Letters to the Editor | May 2009

Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in the Gazette’s letters column are those of the letter-writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Gazette’s editors. We also reserve the right to edit letters for space.

Dear Editor:

The Gazette’s recent article (April 3) on the Chicago Christian Industrial League and my return to that venerable institution was a well-intended but not entirely accurate description of that situation. Also, your accompanying editorial was far from accurate in its portrayal of CCIL’s relationship to local and state government.

You quoted me as saying that the league has lost significant HUD funding, but failed to mention that it was solely due to our former executive director’s failure to follow through on simple standard procedures to receive these funds.

Furthermore, she withdrew CCIL’s participation in the vital networking body often referred to as the Continuum of Care that included many social ministries and is a vital conduit to public and private funding. Also, the former executive director failed to inform the full CCIL board of directors of many of her decisions, including inexplicable ones such as not following up on the HUD funding, withdrawing from the Continuum of Care, and the hiring of Patti Blagojevich.

Yes,a board of directors has the responsibility to know what its executive director is doing relative to major decisions such as these, but the former executive director was apparently able to hide many of her decisions from our board. Our new board president, attorney Jim Foorman, is listening to my recommendations on staffing, programming, board development, and marketing/fundraising. He is taking a courageous stand in addressing sensitive issues, including lack of board oversight, by accepting the resignation of several dedicated, long-time board members who because of health, family, or professional considerations, felt they did not have the time necessary to continue their service to CCIL.

During my original tour of duty with CCIL as executive director, beginning in 1988, the League was teetering on bankruptcy, with only 13 employees and over 400 souls in residence occupying a crumbling, disjointed eight-building campus in Greektown. I was under constant pressure from the local business community to immediately move CCIL’s campus, but it was through the support of the City and the Mayor that we were able to continue in our original location for many more years until a move was viable.

It is important that your readers understand that CCIL received a fair market price for its property, and had it not been for the ineptitude of the previous executive director, few if any of these current financial/program issues would exist.

When I did leave in the mid-’90s, the League was a viable institution both financially and programmatically, due in large part to the public-private partnership we began with the City of Chicago. One example of which was the remarkably successful O’Hare outreach program that Mayor Daley was the guiding force on. Without this public private partnership, I would not have had the time necessary to secure appropriate funding from foundations and churches.

Your accompanying editorial extrapolated that there was a correlation between City/State funding and the removal of a cross from our chapel/auditorium. This is simply not true. That did not occur until CCIL moved into its new campus, and was the sole decision of the former executive director, whose lack of management and fundraising prowess is the reason we are facing our current financial challenges.

Further, CCIL never had a direct relationship with former Governor Blagojevich. The decision to hire Mrs. Blagojevich was solely the former executive director’s, without the full board’s knowledge. It was as, as you accurately reported me saying, “A mistake.” It is why Mrs. Blagojevich is no longer at CCIL. Also, there are no political appointees on the CCIL board. We are proud to have 16th Ward Alderman JoAnn Thompson serve on our board, especially because she was a former homeless client of mine when I was executive director of CCIL. Her story of overcoming tremendous adversity to achieve remarkable success is inspirational to our clients, staff, and funders.

I concur that CCIL has become too dependent on public funding, and that we need to be more balanced in our development efforts, in part by returning to our historic roots by reconnecting with communities of faith. To that end, I am in the process of inviting various churches and pastors to visit the League and to begin to participate in regular voluntary chapel services, while restoring the religious symbolism that was removed from our chapel/auditorium. CCIL has always served people of many faiths: Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, and others, and while continuing to do so will always be proud of our Christian roots.

I do appreciate your vote of confidence in my return to CCIL, but this would not have happened without Mayor Daley’s strong support of CCIL’s ministry, and the many fine men and women who constitute our current board of directors and staff.

Thank you,

Rick Roberts
Senior Director of Strategy and Communications
Chicago Christian Industrial League