett Company, Chicago's largest multi-national advertising agency. At Leo Burnett, he was responsible for all legal-related issues concerning domestic and international business operations. His responsibilities included budget and staff oversight for the Legal Department, counseling corporate management on all aspects of business operations, and handling all mergers and acquisitions activity on a world-wide basis. Mike served Leo Burnett as Senior Vice President, Corporate Counsel, Assistant General Counsel, and Assistant Corporate Secretary. Mike then held the position of Director-Portfolio Management for Bank One, now Chase Bank, where he supervised information management and data integrity projects focused on the analysis of the risk profile of the bank's investments.
Represening West Cook County on the CMAP Board, Gorman is also a member of the Regional Coordinating Committee.
Mike holds a Bachelor of Business Degree from Western Illinois University, where he graduated #1 in the Department of Accountancy and was named the Outstanding Senior of his graduating class.
Former President, Village of Buffalo Grove
Representing Lake County
The President of the Village of Buffalo Grove from 1999 to 2011, Hartstein has also served as a Village Trustee and Commissioner of the Zoning Board of Appeals. He is a member of the Buffalo Grove Singers and Buffalo Grove Chamber of Commerce. The founding President, he was a Board member of the Northwest Suburban Jewish Community Center, a former Board Member of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago and a former School Board Member of Adlai Stevenson High School District 125. Hartstein has served on the Illinois Municipal League Legislative Committee, and currently as a Board member of the Illinois Municipal League. He is an Executive Board Member and a past President of the Northwest Municipal Conference and also is a past Chair of the Conference's Transportation Committee and Sensible Growth Committees and past Legislative Committee Co-Chair, a committee on which he continues to serve. He has served as a member of the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus Board of Directors. Representing Lake County, Hartstein is a member of the CMAP Board, serving on its Executive Committee as Vice-Chair and chairs its Regional Coordinating Committee.
A lawyer for over 30 years, Hartstein is currently with the firm of David Stolman & Associates with a concentration in real estate law.
Hartstein obtained the Juris Doctorate degree at DePaul University and the Bachelor's degree at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana.
President, Village of Schaumburg
Representing Northwest Cook County
Larson has served Schaumburg as Village President since 1987. In that capacity, he initiated the development and adoption of concept plans for all the vacant land in the industrial/office/ commercial retail districts, establishing land use intensities (FARS), land use scenarios (office, commercial, retail, etc.) along with a traffic mitigation plan that would expand traffic network capacities to meet additional traffic load brought by such development. He broadened the Village's cultural programming to include Schaumburg's Prairie Arts Festival, initiated efforts to develop a theatre workshop for young people that led to annual summer youth musicals, promoted development of the Schaumburg Youth Orchestra, and pushed for the establishment of a youth ballet troupe that led to the founding of the Schaumburg Dance Ensemble. He brought to the Village Manager and Village Board the initiative to acquire Schaumburg Airpark as a public airfield so it can be preserved as an asset for aviation, transportation, and long range economic development. Larson has established cooperation with the Schaumburg Park District, securing them as co-equal partners in the acquisition process. He initiated the Village's acquisition of Town Square Shopping Center to refocus its image as a vital part of developing a true "downtown" for the Village of Schaumburg, contacting the Schaumburg Township Library and the Schaumburg Park District to initiate the dialogue to establish their presence as part of Town Square's redevelopment. He initiated acquisition of 45 acres for a Schaumburg convention center with a 500-room Marriott Renaissance Hotel and brought baseball to Schaumburg with the Schaumburg Flyers along with a drop-dead beautiful baseball stadium.
Larson has served as past President of the Northwest Municipal Conference, Vice President of the Illinois Municipal League, Member of DuPage Mayor's and Manager's Board, PACE Board of Directors, Chair of Joint Action Water Agency, Member of O'Hare Noise Compatibility Commission, Board of Directors of Illinois Public Airports Association, Council of Mayors Executive Board, Transportation Infrastructure and Services Steering Committee for the National League of Cities, co-chair of the STAR Line Steering Committee and Governor's Climate Change Advisory Group. Representing Northwest Cook County, Larson is a member of the CMAP Board and serves both the Executive Committee and the Regional Coordinating Committee.
Larson is a graduate of William Rainey Harper College and attended Illinois Institute of Technology.
