An Open Letter from
Illinois Business Leaders on Marriage Equality
Many
factors go into creating a state’s business environment. Perhaps most important
is a state’s ability to attract top talent from around the world. Since human
capital drives innovation and growth, a state must foster an environment where
people want to live.
To
be competitive, a state must create an equitable, fair and respectful
environment for all of its citizens. For this reason – among others — it is
vitally important that Illinois lawmakers enact marriage equality soon.
Marriage
equality would strengthen the workforces of Illinois employers, who know there
is no substitute for employees with diverse backgrounds and experiences.
Companies must understand a changing marketplace and be able to connect with
their customers; having a diverse workforce is a part of that. That’s one
reason many employers have adopted non-discrimination policies and offer
domestic partner benefits.
Marriage
equality promotes economic development, too. According to the UCLA School of
Law’s Williams Institute, allowing same-sex couples to marry would generate
between $39 million and $72 million in revenues for Illinois businesses,
creating $4.5 million to $8 million in new sales and lodging tax revenues over
three years.
The
American people are increasingly supportive of marriage equality, with a
majority believing same-sex couples should be allowed to marry. We agree with
them. States with the metro areas of New York City, Seattle, Boston, and Baltimore
have already legalized marriage equality. Here in the Midwest, Iowa has granted
full marriage equality, while Minnesota is poised to do the same later this
year. Illinois simply cannot afford to be less competitive than other states.
The
Illinois legislature should act now. It’s the right thing for Illinois.
Signed,
Curt Bailey, President, Related
Midwest
Andrew Bluhm, Founder and
Principal, Delaware Street Capital
Neil G. Bluhm, Founder and
Managing Principal, Walton Street Capital
Norm Bobins, Former CEO,
LaSalle Bank; Chairman, PrivateBank and Trust Co.
Bill Brandt, President and
CEO, Development Specialists, Inc.
Carole Brown, Senior Managing
Director, Barclays Capital
Lewis B. Campbell, Chairman and CEO,
Navistar International
Chicago Urban
League
Lance Chody, CEO, Garrett
Popcorn Shops
Philip
B. Clement, Global Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Aon plc
Hon. William M.
Daley
Laura Desmond, CEO, Starcom Mediavest
Group
Fred Eychaner, Chairman, Newsweb
Corporation
Paul S. Fisher, President and CEO, CenterPoint Properties
Albert M. Friedman, CEO and
President, Friedman Properties, Ltd.
Google Inc.
Peter Gottlieb, President, North
Star Investment Management Corporation
Groupon
David A. Helfand, CEO, Helix Funds
Carrie Hightman, Executive Vice
President and Chief Legal Officer, NiSource Inc.
Mellody Hobson, President, Ariel
Investments, LLC
Fred Hoch, CEO, Illinois
Technology Association
Mark S. Hoplamazian, President and
CEO, Hyatt Hotels Corporation
Kym Hubbard, CIO and
Treasurer, Ernst & Young
Ron Huberman, Executive Chair,
TransitPro Logistics, Inc.
Illinois Science
& Technology Coalition
Knight Engineers
& Architects
William Lawless, President, The Gage
& Henri Restaurants
Joseph Mansueto, Founder and CEO, Morningstar
Inc.
Matt Moog, Founder and
Chairman, Built In Chicago
Maura O’Hara, Executive Director,
IVCA
Orbitz Worldwide
Inc.
Sarah Pang, Senior Vice President, Corporate
Richard S. Price, Chairman and CEO, Mesirow Financial
Quintin E. Primo
III,
Chairman and CEO, Capri Capital Partners, LLC
J.B. Pritzker, Co-Founder and
Co-Lead, The Pritzker Group
Gigi Pritzker
Pucker,
OddLot Entertainment
Judith C. Rice, Senior Vice
President, BMO Harris Bank
Laura Ricketts, Director, Chicago
Cubs, Chairman of the Board, Chicago Cubs Charities
Desiree Rogers, CEO, Johnson
Publishing Company
John W. Rogers, Jr., Chairman and
CEO, Ariel Investments, LLC
John W. Rowe, Chairman Emeritus,
Exelon Corporation
Michael Sacks, CEO, Grosvenor
Capital Management, L.P.
Harrison I. Steans, Chairman of the
Executive Committee, Financial Investments Corp.
Jay Stieber, Executive Vice
President and General Counsel, Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, Inc.
