Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot announced the appointment of Juan Carlos Linares as Chief Engagement Officer for the Office of Public Engagement to lead her administration’s efforts in improving outcomes of all Chicago’s communities by connecting on a deeper level, building stronger relationships with neighborhoods and removing barriers to government and city agency services and assistance. As Executive Director of LUCHA, a Chicago-based affordable housing development agency that offers counseling, foreclosure prevention and legal assistance, Linares led the organization to excel in health and energy equity by building the first multi-family “Passive House” building in Illinois. Linares holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, a JD from DePaul University and an LL.M. in International Business Law from The John Marshall Law School.  He also holds a BA in Sociology and Spanish from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. For his work, Linares has been awarded the Friends of the Parks “Lakefront Protection Award” and the “Top Lawyer under 40 National Award” from the Hispanic National Bar Association among other recognitions, and has participated in Fellowships with the Aspen Institute, The Chicago Community Trust, the Latino Policy Forum and Leadership Greater Chicago, among others.