Pat Dowell was elected to the 3rd Ward in 2007. She beat Dorothy Tillman, the first female alderman in the district.
Pat Dowell's career has focused primarily on civic and community engagement and planning. Over the course of her political career, she has worked as a city and neighborhood planner under three City of Chicago mayors: Harold Washington, Eugene Sawyer and Richard Daley.
Background: Dowell was elected during a runoff election against incumbent Dorothy Tillman. She received her B.A. in development psychology from the University of Rochester and has a master’s degree in Social Service Administration from the University of Chicago. She served as executive director for many development commissions, including the Chicago Public Allies, a national youth development organization. She was also a former college basketball player for the University of Rochester.
The Ward: Bronzeville makes up a majority of the 3rd Ward. Bronzeville has a vast African American culture and is considered by some to be the "Black Metropolis." The area was populated during the Great Migration, when African Americans moved from the American south to new areas in the north. Bronzeville was home to celebrities Louis Armstrong, Lorranie Hansberry, Ida B. Wells and the Marx Brothers, to name a few.
The Office: Dowell uses her experience as a city planner to focus on issues of affordable housing and cleanup operations. She organized various committees within the ward to connect citizens with city council policies. She was one of five aldermen who insisted former Chicago police commander Jon Burge be prosecuted. Dowell is vice chair of the Housing Committee.
Committees:
Aviation
Budget and Government Operations
Committees, Rules and Ethics
Finance
Health and Environmental Protection
Housing and Real Estate (Vice-Chair)
Transportation and Public Way
Economic Capital Technology Development
