Windy City Media Group Frontpage News

THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

home search facebook twitter join
Gay News Sponsor Windy City Times 2023-12-13
DOWNLOAD ISSUE
Donate

Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor

  WINDY CITY TIMES

Gays part of Emanuel's staff
by Andrew Davis, Windy City Times
2011-05-18

This article shared 7720 times since Wed May 18, 2011
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email


Mona Noriega is not the only member from Chicago's LGBT community on the new mayor's senior staff. Others include:

—David Spielfogel, chief of policy and strategic planning: Spielfogel currently serves as director of the Chicago 2011 Transition Project after directing policy and research for Chicago for Rahm mayoral campaign. Previously, Spielfogel served as policy director for the Senate bid of Alexi Giannoulias; as chief of staff at the MacArthur Foundation, where he worked on special projects that cut across the foundation's domestic and international programs; and in the Clinton White House as the special assistant for policy to the president's senior adviser on energy and environmental issues. Spielfogel earned his M.S. in International Development Management from the London School of Economics, and his B.S. from the University of Michigan's School of Natural Resources.

—Mike Simmons, policy director: Simmons has spent the last two years as policy director for Cook County Commissioner Bridget Gainer, developing and coordinating policy initiatives around health care, foreclosure, budget, and the courts. Previously, Simmons served on the legislative staff of Senator Richard Durbin in Washington, D.C. where he focused on economic and banking issues. Simmons sits on the board of Equality Illinois and the Brennemann Elementary School Local School Council in Uptown. Simmons holds a degree in Political Science from Amherst College.

—John Pfeiffer, first deputy commissioner: Pfeiffer�is currently the executive director and CEO of Inspiration Corporation, a nonprofit that operates the Inspiration Cafe and helps more than 3,000 homeless and low-income Chicagoans achieve greater self-sufficiency and stability each year.�He�previously served as director of operations for New York City's Department of Homeless Services and as a consultant at KPMG, where he focused on the management of nonprofit and public institutions.�Pfeiffer�earned his B.A. from Northwestern University and his M.P.A. in non-profit and public management from Columbia University.

Pfeiffer told Windy City Times, "I am deeply honored to have been invited to join the Mayor-elect's administration and excited about the opportunity we have to move Chicago forward. My own experience of marginalization as a gay man has shaped my perspective on social policy and guided my public-service career. I want to expand access to opportunity for all Chicagoans, especially the most vulnerable and isolated."

—Dr. Bechara Choucair, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health: Choucair will continue serving as commissioner under Emanuel. From 2001-05, Choucair served as medical director of Crusader Community Health in Rockford, Illinois. From 2005-09, he was executive director of Heartland International Health Center. He has served as vice chair of community medicine at the Feinberg School of Medicine's ( Northwestern University ) Department of Family & Community Medicine.

In an email to Windy City Times, Choucair wrote, "I'm grateful to Mayor-elect Emmanuel for giving me the opportunity to bring to fruition some of the innovative work I began last year at the Chicago Department of Public Health. In the next 100 days we will release a citywide public-health agenda that will provide a framework to make Chicago a healthier place for all. It's exciting to be a part of this new dynamic era of government for Chicago."

—Kevin Hauswirth, social media director: Hauswirth, a former Windy City Times 30 Under 30 honoree,�served as the director of advertising and promotions at Roosevelt University where he oversaw social media strategies, integrated marketing and mobile communications. Previously, he led social and traditional media efforts for Fortune 500 brands at O'Malley Hansen Communications and was a regular contributor to The Advocate magazine. He serves on the board of Equality Illinois and has held board position at the AIDS Foundation of Chicago. Hauswirth�earned his B.A. from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Hauswirth told Windy City Times, "I'm proud to serve a mayor who strongly believes in technology as a means to empower Chicago voices. I hope to implement social media tools to ensure that the Mayor's office is part of the conversation and encourages everyone can be part of the solution. Chicago is a city where citizens from every community can turn online organizing into offline action, and I plan to take that passion to the next level."


This article shared 7720 times since Wed May 18, 2011
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email

Out and Aging
Presented By

  ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Gay News

Thailand parliament passes landmark marriage bill 2024-03-27
- On March 27, Thailand's parliament approved a marriage-equality bill by an overwhelmingly large margin—a landmark step that moves one of Asia's most liberal countries closer to legalizing same-sex unions, media ...


Gay News

Kara Swisher talks truth, power in tech at Chicago Humanities event 2024-03-25
- Lesbian author, award-winning journalist and podcast host Kara Swisher spoke about truth and power in the tech industry through the lens of her most recent book, Burn Book: A Tech Love Story, March 21 at First ...


Gay News

Wyoming is latest state to ban gender-affirming care for minors 2024-03-24
- On March 22, Wyoming became the latest state to prohibit gender-affirming care for minors, The Hill noted. In doing so, it joined 23 other states that passed laws restricting or banning the treatment. Legislators in both ...


Gay News

Chicago alder proposes renaming street after Obama 2024-03-22
- Openly gay Black Chicago Ald. Lamont Robinson has proposed renaming Columbus Drive after former U.S. President and city resident Barack Obama, media outlets noted. The street stretches through the Loop from East Grand Avenue to DuSable ...


