(Chicago, IL 1/13/2022) Today, the Chicago chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, (CAIR-Chicago) announced that its Government Affairs Coordinator, Gerald Hankerson, will be joining the the University of Chicago Center for Effective Government 2022 class of Civic Leadership Academy (CLA) fellows.

“CAIR-Chicago is extremely proud of Gerald as he embarks on the CLA fellowship,” Deputy Director Sufyan Sohel said. “Gerald is an invaluable leader for our organization and community and we are excited for him to engage with CLA faculty and his cohort, continuing to strengthen our organization, and working to collaborative solutions and meaningful change around our city and communities!”

About the Civic Leadership Academy

Launched in 2014 by the University of Chicago Office for Civic Engagement and Harris School of Public Policy, the Civic Leadership Academy (CLA) is an annual interdisciplinary leadership development program for emerging and high-potential leaders in non-profit organizations and local government agencies across Chicago and Cook County. CLA fellows engage in six months of programming and instruction with renowned faculty from across the University’s professional schools, including the Booth School of Business, the Graham School of Continuing and Professional Studies, UChicago Law School, and the Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice. CLA is designed to challenge fellows to analyze organizational best practices, community impact, and institutional reform in the city of Chicago and beyond while developing a diverse pipeline of talented leaders to help Chicago nonprofits and government agencies—institutions and organizations critical to the city’s civic infrastructure—thrive. Since 2019, CLA has been administered by the Center for Effective Government.

About the Center for Effective Government

The University of Chicago Center for Effective Government (CEG) is a nonpartisan academic initiative that aims to strengthen democratic institutions and improve the capacity of government to solve public problems. Founded in 2019 at the Harris School of Public Policy, CEG works to solve the problems of government ineffectiveness with a multi-faceted theory of action. The Center builds bridges between its stakeholders—scholars, students, practitioners, leaders, journalists, and advocates—and organizes its work and activities around the key areas of ideas, education, and engagement.

Watch the video below for more information regarding Gerald’s fellowship!