Pat Dowell Racking Up Endorsements for First District Congresswoman

With extensive experience in community development and civic engagement, Pat Dowell was elected Alderman of the Third Ward of Chicago in 2007. She is the Chair of the Chicago City Council Budget Committee. She has remained committed to building every part of her community block by block, making sure that all the constituents of the 3rd Ward have access to quality school options, safe neighborhoods, and thriving businesses.

Dowell was a significant catalyst for the rebirth of the historic Bronzeville community that occurred in the 1990s. She has an extensive background in urban planning and community development and was one of the primary architects of the Bronzeville Development Plan – which won a Burnham Award for excellence in planning. She is a former City Planner and Deputy Commissioner of Neighborhood Planning under former Mayors Harold Washington, Eugene Sawyer, and Richard Daley.

Formerly, Ms. Dowell was the executive director of the Near West Side Community Development Corporation, where she built affordable housing and commercial retail space and provided social services and employment and financial counseling services to residents of Henry Horner Homes. In the mid-1990s, she was the founding executive director of the Mid-South Planning and Development Commission, and as a result of her leadership, millions of dollars in development funding were allocated to the ward to preserve several historic Bronzeville landmarks. Finally, she was executive director of Chicago Public Allies, a national youth development organization.

Pat Dowell is the proud mother of an adult son and a longtime Bronzeville resident. As a college basketball star, she earned her bachelor’s degree in Developmental Psychology from The University of Rochester and her master’s degree in Social Service Administration from the University of Chicago. Dowell owns a scrappy Yorkshire Terrier named Toots and is an avid Chicago Bulls Fan.

While she enjoys reading, cooking, and traveling – what she is truly passionate about is helping to serve the needs of her constituents.