City Club of Chicago

December 2, 2025 City Club event description: Eileen O’Neill Burke, Cook County State’s Attorney, joins the City Club to reflect on her first year in office and share perspectives on the year ahead. City Club video

November 19, 2025 City Club event description: Inside the 2026 City of Chicago budget: four aldermen, real tradeoffs, and fresh updates. With a welcome from Alderman Brian Hopkins, this program will include the latest in an ever-changing budget discussion, from closing gaps and funding public safety to pensions, transit, and equitable development across all 77 communi...

October 30, 2025 City Club event description: West Side United is a nationally recognized, community-driven hospital collaborative addressing the 20-year life expectancy gap between the Loop and 10 West Side communities. Since 2017, its partners—including RUSH, Lurie Children’s, Cook County Health, Sinai Chicago, UI Health, and local leaders—have invested over $350 million in workforce, local [&#8...

October 29, 2025 City Club event description: This conversation with Law And The Fam LLC “LATF” will focus on an emerging statewide model for fighting economic blight through entrepreneurship. LATF will present an economic impact framework with case studies highlighting best practices, followed by a panel discussion. Attendees will gain insights into building bankable pathways […]

October 23, 2025 City Club event description: Rahm I. Emanuel most recently served as the United States Ambassador to Japan. As Ambassador, Emanuel helped deepen the U.S.-Japan alliance, including support for Japan’s increased defense spending and expanded military cooperation. He promoted Japan’s leadership in Indo-Pacific key security initiatives and participated in the historic tril...

October 15, 2025 City Club event description: Should nonprofits and foundations rethink randomized controlled trials and other kinds of evaluation methods to better support Chicago’s communities? This conversation will explore how current approaches to evaluating social service organizations can both illuminate progress and unintentionally undermine the missions they aim to support. Join us for a...

October 1, 2025 City Club event description: Speakers Honorable Kimberly A. Lightford In January 2019, Kimberly A. Lightford made history when she became the firstBlack woman to serve as Illinois’ Senate Majority Leader. This 104th General Assembly marks 26 years of her continued dedication to her career of championing her passion for education and youth development. As […]

September 30, 2025 City Club event description City Club video

September 23, 2025 City Club event description: Speaker Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart Sheriff Tom Dart has dedicated his career to challenging injustice, fighting the violence plaguing our communities, and bringing new, thoughtful approaches to public service. After serving as a prosecutor and an Illinois state legislator, Sheriff Dart was elected by the people of […]

September 22, 2025 City Club event description: Chicago faces a persistent shortage of both market-rate and affordable housing. This panel brings together private developers with local and national experience to explore strategies that have worked in cities like New York, Los Angeles, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and Washington D.C. We’ll discuss tools used to scale housing, lessons […]

September 11, 2025 City Club event description: Join us for a compelling conversation between Lee Bey—architecture critic, author, and photographer; Mark Sexton – architect and Chicago Architecture Biennial Board Member; and Florencia Rodríguez, Artistic Director of the 2025 Chicago Architecture Biennial. Together, they’ll explore the urgent questions shapin...

September 9, 2025 City Club event description: Immigration is shaping Chicago in profound ways — from the arrival of new migrant populations to the evolving role of city and state policies. This panel offers a timely, fact-based look at immigration as it’s unfolding locally and nationally. Rather than proposing solutions, the discussion will focus on sharing real-time insights, [&#8...

September 8, 2025 City Club event description: Join the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and The Joint Affinity Group representing philanthropy in Chicago (Chicago African Americans in Philanthropy, Chicago Latines in Philanthropy, and Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy) for an afternoon of honest conversation and community connection. As polarization deepens and efforts toward diversity, eq...

September 2, 2025 City Club event description: Join the Cancer Center Directors of the member hospitals of the Chicago Breast Cancer Research Consortium—a groundbreaking collaboration between University of Chicago Medicine, Lurie Cancer Center at Northwestern Medicine, and Rush MD Anderson Cancer Center—for a powerful conversation on how Chicago is redefining breast cancer research. Convened and [...

August 28, 2025 Congressman Mike Quigley, Illinois’ 5th District City Club event description: Mike Quigley has proudly represented Illinois’ 5th District for more than 16 years. Since being elected to Congress in 2009, Mike has been devoted to fighting for our environment, small businesses, the LGBTQ community, healthcare access, and ending gun violence. Mike’s passion […]

August 26, 2025 City Club event description: Speaker Inspector General Deborah WitzburgDeborah Witzburg serves as Inspector General for the City of Chicago, having been appointed to her first term in April 2022. Previously, she served as the City’s Deputy Inspector General for Public Safety, overseeing independent, objective evaluations and reviews of Chicago’s police and police […]

August 20, 2025 City Club event description Following a summer of exceptional, global visibility for Chicago in the realms of sustainability, tourism, conservation and innovation, join us for a discussion with Dr. Bridget Coughlin, president and CEO of Shedd Aquarium on what this international interest signals for our city’s bright blue future. Dr. Coughlin will […]

August 12, 2025 City Club event description: As the City of Chicago heads into a new budget season, conversations about revenue, spending, and long-term financial sustainability are once again front and center. This City Club program offers a timely opportunity to level-set: What powers does the City actually have? What constraints does state law impose? […]

August 5, 2025 Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, Illinois’ 8th District, in Conversation with City Club CEO Dan Gibbons City Club event description: Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi was elected to Congress in 2016 and is now in his fifth term representing Illinois’ 8th District, which includes Chicago’s west and northwest suburbs as well as the 41st ward of […]

July 23, 2025 City Club event description: SpeakerDr. Michael J. AdkessonDr. Mike Adkesson is a renowned leader in wildlife conservation and the professional care of animals. He is a passionate advocate on the importance of modern zoos and aquariums as a means for inspiring societal compassion and concern for wildlife and nature. As President & […]

July 9, 2025 Revitalizing Historically Disinvested CommunitiesUnited Way and BMO City Club event description: Chicago’s Austin neighborhood is a compelling example of how a coordinated public-private investment strategy can positively impact the lives and livelihoods of local residents. In this historically disinvested community on the West Side, nonprofit, community, public and private organizati...

June 26, 2026 City Club event description: The Clerk of the Circuit Court is the front door to the criminal justice system, and Clerk Mariyana Spyropoulos has pledged to keep that door open to all by ensuring the office’s services are transparent, accountable and accessible. Upon taking office in December of 2024, Clerk Spyropoulos began […]

June 25, 2025 Ciere Boatright, Commissioner, Chicago Department of Planning & Development, in conversation with Dan Gibbons, CEO, City Club Chicago City Club event description: Ciere Boatright, Commissioner, Chicago Department of Planning & Development, in conversation with Dan Gibbons, CEO, City Club Chicago Ciere Boatright was appointed commissioner of the Chicago Department of Plannin...

June 23, 2025 City Club event description: Stacy Davis Gates took office as President of the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) in July of 2022 and is a national leader in the labor movement and progressive political organizing efforts. President Davis Gates taught high school social studies in Chicago Public Schools before joining the CTU staff, […]

June 17, 2025 City Club event description: Chicago area transit agencies face a $770 million fiscal cliff after lawmakers ended the spring session without a funding solution. With major service cuts on the table and structural reform proposals still in flux, the future of public transit hangs in the balance. Join leading voices for a […]