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Gail Schechter

About Gail

Gail Schechter has been a leader in housing advocacy, discrimination complaint investigation, tenant and community organizing, community-based education, and public policy research and development since 1984. Since 1993, she has served as Executive Director of Open Communities (until October 2012, the Interfaith Housing Center of the Northern Suburbs), a Chicago-area fair housing organization that dates back to the Civil Rights Movement.  She is the recipient of numerous honors for her social justice advocacy including the 2001 “Champion of the Public Interest” award from Business and Professional People for the Public Interest, and two community organizing awards from Housing Action Illinois for housing justice campaigns in Morton Grove and Wilmette.  She also teaches public policy for the graduate division of Northwestern University's School of Continuing Studies. In February 2012, she was appointed by Governor Quinn to the State Housing Appeals Board, the enforcement body for the Affordable Housing Planning and Appeal Act.

Originally from New York City, Ms. Schechter was Director of Organizing for a Brooklyn not-for-profit group and later co-founded the Chicago Mutual Housing Network while at the Center for Neighborhood Technology.  Ms. Schechter holds a B.A. with Honors in History from Oberlin College and an M.A. in Urban and Environmental Policy from Tufts University.  She has two children, lives in Skokie, and plays clarinet as much as she can in her spare time.  The views expressed in this blog are purely her own.

Recently

The Board

Leave a note for your neighbor

Arielle Zionts

11:29 pm on Thursday, February 23, 2012

Hi Gail,

I just saw the message that you wrote on my profile all the way back in December. I don't check my profile much since I am not writing for the Patch anymore. Anyways, thanks for the message! I do not know Betsy, but I am going to read more about the foundation and organizations you guys work for.

Thanks again

Arielle

Arielle Zionts

11:51 am on Friday, November 25, 2011

Hi Gail,
Since you are interested in civil rights and housing and education equity I thought you might want to read this piece I wrote this summer:

http://highlandpark.patch.com/blog_posts/the-ironic-visit-of-ruby-bridges

Let me know what you think of it.

Arielle

Alison Monoco

4:45 pm on Friday, September 9, 2011

Hi Gail,

I am working on a feature film that is helping a great cause as well as offering people the opportunity to get involved
with the film. I think this would be a great story to write about and tell people. I just wanted to pass this along. …Or If it’s not too much trouble, pledge on something (they are offering great things!) and if you can also please pass this along to your friends.

If I can help you out with anything or the production can help you with anything, please don’t hesitate to ask.

Here is the link for the film:

http://www.theguitarplayermovie.com

Thanks

Gail Schechter

6:52 am on Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Thank you for you kind and encouraging words, Corina. I appreciate your reading my posting. If you could feel comfort knowing that you are not alone in your beliefs, then one of my goals was realized.

Corina Andronache

2:10 am on Sunday, September 4, 2011

Gail, thank you for your voice of truth. Keep on doing what's right. We need people like you that care for the well-being of the whole. Oh, if people would understand that we are all interconnected...I like your style of writing and the Renaissance personality. Please keep writing...I will keep on reading!

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