Rebekah Scheinfeld

Rebekah has built a career tackling challenging urban development issues through her work in both the public and private sectors. She joined Civic Consulting Alliance as President and CEO in March 2020, after years of contributing to the organization as both a partner providing pro bono consulting services, and as a client who leveraged those services to improve the region’s transportation.

She has overall strategic, operational, financial, and managerial responsibility for the nonprofit organization, which brings together collaborative, pro bono investments to get big things done for Chicago. Civic Consulting Alliance achieves impact in three key platforms that are integral to improving quality of life and creating a region that can reach its full potential –building safer and more just communities, ensuring equitable access to education opportunities and outcomes, and growing an economy that works for everyone. They serve as an invaluable component of our region’s civic infrastructure, and aspire to remake systems to be more just, equitable, and resilient.

Prior to joining Civic Consulting Alliance, Rebekah served as Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Transportation, where she spearheaded many of the Emanuel Administration’s key transportation initiatives. Her achievements include overseeing the Vision Zero Chicago traffic safety plan, the Riverwalk, the 606, the Loop Link, the Union Station Transit Center, new CTA elevated stations at Washington-Wabash and Cermak Road, new pedestrian and bike bridges over Lake Shore Drive at 35th and 41st Streets, the transportation planning process for improvements needed for the Obama Presidential Center, and the citywide “smart” street lighting modernization.

Rebekah also served as the Chief Planning Officer and a Senior Vice President at the Chicago Transit Authority, where she handled strategic planning for major capital projects including the Red Purple Modernization and Red Line Extension, and the introduction of Bus Rapid Transit service improvements. Before that, she worked as an attorney at Mayer Brown, representing public and private sector clients on major infrastructure and transportation projects. Earlier she worked in real estate development specializing in affordable housing and public housing redevelopment.

Rebekah has a BA in Urban Studies from Brown University and both her JD and MBA from Northwestern University. She lives with her family in the Logan Square neighborhood of Chicago.