Green Line Advisers is a boutique government affairs and consulting firm in Chicago, Illinois. Clients have sought our help and advice regarding Chicago City Council strategy and lobbying, business licensing, pop-up shops, licensing holds, and permits.

Serve as primary aldermanic ombudsmen to more than 10,000 businesses in downtown Chicago’s commercial core, the Central Business District, interfacing with leaders and staff from numerous City departments and representatives from community, business, and civic organizations on a wide range of issues affecting the 42nd Ward. Guide businesses and developers through the permitting, licensing, project plan submission, and application processes in collaboration with various City departments, City Council committees, and other boards and commissions. Draft ordinances and resolutions and advise the Alderman and other departments on complex legislation, ensuring that legislation effectively addresses the policy problems identified.• Lead a broad range of research initiatives, from identifying best policy practices in other municipalities, to utilizing multiple City resources and databases in the production of detailed policy papers to inform policy and legislation on a wide range of topics, including code compliance, liquor license acquisition, signage, and parking issues.• Direct Aldermanic correspondence to businesses, individuals, department commissioners, and civic groups, and serve as spokesman on behalf of the Alderman at constituent, community, business, and police meetings.• Serve as the key point of contact with business owners on issues related to code, public-way use, health, valet, and taxicab inspections, liquor license compliance, and parking enforcement, processing and amending approximately 1,000 public-way use applications, 50 special event applications, and 300 sidewalk café applications each year.• Maintain strong professional relationships with a broad range of constituents and stakeholders, including business owners, developers, residents, and civic, corporate, and political leaders, frequently handling sensitive, challenging, extremely time-sensitive, and confidential issues with professionalism, diplomacy, and tact.

Provided service support to City employees, acting as liaison between employees and health care providers, processing retiree health insurance applications, and interfacing with employees about their health insurance and health care eligibility in compliance with Federal HIPAA regulations. Spearheaded an initiative to overhaul and re-concept department communications pieces and mass mailings, increasing responsiveness to communications and facilitating enhanced dialogue with health insurance recipients regarding critical health care information.• Developed and executed audits pertaining to Medicare eligibility and pension board discrepancies (police, fire, labor, and municipal), resulting in the reclamation of approximately $300,000 in City overpayments to hospitals.• Identified more than 600 instances of dual coverage and other redundancies and developed several recoverable leads valued at $50,000, ensuring that taxpayer funds were being effectively spent in the coverage of City workers.• Authored three comprehensive policy analyses and reviewed and summarized health care contracts for clarity and consistency for use by other departments.

Inspected, audited, and monitored practices and service levels for youth agencies enrolled in the Summer Food Program, which provides meals to low-income children while school is not in session. Provided support to agencies in amending policies, processes, and structure to comply with state and federal guidelines and directed the preparation for programmatic audits by the Illinois State Board of Education.

Cultivated relationships with business owners in a depressed urban neighborhood, fostering the development of a merchant’s association. Interviewed and surveyed commercial and industrial business owners regarding several issues of concern, including workforce diversity and opinions on the neighborhood held by the broader community.

Oversaw four group homes regulated by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, each serving 20 developmentally-disabled adults. Managed six individual support staff members, directed procurement of food and supplies within a monthly budget, and implemented cost-saving measures. Planned and coordinated weekly outings and events for clients.