Mayor Lori Lightfoot has appointed business leader Mellody Hobson to steer the work of the city’s leading economic development group, but it wasn’t long ago that Hobson sounded like she’d rather put Chicago in her rear-view mirror.
Hobson and her husband, renowned “Star Wars” film director and art collector George Lucas, wanted to place their museum of narrative arts on Chicago’s lakefront. Then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel would have essentially given them the land for their self-funded $750 million project.
But lakefront acreage is still sacred to many Chicagoans, even if the land in question was just a parking lot for Bears games. Some, such as architect Helmut Jahn, criticized the couple for plotting a vanity project, and the group Friends of the Parks tied up the lakefront giveaway in court.
Hobson and Lucas withdrew their civic gift in 2016, eventually taking it to Los Angeles. She issued a statement when the Chicago deal died, saying it was “the largest philanthropic gift to an American city in the 21st century,” but one that was “co-opted and hijacked by a small special interest group.”
She added, “As an African American who has spent my entire life in this city I love, it saddens me that young black and brown children will be denied the chance to benefit from what this museum will offer.”
The Lucas Museum would have been the kind of downtown-centric project that Lightfoot has pledged to scrutinize as she tries to move development efforts to the neighborhoods.
So some may be surprised that Lightfoot on Thursday announced she was naming Hobson vice chair of World Business Chicago, the public-private agency that works for job growth, particularly from corporate relocations.
But the move was a testament to Hobson’s deep connections in corporate boardrooms. She is president of Chicago’s Ariel Investments, board chair of the Ariel Investment Trust and serves as a director of Starbucks and JPMorgan Chase.
If there was any friction remaining over the Lucas Museum, it didn’t show up in public statements about her appointment. Hobson declined to be interviewed, sticking with a statement that endorsed Lightfoot’s priorities. “Chicago is a leading global business hub, and I look forward to partnering with our corporate and civic communities to ensure that the continued growth and prosperity of our downtown district extends to all of Chicago’s neighborhoods.”
Christopher Hill, a former city planning commissioner, said Hobson has the right credentials to be effective at World Business Chicago and that the Lucas Museum may just have been an idea gone wrong.
“As a Chicagoan, I love our lakefront. Some people felt that a museum on a parking lot would have been better than just a parking lot, but you just can’t open that door,” Hill said.
World Business Chicago has traditionally focused on high-impact developments downtown and at O’Hare Airport, so how Hobson accommodates Lightfoot’s vision may be a challenge, Hill said.
The mayor lauded Hobson as a “distinguished executive in the business world and a dedicated servant to her community” who will “bring a wealth of experience to WBC’s work as a major driver of business growth for all of Chicago.”
WBC’s 87-member board consists of Chicago corporate and civic elite. The mayor is the chair, but the vice chair, appointed by the mayor, traditionally runs the board. Andrea Zopp will continue as the organization’s CEO, which gets 20 percent of its funding from City Hall.
Hobson will succeed Michael Sacks, who was vice chair for eight years. Sacks will remain on the WBC board.
“Mellody is a phenomenal choice and will be a great partner for Mayor Lightfoot, for Andy Zopp and for the entire team at WBC,” Sacks said.
He’s the chairman of private equity firm GCM Grosvenor, a longtime fundraiser for Emanuel and a major investor in the Sun-Times.
Hobson’s civic credits include being chairmanship of After School Matters, which sponsors arts programs for high schoolers. She’s also promoted education programs for investors.
Friends of the Parks didn’t return a call seeking a comment.