Vice-President
Mesirow Financial
Andrew Madigan is responsible for originating and managing the development of property/casualty and employee benefits programs as well as growing client relationships throughout Mesirow Financial. He has broad experience working with various types of entities such as educational institutions, contractors, architects, and municipalities. Before joining the insurance group, Andrew previously worked as a development manager in the Mesirow Financial Real Estate group. During this time, he worked on all aspects of development including land planning, entitlements, construction, lease-out, and financing. He worked on numerous projects that consisted of mixed-use, commercial, residential, and retail developments. Prior to joining Mesirow, he worked for the Chicago White Sox in a variety of roles, including working in the purchasing, baseball, public relations/media relations, and ticket sales departments. Appointed to the CMAP Board by Mayor Emanuel as one of five representatives for the City of Chicago, Madigan is also a member of the Regional Coordinating Committee. He is a member of the City Club of Chicago and the Northwestern Club of Chicago. Andrew has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Northwestern University and resides in the City of Chicago.
President, Village of Montgomery
Representing Kane/Kendall Counties
Having served in local government since 1982, Mayor Michelini believes in the power of intergovernmental cooperation – a necessity due to the fact that the Village of Montgomery is located within two different counties. While most municipalities must work cooperatively with fewer than five other governmental entities, Montgomery works with 24, including five fire protection districts, five school districts, three park districts, two library districts, two counties, four townships, one water reclamation district, a drainage district and a water authority. Michelini has achieved continued cooperation and teamwork among Montgomery's Board of Trustees, finalized a boundary agreement with the United City of Yorkville, lobbied IDOT and Kane County to fund road repairs on State and County highways in Montgomery. She found funding to construct a state-of-the-art Police Station and new Village Hall, created a Historic Preservation Commission supporting restoration of an important local landmark preserving a historic farmstead that was donated to The Conservation Foundation, and created an Anniversary Committee to plan events commemorating the 150th anniversary of Montgomery's incorporation and the 175th anniversary of the first settlement. She convenes an annual Village Open House with the goal of attaining residents' direct involvement in government. Michelini also holds monthly "Coffees with the Mayor" to facilitate an exchange of ideas with residents and participates in a Strategic Planning Design Team with residents and other stakeholders to chart the future of Montgomery.
Michelini serves on the Metro West Council of Government, Kendall County Mayors and Managers Association, Kane County Storm Water Management Commission, Fox Valley United Way Board (Community Impact Committee) and Kane County Impact Fee Committee as an alternate. Representing Kane and Kendall Counties on the CMAP Board, Michelini is a member of the Local Coordinating Committee and represents the region at the National Association of Regional Councils.
Senior Vice President, VOA Associates Incorporated
Representing the City of Chicago
Heather Weed Niehoff joined VOA Associates Incorporated in 2010 as Senior Vice President.
Previously, Niehoff served as Principal and Senior Designer for the architectural firm of Lucien Lagrange Architects. Prior to joining Lucien Lagrange Architects, Niehoff was a senior designer for Solomon Cordwell Buenz & Associates. She has also worked with Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, LLP.
Niehoff heads the Luxury Residential market at VOA and is also an experienced project leader with extensive experience in hospitality, large scale mixed-use buildings and adaptive re-use buildings.
Appointed to the CMAP Board by Mayor Emmanuel as one of five representatives for the City of Chicago, Niehoff is also a member of the Regional Coordinating Committee. Niehoff is a member of the American Institute of Architects and has served as speaker for the 2009 American Institute of Architects National Convention, the 2007 Multi-Housing World Conference and was a panelist in 2008 for Chicago Women in Architecture. Niehoff is also affiliated with the Greater North Michigan Avenue Association Sign and Urban Design Committee, Greater North Michigan Avenue Association 21st Century Planning Committee, Auxiliary Board of the Chicago Architecture Foundation, Arts Club, and Woman's Athletic Club of Chicago.
Niehoff graduated with her Master of Architecture from Columbia University and her Bachelors of Arts degree from Barnard College.
