Michael Merchant

Michael Merchant

Michael R. Merchant was nominated by Mayor Rahm Emanuel as Chief Executive Officer of the Chicago Housing Authority on October 16, 2013 and approved by the CHA Board of Commissioners on October 29, 2013. In 2011, Merchant had been appointed by Mayor Rahm Emanuel to serve as the Commissioner of the City’sDepartment of Buildings. As the Buildings Commissioner, Merchant was instrumental in supporting the safety of Chicago’s residents and visitors by enforcing the City’s Building Code, and streamlining the permitting and inspection processes. Previously, Merchant served under Mayor Richard M. Daley as Deputy Director in the Mayor's Office of Intergovernmental Affairs. He was responsible for advancing the Mayor’s City Council legislative agenda, as well as assisting the city council in resolving legislative, policy and city service issues. This was his second stint in the Mayor's Office of Intergovernmental Affairs. In between, he worked as a Director of Intergovernmental Affairs in the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, where he lobbied on behalf of CPS concerning various matters related to local, state and federal issues. Merchant has a long history in public service and legal affairs. He worked as an Assistant Public Defender in the offices of the Cook County Public Defender as well as a contract attorney for the legal services firm Special Counsel. He also worked at the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development and spent several years with the Peace Corps. His career started as a teacher in the Chicago Public Schools where he taught mathematics. Merchant was admitted to the Illinois Bar in November 2003 and holds a Juris Doctor from DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois and a Bachelor's of Science from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia.