Chicago City Treasurer is on a mission to change people’s lives

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BY TIA CAROL JONES

Conyears-Ervin wanted to be part of the solution and decided to run for Illinois State Representative. She passed key legislation, which included bringing additional funding to CPS, as well as fighting to restore the childcare assistance that was cut and affected almost 15,000 families.

“I was so honored to work on that behalf and champion families, champion for childcare providers. We were able to, through the legislation that I proposed and passed, to restore those families to re-qualify for childcare assistance. It meant a lot for me as a young mother, working mother,” she said.

Running for City Treasurer was a no brainer for Conyears-Ervin who wanted to use her education in finance, as well as her love for people and her desire for the betterment of the community. In February, Conyears-Ervin won re-election and there were no challengers. She was elected by the people, so she reports to the people. She was surprised she was unopposed, but she works hard every day, even with a pandemic going on, which happened months into her first term.

Conyears-Ervin has been bringing the City Treasurer’s Office to the people and financially empowering the residents of Chicago. The job hasn’t been easy, but it is necessary and has been fulfilling for her. Throughout the pandemic, it was important to Conyears-Ervin that small business owners stayed afloat. There was the Chicago Small Business Resiliency Fund, which provided loan assistance to business owners. Now, there is a partnership with the City Treasurer’s Office and Goldman Sachs. The Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program provides free resources to small business owners and entrepreneurs. The application process is open until Tuesday, June 6th.

“We want to help them to do two things: we want to help them generate revenue and if they’re already generating revenue, we want them to increase revenue. We also want to help them increase jobs,” she said, adding that small business owners are more inclined to invest in the community.

Conyears-Ervin wants to bring the relationships she has to the community, through programs and initiatives. She advocates for homeownership as a way towards generational wealth. The Hope Inside Program helps Chicagoans increase their credit score so they can qualify for mortgages.

In 2020, Conyears-Ervin launched Money Mondays with Melissa, to help residents and small business owners with financial information. She wanted to have an aggregate of resources for residents and small business owners. Three years later, the virtual webinar continues to provide much needed information and resources.

Conyears-Ervin described her first term as life-changing and fulfilling. It has been fulfilling for her to help residents throughout the city. “I’m always thinking about what groups we can help, who is in need and how can we help them,” she said.

For more information about the City Treasurer’s Office and programs, visit chicagocitytreasurer. com or follow the City Treasurer’s Office on Social Media.

Hyde Park Hospitality Joins Phillips Concessions to Bring New Chick-fil-A to O’Hare International Airport

CHICAGO—Locally-owned Hyde Park Hospitality, in partnership with Phillips Concessions, a 100% Airport Certified Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (ACDBE), announced that they will bring a Chick-fil-A restaurant to O’Hare International Airport, the first location for the famed chicken chain in the Chicago airport, of which the 100% minority-owned group will own and operate.

Expected to open later in 2023 in the airport’s revamped Terminal 5, the restaurant will be 100% minority-owned and operated while also creating 75 new jobs. The new Chick-fil-A is part of the largest set of concessions agreements at O’Hare in more than 30 years.

“It is an honor for Hyde Park Hospitality to lead the development of such an iconic brand at O’Hare Airport. We look forward to a fruitful partnership for years to come,” said Cortez Carter, Executive Vice President of Hyde Park Hospitality. “Chick-fil-A is a wellknown brand that will resonate with travelers coming through O’Hare; and, we will also be creating new jobs in the process, a real winwin for all parties. We’re thrilled to continue growing our portfolio of well-known and respected brands, while also opening the door to new opportunities for others.”

The restaurant opening is part of the $1.3 billion revamp of Terminal 5 that added 350,000 square feet and 10 gates and modernized the existing space. Delta Air Lines moved from Terminal 2 into Terminal 5 in October 2022, and Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot announced last week that Terminal 5’s new eastern extension is now open.

Brooks and Hyde Park Hospitality have already owned and operated more than 50 restaurant and retail concepts, including New Belgium Brewing and World Bean, and this is the first Chick-fil-A in the company’s portfolio. Already operating in 16 different states, the company is continuing to grow its national presence with strategic partnerships both in and outside of airports.

Hyde Park Hospitality (HPH) is a hospitality company with an emphasis on Airport Concessions, Lounge Operations, Restaurant Brand Partnerships, Managerial Staffing & Contracted Food & Facilities Management. They operate in 16 cities and have more than 600 employees. In 2022 the company was recognized by Crain’s Chicago Business as one of the fifty fastest growing companies in Chicago.

Learn more about Hyde Park Hospitality at hph-us.com.