Deputy Chief of Staff, Office of Governor of the State of Illinois
Non-voting Appointment
Sean O'Shea currently serves as Deputy Chief of Staff in the Office of Illinois Governor Pat Quinn and assists the Governor in transportation-related matters. Previously, Mr. O'Shea served as the Vice President and Counsel of Building America's Future, a bipartisan organization of mayors and governors dedicated to investing more in America's infrastructure. Mr. O'Shea was also as an attorney at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, LLP, Projects Director and Legislative Assistant for Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) from 2004 to 2007, a vice president at government relations firm, Cassidy & Associates, and served in the White House Office of Cabinet Affairs as senior advisor to the cabinet secretary.
Mr. O'Shea received a Bachelor of Arts with Honors from DePaul University and a Juris Doctor Cum Laude from American University Washington College of Law. Mr. O'Shea is a native of Chicago, Illinois.
Chief Executive Officer, the Resurrection Project
Representing the City of Chicago
Raul Raymundo is the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of The Resurrection Project (TRP), a non-profit community based organization, founded in 1990 by a coalition of six Catholic churches. TRP's mission is to build relationships and challenge people to act on their faith and values to create healthy communities through organizing, education and community development. Under Raymundo's leadership, TRP has leveraged more than $140 million in community reinvestment through the development of affordable housing, community facilities and economic development projects. Through its community organizing initiatives, TRP has also built the necessary power to create a voice and active civic participation of the neighborhood to effect policies for the benefit of the community.
Raymundo was recognized by Chicago Magazine as one of six Chicagoans of the Year for his outstanding leadership and civic engagement, he is a board member of several civic and professional organizations including the Executive Council of Chicago Metropolis 2020, Chicago Public Radio, Illinois Facility Fund, Ounce of Prevention Fund and St. Anthony Hospital. Appointed to the CMAP Board by Mayor Daley as one of five representatives from the City of Chicago, Raymundo is also a member of the Executive Committee and the Local Coordinating Committee.
Raymundo graduated from Carleton College, attended University of Chicago's Public Policy School and is a Leadership Greater Chicago Fellow.
Senior Deputy Executive Director, Planning & Regional Programs
Regional Transportation Authority
Non-Voting Appointment
Leanne Redden has served as the Senior Deputy Executive Director of Planning since November 2005. Ms. Redden manages the Planning Department that includes Strategic Planning & Policy, Regional Coordination, Local Planning and Programs, and Regional Accessibility. Ms. Redden has been instrumental in developing Long Range Planning initiatives for the region's transit system including the Moving Beyond Congestion Plan and is a key player in the subsequent 2008 Funding Reform Legislation. Under her leadership, the Planning Department completed the first Regional Market and Systems Analysis, and on-going initiatives such as Universal Open Fare Payment System and Bus Rapid Transit work including the region's first bus-on-shoulder service expected to begin November 2011. Her group also led the development of the region's first Green Transit Plan. Ms. Redden streamlined the Community and Local Planning Grant programs and focused work on plan implementation and transit improvement plans. She also oversees the Enterprise GIS data system, the Regional Traveler Information and Mobility Management Programs and Travel Training Program and the region's ADA Paratransit Certification Program.
Prior to joining the RTA, from 2003 through 2005, she was the Chief of Planning at the Illinois Tollway, where she oversaw the Planning Department and was integral in developing the 2004 $5.3 billion dollar Congestion Relief Capital Plan and Open Road Tolling. She was responsible for capital planning, traffic and revenue forecasting, public outreach and coordination. Prior to that, she was the Director of Transportation for the Village of Schaumburg.
Ms. Redden is also active at the Regional Planning level. She sits on CMAP's Board, and serves its Regional Coordinating Committee, the MPO Policy Committee and is Chair of CMAP's Transportation Committee.
Ms. Redden received her Masters Degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a Bachelors Degree from the University of New South Wales, Australia. She has also received the professional designation of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP).
President, Village of Richton Park
Representing South Cook County
Richard Reinbold, a Richton Park resident since 1952, has served as village president since 2001. Previously, he served as a village trustee from 1993-2001. He is the owner of Reinbold Properties, general manager of Englund Properties, and president of the Chicago Cart Company.
President Reinbold serves on many boards, commissions and committees, including the Metropolitan Mayor's Caucus Terrorism Task Force (chairman), I-57 Corridor Council (chairman), South Suburban Airport Coalition Commission, Matteson Area Chamber of Commerce Advisory Board, South Suburban Mayors & Managers Association (past-president, legislative committee chairman, executive committee, transportation committee), as well as others.
