Hubert Morgan
Biography
Mr. Morgan is recognized throughout the Chicago and northwest Indiana regions for managing the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission (NIPC) national award winning 2040 Regional Framework Plan. Mr. Morgan has also coordinated the public outreach for the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission’s (NIRPC) national award winning 2040 Comprehensive Regional Plan. Concentrating on civic democracy, his passion is public participation. Mr. Morgan specializes in reaching out to all demographics, especially those that have been historically underrepresented or disenfranchised in traditional planning processes. Mr. Morgan’s primary objective is to ensure that everyone affected is involved throughout the planning process. To this end, he designs strategies that help communities develop their positions and articulates their concerns in the planning process.
Lived Experiences
It was 1982 in the basement of a west side church, the then candidate Harold Washington was running for Mayor. Mesmerized by his oratory and wearing that Harold Washington political pin, I was beaming with civic pride. I mustered the courage to ask the larger-than-life political candidate “Why do our communities struggle so much economically and socially?” He first asked, “Where do you live? You have to live in your community to affect the change you’re looking for.” As a young planner working at Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission, I decided to live in the heart of my community. I bought a home on the Southeast side 32-years ago, while he was Mayor. I still live there. My younger son is renovating the house next door and lives there. That’s my commitment to my community. I live in the community to help strengthen it by example. I was part of the founding group of five Near North Montessori School (NNMS) Board Members. We started a public charter school, the Montessori School of Englewood (MSE) to provide excellent educational options in an economically and socially stressed Chicago community; the current enrollment is over 350 students. My sons got an excellent education at NNMS. I wanted to give back. I’ve worked at three regional planning commissions, Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission (NIPC) where I managed the 2040 Framework Plan. After NIPC and the Chicago Area Transportation Study (CATS) merged to form the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, I was responsible for Outreach and Engagement. I was recruited to consult with Northwest Indiana Regional Planning Commission to respond to the Federal Highway Authority and Federal Transit Authority “Corrective Action” placed on their ongoing 2040 Comprehensive planning process. At this stage of my career, I work on projects that I believe will have a transformative influence on my community. I recognize that it’s not just the project, but it is public policy changes that bring about structural and systemic transformation.