Board Members & Committees

Officers

Vi Daley , President
Jeff Smith, 1st Vice President
John Knoche, 2nd Vice President
Karen Pfendler, Secretary

Claire Leaman, Treasurer

Directors

Robert Gibbs

Lance Hornaday
Rick Hyer
Alan Lougee
David Pfendler

Anne Giffels

Arts & Operations Director

Leslie Wolfe

Committee Mission Statements

ART FAIR COMMITTEE: The mission of the Art Fair Committee is to organize and execute successful and profitable art fairs.  According to the By-Laws, the Art Fair Committee is chaired by the appointed 2nd Vice President.

During the second weekend of June, five charming, tree-lined streets within the Old Town Triangle set the stage for 250 nationally-acclaimed artists and an estimated 40,000 art lovers to come together during The Old Town Art Fair. The artists featured in our fair are chosen by an independent jury of professional artists, gallery owners and museum curators. The Old Town Art Fair features a wide range of art mediums, including 2D- and 3D-mixed media, drawing, painting, photography, printmaking, ceramics, fiber, glass, jewelry, and works in metal, stone and wood.

The Old Town Art Fair is the OTTA’s primary fundraising event.  Proceeds from the fair serve to benefit a host of local schools, youth groups, and neighborhood improvement projects.

OTTA members, Old Town Triangle residents as well as other interested patrons are encouraged to volunteer at the Old Town Art Fair. The 64th Annual Old Town Art Fair will be held on June 8th and 9th, 2013.  For more information, email volunteer@oldtownartfair.org.

BY-LAWS COMMITTEE: The mission of the By-Laws Committee to ensure the integrity of the Association’s By-Laws.  The committee is responsible for reviewing and making appropriate recommendations for By-Law revisions to the Board of Directors and Membership as needed.

CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS: The mission of the Capital Improvements Committee is to maintain and improve the OTTA physical facility and to make needed repairs or upgrades as necessary.

COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE: The mission of the Communications Committee is to develop and maintain an overarching communications strategy for OTTA and its committees and the development of common formats for communications that would stretch across committees to deliver relevant news and updates to the membership and the community at large.  The Communications Committee is to ensure that all governance related documents including, but not limited to, Articles of Incorporation, Mission Statement, By-Laws, Board Meeting schedules, Board minutes, monthly financial reports, and committee meeting schedules are placed online.

CONTINUING EDUCATION COMMITTEE: The mission of the Continuing Education Committee is to work closely with the A & O Director to ensure that current class offerings & gallery exhibits are of the highest quality and that they continue to serve the needs of the community.  Pricing for the various programs offered will be member/non-member fee based.  The Continuing Education Committee oversees the Art School, the Fitness Programs, and any other specialized classes that may be offered.  The goal of this committee is to promote cultural, affordable, enrichment and educational opportunities for the community. 
A Sub-Committee of the Continuing Education Committee is the Gallery Committee. This sub-committee meets in the fall to select the Gallery Exhibitors for the succeeding calendar year.

EVENTS COMMITTEE: The mission of the Events Committee is to plan, organize, and execute all non-Art Fair events for the OTTA and its committees, such as Movie Nights, Potluck Dinners and other fun activities. This committee works closely with Neighbor Relations and Membership. The Events Committee is seeking new committee members.

GRANTS COMMITTEE: The mission of The Grants Committee is to oversee and administer the grant program that the Old Town Triangle Association offers to schools and organizations that serve our community and to support the stated mission and goals of the Old Town Triangle Association. Grant applications are accepted annually. Applications can either be downloaded from the OTTA website or picked up at the OTTA office. Proposals are evaluated on an annual basis with the application deadline April 1st. Grantees are honored and awards distributed at the Old Town Art Fair Thank You Party.  Important information concerning the grant application process can be downloaded here.

HISTORIC DISTRICT / PLANNING & ZONING COMMITTEE: The mission of the HD/PZ Committee is to preserve the architectural and historic character of the designated Chicago and National historic districts within the boundaries of the Old town Triangle as well as advocate for strict zoning adherence.

On September 28, 1977, members of the Historic District Committee succeeded in having most of the Old Town Triangle area designated a Chicago Landmark by the City Council of Chicago. Today, the Historic District/Planning & Zoning Committee acts as a liaison between the Old Town Community and the Landmarks Commission, reporting the Committee’s recommendations and working cooperatively with the Commission to preserve the historic character of the neighborhood.

