Alderman Toni Preckwinkle has been a dedicated community leader for over two decades. She acquired both Bachelors and Masters degrees from The University of Chicago. Toni dedicated the followiing 10 years teaching history to high school children before choosing to run for Alderman of the 4th Ward. Since taking office, she has established a distinguishable track record of progressive and independent leadership. She was the recipient of the 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2005 and 2008 IVI-IPO Best Alderman Awards and the 1997 and 2009 Leon Despres Award. In addition to being a community leader, she is also a wife and mother of two children.
Currently in her fifth term as the 4th Ward's Alderman, Toni has proven herself dedicated to revitalizing the neighborhoods of her ward, specifically through supporting the creation of mixed income and affordable housing. She made possible the construction, or rehabilitation, of over 1500 units of low and moderate income housing and secured a $35 million grant for the redevelopment of the Madden-Wells public housing project. Additionally, Toni co-sponsored two Affordable Housing Ordinances (1993 and 1998) that resulted in a 50% increase in city spending for low and moderate-income housing.
Toni has proven herself as an incredibly effective legislator. In addition to sponsoring the Living Wage and Affordable Housing Ordinances, she was a lead plaintiff in a lawsuit to institute a more racially equitable map of Chicago's ward boundaries. She also sponsored an ordinance that limits the establishment of payday loan stores (2000) and joined her colleagues in a lawsuit to replace punch card ballots with state-of-the-art technology. In addition, she was a co-sponsor of the anti-smoking ordinance which passed in 2005.
Toni has continued to fight for the resources to better serve all people of our community. Since 1999, she has secured $225 million for neighborhood improvements for streets, alleys, curbs and gutters, including the South Lake Shore Drive reconstruction. She sponsored the annual "Senior Balls", providing social activities for seniors, as well as the annual "Health Fairs", providing immunizations and back-to-school physicals for youth and health care services for the entire family. As an Alderman, Toni has only continued her commitment to education, securing millions of dollars for the renovations of schools in her ward, including King High School, Shakespeare School, Ariel Community Academy, North Kenwood-Oakland Charter School and Price Elementary King High School Campus Park. Additionally, she co-sponsored Project Graduation, recognizing the achievements of our elementary school graduates.
She is currently a member of several City Council committees: Rules and Ethics, Energy, Environmental Protection and Public Utilities, Finance, Historical Landmark Preservation, and Parks and Recreation. Furthermore, Toni has served as the President of the Disabled Adult Residential Enterprises (DARE) in 1985 and 1986. She has been a member of the board of Directors of the Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence. She has been involved in numerous other organizations, including the Harvard School Board, the Hyde Park Kenwood Community Health Center, the Hyde Park Kenwood Community Conference, the Coalition for Athletic Facilities for Kenwood Academy, the Friends of Murray School Lot and the Nichols Park Advisory Council as well as serving as the Political Action Director of the Near South Chapter of the Independent Voters of Illinois (IVI-IPO). In addition to Alderman and Committeeman, Toni has held the positions of Development Officer for the Hyde Park Neighborhood Club, Coordinator of Economic Development for the City of Chicago, and Development Officer for the Ancona School.
Throughout her career, Toni has proven herself as an advocate for change and reform. She has amassed extensive experience, crucial expertise and effective results that make her the ideal candidate to bring the real and responsible change we need in Cook County government.