MarySue Barrett, President of the Metropolitan Planning Council, addressed trends and opportunities in transportation infrastructure and development. With the metropolitan Chicago economy projected to grow dramatically by 2030, there is a pressing need to forge new coordinated planning and investment strategies that will guide more balanced growth in the future. She discussed near-term opportunities at the metro, state, and federal levels to implement solutions across modes.

Metropolitan Planning Council Mission
Founded in 1934, the Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) is a nonprofit, non-partisan group of business and civic leaders committed to serving the public interest through development, promotion and implementation of sound planning and policies so all residents have access to opportunity and a good quality of life, the building blocks of a globally competitive greater Chicago region.

Our Speaker
MarySue Barrett is president of the Metropolitan Planning Council, an independent, nonprofit group of business and civic leaders working to achieve policies that enhance the vitality and livability of the Chicago metropolitan region. Ms. Barrett assumed the role of MPC president and board member on April 1, 1996. During her tenure, MPC has strengthened its relationships with employers and is increasingly called upon to untangle local development and regional policy challenges. Known for bringing the right people together at the right time, MPC has expertise that spans infrastructure, housing, environment, land use, and tax policies.

Prior to joining MPC, Ms. Barrett served in Mayor Richard M. Daley’s first administrations, holding positions of increasing responsibility over seven years. In 1995, she was recruited to serve as chief of staff to the Chicago School Reform Board of Trustees, part of a new management team charged with bringing revolutionary change to the Chicago Public Schools. From 1993 through 1995, MarySue Barrett was chief of policy for Mayor Daley, where she coordinated initiatives on public safety, economic and community development, and lifelong education. Ms. Barrett began her municipal government work in 1989 in the Mayor’s Office of Intergovernmental Affairs and counts among her top accomplishments Chicago’s successful implementation of community policing and neighborhood redevelopment projects. Ms. Barrett also spearheaded the City’s successful bid to host the 1996 Democratic National Convention.

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