Speakers

Juan González is a Senior Research Fellow at Great Cities Institute.

He was a staff columnist for New York’s The Daily News for nearly thirty years, has been a co-host since 1996 of the morning news show Democracy Now, and was the Richard D. Heffner Professor of Communications and Public Policy at Rutgers University from 2017 to 2023. He is also one of the original founders and a past president of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.

González’s investigative reports on the labor movement, environmental justice, race relations, and urban policy have garnered numerous accolades, including two George Polk Awards for commentary, and he became in 2015 the first Latino to be inducted into the New York Journalism Hall of Fame by the Society of Professional Journalists’ Deadline Club.

He is the author of five books, including the classic Harvest of Empire: A History of Latinos in America (2001), which became the basis of an award-winning 2012 feature documentary film narrated by González, and which is now in its third edition. His News for All the People: The Epic Story of Race and the American Media (2011), which he co-authored with Joseph Torres, was a New York Times best-seller and a finalist for the Robert F. Kennedy Book Award. His Reclaiming Gotham, Bill de Blasio and the Movement to End America’s Tale of Two Cities (2017), examines the rise of progressive elected officials in cities across the United States and their efforts to reform urban policies.

Over the years, more than two dozen films and documentaries have featured González as a figure or expert commentator, including the landmark PBS series Latino Americans(2013); the PBS documentary 9/11’s Unsettled Dust (2021); the CNN series 1968: The Year that Changed America, (2018); HBO Max’s docuseries Menudo: Forever Young (2022); the Ric Burns history of Latino New York, Nueva York (2010); the PBS biography Roberto Clemente (2008); and Spike-TV’s Viva Baseball (2005).

He was born in Puerto Rico, raised in New York City’s East Harlem, and received his B.A. from Columbia University.

Bio and photo coming soon.

Bio and photo coming soon.

Bio and Photo coming soon

Bio and photo coming soon.

Bio and photo coming soon.

Wim Wiewel is an academic leader, urban planning expert, and advocate for community engagement. He served as  President of Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon from 2017 until his retirement in 2022.  During these years the endowment doubled in value, and enrollment reached an all-time high. He served as the President of Portland State University from 2008 to 2017, where he spearheaded initiatives to strengthen civic partnerships, enhance student success, and elevate PSU’s global presence. Before that, he was the provost at the University of Baltimore, and was at UIC from 1979 until 2004, serving in successive roles as director of the Center for Urban Economic Development, Special Assistant to the Chancellor for Great Cities, director of the Great Cities Institute, and dean of the College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs, and the School of Business Administration.

Beyond academia, Wiewel has been deeply involved in the civic and cultural landscape of the cities where he has lived, as well as national academic, environmental, and urban development organizations.

Wiewel is the author or editor of eleven books and over 70 academic articles and chapters.  He holds degrees in sociology and urban planning from the University of Amsterdam and earned his Ph.D. in sociology from Northwestern University.

Dr. Kate Albrecht is an Assistant Professor of Public Policy, Management & Analytics who specializes in network analysis, collaborative governance, and interdisciplinary approaches to understanding complex social systems. Her research explores critical areas including collaborative interactions between government and nonprofit organizations for community health, network evolution methodologies for understanding policy challenges, and innovative strategies to improve access and equity in public service delivery. She has produced significant translational research through her engagement with the Institute for Policy and Civic Engagement and the Government Finance Research Center in CUPPA.

Keith Lewis is the Senior Director of Community Collaboration at the University of Illinois Chicago and an Adjunct Professor in the College of Business.    He serves on the Chancellor’s Committee on the Status of Black, Brothers Teaching Advisory Council, UIC Partnerships for Antiracist Campus Transformation and Advisory Committee for Black student success.   Mr. Lewis serves on Board of directors and advisory boards for Community Leadership Fellows, Chicago Rites of Passage Mentoring Institute, and the Chicago Community Trust African American Legacy Fund.   He is active in the leadership development and racial healing community.  Lewis is an alum of Leadership Greater Chicago, Latino Policy Forum’s Multicultural Leadership Academy and Public Allies Chicago.  He holds a B.A from Michigan State University and M.P.A from Governors State University.

Khelan Todd
Chief Impact & Innovation Officer | Workforce Development Leader | Advocate

Khelan Todd is a dedicated leader focused on driving economic mobility and creating lasting change in underserved communities. As Chief Impact & Innovation Officer at the North Lawndale Employment Network (NLEN), he leads workforce development initiatives that empower individuals and strengthen neighborhoods in Chicago. Previously, Khelan served as Director of Community Health & Engagement, expanding healthcare access for over 30,000 individuals, and founded The Black Male Enterprise (TBME), an initiative that mentors and supports young Black males, achieving a 100% high school graduation rate. Khelan is driven by a passion for breaking down barriers and unlocking opportunity to help individuals reach their full potential.

Tony Woods
Founding Executive Director, Public Equity
Community Violence Intervention Practitioner | Advocate for Marginalized Communities

Tony Woods, a Chicago native, is a seasoned community violence intervention practitioner with over
15 years of experience dedicated to violence reduction, restorative justice, and mentorship. As the
Executive Director of Public Equity, he leads efforts to address violence through prevention,
intervention, and community empowerment in underserved African-American neighborhoods.

Current Work and Impact

Tony’s work focuses on tackling the root causes of violence by creating community-based solutions
and directly intervening to break cycles of harm. Through Public Equity, he has impacted over 3,000
individuals in the Auburn Gresham and Greater Englewood areas, working to reclaim historically
significant community spaces and shift narratives surrounding marginalized communities.
He was instrumental in expanding the Peace Keepers program (formerly F.L.I.P.) during the COVID-19
pandemic, achieving a significant reduction in violence across Englewood, which led to the
program’s growth into a state-wide initiative. He has also advised Chicago C.R.E.D. on effective
violence reduction strategies and the role of social media in mitigating conflict.

Philosophy and Leadership
Tony is a passionate advocate for community-driven change. As the Community Convener for West
Englewood through the Reimagine Public Safety Act, he continues to collaborate with residents to
identify priorities and design public safety strategies that address their needs.
He believes that, “Investment in ourselves first on an individual basis, then an even greater
investment in our communities… can only happen by removing barriers that prevent us from
accessing resources and opportunities.” His work is guided by this conviction, striving to create
lasting, sustainable change through investment in people and communities.