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Thank you to Obama Foundation CEO (and my she-ro!) Valerie Jarrett for an inspiring and energizing conversation this morning.

Executives’ Club members and their guests packed the University Club’s Cathedral Hall for “Groundbreakers: Valerie Jarrett,” a discussion between Valerie and me about the future of the Obama Presidential Center (OPC), the importance of public service, and leadership through adversity.

In addition to some laughs and a few happy tears, I had the following key takeaways:

  • There’s no place like home, especially when “home” is Chicago. According to Valerie, there’s a civic imperative here that is unmatched anywhere else in the world. Chicago and its leaders are bold, resilient, and unafraid to lead.
  • The OPC serves as a model for how organizations in Chicago and across the globe can more intentionally do business within their home communities. Feedback from thousands of neighbors was incorporated into the final design of the Center, including increasing green space and moving parking garages underground. OPC leaders have prioritized hiring people and engaging vendors from the surrounding community so that the rich diversity of the area is represented and reflected. The Center’s 700,000 anticipated annual visitors will create a ripple effect for the Southside’s economy by staying at hotels, eating at restaurants, and visiting other attractions while they’re in the area.
  • In the face of increased polarization, the region’s leaders remain optimistic for the future and are encouraged by young people both in Chicago and around the world. Given the right tools and opportunities for collaboration, our next generation of leaders are poised to make an outsized impact. As President Obama has famously said, “ordinary people, when they work together, can do extraordinary things.”
  • There’s no one more fitting of a “groundbreaker” designation than Valerie Jarrett! Think about it: what do three of Chicago’s most notable leaders in history — Mayor Harold Washington, Mayor Richard J. Daley, and US President Barack Obama — have in common? Valerie was an integral player in each of their administrations. We’re so fortunate to get to call her a fellow Chicagoan!

Thank you to event sponsors Sidley and Fifth/Third Bank for your partnership and support of today’s conversation!

With gratitude,
Dorri

Dorri McWhorter
President & CEO