Brian Gladstein Named New Executive Director of the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform

CHICAGO -- Brian Gladstein, a veteran government and political reform advocate, has been named Executive Director of the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform (ICPR).


For the past 11 years, Gladstein has been Program Director of the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs (JCUA). His assignments at JCUA and with other community organizations have included policy work in government reform, economic development, housing, public transportation and the environment.


"Brian has a strong track record of helping voters understand their state and local governments and a commitment to encouraging more Illinoisans to join in the work of improving and reforming their governments," said Ross Harano, President of the ICPR Board of Directors. "Since the late Sen. Paul Simon founded ICPR in 1997, ICPR has earned a reputation for providing solid, unbiased research to highlight connections between money and politics and has encouraged more sunshine on the workings of our government.


"Working with many others in and out of government, ICPR has helped enact significant improvements in government transparency and campaign finance restrictions," Harano said. "Brian's experience and enthusiasm will help us maintain that momentum and grow on the strong foundation built by Cindi Canary, our previous director."


During his tenure at JCUA, Gladstein helped create the Developing Government Accountability to the People Network (DGAP), which has encouraged more informed citizen participation in Chicago government, and he oversaw the creation of DGAP's website with extensive information on issues, a report card evaluating city and political leaders, data on campaign contributions and a toolkit to help citizens engage their elected representatives.


"Despite Illinois' too rich history of government scandals, progress has been made, and it is due in part to the tireless and tenacious work of ICPR under the leadership of Cindi Canary and the supporters of ICPR," Gladstein said. "It's a privilege to have the opportunity to lead ICPR at such a crucial time in our state's history."

Canary, who stepped down from the day-to-day work as ICPR director in June, will continue to help ICPR and others working on government reforms. She has been director of ICPR since its founding in 1997 and recently received the 2011 Abraham Lincoln Ethics Award in recognition of her achievements.


Gladstein, who will begin at ICPR on Sept. 6, is a resident of Chicago. He received a master's degree in urban planning and policy/community development from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and he has a bachelor's degree in public affairs/environmental science from Indiana University.