Interesting public engagement news out of Chicago this week. From the Chicago Sun-Times (June 23rd)…
Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced Saturday the creation of the Office of Public Engagement, which is designed to connect residents to city resources.
Felicia Davis, the mayor’s Deputy Chief of Staff, will head the new office.
The department will work with the Office of New Americans, Commission on Human Relations, Faith Outreach, Civic Engagement and Service and Chicago Alternative Policing Strategies, as well as external and community affairs representatives from city departments and sister agencies, according to the release.
The office will also collaborate with neighborhood and civic organizations, non-profits, policy advisory groups to enhance community outreach and engagement efforts.
“Chicago is a city of communities and our diverse communities are what make Chicago great,” Emanuel said in the release. “One of our goals is to ensure we are doing everything possible to reach out to each and every community, engage them in working to improve our city, and to make government services and assistance available.”
Similar to the White House’s Office of Public Engagement, created when the mayor was President Obama’s Chief of Staff, the city’s dedication to this program and it’s eventual effectiveness will be interesting to see, and something that Chicago NCDDers should get involved in. You can check out more info, or read the city’s press release here.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.