AUSTIN FORWARD. TOGETHER. 2025 QUARTER 3
September 10, 2025
THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY PUBLISHED ITS FIRST QUALITY-OF-LIFE PLAN CALLED AUSTIN FORWARD. TOGETHER. (AFT) IN 2018.
THIS QUARTERLY PUBLICATION DESCRIBES HOW AUSTIN COMING TOGETHER (ACT) IS SUPPORTING THE COMMUNITY TO IMPLEMENT AFT AND OTHER EFFORTS.
Our unity is driving progress
THIS ISSUE INCLUDES A SPECIAL FEATURE ON THE ASPIRE CENTER FOR WORKFORCE INNOVATION STARTING ON PAGE 7
THE NEXT PHASE OF THE PLAN CONTINUES TO MOVE FORWARD PAGE 3 THE GOOD NEWS: A SELECTION OF QUOTES FROM THE DOCUMENTARY PAGE 4
FEATURING ASPIRE CENTER FOR WORKFORCE INNOVATION PAGE 7 GRAND OPENING PAGE 8 | STAY IN THE KNOW WITH ACWI PAGE 10
Special thanks to these Austin Forward. Together. quality-of-life plan legacy investors:
Since 2010, Austin Coming Together (ACT) has facilitated collaboration to improve education and economic development outcomes in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood.
Today, we serve a network of 50+ organizations committed to improving the quality of life in the Austin community. Our strategic plan is called Thrive 2025 and outlines how we will mobilize our resources to achieve four impact goals by the year 2025: Quality Early Learning, Safe Neighborhoods, Living Wage Careers, and Stable Housing Markets.
Officers
CHAIR
Larry Williams
Broker, State Farm Insurance
VICE CHAIRMAN
Bradly Johnson
Interim Chief Executive Officer, BUILD Inc.
SECRETARY
Jerrod Williams
Law Clerk, Illinois Appellate Court
Leadership
Darnell Shields
Executive Director
Research & Evaluation
Andrew Born*
Senior Director of Community Impact
Mia Almond
Research Associate
Operations
TREASURER
LaDarius Curtis
Senior Director of Community Engagement & Health, West Side United
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Darnell Shields
Austin Coming Together
Directors
Sharon Morgan
Director of Graduate Support & Community Outreach, Catalyst Schools
Reverend Reginald E. Bachus Pastor, Friendship Baptist Church
Deirdre Bates*
Director of Operations
Dearra Williams*
Executive Operations Lead/ Assistant to the CEO
Londen Mance
Office Administrator
Alfred Jackson Community Liaison/ Receptionist
Sandra Diaz*
Service Delivery Enhancement Manager, Austin Community Hub
Emone Moore
Engagement Coordinator, Austin Community Hub
Dollie Sherman
Engagement Specialist, Austin Community Hub
A House in Austin
Academy of Scholastic Achievement
Austin Childcare Providers Network
Austin Community Family Center
Austin Weekly News (Growing Community Media)
Be Strong Families
Beat the Streets Chicago
Bethel New Life Beyond Hunger BUILD Inc.
