Selection Committee
Who’s choosing the Chicago Advisory Redistricting Commission?
We sought and received recommendations for respected, independent Chicagoans to review applications and choose people from throughout Chicago to serve on this ward redistricting commission. We have asked selection committee members to strive for a commission that is as geographically, racially, ethnically and economically diverse as Chicago.
Learn more about the commission selection process here.
Christina Rivers
Christina Rivers is an Associate Professor of Political Science at DePaul University. She is the author of The Congressional Black Caucus, Minority Voting Rights, and the U.S. Supreme Court (2011, University of Michigan press). Her research and teaching focus on early black political thought, and race, representation, and voting rights. In 2015 she began exploring the intersections of representation and mass incarceration, including ballot access for those in jail awaiting trial, felony disenfranchisement laws, and prison-based gerrymanders. In 2016 she began teaching at Stateville Correctional Center, as part of DePaul's Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program, and established a law and policy think-tank there. In 2018 the think-tank collaborated with local voting and civil rights organizations to write the "Re-Entering Citizens Civics Education Act", which mandates voter and civic education as part of the exit process from the Illinois Department of Corrections. She volunteers with local organizations to ensure voter access for citizens detained at Cook County jail, is collaborating on state legislation to expand college programming for those incarcerated in Illinois, and serves on the advisory board for the Redistricting Data Hub.
Christina received her MPA and PhD in government from Cornell University, and BA in political science from University of California at Irvine.
C.W. Chan
C.W. Chan, a retired entrepreneur and mental health consultant and social service administrator, has been active in voluntary community service for more than four decades, with remarkable impacts on the Asian and Chinese American communities in Chicago. His extensive civic service record over the decades has included being founder and president of the Chinese American Service League (CASL); president and chairman of the Chicago Chinatown Chamber of Commerce; chairman and president of the Asian American Coalition of Chicago (AACC); and since 2000, founder and chairman of the Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community (CBCAC). CBCAC seeks community development through civic engagement and political empowerment and over the last two decades had led series of voter registration campaigns resulting in a more than 300% increase in the number of registered Chinese American voters in the Greater Chinatown neighborhoods. Since inception, CBCAC has been credited with the smooth implementation of the Section 203 Chinese Language Voter’s Assistance Mandate in Cook County, and the identification, advocacy and achievement of major community infrastructure improvements such as the new CTA Station North Entrance, a new state-of-the-art community Field House, and a new ultra-modern design award-winning Public Library. Achievements of historical significance credited to CBCAC also included the successful passage of the Voting Rights Act of Illinois 2011 (nicknamed Chinatown Bill) which protects language minority community without a voting-age majority in the redistricting process, and the completion of the first ever comprehensive “Chinatown Community Vision Plan” which charts the community’s direction and strategy for equitable growth and development for the next 40 years.
Roberto Valdez Jr
Roberto Valdez Jr is the Senior External Affairs Liaison for the Latino Policy Forum. In this role, Roberto manages and coordinates the Forum’s legislative portfolio for federal, state, and city initiatives. Roberto also manages the Illinois Latino Agenda, a collaborative effort among Latino organizations that seeks to promote accountability in business, government, the private sector, and within the Latino community by leveraging their collective voice and influence.
Roberto’s communications and policy experience encompasses work with non-profit organizations, in the private sector, on political campaigns, and on Capitol Hill. In 2014 Roberto was Communications Manager for a Latino Health Organization which helped increase the pipeline of Latinos entering the medical and public health fields. He then worked as Digital Campaign Manager for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee during the 2015-2016 campaign cycle and in 2017, worked as Communications Director for Congresswoman Stephanie Murphy in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Roberto is on the iHeartMedia Chicago Local Advisory Board, is a member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalist Chicago Chapter, member of the Illinois Unidos Health and Policy Committee, and member of National Hispanic Lobbyist Association. He earned his B.A. in Communications from Arizona State University in 2012 and is originally from Nogales, AZ.
