Forrest Claypool

Forrest Claypool

Forrest Claypool was appointed CEO of Chicago Public Schools in July 2015. Before joining CPS, Mr. Claypool served briefly as Mayor Rahm Emanuel's chief of staff, and previously served two stints as Chief of Staff to Mayor Richard M. Daley. Prior to joining Mayor Emanuel’s leadership team at City Hall, Mr. Claypool served as President of the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) from 2011-2015, where he closed a $308 million budget gap, negotiated a historic new labor agreement, and launched the most ambitious infrastructure modernization campaign in CTA history, all while improving bus and rail service throughout Chicago. Mr. Claypool served as Superintendent of the Chicago Park District in the 1990s, eliminating serious budget deficits while rehabbing long neglected facilities and making unprecedented investments in neighborhood parks. He was twice elected to the Cook County Board of Commissioners, where he helped expand public-private partnerships for health care for low-income citizens and passed anti-corruption legislation. Mr. Claypool is a graduate of Southern Illinois University and the University of Illinois College of Law, where he was editor-in-chief of the law review.