By The Hand Club For Kids
Cara Catholic Charities
Chicago Austin Youth Travel Adventures
Chicago Community Loan Fund
City of Refuge
Defy Ventures Illinois
Erikson Institute
Friends of the Children
Friendship Community Development Corp. of Austin
Greater West Town Community Development Project Housing Forward
i.c. stars IFF
Tenisha Jones
Executive Management Professional
Reginald Little
Business Development Specialist, Great Lakes Credit Union
Dawn Ferencak
Account Executive
Louisville Business First
Deborah Williams-Thurmond
Founder & CEO, D.W. Provision Consulting Services
Clara Bonnlander
Social Services Coordinator, Austin Community Hub
Ethan Ramsay* Planning and Investment Manager
Grace Cooper Lead Organizer
Nyla Larry Project Coordinator
Natalie Goodin*
Special Projects Manager
Institute for Nonviolence Chicago
Jane Addams Resource Corporation
Kids First Chicago
KRA Westside American Job Center
Learning Edge Tutoring (fka Cluster Tutoring)
Legal Aid Chicago (fka LAF)
Manufacturing Renaissance
Ruth Kimble
Founder & CEO, Austin Childcare Providers Network
Max Komnenich
Associate Principal, Lamar Johnson Collaborative
In Memoriam
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Jack Macnamara 1937–2020
FOUNDING BOARD CHAIR
Mildred Wiley 1955–2019
Arewa Ekua Community Organizer
La’Shawna Bundy Community Land Trust Coordinator
Mary White Community Resource Coordinator
Krystal Cano Community Resource Coordinator
Mary Shyrese Daycare
Maryville Academy
Mercy Housing Lakefront
New Moms
OAI, Inc.
Oak Park Regional Housing Center
Open Books
PCC Community Wellness Center
Project Exploration
Renaissance Social Services, Inc.
Sarah’s Inn
South Austin Neighborhood Association
St. Joseph Services
Marketing & Development
Robbie Gorman*
Director of Development
Jon Widell
Marketing and Development Specialist
Sydni Hatley
Marketing and Development Specialist
*Also part of the ACT Leadership Team
District, Inc.
Towers of Excellence
UIC Jane Addams College of Social Work
VOCEL
Westside Health Authority
St. Leonard’s Ministries
Stone Community
Development Corporation
West Side Forward Worldvision
Youth Guidance
The Catalyst Schools
The Journey Forward
The North Avenue
WBy Darnell Shields Executive Director, Austin Coming Together
ith the public release of the Highlighted Agenda, our new approach to more effectively implementing the Austin Forward. Together. quality-of-life-plan, one year ago, we wanted to reflect on the progress and strides that have already been made from this intentional effort.
The implementation of the Highlighted Agenda has allowed for a clearer vision and for things to run more smoothly, and collectively. We have seen more engagement from the leaders and members, less turnover, and millions invested in AFT priorities. As a result, we’ve conducted action planning for nearly half of the Highlighted Agenda Initiatives, established our direction for the next three years, and built strong momentum with clear progress and strategy around the Highlighted Agenda.
Particularly around these initiative items:
We have continued to create an infrastructure that will be able to withstand the instability of the current climate, and justifiably attract the funding that is needed to accomplish the goals we have set out. Through coordinating Action Planning, we are formalizing processes and partnerships. The state of the world is precarious, but we are confident in where we are going in the next three years, and what that means for the Austin community.
On Thursday, August 21st 2025 the Austin Forward. Together. community summit was held, and at this year’s event we premiered The Good News, a documentary about the progress and challenges we have faced advancing the quality-of-life plan. This night and documentary would not have been possible without the Austin community and the AFT leaders and members. Read a selection of quotes directly from those Austin residents and AFT plan leaders and members who played an integral part.
I live in Austin. I was born and raised in Austin. So this work is personal. I don’t do this for the job. I do this for the people. I do this for the community because I believe in the community.
ATHENA WILLIAMS
There is communal trauma associated with the level of divestment we’ve experienced in Austin historically. And so when you bring people to the table to create something together, to talk about things that they care about, and to share their lived experience — there’s healing that’s inherent in that journey.
RASHEEDA GRAHAM
I love Austin. It’s not the work that I do. It is truly who I am. I’m a product of this community and everything that goes along with it. There is a sense of connectedness here. There’s a very strong sense of community here. People brought their faith and their gifts and their talents, and the part, to me, that is still holding us together is all of those things.
AREWA EKUA
A large part of our work is around organizing the community to be in the community… I think public safety is really about all the generations being outside, all the generations interacting.
There’s so much noise out there with stories of who we are as West Siders or Black Chicagoans, and it’s important for us to be able to tell our own stories… to tell the true story, the raw story, and the whole story. KENN COOK JR.