Each month, members consider requests for proposed exterior changes to existing buildings, new construction, and applications for zoning changes in the Triangle. Their deliberations range from the appropriateness of building materials used in rehabbing and construction projects to the height of fences and building additions. The Guidelines for Alterations to Historic Buildings and New Construction, prepared by the Commission on Chicago Landmarks, serves as the guide for their recommendations. These recommendations are sent to the Alderman of the 43rd Ward and to appropriate city commissions and departments for approval. In every instance, the final decision on any rehab project rests with the Landmarks Commission.

Since neighborhood relations figure prominently in any rehabilitation project, members of the Historic District/Planning & Zoning Committee work with neighbors to maintain good relations between residents who are making changes to their properties and those who live in adjoining buildings.
On matters of neighborhood-wide concern, a community meeting is held and all neighbors are invited to express their views on the issue. In most cases where a community meeting is held, the 43rd Ward Alderman is a key participant in the proceedings.

The Historic District/Planning & Zoning Committee meets in the Triangle Center, 1763 N. North Park Avenue, on the third Tuesday of every month at 7:00 p.m.  Interested neighbors with knowledge and experience in the area of historic preservation are invited to become members.

MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE: The mission of the Membership Committee is to maintain the existing membership and to encourage other neighbors (Old Town Art Fair volunteers, local businesses, Condo Associations, etc.) who are not currently members of the organization to join. The key role of this committee is the development and upkeep of the Association’s Database System. The Membership Committee will maintain connections with existing members and solicit new membership local and otherwise.  One does not have to be an Old Town Triangle resident to be able to join the Old Town Triangle Association.  Only Triangle residents are given voting privileges.  All members will receive the OTTA newsletter, an iBOT card (I Buy Old Town discount card), and electronic email updates (EMMAS) relating to area news and up-coming events.

NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENT COMMITTEE: The mission of the Neighborhood Improvement Committee (NIC) is to develop and maintain the physical environment of the Old Town Triangle including improvement of open spaces, green areas, sidewalks, and parkways.
Even though Old Town is among the most vibrant, well situated, and rewarding of Chicago's neighborhoods, there is always room for improvement.  NIC is committed to addressing the ongoing and changing needs of our community as is consistent with OTTA's organizational goals. Identifying and responding to those opportunities is the business of the Neighborhood Improvement Committee.
NIC endeavors to identify projects which address neighborhood needs and infrastructure opportunities within Old Town. NIC works with public and private offices to address those projects. Some past achievements of the NIC include the installation and maintenance of 10 green refuse containers scattered throughout the triangle; the replacement of aging benches in our various parks; upgrading the landscape in the "pocket" parks on Willow and Menomonee; the installation of the play lot in North Ogden Park; overseeing the maintenance of the Clark/Wisconsin Park; and various small projects pertaining to street-scape maintenance.
The NIC also oversees two programs which are geared to help Old Town residents maintain the unique charm of our streetscapes. The Old Town Parkways Tree program provides assistance to residents interested in replacing missing or dead trees in the parkways in front of their homes. The Old Town Triangle Brick Repair, Replacement and Beautification program offers an incentive and sourcing assistance for residents interested in maintaining the integrity, safety, and character of our brick sidewalks and parkways.
So if you have a vision, a suggestion, or a complaint, attend one of our regular meetings on the third Monday of every month (except June, December, and January) at the Triangle Center, 1763 N. North Park Avenue, at 7:00 p.m.  Email inquiries to: nic@oldtowntriangle.com

Neighbor Relations Committee:  The mission of the Neighbor Relations Committee is to establish and maintain external relations for the Triangle community with the extended Old Town neighborhoods: businesses, civic institutions, schools, churches and religious organizations, and other neighborhood organizations.

Neighbor Relations oversees two (2) important programs: the iBOT (I Buy Old Town) program which provides OTTA members with a card that entitles them to discounts at more than 2 dozen area merchants who participate in this program.

The second program is the CAPS program (Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy).  CAPS is a strategy to keep neighborhoods safe by using police in a new way and building partnerships for crime prevention among the community, the police, and other City departments.  Through CAPS, residents become partners with the police and work with beat officers to identify and solve crime problems in their neighborhoods.  Other City agencies take care of those conditions that can lead to crime in a community, such as graffiti, abandoned buildings and cars, and broken alley and street lights.

The Old Town Triangle is located in beat 1814 in 10 Sector.   Regular beat meetings are held on the second Thursday of every other month at the Triangle Center, 1763 N. North Park Avenue at 7:00 p.m.  Beginning in 2013, the four (4) beats within 10 Sector (1811, 1812, 1813, and 1814) have been combined into one group.  They all meet together in the odd months (Jan., Mar., May, July, Sept., & Nov.) at the OTTA center.   All Triangle residents as well as the other beat residents are encouraged to attend these meetings to address issues of common concern, and work with the beat officers to solve these problems.

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