Christopher G. Kennedy
Christopher George Kennedy (born July 4, 1963) is an American businessman who is the chair of Joseph P. Kennedy Enterprises, Inc.[1] A member of the prominent Kennedy family, he is a son of former U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy. From 2000 until 2012, he was also president of Merchandise Mart Properties, a commercial property management firm based in Chicago.[2]
For the music editor, see Christopher Kennedy (music editor).
Chris Kennedy
4
He was a candidate in the Democratic Party primary for Governor of Illinois in the 2018 election.[3] Appointed by Governor Pat Quinn, Kennedy also served as Chair of the Board of Trustees for the University of Illinois from 2009 to 2015.[4]
Personal life[edit]
Kennedy met Sheila Sinclair Berner (born December 4, 1962), an Illinois native and daughter of Sheila Reynolds and attorney Robert Berner, while both were attending Boston College. Sheila's maternal aunt, Anne Reynolds Skakel, had been married to Kennedy's maternal uncle, Rushton Skakel, until her death, making Michael Skakel a first cousin to them both. Through another maternal aunt, Sheila is a first cousin to Jenny Sanford.[17] After graduating from college in 1986, Kennedy moved to Decatur, Illinois, and married Sheila in 1987.[18] The couple has four children, Katherine Berner Kennedy (born 1990), Christopher George Kennedy Jr. (born 1992) m. Erin Daigle, Sarah Louise Kennedy (born 1994) m. Jam Sulahry, and Clare Elizabeth Kennedy (born 1998),[19] whom they raised in the Chicago suburb of Kenilworth. His wife earned a J.D. degree from Northwestern University and practiced at Sidley & Austin in Chicago before taking time off to take care of their children.
Business and economic involvement[edit]
He is on the board of trustees and serves as Chair of the Audit Committee for the mutual funds managed by Ariel Investments,[39] a Chicago-based investment-management firm. He is currently the Lead Independent Director and Chair of the Nominating & Governance Committee for Interface, a commercial flooring company focused on creating spaces with a positive and ecological impact on both people and planet. He is also Chair of the Nominating & Governance Committee and serves on the Executive Committee for the Marine Biological Laboratory, an affiliate of the University of Chicago and leading international center for research and education in biological and environmental science located in Woods Hole, MA.
Chris previously served on the Board of Directors of the leading international design and furniture manufacturing firm Knoll.
Chris is the former Finance Chair of the Executive Committee for the Chicago Community Trust.
From 1997 to 1999, Kennedy served as chairman of the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau, a sales-and-marketing organization promoting Chicago to the tourism and convention industries. Under Kennedy's chairmanship, the bureau retained and expanded Chicago's event-and-convention industry.
Since 2000, Kennedy has been a member of the City Club of Chicago, a group that brings together civic and cultural leaders to discuss and debate issues affecting the Chicago area.
Since 2005, he has been a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, a group that brings together the city's business, educational, and cultural leaders on projects to improve central industries and create new economic opportunities.
Residential development[edit]
As Chairman of Joseph P. Kennedy Enterprises, Inc., Kennedy is responsible for the development of the Kennedy family real estate holdings in Chicago known as Wolf Point, Chicago. The Wolf Point development site represents a billion-dollar commitment to the downtown core, and the site is zoned for construction of a residential apartment building, a self-park garage, and two additional high-rise buildings.
Kennedy also is a partner in Sudbury Station LLC, a development entity proposing a 250-unit luxury rental housing development with a state mandated minimum affordable housing set aside in Sudbury, Massachusetts, designed to meet local housing needs for seniors and the working class community. Proposed on a 39-acre parcel zoned residential near the Historic District of Sudbury, the Village at Sudbury Station would satisfy the Massachusetts affordable housing mandate for Sudbury, would be located close to schools, parks, churches and public safety facilities, and would contribute significant additional tax revenue to the town.[45][46] The project has received criticism from town officials and residents. Residents voted unanimously to hire a special counsel to stop the development, which they allege violates over thirty local zoning ordinances.[47][48]