You can’t just tell a young person ‘stay off the street’ if you’re not giving them somewhere to stand. We get a kid that walks in here, he’s 16, angry, don’t know who he is — and we say, ‘We see you. We got you. My goal is to catch ’em before they get lost. To let ’em know somebody already loves them before the world convinces them they’re not worth it.
Austin Forward. Together. and this documentary would not be possible without immense buy-in from the community and its residents, and we are thankful for this opportunity to help showcase what Austin is really about.
You can watch the trailer: bit.ly/AFTDocTrailer
A spotlight of one of the AFT
By Jonathan Widell Marketing & Development Specialist, Austin Coming Together
In Austin, the narrative is often shaped by people who do not live in the community, or who have historically not had the best interest of the residents at heart. With the Authentic Storytelling initiative outlined in the Highlighted Agenda, we have set out to take control of the narrative around Austin by telling the stories about Austin, using modes of communication that will reach a larger audience, and implementing strategies to align narratives more closely with the lived experience of the community. This initiative is important to shaping the public perception of Austin, so people see this community for what it truly is.
Next steps: STORYTELLING COLLABORATIVE
Creating a collaborative of storytellers that conducts research on Austin’s arts/cultural/ storytelling assets, attracting investment to these assets, and collaborating on events and programs.
Projects from this will include: establishing a shared calendar for community events, a database of funders, asset mapping, and a needs assessment.
Mission Statement—The Westside Cultural Archive Project is a community-driven digital archive built by and for the Westside of Chicago. Our goal is to preserve the stories, histories, and cultural contributions of Westside residents while making them accessible to future generations. Through this work, we aim to educate, build local pride, and ensure that our legacy is not forgotten. This has led to us hosting the first History Harvest event on October 11th at the Legler Regional Library. This community event is a chance to share, preserve, share, and celebrate the rich history of Chicago’s Westside.
Establishing a Westside “News & Narrative Space” in the Aspire Center for Workforce Innovation to enhance the news and information ecosystem in Austin through cultivating and sharing stories by Westsiders, for Westsiders. In the Newsroom, we plan to host a variety of programming, including an event series called Story Bank Sessions which will take story pitches and teach the public about storytelling and journalism.
Create and sell merchandise designed and influenced by Austin artists and storytellers to uplift stories and showcase community pride.
This project will be led by the Kehrein Center for the Arts Foundation and the development of their new “high fashion swag line”, which aims to achieve the following goals:
• Elevate the voices and visions of local artists
• Activate an arts-based economic engine grounded in community values
• Create tangible products that reflect cultural pride and purpose
• Fuel sustainability for artists through long-term financial return
Make sure you stay tuned for further developments surrounding these working groups. We are just getting started on this work for the community! Westside stories matter! n
This Juneteenth, was the long awaited grand opening of the Aspire Center for Workforce Innovation! To ensure the big day properly showcased what makes the Austin community and its residents special, over 40 community members were gathered to take part in the planning process to create the feel and vision for the event. With guidance from the Anchor Tenant staff, led by ACT’s Dearra Williams, the day promised an authentic Austin feel while honoring the history and significance of Juneteenth as the chosen date for the grand opening.
The programming for the day began honoring the significance of Juneteenth and our ancestors. Led by remarks from Mayor Brandon Johnson, Executive Director of Austin Coming Together, Darnell Shields, CEO of Westside Health Authority, Morris Reed, and Cook County Board President, Toni Preckwinkle. It continued on with an overview of the history of this important day, and a beautiful rendition of ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’. The opening ceremony concluded with a ribbon cutting and then African dancers closed things out in a circle dance in front of the building with a stilt walker as people gathered to enter the Aspire Center for the first time.
