Feature

Mentor Spotlight: MarySue Barrett

As part of spring quarter's Leadership in Chicago course, MarySue Barrett-president of the Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC), member of the Harris School Visiting Committee, and a Harris School mentor-spoke about her career, some of the challenges and choices she has faced, and answered questions from students on issues ranging from the city's Olympic bid to traffic congestion.

Reflecting on professional experiences that took her from Washington, D.C. to Chicago, politics to nonprofits, Barrett's overall message to students was: Develop your professional networks and be sure to use them. After graduating from Northwestern University, Barrett moved to Washington, DC. At the time, she considered the nation's capital to be the center of public policy. She worked at an energy policy interest group, but soon became frustrated by being distanced from implementation. She remarked, "I couldn't follow through and see the impact of the work."

So in 1987, Barrett packed up and moved to Iowa to join Senator Paul Simon's presidential campaign. Having volunteered in college on Simon's successful U.S. Senate bid, Barrett knew key players in his campaign and jumped at the opportunity to serve as deputy field director.

Soon after the 1988 election, Barrett found herself at work on Richard M. Daley's mayoral campaign as field director. "I didn't go into that thinking it was my way to get in the door at the mayor's office," she said. "It was more that I wanted to get the lay of the land as I returned to Chicago after several years away."

But once Daley won the election, Barrett was asked to join his administration. Taking on increasing responsibility, she eventually became chief of policy for the Office of the Mayor.

"It's a deadline driven, headline driven reality," Barrett said of that position-a role in which she served as a conduit for the mayor and consulted with a variety of people about initiatives and projects.

After six years Barrett decided she was ready for a new challenge, calling her decision to leave "a natural reassessment" that occurs at the conclusion of a term in office. At the same time, the General Assembly gave Daley control of the Chicago Public Schools.

Intrigued by the chance to improve city schools, Barrett accepted the Daley's invitation to become interim chief of staff to the Chicago School Reform Board of Trustees. During her tenure the Board signed a historic contract with the teachers union and Barrett helped create a revamped budget, new initiatives, and other management reforms.

As Barrett began looking at the nonprofit sector, she heard that MPC-a nonprofit policy group of Chicago area business and civic leaders-was looking for a new leader to revitalize their outreach and communication.

"That mandate and challenge was something that seemed like a good fit for me," said Barrett. "The fact that I had public sector experience was useful. I had helpful insight."

The organization has quadrupled in size since she started 12 years ago and MPC has achieved notable successes on transportation, housing, school funding gains, and redevelopment and has helped support such initiatives as the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus. "The organizations are always evolving, so the job is one I continue to enjoy and feel challenged by every year," she said.