Developing Chicago's Next Leaders with Mark Payne, Public Allies Chicago

Mark Payne has spent his career developing Chicago's next generation of civic leaders, and he learned to do it the same way he learned to love the city: from his family. His father, Jimmy Payne, was a celebrated Afro-Cuban and tap dancer who taught dance in Chicago from 1947 into his 90s; his mother drove the family up and down King Drive telling stories of the Great Migration. That upbringing in Bronzeville, Englewood, and Auburn Gresham shaped Mark into a Public Allies alum himself, and today he leads the organization Michelle Obama founded in 1993 to train young people for careers in nonprofits and government.

In this episode, Mark talks with host Ashley Phillips about what he learned serving as Deputy Chief of Staff for Public Safety under Mayor Rahm Emanuel during a difficult stretch for the city, what actually makes someone a good community leader, and why he started his own podcast, "Keep the Faith, Baby."

This conversation is about neighborhoods, patience, and the long arc between doing the work and seeing it pay off.

Follow Mark Payne:

* Public Allies Chicago Website: https://publicallies.org/chicago/

* Keep the Faith, Baby podcast Website: https://keepthefaithbaby.org/

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/empane360

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Notes from Chicago is a weekly interview show hosted by Ashley Phillips, centering the voices, stories, and neighborhoods that make up the real Chicago.

Host: Ashley Phillips

Producer & Editor: Tanisha Blakely, https://www.tanishablakely.com/