As the day continued on, guests were able to tour the new center, enjoy music, food, and plenty of familyfriendly activities. ITW and JARC showcased some of their
mechanical operating tools via demos, BMO provided on site mobile banking, there were storytelling circles - so people could gather and discuss their experience of living in Austin and connect with other residents. In addition, there was a “Leaving your print” activity so youth and adults could paint their print on a canvas and write how they aspire to leave their mark in Austin, a “Dear Austin” letter wall to leave love letters to Austin, and amazing food, giveaways, and contagious unifying energy.
The joy and excitement we saw throughout the grand opening were a testament to the great progress that we have made at ACT. With almost 900 attendees throughout the day, and nearly 20 elected officials, the community came together to witness a monumental, milestone moment in Austin’s history.. n
The Aspire Center for Workforce Innovation (ACWI) is open and we want to see you!
Come visit our tenants, JARC, WHA, ACT, Freedom Defense Center of Austin, Legal Aid Chicago, and BMO, ahead of their grand opening celebration in October later, and see the beautiful mural designed by Chicago artist Shawn Michael Warren. This new public art piece honors the innovators, leaders, and changemakers from Austin and across the Westside who inspire our community every day. Come view this mural now.
We are excited to also announce that we will be taking part in Open House Chicago 2025! We are very excited for this opportunity to showcase the Aspire Center and have more people from the community and across the city learn about the Aspire Center and what it means for Austin.
TO STAY UP TO DATE ON ALL THINGS ASPIRE, SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER TODAY!
With the release of the AFT Highlighted Agenda, ACT is going “on the road!” Our team will be on tour and available to co-host discussions about the new phase of Austin’s AFT quality-of-life plan and its vision and strategy, with block clubs, churches, community organizations, coalitions, etc. Other ways we’ll ensure to update the community on the progress of implementing the Highlighted Agenda are through newspaper sections like this, emails, and social media.
Community
Narrative
TASK FORCE CHAIRS
Kenneth Varner
Healthy Schools Campaign
Dearra Williams
Austin Coming Together
Reesheda Graham
Washington
The Kehrein Center for the Arts
STRATEGY LEADS
Suzanne McBride
Austin Talks
Cindy Gray Schneider
Spaces-n-Places
Maria Sorrell
Community Resident
Megan Hinchy
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
Andraya Yousfi By the Hand Club for Kids
Jai Jones PSPC, The Chicago Community Trust and Community Resident
Adrienne Otkins
Community Resident
Michael Romaine The Culture
Keli Stewart Front Porch Arts Center
Kenn Cook Westside Historical Collective
TASK FORCE CHAIR
Roxanne Charles West Side Forward
STRATEGY LEADS
Emily Peters
Jane Addams Resource Corporation
Tina Augustus
Community Resident
Melissa O’Dell Defy Ventures
Fanya Buford-Berry
Community Resident
Baxter Swilley
Community Stakeholder
Ed Coleman
Austin Chamber of Commerce
TASK FORCE CHAIR
Charles Anderson
Michele Clark High School
STRATEGY LEADS
Pam Price Director of Parent University at CPS
Ruth Kimble
Austin Childcare Providers Network
Cata Truss
Community Resident
Housing
TASK FORCE CHAIRS
Athena Williams Oak Park Regional Housing Center
Allison McGowan Community Resident
STRATEGY LEADS
Shirley Fields Community Resident
Rosie Dawson Westside Health Authority
Public Safety
TASK FORCE CHAIRS
Bradly Johnson BUILD Inc.
Marilyn Pitchford Heartland Alliance
STRATEGY LEADS
Edwina Hamilton BUILD Inc.
Jose Abonce The Policing Project
Ruby Taylor Taproots, Inc.
Youth Empowerment
TASK FORCE CHAIR
D’elegance Lane
Community Stakeholder
STRATEGY LEADS
Aisha Oliver Root2Fruit
Helen Slade
Territory NFP
Dollie Sherman
Austin Coming Together
Chris Thomas YourPassion1st
Civic Engagement
TASK FORCE CHAIR
Deborah Williams-Thurmond
D.W. Provision
Consulting Services
