A native of the Southside of Chicago, he is the Executive Director of World Sport Chicago, the non-profit legacy of Chicago's bid for the 2016 Olympic Games; leading an organization that uses sport as a tool to provide positive life skill training and opportunities to youth in Chicago's most under-resourced communities.
Buckner previously worked in the Front Office of Major League Baseball’s Chicago Cubs, where he led the team’s government and neighborhood relations efforts; serving as an integral part of the contingent that successfully negotiated a deal to renovate and expand historic Wrigley Field; a first of its kind stadium deal that is expected to yield $1.2 billion in economic activity.
Buckner previously spent a number of years in the public sector on the staffs of Mayor Mitch Landrieu of New Orleans, LA and U.S. Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois. He attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he was a member of the Fighting Illini football team and received a B.A. in Political Science. He holds a J.D. from DePaul University College of Law.
He serves on the Board of Trustees of Chicago State University, the Board of Directors of Major League Soccer's Chicago Fire Foundation, the Southside YMCA and is an Adjunct Professor of Public Policy Studies at the University of Chicago.
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Tuesday Nov 14, 2017
7:30 AM - 9:00 AM CST
Chandler's Chophouse & Banquets
401 N. Roselle Road
Schaumburg, IL 60194
$25 for SBA Members
$50 for Guests
$5 Surcharge at the door