Who We Are

janets@uic.edu; 312-996-5083

For the past 20 years, Dr. Smith’s teaching, research, and community service has focused on equity issues in local and national housing planning and policy. The majority of Dr. Smith’s research and outreach activities are conducted in partnership with community organizations and policy stakeholders through the UIC Voorhees Center. She has led several large-scale housing research projects in Chicago including a regional homeless needs assessment and a rental market study funded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Along with Larry Bennett and Patricia Wright (former Voorhees director), Smith co-edited and co-authored Where are Poor People to Live? Transforming Public Housing Communities (ME Sharpe 2006). She and John Betancur recently published Claiming Neighborhood: New Ways of Understanding Urban Change (University of Illinois 2016).

yittazel@uic.edu; 312-996-6674

Mr. Zelalem worked as Director of Housing Policy Analysis at the Chicago Rehab Network prior to coming to the Voorhees Center. In addition, he has worked for over half a dozen years as Director of Property Development and Executive Director of several CDCs in Chicago. Mr. Zelalem was also professor of law at the Addis Ababa University Law School in Ethiopia and currently teaches development financing courses. Mr. Zelalem has law degrees from Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia and the Yale Law School, as well as a Masters Degree in Urban Development.

Sally Hanley is the Director of Business Assistance for the Greater Peoria Economic Development Council and has held numerous positions with the organization for over 20 years.  In her current role, she works with existing interstate businesses to help them stay and grow in the region through an initiative called Elevate GP. She is renowned for expertise in public and private economic development financing and incentive programs for businesses and municipalities. Ms. Hanley manages multiple county loan funds as well as several community revolving loan funds.  Ms. Hanley has helped launch two new Elevate GP programs, Greater Peoria Manufacturing Network and GP Economic Gardening, which help businesses access new sales opportunities.

Anna Garrison is the Business Development Coordinator for the RAEDC, responsible for project management and client assistance activities related to domestic and international business development efforts as well as management of the CORE Conversation Program.  She is responsible for assisting with the successful management of business recruitment and select expansion projects in the Rockford Region, coordination of designated cluster activities with regional economic development partners, planning and coordination of trade shows, marketing trips and special events to promote increased jobs and investment in the Rockford Region, and managing events focused on strengthening our region’s economic base for its existing employers.

Irene Sherr serves as Assistant Deputy Bureau Chief for the Cook County Bureau of Economic Development in Chicago, IL where she manages and leads the Chicago Metro Metal Consortium (CMMC) and other regional  economic development initiatives. In addition she manages multiple private and civic sector engagement efforts including the Council of Economic Advisors and Economic Development Advisory Committee.