CHICAGO FOR CHICAGOANS
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OUR STAFF


Picture

​PATTI SWANSON
Founder & Executive Director
​

Patti Swanson is an architectural historian, educator, preservation enthusiast, and bookmaker living in Chicago. Raised near Austin, Texas, Patti came to Chicago in 2011 to pursue a degree in art history at School of the Art Institute of Chicago and stayed for the city's rich history, friendly people, and balmy winters. She worked as a tour guide for four years in various capacities before starting Chicago for Chicagoans in 2016. Patti strongly believes in making history inclusive & accessible to everyone, and is best described as "Shazam for buildings."

BOARD OF DIRECTORS


ERICA RUGGIERO
Board President
​
McKinley Park, Edgewater, industrial history, transportation expert, and well-versed in historic pollution
KORENA DILL
Board Member
Roscoe Village, bike and running paths, and boundless enthusiasm
LEYLA ROYALE
Board Member
Andersonville, Uptown, theatres, music, population growth, and historic deaths
MARIA AVILA RISOLUTE
Board Member (on hiatus)
​
West Town, Albany Park, and
​speakeasy operations
JULIANA GLASSCO
Board Member
Logan Square, historic religious spaces, and preservation
SHEIKA LUGTU
Board Member
​Comics history, women in the arts, printing, and printmaking

(MOST OF) OUR COLLABORATORS


ANTHONY ALFARO
West Ridge, Rogers Park, cartography, deltiology
BEN ARCHER
Ravenswood, financial history, criminals, and more
AVA BATTOCCHIO
Trains, busses, advertising, and vintage attire
WENDY BRIGHT 
Rogers Park, commerce, and our Milwaukee connection
PAUL DAILING
Political history, corruption, and vintage journalism
LIZ GARIBAY
Old Town, Chicago, and all things booze & brews
MANDY GOLEC
Women's history, queer history, & much, much more
LIZ GOMEZ
Pilsen, Chicago artists, and civic pride in Chicago
BEATRICE HARDY
Pullman, black history, and civic pride in Chicago
MARGARET HICKS
Printer's Row, the Pedway, and badass winter tours
WALTER KIEFER
Lakeview, insurance maps, and historical sleuthing
DEBBIE LIU
Chinatown, South Loop, and urban planning
BARRY LOVE
Roscoe Village, genealogy, and the Pencil Factory 
TIM MORAN
Beverly, Morgan Park, Mt. Greenwood, the South Side Irish, and hyper-local journalism
ELIZABETH NIETO & AUDREY MARQUEZ
Albany Park community activists & Spanish speakers
SAM PRESTIGIACOMO
Edgewater, Rogers Park, queer history, ghost stories, and Jewish history
WILL QUAM
More about Chicago Brick and building materials than you thought possible
BILL SAVAGE
Rogers Park, the World's Fair, neighborhood taverns, Nelson Algren, and more
LAURA SCHUETZ
​
Pilsen, Cultural Geography, historic religious spaces, and preservation
ADAM SELZER
All things cemeteries, serial killers, gangsters, true crime, and ghosts
AMY SIMONEAU
Prairie Avenue, Armour Square, and Hyde Park
BLANCA TORRES
Pilsen, education, and community activism
VITALIY VLADMIROV
Uptown, Edgewater, urban planning, and queer history

OUR EXTREMELY HELPFUL FRIENDS


LOREN ROSEWSKI
Principal Photographer
STEPHANIE SIMS
​
Volunteer Extraordinaire
OLIVIA SOBIERAJ
Volunteer Extraordinaire
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  • Home
  • About
    • Our Mission
    • Who Are We?
    • Partners
    • Press
  • Events
    • Public Events
    • FAQ
    • Private & Group Tours
    • Certified History Lover Program
  • Store
  • Donate & Volunteer
  • Contact
  • Resources