Meet the Team
Mark Joseph
Co-Founder
Professor of Community Development at Case Western Reserve University and Founding Director of the National Initiative on Mixed-Income Communities, Mark Joseph has spearheaded research into mixed-income development for addressing urban poverty.
Raymond McDonald
Ambassador
Raymond McDonald has traveled across the country with 70 Acres in Chicago, speaking to groups about gentrification, ethics and community politics. He also works for the National Public Housing Museum recording oral histories, conducting neighborhood tours, and preserving artifacts.
Brad Hunt
Sponsor & Ambassador
Brad Hunt is the Vice President for Research and Academic Programs at the Newberry Library. He is the author of several books and articles focused on the history of public housing and planning in Chicago.
Deidre Brewster
Founder
A community activist and human rights organizer, Deidre Brewster has worked on a wide range of community development projects. Her work on public housing, after-school programs, and human rights issues exemplifies her lifelong commitment to bring communities together.
Ronit Bezalel
Ambassador
Ronit Bezalel has been creating social issue documentary films for over 25-years. Her films "70 Acres in Chicago: Cabrini Green" and "Voices of Cabrini: Remaking Chicago’s Public Housing (1999)" tells the story of the demolition of public housing in Chicago's Cabrini Green and the affordable housing issues in Chicago at large.
Mark Pratt
Ambassador
Mark Pratt is a filmmaker, and has worked on numerous documentaries, narratives, and short films. He was featured in Voices of Cabrini and is now a co-producer of Mixing It Up.
Aaron Lau
Website Developer
Aaron Lau a research intern at the Newberry Library studying under Brad Hunt. He studies computer science at the University of Illinois at Chicago.