Gay News

Congressional Equality Caucus on FY24 bills passing the house 2024-03-22
--From a press release - WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus, Rep. Mark Pocan (WI-02), released the following statement after the House successfully passed the final funding bills for Fiscal Year ...


Gay News

WORLD Uganda items, HIV report, Mandela, Liechtenstein, foreign minister weds 2024-03-21
- It turned out that U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Senior LGBTQI+ Coordinator Jay Gilliam traveled to Uganda on Feb. 19-27, per The Washington Blade. He visited the capital of Kampala and the nearby city of ...


Gay News

NATIONAL Va. marriage bill, AARP, online counseling, Idaho items, late activist 2024-03-21
- Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed bills protecting same-sex marriages at a state level, surprising some, WRIC reported. The bills—passed out of both chambers along mostly party lines—will require clerks ...


Gay News

LGBTQ+ candidates Marcelino Garcia, Precious Brady Davis win primary elections to keep MWRD seats 2024-03-21
- Marcelino Garcia and Precious Brady-Davis, the two openly LGBTQ+ incumbents in the race to keep their seats on the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD), won their primary elections and will move on to the general this ...


Gay News

Small LGBTQ+ candidate pool nevertheless scores some important victories March 19 2024-03-20
- Relatively few openly LGBTQ+ candidates were running in the March 19 Illinois Primary Election. But there were some significant contests in play at the local, state and federal levels. Openly gay Ald. Ray Lopez (15th Ward) ...


Gay News

Gay Irish prime minister to step down 2024-03-20
- In a surprise move, openly gay Irish Prime Minister (or Taoiseach) Leo Varadkar has announced his resignation, citing "personal and political, but mainly political reasons," according to CNN. Varadkar said he felt he was no longer ...


Gay News

Chicago's LGBTQ+ Advisory Council sets a new course 2024-03-18
- Chicago's LGBTQ+ Advisory Council held its first meeting of the calendar year on Feb. 28 at City Hall in the Loop under the leadership of the recently appointed chair Jin-Soo Huh. The LGBTQ+ Advisory Council is ...


Gay News

NATIONAL Missouri measure, HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, judge, Texas schools 2024-03-15
- In Missouri, a newly proposed law could charge teachers and counselors with a felony and require them to register as sex offenders if they're found guilty of supporting transgender students who are socially transitioning, CNN noted. ...


Gay News

PASSAGES: Former Chicago Commission on Human Relations chair Clarence Wood 2024-03-13
- LGBTQ ally and former Chicago Commission on Human Relations (CCHR) Chair and Commissioner Clarence N. Wood died March 5. He was 83. Wood was born April 14, 1940, in Alabama. While primarily raised in Alabama, Wood ...


Gay News

Longtime LGBTQ+-rights activist David Mixner dies at 77 2024-03-12
- On March 11, longtime LGBTQ+ and HIV/AIDS activist David Mixner—known for working on Bill Clinton's presidential campaign but then splitting from him over "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT)—died at age 77, The Advocate reported. ...


Gay News

LGBTQ+ Victory Fund remembers co-founder David Mixner 2024-03-12
--From a press release - Today, LGBTQ+ Victory Fund President & CEO Mayor Annise Parker released the following statement on the passing of LGBTQ+ civil rights activist and LGBTQ+ Victory Fund co-founder David Mixner: "Today, we lost David Mixner, a founding ...


 


Copyright © 2024 Windy City Media Group. All rights reserved.
Reprint by permission only. PDFs for back issues are downloadable from
our online archives.

Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, and
photographs submitted if they are to be returned, and no
responsibility may be assumed for unsolicited materials.

All rights to letters, art and photos sent to Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago
Gay and Lesbian News and Feature Publication) will be treated
as unconditionally assigned for publication purposes and as such,
subject to editing and comment. The opinions expressed by the
columnists, cartoonists, letter writers, and commentators are
their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature Publication).

The appearance of a name, image or photo of a person or group in
Nightspots (Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times
(a Chicago Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature
Publication) does not indicate the sexual orientation of such
individuals or groups. While we encourage readers to support the
advertisers who make this newspaper possible, Nightspots (Chicago
GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay, Lesbian
News and Feature Publication) cannot accept responsibility for
any advertising claims or promotions.

 
 

TRENDINGBREAKINGPHOTOS







Sponsor


 



Donate


About WCMG      Contact Us      Online Front  Page      Windy City  Times      Nightspots
Identity      BLACKlines      En La Vida      Archives      Advanced Search     
Windy City Queercast      Queercast Archives     
Press  Releases      Join WCMG  Email List      Email Blast      Blogs     
Upcoming Events      Todays Events      Ongoing Events      Bar Guide      Community Groups      In Memoriam     
Privacy Policy     

Windy City Media Group publishes Windy City Times,
The Bi-Weekly Voice of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Community.
5315 N. Clark St. #192, Chicago, IL 60640-2113 • PH (773) 871-7610 • FAX (773) 871-7609.