ICA E-Newsletter – May 2019
In this issue:
  • Five Day Sojourn Works to Recreate 50 Year History
  • Memorial Fund for the Completed Life of Jean Marie Long
  • accelerate77 Origin Story Shared at Asset-Based Community of Practice
  • ICA Represented on Chicago Mayor-Elect's Environmental Transition Team
  • Staff Spotlight: Rich Bondie, Facilities Manager
  • Upcoming Events
Latest from ICA
Five Day Sojourn Works to Recreate 50 Year History
Sojourners hear and share reports from teams working on nine collections for an upcoming website
Over the past 50 years, from the Fifth City community development project in 1963 to the fifth year anniversary of Chicago Sustainability Leaders Network in 2018, ICA has developed a wealth of programs, projects, methods, training materials, and more. Over the course of one week each spring and fall, colleagues from across that history gather at ICA GreenRise to work on a thriving Global Archives project that aims to organize and translate an estimated four million documents into a comprehensive story...
Memorial Fund for the Completed Life of Jean Marie Long
In honor of the completed life of Jean Marie Long, we are announcing a new Jean Long Memorial Fund. Donations to this fund will support the Global Archives. As a longtime ICA colleague, Jean dedicated her recent years to the organization and cultivation of our archival history. She was the touchstone for many who contributed their time to the Archives and championed the efforts vigorously in staff meetings and weekly conference calls with remote colleagues.

A memorial was held at ICA GreenRise, where Jean lived and worked, on the evening of Tuesday, April 16th, 2019. It was attended by family, friends, and colleagues who shared songs, stories, and a meal in celebration of her life.
accelerate77 Story Shared at Asset-Based Community of Practice
Former ICA CEO and ABCD Institute board member Terry Bergdall shares the story of accelerate77
When Terry Bergdall returned to ICA-USA to serve as CEO in 2009, the organization was in the midst of a missional shift to meet the emerging climate crisis. The City of Chicago was also attempting to respond to climate change, but the government’s approach was to convene expert consultants who crafted environmental programs, and then tried to “sell” them to Chicagoans.

ICA believed that this top-down approach to policy-making perpetuated the mentality of treating residents as consumers and in 2011 launched the accelerate77 project to instead show that residents as producers.
ICA Represented on Chicago Mayor-Elect's Environmental Transition Team
Last month, Lori Lightfoot was elected as the next Mayor of Chicago, making her the first black woman and first openly gay leader of the third-largest city in the United States. While Lightfoot will not assume office until May 20th, the incoming administration has already been working with ten transition teams representing more than 400 local Chicago leaders. ICA staff member Seva Gandhi is serving on the Environment committee, whose members have submitted public memos to the administration.
Staff Spotlight: Rich Bondie, Facilities Manager
"I’m motivated by being part of an organization that has a social impact within its community. I believe that GreenRise and the organizations housed here are a beacon for so many people, a place where people can go to get the services they need here on the North Side."
Upcoming Events
CSLN May Meeting – Engage in Growing Initiatives
The Plant
Chicago, IL
Thursday, May 16th
5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Join Chicago Sustainability Leaders Network (CSLN) at The Plant with host Plant Chicago to build on the energy created in our March meeting. We'll be moving forward our collaborative events for the year, working on a "Memo the the Mayor" for Chicago Community Trust's On the Table event, and exploring whatever collaborations our members and participants bring to share!
Uptown Women's Networking presented by Uptown Business Partners
ICA GreenRise
Chicago, IL
Friday, June 7th
8:30 am – 10:00 am
We're looking forward to hosting the Women's Networking Mixer in partnership with Uptown United,  Uptown Business Partners, and Weiss Memorial Hospital. On Friday, June 7th, come meet and connect with other women leaders from local businesses and non-profit organizations across Uptown while enjoying a cup of coffee in our beautiful Global Guild Suite!

Kenya Merritt, Chief Small Business Officer for the City of Chicago, will be the featured speaker!
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