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 for public service can be traced back more than four decades. From 1998 to 2009, he served as a Cook County Commissioner where he worked to increase transparency within the Cook County Board of Commissioners.

Mike currently serves on the influential House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. This role has provided Mike with a unique understanding of the national security threats we face as a nation and has also informed his role as co-chair of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus. His position on the Committee also placed him at the center of the years-long Russia investigation and the first impeachment of President Donald Trump.

He also currently serves on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development. Mike has utilized his position on the Committee to bring investment back to his district. Most recently, he secured over $15 million for projects within the community that will do everything from enhancing public health opportunities to improving our city’s infrastructure.

City Club video

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Mike has been an important voice in the effort to protect Ukraine and its democracy from destruction. He has tirelessly advocated to his colleagues and the world on the appropriate steps the West must take in this fight.

Ensuring Americans know how their government is working for them is one of Mike’s highest priorities. He founded the bipartisan Congressional Transparency Caucus to bring members of Congress together in this effort and has introduced landmark legislation to significantly strengthen oversight of all branches of the federal government. In 2021, President Joe Biden signed his transparency legislation, the Congressional Budget Justification Act, into law.

Mike has established himself as a leader on many of our nation’s most challenging and significant issues. He continues to fight for a woman’s right to choose, commonsense gun law reforms that will make our communities safer, and for full LGBTQIA+ equality as Vice-Chair of the LGBT Equality Caucus.

Safety and public health are key priorities for Mike—and that includes his work to help end ALS. In 2020, Mike introduced ACT for ALS to create a new pathway to deliver treatment for neurodegenerative diseases. This bill received overwhelming bipartisan support and was signed into law by President Biden in December 2021. Mike is hopeful this legislation will provide those suffering from this and other neurodegenerative diseases with the hope that a cure can be found.

Mike grew up in Carol Stream, IL, and worked his way through college—first Roosevelt University, then the University of Chicago, and Loyola University Chicago. In his free time, Mike plays hockey every weekend and teaches a course on intelligence and national security at the University of Chicago. He lives in Chicago with his wife, Barb, and their two dogs, Maisy and Finneas.

August 26, 2025

City Club event description:

Speaker

Inspector General Deborah Witzburg
Deborah 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 accountability agencies, with the goal of enhancing public safety, protecting civil liberties and civil rights, and improving the relationship between the police and the communities they serve. She also served as OIG’s Chief Investigator for the Public Safety section, leading efforts to screen and review closed police disciplinary cases, as well as OIG’s Associate General Counsel for Public Safety, advising on legal and constitutional matters. Witzburg first joined OIG in 2016 as an Assistant Inspector General, providing legal and strategic counsel for investigations of misconduct by City of Chicago employees.

City Club video

Witzburg previously worked as an Assistant State’s Attorney in the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, where she prosecuted a wide range of misdemeanor and felony cases. She served in the State’s Attorney’s Community Justice Center, focusing on the vertical prosecution of cases of greatest concern in Chicago’s 11th and 12th police districts. There she helped develop and institute crime prevention programs in partnership with schools, community groups, and neighborhood organizations.

She is a Certified Inspector General by the Association of Inspectors General and a Certified Practitioner of Oversight by the National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement. Witzburg earned a BA in Anthropology from Brown University and a JD from Northwestern University School of Law.

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 highlight Chicago’s opportunity to achieve economic prosperity while simultaneously safeguarding our vital natural resources, including the freshwater of Lake Michigan. Sharing examples from Shedd’s own strategic plan – its Centennial Commitment – Dr. Coughlin will underscore our collective need for data-driven hope and how the aquarium is leading by example (and seeing the payoff) as it invests and prepares for its next 100 years of service. Be sure not to miss this engaging discussion that will bookend a remarkable summer of high-profile discussions around sustainability happening right here in Chicago!

Speaker

Dr. Bridget Coughlin
Bridget C. Coughlin, PhD serves as President & CEO of Shedd Aquarium, providing strategic vision, oversight and direction to all activities and initiatives for the world-class institution. Her experience is dedicated to stewarding the legacy of the historic aquarium while accelerating its mission to meet the needs of today’s world.

Upon joining the aquarium, Dr. Coughlin led the organization through a strategic planning effort, launching Shedd’s Centennial Commitment in 2022 to evolve and modernize the aquarium experience while simultaneously investing in more conservation science, environmental education programs and community partnerships. This strategic plan will take the aquarium to its centennial year in 2030 and prepare Shedd for the next 100 years of mission impact. Her strong passion for conservation of the animal world coupled with her business acumen and running $500M of endowment investments helped Shedd Aquarium establish an ESG investment private equity portfolio dedicated to environmental companies.

