State Representative Kam Buckner, Janice Thomas, Joel Hamernick, Carlos Ramirez-Rosa and Genora Stone to lead conversations on civic voice, transit, public space and South Side economic opportunity at regional economic development symposium
CHICAGO — September 29, 2026 — South East Chicago Commission (SECC) will bring together business, civic, community and public-sector leaders on Friday, October 9, 2026, for the 8th Annual South Side Connection Regional Economic Development Symposium: Anchored for Impact at the David Rubenstein Forum at the University of Chicago, 1201 E. 60th Street. (Register Now)
This year’s theme, Anchored for Impact, focuses on how civic participation, transportation, public spaces, institutional investment and cross-sector partnerships can translate major public and private investment into lasting opportunity for residents, entrepreneurs and businesses rooted in South Side neighborhoods.
“The choices we make about how our city is governed, how people move through our neighborhoods, and how we invest in and access public spaces shape the future of the South Side,” said Diane Burnham, Executive Director of the South East Chicago Commission. “This symposium brings those conversations together so that residents, businesses and community stakeholders are not simply watching change happen around them. Instead they are better positioned to participate in and benefit from the opportunities it creates.”
Keynote Conversation: Civic Voice & the Connected City
The symposium’s opening conversation, Civic Voice & the Connected City, will examine the connection between civic engagement, public decision-making, transportation investment and neighborhood economic opportunity.
Moderated by Phaedra Leslie, Vice President of Diversity, Workforce Development and Community Engagement at ALL Construction Group, the discussion will feature:
- State Rep. Kam Buckner (26th District), Speaker Pro Tempore, Illinois House of Representatives
- Janice R. Thomas, Deputy Executive Director of External Affairs and Chief of Staff, Metra
- Joel Hamernick, Executive Director, A More Just Chicago
The conversation will explore how residents and businesses can have a stronger voice in decisions affecting neighborhood investment and how major developments — including transportation improvements and the Obama Presidential Center — can create broader opportunities for South Side communities.
Speakers also will address ways entrepreneurs, contractors and community organizations can better engage public institutions, navigate civic processes, pursue procurement and partnership opportunities, and connect to investments affecting commercial corridors and neighborhood growth.
Public Sector Panel: People, Place & Possibility
The second featured conversation, People, Place & Possibility, will focus on the economic role of parks, public spaces, cultural assets and public-sector business-support systems.
Moderated by Lotika Pai, Chief Small Business Officer and Managing Deputy Commissioner with the City of Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection, the panel will feature:
- Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, General Superintendent and Chief Executive Officer, Chicago Park District
- Genora Stone, President, Jackson Park Conservancy
Panelists will highlight practical pathways for businesses to pursue opportunities involving procurement, concessions, permits, event activation, technical assistance and neighborhood business networks. The conversation also will address place keeping, heritage tourism, public-space activation and strategies for ensuring longtime businesses and entrepreneurs remain connected to new investment and development.
Event Details
8th Annual South Side Connection Regional Economic Development Symposium
Date: Friday, October 9, 2026
Doors Open: 8:00 a.m.
Opening Remarks: 9:00 a.m.
Program Concludes: 12:00 p.m.
David Rubenstein Forum at the University of Chicago
1201 E. 60th Street
Chicago, IL 60637
Registration is complimentary. For additional information, visit secc-chicago.org/symposium.