Adam M. Alonso, MSW, Chief Executive Officer
Since joining BUILD in March of 2015, Adam has led this 52-yr.-old organization through a period of dramatic growth - tripling the operating budget and staff to greatly expand the range of programming BUILD provides to its young people on the West Side, working so hard to build positive futures. Under Adam's leadership BUILD has invested heavily in street-level outreach and community engagement, mental health services, arts programming, school-based support and advocacy, and community violence crisis response. By connecting deeply with the surrounding communities and institutions of Austin and Humboldt Park in particular, BUILD has become a leader in community investment and action, and a committed collaborator with neighborhood organizations of all sizes.
Adam brings over 25 years of non-profit and youth development experience, serving as Director of the State of Illinois' Welcoming Center for Immigrants and Refugees, Director of Community Engagement for the United Way of Metropolitan Chicago, Director of Youth Services at Casa Central and Illinois Action for Children, and founding executive director of Corazón Community Services, a youth-oriented non-profit agency in Cicero. He holds a B.A. in Latin American Studies from the University of Chicago, a Master’s of Social Work from Loyola University-Chicago, and a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from the University of Notre Dame
Dick Simpson, adviser to the committee
Dick Simpson has uniquely combined a distinguished academic career with public service in government. He has published widely, been an outstanding teacher, and affected public policy. He began his academic career at the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1967 where he has taught for more than 50 years. At UIC he received the highest awards given for teaching including the UIC Silver Circle Award (twice), CETL Teaching Recognition Award, the UIC award for Excellence in Teaching, and the American Political Science Association (APSA) and Pi Sigma Alpha National Award for Outstanding Teaching in Political Science. He is a former Department Head from 2006-2012.
He has been the principal researcher on important studies which have led to reforms in many units of government in Chicago, Cook County, and Illinois. His former students have served in public office from local school board to U.S. Senator.
Dick Simpson has published numerous studies of elections, urban politics, voting patterns of elected officials, local government, public policy, elections and government budgeting read by scholars, students, journalists, and public officials. He is author or co-author of a number of books on political action, ethics, and politics, including Rogues, Rebels and Rubber Stamps (2001), Winning Elections in the 21st Century (2016), The City, Revisited (2011), Twenty-First Century Chicago (2019), African Development and Democracy (2012), Corrupt Illinois (2015) Teaching Civic Engagement (2013) and Teaching Civic Engagement Across the Disciplines (2017).
His Rogues book received honorable mention as one of the best books in adult nonfiction by the Society of Midland Authors in 2002. He currently President of the Society.
He has produced eight films and video documentaries winning a variety of film awards including an EMMY nomination. Simpson has also published more than 100 professional journal articles, magazine articles, book chapters, op-ed columns, and book reviews.
In his first campaign for political office in 1971, he surprised political observers and won election as Chicago's 44th Alderman, despite a well-financed opponent with an army of precinct captains. Dick Simpson served the 44th Ward for two terms before voluntarily retiring in 1979. As Alderman, Simpson consistently voted for and introduced reform legislation – occasionally persuading old-line aldermen to support his proposals as well. Results include:
The elimination of bank redlining.
Ending salary discrimination in the city budget for women holding the same jobs as men.
A City Council resolution urging Illinois passage of the Equal Rights Amendment.
Budget amendments to provide more money for day care.
Additional budget amendments to speed the opening of day care centers.
Programs to help the homeless and the hungry.
The extension of Senior Citizen public transportation hours.
Simpson served on transition teams that advised Chicago Mayor Jane Byrne in 1979, Mayor Harold Washington in 1983, and Mayor Lori Lightfoot in 2019.
In 1992 and 1994 Dick Simpson ran for Congress in Illinois' 5th Congressional District opposing Congressman Dan Rostenkowski on a platform of congressional reform, women's rights, universal health care, economic recovery and senior citizen's issues. In the Democratic Primary in 1992 he received 42,000 votes.