Meet the 2023-24 Zoning Advisory Council
Zoning Advisory Council (ZAC) members are neighbors in our community who are interested in land-use and development in the 48th ward. ZAC members hold a one-year term, with the option of re-applying for a second year. Read more about the ZAC here.
Current Members:
Aurrie Pennick
Agnes Chan
Travis Kluska
Jack Markowski
Jennifer Franklin
Donovan Harvey
Ald. Mary-Ann Smith
Alessa Dominguez
Micheál Podgers
Bob Remer
Ellen Duong
Erin Hoang
Meet Aurie Pennick
Aurie Pennick is a a native Chicagoan and an attorney. In 2016 she retired from the position of Executive Director and Treasurer of the Field Foundation of Illinois, Inc. where, for over a decade, she was responsible for grant management and oversight for approximately sixty million dollars in foundation assets. Aurie was appointed by Mayor Harold Washington to serve on the Chicago Police Board from 1983-1987. At that time, she was the Assistant Director for Special Grants of the MacArthur Foundation where she designed and implemented The Fund for Neighborhood Initiatives: a multi-million dollar grants program for small and emerging community organizations. In 2018, Aurie was one of the co-producers of Shame of Chicago, a five-part documentary series about Chicago’s decades of systemic segregation. Today, she serves on the board of Chicago Women Take Action (CWTA).
Meet Agnes Chan
Agnes Chan has worked as an urban planning consultant for city and regional governments on a wide range of issues including affordable housing policy, economic development, and environmental sustainability. She brings lived experience from the San Francisco Bay Area and Brooklyn/Manhattan where she lived before moving to Chicago. As the mother of two young children and as someone who walks, bikes, and takes transit throughout the 48th Ward, she is advocating for pedestrian-friendly development, safer streets, and more affordable housing in our communities.
Meet Travis Kluska
Travis Kluska joined Full Circle Communities in 2022. He supports the Real Estate Development Team by project managing new affordable housing development projects. Prior to joining Full Circle, Travis served as Assistant Commissioner of the Construction Services Division at the Department of Housing (DOH). He also worked as Chief Planning Analyst of the Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS) Grants, Policy and Research Division. Prior to his work for the City of Chicago, Travis worked for the Community Investment Corporation serving as a Troubled Buildings Initiative Program Office. There, he managed a portfolio of multifamily properties under receivership appointment from the Court of Cook County.
Meet Jack Markowski
A 43 year resident of Edgewater, Jack Markowski originally came to the community to lead Operation Winthrop-Kenmore which reversed a cycle of decline and resulted in $55 million of rehabilitation in 5200 units. He then worked for 15 years for the Chicago Department of Housing, where he served as Commissioner from 1999-2007, significantly increasing the production and resources available for affordable housing. From 2007 until his retirement in 2021, Jack served as the president of Community Investment Corporation, the Chicago area’s leading lender for the rehabilitation and preservation of affordable rental housing. With his wife of more than 40 years, Jack raised three children in the Edgewater community. Jack loves the dynamic racial, ethnic, and demographic diversity of the 48th ward.
Meet Jennifer Franklin
Jennifer D. Franklin, J.D., MBA is a managing attorney at Consillio, a global leader in delivering high-quality, secure eDiscovery, document review, and legal operations solutions. Over the past 16 years, Jennifer has had a diverse career in the legal field serving as an assistant attorney general in the Office of the Illinois Attorney General, as a staff attorney at Polsinelli PC, as a legislative analyst for the City of St. Louis Board of Aldermen, and assistant dean for Career Services at Southern Illinois University School of Law. Jennifer is a Prosci Certified Change Practitioner and has an EEO Investigator Certification from the EEOC Training Institute. Jennifer received her Bachelor of Science in Information Systems Technologies from Southern Illinois University Carbondale, her Juris Doctor from University of Akron School of Law, and her MBA from Washington University Olin Business School.
Meet Donovan Harvey
Donovan Harvey is a research associate at the Urban Institute, a DC-based non-profit research organization. In this role, he has evaluated equitable development projects (including eTOD) and conducted policy research related to increasing the supply of affordable housing. His research interests include urban mobility, governance, and housing, with focuses on social and cooperatively owned housing. Prior to his work with the Urban Institute, Donovan completed his Masters of Public Policy at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy; where he held leadership roles in the Black Graduate Coalition and OUTPolitik!, the LGBTQ+ policy organization. An avid biker, Donovan is committed to a safe and affordable environment for all those who walk, ride and roll in our community.
Meet Ald. Mary-Ann Smith
Former 48th Ward Alderwoman Mary Ann Smith has dedicated her life to public service, particularly in the areas of public safety, community-directed redevelopment, transit and walkability, the protection of senior citizens and the mentally ill. As Alderwoman of Chicago’s 48th ward, Alderwoman Smith was known for her concern for the environment, particularly the lakefront. As chair of the Chicago committee on Parks, Smith worked to restructure the Chicago Park District and its management, improving programming, securing the parks, and increasing access to recreation for all Chicagoans emphasizing youth and seniors. She attended the College of Saint Teresa from 1964-1967. She graduated from Mundelein College in 1985. In 2006, she studied urban planning in several European Cities. In her neighborhood, she sparked residential and economic development, securing more than $150 million in funding for community improvements, spearheading the designation of three National Register Districts.
Meet Alessa Dominguez
In the last two years, Alessa Dominguez (she/her/ella) has worked within Mikva Challenge, an organization dedicated to providing democratic experiences to youth through action civics. In the summer of 2023, a fellowship with the 48th ward through a partnership with Mikva provided Alessa with an opportunity to directly apply her new insights on urban planning by expanding the on-going Broadway Vision Project. She was raised in Edgewater and largely based the suggestions she provided on her experiences as a commuter and resident of the area. She advocates for safer public transportation with accessibility and mobility in mind, affordable housing, and a welcoming social and cultural environment.
Meet Micheál Podgers
Micheál Podgers (he/him, they/them) is an urban planner and founding staff-member of Better Streets Chicago. He has experience in transportation, housing, and land-use planning. Micheál grew up on Chicago’s Northwest Side, but he has also lived in Madison, WI; Vienna, Austria; and Freiburg, Germany. Micheál is a long-time bartender and nightlife denizen. He lives car-free and is a lifelong 84 Peterson bus rider. He holds bachelors degrees in History and German from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a masters degree in Urban Planning and Policy from the University of Illinois at Chicago. His interests include languages, design, classical music, film, and history.
Not Pictured:
Bob Remer, Ellen Duong, Erin Hoang