Rich Stoddart, President, Leo
Burnett North America
Howard Tullman, President and CEO,
Tribeca Flashpoint
Media Arts Academy
Estelle Walgreen, Founder, Hispanically
Speaking News
Tony Weisman, Regional
President, Digitas
Communications
and Public Affairs, CNA Financial Corp.
*Individuals listed as signatories represent themselves only.
More than 40 Chicago business leaders speak out for gay-marriage law
BY MITCH DUDEK
Staff Reporter/mdudek@suntimes.com
January 13, 2013 4:54PM
Hoping to nudge stalled
legislation that would legalize gay marriage in Illinois, a group of
business leaders on Sunday framed their argument around this simple
notion: It’s a smart business decision.
Local industry titans cited the ability to recruit top talent as a top reason to pass the legislation.
Attached
to an open letter stating their common views were dozens of influential
names, including: Neil G. Bluhm, founder and managing principal of
Walton Street Capital, Mellody Hobson, president of Ariel Investments,
J.B. Pritzker, co-founder of The Pritzker Group, and Laura Ricketts,
co-owner of the Chicago Cubs.
In addition to the 43 individuals
signing the letter, six companies and agencies also signed it, including
Orbitz Worldwide and Groupon, both based in Chicago.
“Not to trivialize this, but to be sort
of a throw back state that hasn’t figured out that this is a material
incentive ... it leaves us at a competitive disadvantage,” said Howard
Tullman, president and CEO of Tribeca Flashpoint Media Arts Academy, who
also endorsed the letter.
Marriage equality would promote a
diverse workforce better able to connect with customers and would
ultimately create a fair and competitive environment, the letter stated.
It also contends that places like New York, where gay marriage is legal, have a competitive edge over Illinois.
“It is vitally important that Illinois lawmakers enact marriage equality soon,” the letter states.
Others who signed the letter are:
Chicago Urban League.
Illinois Science & Technology Coalition.
Google.
Knight Engineers & Architects.
Curt Bailey, president, Related Midwest.
Andrew Bluhm, founder and principal, Delaware Street Capital.
Norm Bobins, former CEO, LaSalle Bank; Chairman, PrivateBank and Trust Co.
Bill Brandt, president and CEO, Development Specialists, Inc.
Carole Brown, senior managing director, Barclays Capital.
Lewis B. Campbell, chairman and CEO, Navistar International.
Lance Chody, CEO, Garrett Popcorn Shops
Philip B. Clement, global chief marketing and communications officer, Aon.
William M. Daley.
Laura Desmond, CEO, Starcom Mediavest Group.
Fred Eychaner, chairman, Newsweb Corp.
Paul S. Fisher, president and CEO, CenterPoint Properties.
Albert M. Friedman, CEO and President, Friedman Properties, Ltd.
Peter Gottlieb, president, North Star Investment Management Corp.
David A. Helfand, CEO, Helix Funds.
Carrie Hightman, executive vice president and chief legal officer, NiSource Inc.
Fred Hoch, CEO, Illinois Technology Association.
Mark S. Hoplamazian, president and CEO, Hyatt Hotels Corp.
Kym Hubbard, CIO and treasurer, Ernst & Young.
Ron Huberman, executive chair, TransitPro Logistics Inc.
William Lawless, President, The Gage & Henri Restaurants
Joseph Mansueto, founder and CEO, Morningstar Inc.
Matt Moog, founder and chairman, Built In Chicago.
Maura O’Hara, executive director, Illinois Venture Capital Association.
Sarah Pang, senior vice president, corporate communications and public affairs, CNA Financial Corp.
Richard S. Price, chairman and CEO, Mesirow Financial.
Quintin E. Primo III, chairman and CEO, Capri Capital Partners LLC.
Gigi Pritzker Pucker, OddLot Entertainment.
Doug Regan, Midwest regional director, J.P. Morgan.
Judith C. Rice, senior vice president, BMO Harris Bank.
Desiree Rogers, CEO, Johnson Publishing Co.
John W. Rogers, Jr., chairman and CEO, Ariel Investments LLC.
John W. Rowe, chairman emeritus, Exelon Corp.
Michael Sacks, CEO, Grosvenor Capital Management.
Harrison I. Steans, chairman of the executive committee, Financial Investments Corp.
Jay Stieber, executive vice president and general counsel, Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises Inc.
Rich Stoddart, president, Leo Burnett North America.
Estelle Walgreen, founder, Hispanically Speaking News.
Tony Weisman, Regional President, Digitas.
