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Christopher G. Kennedy

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Christopher G. Kennedy
Born
Christopher George Kennedy

(1963-07-04) July 4, 1963 (age 61)
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Alma mater- Boston College (bachelor of arts in political science)
- Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management (master of business administration)
OccupationBusinessman
EmployerMerchandise Mart Properties
TitlePresident
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseSheila Sinclair (née Berner) Kennedy (since 1987)[1]
Childrenfour
Parent(s)Robert Francis Kennedy and Ethel (née Skakel) Kennedy
RelativesSiblings:
Kathleen Hartington Kennedy (born 1951)
Joseph Patrick Kennedy II (born 1952)
Robert Francis Kennedy, Jr. (born 1954)
David Anthony Kennedy (1955–1984)
Mary Courtney Kennedy (born 1956)
Michael LeMoyne Kennedy (1958–1997)
Mary Kerry Kennedy (born 1959)
Matthew Maxwell Taylor Kennedy (born 1965)
Douglas Harriman Kennedy (born 1967)
Rory Elizabeth Katherine Kennedy (born 1968)

also see Kennedy family

Christopher George Kennedy (born July 4, 1963) is an American businessman. He is president of Merchandise Mart Properties, a commercial property management firm based in Chicago, Illinois, which manages various properties including The Merchandise Mart in Chicago and the L.A. Mart in Los Angeles, California, and the Boston Design Center in Boston, Massachusetts.[2]

He is perhaps best known as a son of U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy and a part of the Kennedy family.

Early life and education

Kennedy was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to Robert Francis Kennedy and Ethel (née Skakel) Kennedy, the eighth of their eleven children. He is one of four of the Kennedy grandchildren born during the administration of his uncle, President Kennedy.

He grew up in Mclean, Virginia, a suburb of Washington, D.C., and attended The Potomac School in McLean through ninth grade. He transferred to Georgetown Preparatory School in North Bethesda, Maryland, also a suburb of Washington; he graduated in 1982. While in high school, he volunteered at a home for runaway children.

Kennedy graduated from Boston College with a bachelor of arts degree in political science in 1986[3]. In 1994, he graduated with a master of business administration degree from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University

His siblings are:

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Career

Kennedy has been the president of the family-owned Merchandise Mart Properties in Chicago, Illinois, since 2000. After being hired to a senior-level position in 1988, Kennedy was one of the only employees to receive three promotions in as many years. The Merchandise Mart is the largest commercial building in the world[citation needed], serving as both a luxury wholesale design center and one of the leading international business locations in Chicago. The Mart spans two city blocks and rises twenty-five stories for a total of 4.2 million square feet (390,000 square metres) Three million people come through The Mart each year to visit its retail shops, permanent showrooms, and office space as well as attend the numerous trade, consumer and community events hosted there.

Kennedy has worked to create hundreds of new jobs and economic opportunities by bringing manufacturers and retailers together, and The Mart has become Illinois’s largest attractor of new business.[citation needed]

He also led The Mart’s efforts to become the world’s-largest Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED-EB)[clarification needed]-certified building[4], and since earning LEED certification in 2007, The Mart has continued to be a leader and innovator in green practices[5].

At Kennedy's hire, Merchandise Mart Properties was owned by the Kennedy family; it is now owned by Vornado Realty Trust.[clarification needed]

Personal life

Family

Kennedy met Sheila Sinclair Berner (born December 4, 1962), an Illinois native, at Boston College. After graduating from college in 1986, Kennedy moved to Illinois, and they were married in 1987 [1] in Illinois. They have are raising their four children in the Chicago area. His wife earned a law degree and practiced at Sidley & Austin in Chicago before taking time off to take care of their children.

Politics

Kennedy's political activism began at an early age, and in 1979 and 1980 he worked on his uncle Edward M. Kennedy's bid for the Democratic nomination for President. He was also treasurer of the Joseph P. Kennedy for Congress Committee in 1988. Over the years he has organized numerous fundraising events in Chicago for Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Joseph P. Kennedy and Mark K. Shriver.

The National Journal once quoted Kennedy as saying, "I have a lot to keep up with: a brother who might run for Congress, a sister and a brother considering races for governor, a cousin who might run for Congress, another in Congress, an uncle in the Senate and a cousin-in-law, Arnold, who is thinking of running for governor." [citation needed]

Beyond his family, Kennedy has served in a variety of capacities for numerous political campaigns, including hosting a fundraiser for Barack Obama in his bid for United States Senate.

In August 2009, after considering a run for the U.S. Senate, as did others, Kennedy opted not to run.[6]. Also in August, 2009, on the day after his uncle's death, Kennedy was appointed to the University of Illinois board of trustees by an appointed Irish-American governor (Quinn), who was temporarily filling in for the former, indicted, elected governor's remaining term. Kennedy has never run, or won a popular election.[7]

Business and economic involvement

  • Kennedy served as chairman of the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau[8] from 1997—1999. The CCTB is the sales and marketing organization promoting Chicago’s most important assets to the travel and convention industries, and under Kennedy's chairmanship, the organization retained and grew Chicago's event and convention industry.
  • Ariel Mutual Funds[9], a Chicago-based money management firm that works with corporate, public, union and non-profit organizations.
  • Illinois Council on Economic Education[10], an organization dedicated to ensuring all Illinois students are afforded an education in economics in order to be productive members of the workforce, informed consumers, and active community members.
  • Since 1997, Kennedy has been a member of the Executives Club of Chicago[11], which brings world leaders and practices to the local business community in order to establish productive relationships and explore the issues facing the business world in today’s business environment.
  • He has also been a member of the Economic Club of Chicago[12] since 1996, a group established in the 1920s with the goal of aiding “the creation and expression of an enlightened public opinion on the important economic and social questions of the day.”
  • He has been a member of The Commercial Club of Chicago[13] since 2005. The group brings together the city’s business, educational, and cultural leaders on projects to improve central industries and create new economic opportunities.
  • Kennedy has been a member of the City Club of Chicago[14], a group that brings together civic and cultural leaders to discuss and debate issues affecting the Chicago area, since 2000.