Dr. Coughlin is a deeply respected voice in Chicago’s civic, cultural and business communities. She is a member of the Chicago Commercial Club, the Executives Club of Chicago and the Chicago Club and serves on the Board of Directors for the Chicago Economic Club. She serves on the Advisory Board for After School Matters and has been recognized for her leadership with several accolades, including Crain’s Chicago Business’s “Who’s Who” list and “Women of Note” distinctions.

City Club video

Dr. Coughlin is also sought out as a leader in the conservation community. This includes serving on the Board of Directors for organizations like Alaska Sea Life Center, visiting legislators in Washington D.C. to advise on conservation policy needs and keynoting internationally recognized conferences like Aspen Ideas: Climate, alongside Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker. She has worked on large science policy reports while at the National Academy of Sciences and held research grants from the National Institutes of Health.

Both professionally and personally, Dr. Coughlin is passionate about the need to encourage greater representation in leadership and in STEM careers. This led her to become an ambassador through the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) IF/THEN program, where she has been a mentor for young people to envision themselves as future leaders and scientists. Her involvement in this mentorship program has led to several exciting and highly visible moments including a feature in Marie Claire Magazine and a life-size 3-D printed sculpture of Dr. Coughlin being installed alongside others at the Smithsonian Museum to honor Women’s History Month.

Dr. Coughlin holds a Bachelor of Arts from Knox College, and a doctorate in biochemistry and infectious diseases from the University of Iowa where she was a Howard Hughes Medical fellow. She enjoys all types of outdoor activities, clocks lots of vertical feet skiing, and hiking and relaxes but looking at life beneath the water line while floating and snorkeling. She, her husband and three boys own dozens of board games and play them regularly with a healthy dose of loving competition.

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? And where are the real opportunities for change?

Speakers

Annette Guzman
Annette Guzman serves as the City of Chicago’s Budget Director and heads the Office of Budget and Management. In this role, she is responsible for setting fiscal policies and directing the development and management of the City’s budget.

Since her appointment in May 2023, Annette has been instrumental in closing critical budget gaps – most notably, eliminating a $982.4 million deficit in the FY2025 budget, which paved the way for a balanced $17.1 billion budget. Previously, as Budget Director for Cook County, she demonstrated exceptional leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic by overseeing the distribution of vital financial aid, including $428 million in CARES funding, over $200 million in FEMA aid, and $1 billion in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.

Guzman’s public service career includes roles as Deputy Assessor in the Office of the Cook County Assessor, and Deputy Chief Administrator and Chief of Staff for the Civilian Office of Police Accountability. Prior to her public sector transition, she served as legal counsel to banking institutions and corporations at Sidley Austin LLP, holding a Juris Doctor (JD) from the University of Chicago Law School and a bachelor’s degree in English and Economics from Emory University. Guzman’s multifaceted expertise and commitment to fiscal responsibility and operations optimization make her an asset in shaping governmental financial and operations strategies.

When she is not navigating the complex fiscal landscape of the City of Chicago, Guzman dedicates her time to a rich tapestry of personal and community interests. Her commitment to the arts and civic engagement shines through her involvement on the Board of the Auditorium Theater, where she plays a vital role in shaping the cultural scene. Likewise, her dedication to creating a more equitable society is evident from her impactful contributions to the boards of Impact for Equity and Care for Friends, organizations that strive to make a difference in the lives of those they serve.

City Club video

Jill Jaworski
Jill Jaworski is the current Chief Financial Officer at the City of Chicago. Prior to her role with the City, she accumulated 25 years of experience in the realm of public finance,working as an investment banker, financial advisor, and consultant at PFM Financial Advisors, where she was a Managing Director and Partner. During her tenure at PFM,she established their Chicago financial advisory office in 2010, successfully expanding it from a solo operation to a fully staffed practice providing financial guidance to the City and its major sister agencies. Jill co-led the firm’s transit practice and with the Chicago team specialized in assisting transit agencies nationwide in securing grant funding and financing for large-scale projects.

Jill is also a dedicated board member of the Chicago Summer Business Institute (CSBI),an active member of the Society of Municipal Analysts, and has previously served as a board member on the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (MSRB).

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 the city. He serves as Ranking Member of the Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, making him the first South Asian American in history to lead a Congressional Committee. He also serves on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform as Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Health Care and Financial Services. The Congressman is a Vice-Chair of the Equality Caucus and Co-Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) Immigration Task Force. In addition, he is the founder and Chairman of the bipartisan Congressional Caucus to End Youth Vaping and the bipartisan Solar Caucus.

