About Us

Board of Directors

ECDC is currently run by an 18-person board of directors, almost all of whom live in Evanston. Board members include local business and property owners, local residents, and others interested in the redevelopment of the Westside of Evanston keeping in mind the interest of existing residents and businesses. The development and implementation of programs, and establishing working partnerships with existing service providers, is carried out by ECDC staff.

The board works through committees, the Executive Committee, a Community Outreach Committee, a Programs Committee and a Resource and Marketing Committee. The Executive Committee is comprised of a Chairman, Vice Chairman(s), Treasurer, Secretary and an additional 2-3 members at the discretion of the Chairman. This committee works closely with the part-time Executive Producer to develop recommendations to be taken to the entire Board of Directors.

Each Board Member is expected to participate in one of the working committees. Working Committees meet once a month. The chair of each working committee is a member of the Executive Committee.

STANDING BOARD COMMITTEES

• Executive Committee
  
• Community Outreach
  
• Resource and Marketing Committee
  
• Programs Committee
  

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Executive Committee

Chairman
Bill Logan

Vice Chairs
Keith Banks
John Fuller
Fay Bennett

Secretary
Diane Lupke

Treasurer
Michael Corr

Individual Directors
Schona Buranda
Daniel Cheifetz
Tommy Dortch
Ron Fleckman
Bennett Johnson
Bennett Johnson, III
Sam Johnson
Joseph Patton
Bill Smith

Association Directors
Community Builders of Evanston: Lonnie Wilson
Evanston Community Development Association: Keith Banks
First Bank and Trust: Michael Corr
Organization Latino Evanston

ADVISORY BOARD
Carl Davis
Jay Lytle
Denise Martin
Hecky Powell
Bob Reece
Leon Robinson
Bill Stafford

Program Manager
Precious Wright

ECDC Organization Funding

For FY 2007 ECDC received a $5,000 Grant from the Mott Foundation for Community Outreach Technical Support, $7,500 from the Evanston Community Foundation to develop a Community Computer Center, a $10,000 grant from First Bank and Trust, and $55,000 through CDBG funds for its economic development activities.

In 2005 ECDC had a budget of $34,000; $25,000 of which came from CDBG funds and $9,000 of which came from a Root2Fruit Grant from the Evanston Community Foundation. In 2006, ECDC had a budget of $54,000; $30,000 from CDBG Funds, $9,000 from Root2Fruit given to ECDC for capacity building, a promised grant of $10,000 from the Economic Development Committee of the Department of Planning for marketing activities, and a $5,000 grant from Evanston Inventure.

Community When talking to local businesses and residents about how to accurately describe the area, words that jump to the top of the list are diverse, exciting, dynamic and evolving.

The Westside of Evanston is the historic African-American community of Evanston. Pre-dating the Civil War, this community has remained stable for over 100 years. It is common to find families that have lived here for five generations. In the beginning, most of the families were employed as domestic servants or manual laborers until the opening of light manufacturing on Evanston's west side, which drew its workforce both from African Americans and Polish immigrants. By the 1960s Evanston's African American population had become largely concentrated in the city's west and south-central neighborhoods.

In the 1970s and 80s, this was a thriving community that had its barbeque restaurants, pool halls, and a fish market. Long time residents will remember Norm’s grocery store and the Monticello malt shop. It was a busy and community oriented neighborhood where everyone watched out for one another and everyone’s parents watched out for one another’s kids. Activities abounded in the parks, the basketball courts were always full and pick up baseball games were prevalent. There was a sense of pride of community and neighborhood.

The beautiful part of the history of this community is that it originated as a community of servant families in the late 1800s and early 1900s which has turned into an independent viable educated community. Entrepreneurship began as early as the late 1890s with the Butler family, who owned a livery and founded the Butler Memorial Hospital, a precursor to Community Hospital. The strong sense of entrepreneurship brings up other names, such as Dr. Hill, who founded Community Hospital because the existing Evanston Hospital did not treat African-Americans, and the Robinson Family, who started off with a small taxi company, turning it into Robinson Bus Company, which went on to employ numerous Westside residents.

But the history of the area has ranged from thriving to destitute. The area is currently entering a period of resurrection, the most recent evidence being the opening of Strange Lofts at Darrow and Church a few years ago, and continues with the 2007 opening of Boocoo, which is a new cultural center for the Westside, a Greek restaurant, a beauty salon and a photography studio. It is a community that is bound to its history while preparing for its exciting the future.

The business community is maturing, a mix of new establishments and older establishments that have been here for decades. Concentrated in a small area you will find businesses that are in their infancy and those which have been pillars of the community for decades. While new businesses arrive monthly, businesses owned by “Sam”, “Marshall” and “Dr. Cheeks”, anchor the community.

Similar to the business community, the residential community is a mixture of the old and the new, with the new influencing the old in a positive way. It is becoming an exciting eclectic community as it grows and evolves. The community is becoming more diverse with a growing Hispanic population. The neighborhood is family oriented, just around the corner from the Evanston Township High School with tree-lined streets and a strong sense of community. It is an older working class neighborhood that is attracting new blood. It is a community where people are encouraged to have their voices heard and engage in community efforts.

There are great things happening in the community, which are bringing a positive change. There is much evidence of the emergence of the new economy with new people coming in who are bringing in new ideas, new cultures and with it new economic power. The area is a blend of cultures, reflecting the diversity of Evanston; a central melting pot.