CHICAGO FOR CHICAGOANS
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OUR VOLUNTEER STAFF


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​PATTI SWANSON
Founder & Executive Director
​

Patti Swanson is an
 artist, historian, educator, event planner, and brickophile. Raised near Austin, Texas, Patti came to Chicago to pursue a degree in art history at School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She stayed to explore her Midwestern roots, to research the city's rich history, to eat all the food, befriend all the people, and shovel a shitload of snow. She has been giving tours in Chicago since 2012, and strives to make community history inclusive & accessible to everyone. In her care are two cats, several chickens, and a sourdough starter named Susan Yeast Anthony.

ANTHONY ALFARO
Assistant Events Manager
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Anthony Alfaro was born and raised in Chicago's West Ridge neighborhood. After years of attending our events and leading North side neighborhood tours, Anthony joined our tiny-but-mighty volunteer administrative staff in 2022! When he's not exploring Midwestern backroads looking for thrifted treasures, professing his love for Woodstock, or sifting through Sanborn maps, you can probably find him at a local bar downing vintage cocktails and waxing poetic about Marshall Fields.
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OLIVIA SOBIERAJ
Marketing Manager
​

Olivia Sobieraj grew up hearing stories of various Chicago buildings and projects from her architect mom, Jacki. After graduating from Indiana University in 2016 with a degree in Marketing and French, Olivia began studying Chicago history in her spare time and eagerly regaling her family and friends with tales of the city. When not at her day job, where she focuses on Brand and Marketing for a Big 4 firm, Olivia enjoys learning about architectural preservation and equitable access to resources. Olivia has worked with Chicago for Chicagoans since 2018 in various positions, from unofficial French/English translator, to volunteer lecture coordinator, and now as a certified tour guide. In her humble opinion, there is nothing more joyful than to share a good story about her home with friends!

OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS


ERICA RUGGIERO
Board President
​
McKinley Park, Edgewater, industrial history, & transportation
JULIANA GLASSCO
Board Member
Logan Square, historic religious spaces, and preservation
LEYLA ROYALE
Board Member
Andersonville, Uptown, theatres, music, population growth, and historic deaths
AMY SIMONEAU
Board Member
Hyde Park, Armour Square, Ravenswood, scholar of the best playgrounds in town

(MOST OF) OUR COLLABORATORS


BEN ARCHER
Ravenswood, financial history, criminal history
AVA BATTOCCHIO
Trains, busses, advertising, and vintage attire
WENDY BRIGHT 
Rogers Park, commerce, and our Milwaukee connection
LANCE BAKER
Acting history, shenanigans, strikes, and controversies
MANDY CRYPT
Women's history, queer history, & Victoriana
PAUL DAILING
Political history, corruption, and vintage journalism
LIZ GARIBAY
Old Town, Chicago, and all things booze & brews
ELSA HAARSTAD
Public housing history & vernacular architecture
MS. BEA
Pullman, black history, and civic pride in Chicago
MARGARET HICKS
Printer's Row, the Pedway, and badass winter tours
WALTER KIEFER
Lakeview, trains, planes, ships, & industrial history
DEBBIE LIU
Chinatown, South Loop, and urban planning
BARRY LOVE
Roscoe Village, Edgewater, newspaper archive and genealogy fiend
TIM MORAN
Beverly/Morgan Park area, local news buff, South Side Irish history
EMMA NIPPE
Northsider, residential architecture lover, and safe streets advocate
EMILY O'KEEFE DAVENPORT
Hegewisch resident, literature history 
aficionado
SAM PRESTIGIACOMO
Edgewater, queer & Jewish history, ghosts and pirates
WILL QUAM
More about Chicago Brick and building materials than you thought possible
GIOVINA ROMANDINE
Portage Park enthusiast & local event planner
MARIA AVILA RISOLUTE
​West Town, Albany Park, music venues, and more
ARMEL SAGBOHAN
Architecture, design, community planning, and Pullman
BILL SAVAGE
Rogers Park, the World's Fair, neighborhood taverns, Nelson Algren, and more
ADAM SELZER
All things cemeteries, serial killers, gangsters, true crime, and ghosts
BLANCA TORRES
Pilsen, education, and community activism
VITALIY VLADMIROV
Uptown, Edgewater, urban planning, and queer history

OUR EXTREMELY HELPFUL FRIENDS


STEPHANIE SIMS
Speakeasy hostess and super volunteer
LOREN ROSEWSKI
Principal Photographer
HAYWARD SUGGS
Principal Videographer
LAURA SCHUETZ
Co-creator, Cultural Geography program
ELIZABETH NIETO
AUDREY MARQUEZ

Albany Park historians & Spanish translators
KORENA DILL
Our #1 biggest fan
SHEIKA ​LUGTU
Merch Queen
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  • Home
  • About
    • Our Mission
    • Who Are We?
    • Partners
    • Press
  • Events
    • Public Events: Tours, Lectures, Hunts & More
    • Private & Group Events
    • FAQ
    • Tour Guide 101
    • Lecture Recordings
    • Certified History Lover Program
  • Store
  • Donate & Volunteer
  • Contact
  • Resources