Debra Silverstein is the Alderman of the 50th Ward of the City of Chicago, Illinois. She defeated 38-year incumbent Bernard Stone in the 2011 runoff election, a race in which she was endorsed by Mayor-elect Rahm Emanuel. As of 2019–2020, she is also the Democratic Party's committeeperson for the 50th Ward.

Biography

Silverstein is married to former Illinois

State Senator A state senator is a member of a state's senate in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a member of the unicameral Nebraska Legislature. Description A state senator is a member of an upper house in the bicameral legislatures of 49 U ...

Ira Silverstein, with whom she has four children. She holds a degree in accounting from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Before entering politics, she founded a small tax consultancy. In addition to her political work, Silverstein is a co-founder of the Libenu Foundation, an organization creating supervised housing for adults with developmental disabilities in the Metropolitan Chicago area.

Aldermanic career

In conjunction with the Chicago Department of Transportation, Silverstein planned and executed the Devon Avenue Streetscape, a $15 million project on Devon Avenue in the 50th Ward. The project was designed to modernize and beautify a "20-block stretch in the West Ridge Business District which is known for ethnically diverse mixture of shops and restaurants." The project covered Devon from Kedzie Avenue to Leavitt Street. The project highlights included: * New wider sidewalks with ADA ramps * New curbs and gutters * New street and pedestrian lighting * Paver parkways * Benches, bike racks and waste containers * Seating areas on side streets * New trees with tree grates * Landscaped in-ground and above-ground planters * Light pole, intersection, and gateway community identifiers * New crosswalks at each intersection In 2016, Silverstein and Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced plans for a new library and senior housing facility in the 50th Ward. A partnership between Chicago Public Library and Chicago Housing Authority, Northtown Apartments and the new Northtown Branch Library are located at 6800 N. Western Avenue. The project was designed by Perkins + Will and to feature 44 apartments designated for senior use on top of a 16,000 square foot library. The library was scheduled to be open in December 2018, but actually opened on March 5, 2019, while apartment construction continued.

Footnotes

1966 births 21st-century American politicians 21st-century American women politicians Chicago City Council members Living people Women city councillors in Illinois {{Illinois-politician-stub