Lori Healey
In December 2020, Lori Healey joined the Obama Foundation as Senior Vice President and Executive Project Officer for the Obama Presidential Center (“the Center”). She is leading the work to build and operate the 19.3-acre campus within Jackson Park, that includes a Presidential Museum, Auditorium, Restaurant, retail store, Fruit & Vegetable Garden, playground, lush parkland and greenspace, and a new branch of the Chicago Public Library.
She previously served as President of Clayco’s Chicago Business Unit. In that role, she led enterprise activity for development, design, and construction related activities in the greater Chicago area and surrounding region. Prior to joining Clayco, she was the Chief Executive Officer of the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (MPEA), the owner of McCormick Place and the 1,258-room Hyatt Regency McCormick Place. During her tenure, Ms. Healey oversaw the development and construction of the 10,000-seat Wintrust Arena and the 1,205-room Marriott Marquis Chicago.
Ms. Healey served as the Chief Executive Officer of Tur Partners LLC (“Tur”), a firm founded by Chicago’s former Mayor Richard M. Daley. She also served as Principal in the Development Group for the John Buck Company, focused on growing the firm’s private real estate and infrastructure-related transactions.
She coordinated the organizational and planning activities for the 2012 NATO Summit in Chicago, acting as Executive Director of the NATO Host Committee. Additionally, in 2009, Ms. Healey was appointed as President of Chicago 2016, where she was responsible for co-leading Chicago’s bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics and Paralympics Games.
Ms. Healey held several senior leadership positions for the City of Chicago under the administration of Mayor Richard M. Daley, most recently acting as Mayor Daley’s Chief of Staff. She earlier served as Commissioner of the City’s Department of Planning and Development. Her previous experiences also included time as a principal at Perkins + Will, and as Deputy Director for Business Development of the (then) Illinois Department of Commerce & Community Affairs. She began her career as a policy aide to former Governor John Carlin of Kansas in 1983.
Ms. Healey holds a B.A. in Economics and M.S. in Public Administration from Kansas State University. She serves on the Boards of Civic Consulting Alliance, the Chicago Urban League, the City Club of Chicago, the Chicago Sports Commission, the Chicago Fire
Department Foundation and the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation. She is also an advisory board member of the Loyola University Health System and the Civic Federation. Ms. Healey is also a member of the Economics Club of Chicago and the Commercial Club of Chicago.