Representative Krishnamoorthi is the child of immigrants and was raised in Peoria, Illinois. He attended public schools in Peoria and was a valedictorian of his high school class. Scholarships and student loans allowed him to graduate summa cum laude from Princeton University with a degree in mechanical engineering and a certificate from the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs. He then graduated with honors from Harvard Law School and clerked for a federal judge before practicing law in Chicago.

City Club video

Representative Krishnamoorthi pursued public service while practicing law and was appointed by Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan as a Special Assistant Attorney General to help start the state’s Public Integrity Unit created to root out corruption in Illinois. As a member of the Illinois Housing Development Authority, the Congressman chaired the Audit Committee, helping to provide thousands of low and moderate-income families across the state with affordable housing. Congressman Krishnamoorthi also served as Illinois Deputy Treasurer, where he oversaw the state’s technology venture capital fund and helped make programs such as the state’s unclaimed property program leaner and more efficient.

After his time in the Illinois Treasurer’s Office, Representative Krishnamoorthi returned to the private sector, serving as president of research-oriented small businesses developing technology in the national security and renewable energy industries. Representative Krishnamoorthi also served as the Vice-Chair of the Illinois Innovation Council and co-founded InSPIRE, a non-profit that provides inner-city students and veterans with training in solar technology.

The Congressman resides with his wife Priya, a physician, and 3 children in Schaumburg, Illinois.

July 23, 2025

City Club event description:

Speaker
Dr. Michael J. Adkesson
Dr. 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 & CEO of Brookfield Zoo Chicago, Dr. Adkesson is building upon the rich history of one of the world’s preeminent zoos. The zoo’s Next Century Plan, developed under Dr. Adkesson’s leadership, lays out a bold vision for the zoo’s future that is already coming to life with the innovative $66 million Tropical Forests project opening in 2025, as well as other ongoing major investments in zoo’s campus. With an average of 2 million annual guests, Brookfield Zoo supports thousands of jobs and generates over $153 million in annual economic activity. Dr. Adkesson champions educational programs, such as the zoo’s King Conservation Leadership Academy, that inspire communities and people of all backgrounds to connect with nature.

Since first joining the zoo in 2008 as a clinical veterinarian, Dr. Adkesson has made significant strides in advancing the zoo’s animal care and conservation programs. A recognized leader within the zoo and aquarium community, Dr. Adkesson is known for groundbreaking veterinary programs that push boundaries and elevate the standards of care for zoo patients. As a diplomate of the American College of Zoological Medicine and the European College of Zoological Medicine, Dr. Adkesson is one of a few veterinarians who are board-certified specialists in the veterinary care of zoo animals and wildlife. For almost twenty years, Dr. Adkesson has also led conservation programs in Peru focusing on endangered marine species like the Humboldt penguin, Peruvian fur seal, and South American sea lion. His focus on conservation and engaging Zoo guests in that mission is a driving force as he leads Brookfield Zoo Chicago on a bold journey into the future.

City Club video

A past-president of the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians and a professional fellow of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Dr. Adkesson is also actively involved in many other professional organizations at both a local level serving on the board of the Forest Preserve Foundation and at an international level serving on the board of Species360. Dr. Adkesson has trained hundreds of veterinary and graduate students throughout his career as an adjunct professor with the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine and an associate researcher with Cayetano Heredia University in Lima, Peru. An accomplished researcher and clinician, Dr. Adkesson is also the author of over a hundred peer-reviewed publications and conference proceedings.

Dr. Adkesson (or Dr. Mike as he is known at the zoo) is an Illinois native who grew up in Decatur. He received his Bachelor’s and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine with honors degrees from the University of Illinois, later returning to the University’s Gies College of Business to also complete a Master’s in Business Administration degree. Following a post-graduate clinical internship year in medicine and surgery, Dr. Adkesson completed a three year residency program in zoological medicine at the University of Missouri and Saint Louis Zoo. He lives in Lemont with his wife Adriane, also a veterinarian, and their three children, two dogs, and a pair of tortoises.

July 9, 2025

Revitalizing Historically Disinvested Communities
United 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 organizations have worked alongside residents to design and leverage investments that are creating new economic opportunities and systematically transforming the neighborhood—like the Aspire Center, which is set to open June 19. 

United Way of Metro Chicago is working in 17 Chicago neighborhoods and suburban communities, including Austin, Auburn Gresham and Elgin, to help bring community vision to life and make catalytic investments with some of Chicago’s most stalwart corporate partners like BMO. 

