Official Biography of Commissioner Robert Steele
2nd District, Cook County, Chicago, Illinois
Robert Steele is Commissioner for the 2nd District of Cook County (Chicago), IL. He has more than 30 years of experience as a public servant of Chicago and Cook County. Steele is a results driven County Board Commissioner who is focusing on making meaningful and measurable contributions to the residents of his district and for all of Cook County.
At the Board, Commissioner Steele serves on several vital committees including construction, contract compliance, environmental control, real estate and economic development finance, health and hospitals, human relations, rules and administration and information technology.
Nationally, Commissioner Steele is a member of the National Association of County Officials (NACo) and serves as a member of the Deferred Compensation Committee which is a program that allows county employees a valuable savings option that will supplement their retirement income. Additionally, he is a member of National Association of Black County Officials (NABCO) where he is President-Elect and scheduled to take office in July of 2009. NABCO was formed in 1975 to provide an organizational structure for black county officials to review, share and develop responses to local and national issues.
Commissioner Steele’s dedication to his community goes beyond the board room. He is a passionate and outstanding community leader with a history of designing and implementing programs within Chicago communities which benefit local residents and businesses. A true community leader, one of his strategies for improving his county is through service. His focus has been on community development, health care, education and leadership.
Community Development:
Since 1998 Commissioner Steele has served as President of the Board for the Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago, Inc. (NHS) in the Lawndale Community. NHS is a non-for-profit organization dedicated to real estate development, homeownership education and neighborhood lending. NHS’s mission is to create opportunities for people to live in affordable homes, improve their lives, and strengthen their neighborhoods. NHS’s focus of keeping people in their homes through education and foreclosure prevention has been especially useful for local residents. Additionally, Commissioner Steele serves as a member of the Corporate Board of NHS which serves various neighborhoods in Chicago.
Health Care:
Since 2000 he has served as President of the Lawndale Christian Health Center (LCHC). LCHC is a community-based nonprofit organization, dedicated to improving the health of Chicago's Lawndale and Garfield communities. LCHC provides quality primary care services regardless of the patient's financial situation. With a staff of 300 people LCHC provides approximately 192,000 patient care visits annual. Over 50% of LCHC patients are uninsured.
Education:
In 2006 Commissioner Steele joined forces with Mosaica Education to open Frazier Preparatory Academy in the Lawndale Community. Frazier Prep is a Chicago Public School Charter School with an innovative curriculum designed to help students achieve their academic goals while in school, and their life goals after graduation. Mosaica Education is one of the nations largest private operators of public schools. Mosaica’s rigorous curriculum and innovative operational methodologies has translated to superior student achievement based on sound fiscal practices.
Frazier Prep is proud to be the home of the DC 24. The DC 24 are a group of 24 4th, 5th and 6th graders that were chosen to attend the Presidential Inauguration in Washington D. C. on January 20, 2009. These students excelled in academics, citizenship and submitted extraordinary essays to be chosen to be a part of history. Share My Inauguration
Leadership:
Commissioner Steele is Secretary of the Westside Black Caucus (WBC). The WBC is a coalition of federal, state, county and city officials dedicated to the betterment of the Westside of Chicago.
Commissioner Steele also serves as a Board Member with Healthy Families America and volunteers with the Chicago Public Schools for Principal for a Day and Proud to Read Aloud.
Steele graduated with a B.S. in Business Administration and Computer Science from Morgan State University in Baltimore, MD. He holds certifications from Neighbor Works America, Washington D.C. and San Francisco, CA; he is also a graduate and Fellow of Leadership Greater Chicago.
He enjoys spending time with his family, golf and travel.
