Gail Schechter Email & Phone Number

Chicago, Il

Serving as Executive Director of Chicago organization dedicated to helping low-income seniors in Chicago live independent and socially engaged lives. H.O.M.E.'s unique vision of intergenerational living is manifested in its its Good Life Senior Residences (Pat Crowley House and the top floor of Nathalie Salmon House) in which seniors, young adults, and families live together family-style. H.O.M.E. also provides an Upkeep & Repair program for senior homeowners on the south and west sides of Chicago, a shopping bus, and moving assistance. Implementing Strategic Plan that calls for sharing H.O.M.E.'s model nationally, and expanding its intergenerational housing to underserved Chicago neighborhoods on the South and West Sides.

Greater Chicago Area

Co-founder and Kingian nonviolence trainer with the Addie Wyatt Center for Nonviolence Training, aimed primarily at high school students and faculty as well as surrounding communities, in the Chicago area.

Working with grassroots organizations on grantwriting, group development, nonviolent campaigns, public speaking, and creative community building & organizing across race, class, religion and geography. Served as lead grantwriter for Curt's Cafe Highland Park, and assisted with grantwriting for the McGaw YMCA, Evanston (for GrowthVisionHealth), and Ixchel (Latina environmental and education justice in Berwyn/Cicero). On the Evanston4All Solidarity Response Team education committee developing and conducting upstander and nonviolence workshops. Providing help in grassroots organizing for affordable and fair housing. Provided capacity building help to Legacy Leaders International (youth empowerment on Chicago's west side) and Lake Forest Civic Orchestra.

Formed a highly effective team to provide training and technical assistance to the Chicago Continuum of Care community, track emerging trends and best practices, and advocate for policies and practices to end homelessness in the City of Chicago. Catalyzed new systems-level collaborations to ensure that all Chicago neighborhoods are inclusive and diverse in every way.

Winnetka, Il

Led all fair housing, tenants' rights, foreclosure prevention, Homesharing, and immigrant integration programs, as well as acted as community organizer, public educator, policy researcher, and advocate. Primary spokesperson for agency that emerged in 1972 from Civil Rights Movement. Founded numerous north suburban grassroots campaigns, most recently The Justice Project: The March Continues. Developed and monitored budgets, wrote grant proposals and solicited congregational and individual donors, monitored contracts, and hired and supervised staff.

Taught Masters in Public Policy and Administration course, "Interest Groups"; created and taught "Citizen Participation in the Policy Making Process"; & undergraduate course, "Public Policy". Primary Capstone reader for theses on Chicago housing, Egyptian school reform, the Native American Grave Protection Act, and alternative college admissions policies.

Taught a course on the history and practice of community organizing to seniors pursuing a B.A. in Human Services.

Supervised and trained field staff; developed training manual and materials; assisted in the design of data collection instruments for "Evaluation of Expedited Service in the Food Stamp Program" (Client: U.S. Department of Agriculture). In team of two, proposal budgets.

Coop Housing Trainer. Designed and conducted training sessions on tenant ownership for community-based organizations; assisted tenants to organize cooperatives.Program Associate, Amoco Fund for Neighborhood Economies. Administered $1.5 million program-related investment initiative for the Amoco Foundation, in team of three, in Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Houston, and Northwest Indiana.

Williamsburg/Greenpoint, Brooklyn, Ny

Supervised staff of tenant organizers and crime-patrol organizer; headed neighborhood anti-arson project; organized and trained tenants in landlord-neglected buildings.

Ma, Urban And Environmental Policy

Activities and Societies: Participated in the Symposia Project, now Education for Public Inquiry and International Citizenship (EPIIC).

Ba, History

Graduated with Honors

Education record