The news of who comprises Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson’s transition team shows his brain trust put in long hours and a lot of thought to who could best serve the incoming mayor and Chicagoans. Of course, the list is not perfect. No list of scores of people from a pool of more than one million will satisfy everyone.
Johnson definitely stuck to the old saying “dance with the one who brung you” as the committees are replete with members of labor unions-the force that propelled him into office through their relentless outreach and door-to-door campaigning.
However, the full committe is extremely reflective of the city. Everyone will need to keep in mind that transition committee members don’t need city council approval and they need not be city of Chicago residents. While many of the team members are readily recognizable, what would be considered “the usual suspects”-men and women who traditionally appointed to key projects and committees are missing. That can be interpreted as a way to bring new ideas and energy to city government.
Johnson branded his team Chicago for the People Transition Committee. It is contains 11 subcommittees which are:
.Transition Committee Members:Kennedy Bartley, People’s Unity Platform Jitu Brown, Journey For Justice Alliance Martin Cabrera, Cabrera Capital Markets Jim Connolly, Chicago Laborers’ District Council Brendan Deenihan, Former Chief of Detectives Juan González, Great Cities Institute Rev. Dr. Marshall Hatch, Sr., New Mount Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church Michelle Morales, Woods Fund Chicago Dian Palmer, SEIU Local 73 Richard S. Price, Executive Chairman of Mesirow Delia Ramirez, U.S. Representative of Illinois’s 3rd District Dr. Barbara Ransby, John D. MacArthur University Chair and LAS Distinguished Professor, University of Illinois at Chicago Charles Smith, CS Insurance Strategies Margaret Stender, Minority Owner and Founding CEO of The Chicago Sky Emma Tai, United Working Families
Economic Vitality & Equity Subcommittee Co-Chairs:Michael Fassnacht Lynette McRae Anton Seals
Immigration Subcommittee Co-Chairs:State Representative Lillian Jimenez Genie Kastrup Andrea Ortiz
Workers Rights and Labor Subcommittee Co-Chairs:Shabatayah AndrichReverend CJ Hawking Sophia Zaman
Public Safety Subcommittee Co-Chairs:Dr. Kathryn Bocanegra Robert Boik State Senator Robert Peters Tanya Watkins
Housing Subcommittee Co-Chairs:Julie Dworkin Jonathan Jones Sendy Soto
Education & Youth Subcommittee Co-Chairs:Jackson Potter
Jessie Ruiz Jay Travis
Human Rights, Equity, & Inclusion Subcommittee Co-Chairs:Candace Coleman Kim Hunt Cook County Commissioner Anthony Quezada
Environmental Justice Subcommittee Co-Chairs:Juliana Pino Colleen Smith Jung Yoon
Arts & Culture Committee Subcommittee Co-Chairs:Leslé Honoré Abby Pucker Monica Trinidad
Transportation Committee Subcommittee Co-Chairs:State Representative Kam Buckner Kirk Dillard Roberto Requejo
Health & Human Services Co-Chairs:Sean Garrett Linda Rae Murray, MD Alderman Rossana Rodriguez- Sanchez