City Club video

Join Darrel Hackett (U.S. CEO, BMO), Darnell Shields (Executive Director, Austin Coming Together) and Dr. Kimberlee Guenther (Chief Impact Officer, United Way of Metro Chicago) to learn more about how United Way’s Neighborhood Network Initiative has created a blueprint of intentional cross-sector collaboration that can revitalize disinvested communities across the Chicago region.

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 her work to increase access to every community, to institute the highest ethical and professional standards and to improve service by expanding technology. As the daughter of immigrants, Clerk Spyropoulos strongly believes in supporting diverse and underserved populations navigating the justice system.

Clerk Spyropoulos grew up on Chicago’s South Side, attended Chicago Public School and took an early interest in public service. She earned a law degree at the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Master of Business Administration from Loyola University Chicago. She is a former Cook County assistant state’s attorney.

City Club video

Clerk Spyropoulos’ passion for reforming government led her to win the election in 2010 as a commissioner of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, a $1.7-billion-dollar agency responsible for protecting our water environment through the collection and treatment of waste and stormwater throughout the region. She was first elected in 2010 and re-elected in 2016 and 2022. She served as board president from 2015 to 2019.

While overseeing the district, Clerk Spyropoulos advanced cutting edge green technologies, transparency and fiscal responsibility. She was also a strong supporter of labor and veterans’ initiatives.

Clerk Spyropoulos maintained the district’s impressive AAA bond rating and introduced independent inspector general oversight while live-streaming board meetings to the public. Her work was recognized in 2017 with the Illinois Water Environment Association Public Official Award, in 2021 with the Public Service Award from the Water Environment Federation and in 2022 with the Alumni Public Service Award from the University of Illinois School of Law.

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 Planning and Development (DPD) in November 2023 by Mayor Brandon Johnson.

An experienced real estate and economic development executive, Boatright is responsible for leading DPD’s economic development, planning and zoning functions while promoting inclusive, equitable growth across the city.

In her previous capacity as vice president of real estate and community development at Chicago-based real estate firm CRG, Boatright was responsible for overseeing some of the company’s highest-impact real estate projects, collaborating with government officials, engaging with community organizations and securing public and private financing. Boatright also launched the company’s philanthropic arm and a mentoring program to support commercial developers of color.

City Club video

Boatright was formerly the vice president of real estate and inclusion for Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives, where she managed the planning and development of new projects on the South and West Side, including more than $450 million in new investment involving the 180-acre, mixed-use Pullman Park project.

Local business publications have named her among Notable Women in Commercial Real Estate, 40 under 40, Notable Black Leaders and Executives, and Notable Executives of Color in Construction and Commercial Real Estate.

Boatright holds a master’s degree of urban planning and policy from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a bachelor’s in psychology from Hamilton College.

A Chicago native, Boatright resides on the South Side with her husband and two children.

This program is presented in partnership with World Business Chicago.

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, politicized and spurred to union activity by the 2008 closing of Englewood High School, her workplace on Chicago’s South Side. Late CTU President Karen Lewis recognized Davis Gates bold strategic vision and political savvy, tapping her to become the union’s Political and Legislative Director in 2011. In that position, she built coalitions and spearheaded legislative campaigns that established an elected school board for Chicago, the most substantial charter school accountability measures in the country, restoration of bargaining rights denied to Chicago educators for nearly three decades, and securing hundreds of millions of dollars in state funding for Chicago Public Schools. Her leadership greatly expanded the union’s political vision, building political organizations like United Working Families and raising millions to elect progressive community leaders from Chicago to city, county, and state governments and the U.S. Congress, culminating with the election of CTU organizer and middle school teacher Brandon Johnson as Mayor of Chicago in 2023.

City Club video

As CTU Vice President, Davis Gates helped lead a successful 15-day strike in the fall of 2019. That strike united CTU with SEIU Local 73 members at CPS and allowed the negotiation of a historic contract providing smaller class sizes, a nurse and social worker in every Chicago public school, sanctuary protections for immigrant families, and support students and families experiencing homelessness.

Davis Gates’ focus on community outreach and CTU’s outspokenness about racism, privatization, democracy, women’s rights and other causes under her leadership have gained a national audience and made her a regular target of right-wing media, conservative activists and corporate lobbyists. In addition to her leadership at CTU, President Davis Gates also serves as the Executive Vice President of the Illinois Federation of Teachers, Vice President of the American Federation of Teachers, Party Chair of United Working Families, and board member of the Action Center on Race & the Economy (ACRE). She lives on the South Side of Chicago with her husband and three children.