Adam Burck arrives ready to take on new duties as Executive Director of the Wicker Park & Bucktown Chamber of Commerce

Passionate about living sustainably in the city, the new Executive Director of the Wicker Park & Bucktown Chamber of Commerce, Adam Burck began his first day in his new position by biking to work. While he sees similarities in Wicker Park and Bucktown with Edgewater, where he as served as the Executive Director of the Edgewater Development Corporation for the last seven years, he also sees differences and opportunities.

"I like to bring groups together around an issue and find ways to move forward on those issues. That can be difficult, messy but that is the way you bring a lot of people together and build and grow an area with everyone getting something out of it," Burck explains. He looks forward to meeting existing Chamber members as well as meeting those who are not members. "I look forward to build on the strengths of the organization and increase communication and visioning in the community."

Burck's background includes three and a half years in Africa working for the Peace corps where he learned early in his career how to do a lot with very little, good experience for working with not-for-profits. In addition, he brings, to this new position, a breadth of experience that includes work as an independent consultant and work with the Albany Park Community Center as well as serving as a Board of the Andersonville Development Corporation which shepherds a Special Service Area.

Kimberly Bares, who has been acting Exec. Dir. during the last four months, reported that  while the Chamber has always been the primary organization the combination of the Wicker Park & Bucktown Chamber of Commerce and the WPB (Special Service Area #33), this change is giving the Chamber an opportunity to review and modify some of their structure and processes.

Starting with the 2011 budget the Executive Director (Adam Burck) will spend a 90/10 split of time between the Chamber and the SSA while the Program Director (Jamie Simone)will spend 90/10 between the SSA and the Chamber. Eleanor Mayer will continue as the Asst. Program Manager. Diedre Papp is the bookkeeper  and Francis Lugo is the Admin. Asst.

Both Bares and Burck agreed that changes on the Chamber's Board of Directors will add to a revitalization of the group.  The Board lineup is: President Robert Gomez (Subterranean); Vice President Phillip Laurin (Urban Attorney/EyeWant); Secretary Stephanie Sack (vive la femme); Treasurer Al Spenadel (Spenadel Tax and Accounting Services); and Directors: Phil McFarland (Small Bar), Scott Siegel (Siegel Realty and Finance), Paige Ormond (Doggy Style), Ryan Golden(Plan B/ SynerG), Debbie Sharpe (Feast/ The Goddess & Grocer), Christopher Johnson (Johnsonese Brokerage),  Nathan Hilding (The Boundary), Sean Krainik (Red + White ), Joe Betancourt (Betancourt Realty) and one unfilled position. In addition, Sack is recommending a marketing approach while Betancourt is leading a green committee.