Environmental leadership

Green Building Practices

Under Kennedy’s leadership of The Mart, it was the largest building in the world to be awarded LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certification in 2007[4] from the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). The Mart has long been implementing sustainable practices. The Mart Center began operating a thermal storage facility in 1986, capable of building 2,000,000 pounds of ice per night, cooling 71 buildings in the surrounding neighborhood, and saving $200,000 in electricity costs in the first year.[citation needed]

In 1990, The Mart Center began using Green Seal-approved green cleaning products and the next year implemented a recycling program, which today includes all forms of paper products, glass, light bulbs, batteries, aluminum and construction materials. In 1996, The Mart Center became one of the first major property owners in downtown Chicago to enter into an agreement with the district cooling system now known as Thermal Chicago, thus contributing to the national effort to reduce the discharge of ozone-damaging CFCs.

In 2006, MMPI joined Clean Air Counts, a voluntary initiative to reduce smog forming pollutants and energy consumption in the greater Chicago area. Part of the campaign strategies included utilizing only low VOC cleaning products, paints and building materials, as well as energy efficient lighting and alternative workplace transportation options. To date, The Mart Center has reduced pollution by 264,018 pounds for the largest reduction by a commercial building.[citation needed]

That same year, The Mart Center recycling program saved over 13,000 trees and recycled nearly 11 million pounds of waste, while water conservation efforts saved 5.5 million gallons of water. More than eight percent of the estimated 10,000 people working at The Mart walk, bike or take public transportation; to encourage greener methods of transportation, the Mart expanded bicycle storage capacity to more than 200 bikes. In 2009, MMPI converted all stationery to a one hundred percent post-consumer recycled product. [citation needed]

The Mart has nine LEED-certified showrooms, with five others on their way to LEED certification.

Green Alliances

Under Kennedy’s presidency, MMPI has worked closely with:

  • Delta Institute, a non-profit organization based in Chicago, which played a critical role as consultant for The Mart in their efforts toward LEED Certification.
  • Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity (IDCEO)
  • Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI). MMPI maintains an open dialogue with the Clinton Climate Initiative, working with them to further green initiatives.
  • Clean Air Counts[15]. Through their participation with Clean Air Counts, The Mart has reduced pollution of ozone precursor emissions by 429,289 pounds (from 2006 – 2008).
  • Friends of the Chicago River[16]. The Mart is host each June to the Big Fish Ball, benefiting Friends of the Chicago River.
  • Interface, Inc.[18], not only the world’s largest manufacturer in modular carpet, but also one of the driving forces in the corporate sustainability movement.

Health-care involvement

  • The Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Foundation[19], established in the name of Kennedy’s uncle, who was killed in World War II. The Foundation educates the public and works to pass policies that assist those with intellectual disabilities.
  • Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago[20], the top-ranked physical rehabilitation hospital in the country.
  • Center for Disability and Elder Law[22], a nonprofit organization that protects the rights of low-income senior citizens and people with disabilities.

Other civic involvement

  • Greater Chicago Food Depository[23], a nonprofit food bank that not only collects food for those in need, but also runs education programs providing the knowledge and tools needed to break the poverty cycle.
  • He has been a member of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs[24] since 1996, a nonpartisan group that seeks to impact discourse on global issues through leadership, education, and policy.
  • El Valor[25], a nonprofit group seeking to enrich the local community by empowering the underserved, disenfranchised, and disabled while creating a sense of unity among all community members.
  • Since 1996, Kennedy has been on the Board of Directors at The Irish Fellowship Club[27], a Chicago-based group dedicated to preserving and promoting Irish heritage.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Staff writer (August 16, 1987). "Sheila Sinclair Berner Wed To Christopher G. Kennedy". The New York Times. Accessed August 26, 2009.
  2. ^ Staff writer (undated). "Company Overview". Merchandise Mart Properties. Accessed August 26, 2009.
  3. ^ American Experience | The Kennedys | Kennedy Family Tree | PBS
  4. ^ a b World's Largest LEED-EB Certified Building
  5. ^ Green Practices
  6. ^ Pearson, Rick (August 18, 2009). "Chris Kennedy Won’t Run in 2010 for Senate or Governor". Chicago Tribune. Accessed August 26, 2009.
  7. ^ Staff writer (August 26, 2009). "Chris Kennedy to be named UI Trustee". The Associated Press via The Daily Illini. Accessed August 26, 2009.
  8. ^ Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau
  9. ^ Ariel Investments
  10. ^ Illinois Council on Economic Education
  11. ^ Executives Club of Chicago
  12. ^ Economic Club of Chicago
  13. ^ The Commercial Club of Chicago
  14. ^ City Club of Chicago
  15. ^ Clean Air Counts
  16. ^ Friends of the Chicago River
  17. ^ Citizens Energy Corporation
  18. ^ Interface, Inc.
  19. ^ The Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation
  20. ^ Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago
  21. ^ Children's Memorial Hospital
  22. ^ Center for Disability and Elder Law
  23. ^ Greater Chicago Food Depository
  24. ^ Chicago Council on Global Affairs
  25. ^ El Valor
  26. ^ Heartland Alliance
  27. ^ The Irish Fellowship Club
  28. ^ Catholic Theological Union
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