The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) held its first-ever State of the Region on Thursday, October 7, 2021. The theme, Prosperity with Purpose, looked at progress toward building an inclusive and thriving northeastern Illinois.

Executive Director Erin Aleman delivered a state of the region address, featuring results of CMAP’s new public opinion survey. The findings revealed residents’ attitudes toward key quality-of-life issues and identified successes and challenges across our region. They also uncovered how COVID-19 affected practices and preferences around transportation, open space, and more.

The event included a keynote address by public health expert Dr. Suzet McKinney, voices of residents around the region, and a ceremony for the winners of CMAP’s 2021 Regional Excellence Awards.

Watch a recording of the 2021 State of the Region

The results of CMAP’s public opinion poll show residents’ attitudes toward key quality-of-life issues — including transportation, open space, and housing — and identify successes and challenges across the region. The survey also uncovers how COVID-19 has affected practices and preferences.

See the survey results.

The winners of CMAP’s 2021 Regional Excellence Awards are:

• Equity with Impact: Austin Coming Together
• Partners for Progress: Connect2Work
• Regional Resilience: Buffalo Creek reservoir expansion
• Visionary Leader: Brian Sager and Allison Swisher

Learn more about the winners and what they are doing to make northeastern Illinois more equitable, resilient, and economically competitive.

Dr. Suzet McKinney 

Dr. Suzet McKinney is a public health expert, medical executive, thought leader, strategic thinker, and nationally recognized expert in emergency preparedness and response.

As principal and director of life sciences for Sterling Bay, Dr. McKinney oversees relationships with the scientific, academic, corporate, tech, and governmental sectors involved in the life sciences ecosystem. She also leads the strategy to expand Sterling Bay’s footprint in life sciences nationwide. She previously served as CEO and executive director of the Illinois Medical District (IMD), where she managed a 24/7/365 environment that included 560 acres of medical research facilities, labs, a biotech business incubator, universities, raw land development areas, four hospitals and more than 40 healthcare-related facilities.

Prior to leading the IMD, Dr. McKinney served as the deputy commissioner of the Bureau of Public Health Preparedness and Emergency Response at the Chicago Department of Public Health, where she oversaw the emergency preparedness efforts for the department and coordinated those efforts within the larger spectrum of the City of Chicago’s public safety activities, in addition to overseeing the department’s division of women and children’s health. She also provided support to the U.S. Department of Defense’s Defense Threat Reduction Agency, lending subject matter expertise in biological terrorism preparedness to the country of Poland.