Reinbold is a founding member of the Richton Park Merchant's Chamber, a Key Communicator in Rich Township High School and a member of the Family and Youth Initiative Task Force. In 2004, he received the Chicago Southland Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Achievement Award. A veteran of the Vietnam War, Reinbold is a proud member of the American Legion and the VFW.
Representings South Cook County on the CMAP Board, Reinbold is also a member of the Local Coordinating Committee.
He is a graduate of Rich East High School and attended Southern Illinois University. He is also a graduate of the Academy for Municipal Excellence at the University of Illinois.
Former Village President, Villa Park
Representing DuPage County
Rae Rupp Srch served as Villa Park's Village President from 1993-2005. Under her leadership and philosophy of teamwork, a $9.5 million road referendum was passed. Playgrounds for disabled and pre-school children were built , and grants were obtained for streets lights, sewer up-grades, and installation of water lines in sections of the town that could not afford the full cost of the projects. A new "Green" police station was recognized regionally and nationally, as was a successful conversion of a landmark building into loft apartments.
She was a commissioner to both Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission and Chicago Area Transportation Study, where she chaired the Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) Committee that drafted the long-range transportation plans for the region and served as vice-chair of the Council of Mayors. She is a past President of the National Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations and has been a long-time advocate for the need to coordinate transportation and land-use planning. She is a past President of the DuPage Mayors and Managers Conference. She is a past Governor of the Illinois-Eastern Iowa District of Kiwanis International and remains involved in Kiwanis activities locally and district-wide. Rupp Srch also served on the Honorary Committee to the Cheers for Years: Celebrating Healthy Aging, a collaborative fun-raising event to support quality services for seniors. She serves on the Board of Governors of the Elmhurst Memorial Hospital, the Rice Campus Board of Illinois Institute of Technology Board of Overseers, serves as Vice-president of the Tri-Town YMCA and scholarship chair of the Elmhurst Memorial Hospital Guild. She was appointed to represent DuPage County on the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning Board and is a member of its Executive Committee and Regional Coordinating Committee.
Currently, Rupp Srch works part-time for Atlas Galleries, a firm fixture on Chicago's luxurious north Michigan Avenue. She has a Bachelor's degree in Behavioral Science, along with two Associate's degrees.
Trustee, Algonquin Township
Representing McHenry County
In November 2010, Dan Shea was appointed to fill the unexpired term of a Township Trustee. He was formerly Village President of Fox River Grove and a former member of the McHenry County Board. Shea was a policeman in Fox River Grove for over 15 years and served on the McHenry County Stormwater Management Committee, the McHenry County Groundwater Management Committee, the Fox Waterway Advisory Committee, the Lakewood Resource Center Intervention Program and ESDA. Shea is a member of the Good Shepherd Hospital Auxiliary, McHenry County Conservation Foundation, McHenry County Historical Society and the Cary-Grove Historical Society. Representing McHenry County on the CMAP Board, Shea is also a member of the Local Coordinating Committee.
Now retired, Shea left the American Can Company Research Center after 25 years of service. He also served in the U.S. Army.
President, Elmwood Park/Cook County Board Commissioner
Representing Suburban Cook County
Currently serving his fifth term, Peter N. Silvestri was elected to the Cook County Board of Commissioners on November 8, 1994. In June 2010, Mr. Silvestri received the Municipal Leader of the year award from the Illinois Crime Commission. As a commissioner, he serves as Chairman of the Zoning and Building Committee, the Building Ordinance Commission (liaison with trade unions), the Litigation Subcommittee, and the Environmental Control Committee. Mr. Silvestri also is President of the Village of Elmwood Park, serving since May 1989. His past service includes being a former village trustee, member and president of the Elmwood Park Board of Education, Elmwood Park Zoning Board, Elmwood Park Civic Foundation, Norwood Park Senior Home Board of Directors, chairman of the St. Vincent Ferrer Religious Education Advisory Board, and past president of the West Central Municipal Conference and Leyden Norwood Park Municipal League. He currently serves as a member of the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, an association of 128 communities.
A graduate of De Paul University and its Law School, Mr. Silvestri is a licensed attorney. He has one son
