Former Mayor Lori Lightfoot to teach at University of Michigan this fall

Former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot will be teaching at her alma mater this fall. Lightfoot, who graduated from the University of Michigan in 1984, will be joining the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy as a visiting professor. She will co-teach a strategic public policy consulting class that will pair graduate students with nonprofit organizations in Chicago and Michigan. “I have started a not-for-profit whose goal is to support community based organizations to build the internal infrastructure they need to remain viable for their communities,” Lightfoot told the Ford School of Public Policy. “These organizations are in many instances critical assets in these neighborhoods and are essential for neighborhood vibrancy. To make this vision a reality, however, we need a large cadre of consultants who share this view about the importance of community-based organizations, and are willing to work at tables set by the community to share their time and talents in furtherance of building capacity and solving problems.”Lightfoot served as Chicago’s mayor from 2019 to 2023.