Recommendations

Julia’s work speaks for itself.  As you can see below, her colleagues, clients, cohorts and social innovation thought leaders appreciate her thoughtful contribution.

Overview

“Julia brings a rare combination of skills to the most complex of projects: a high level of process discipline and order and a high level of insight and openness to innovation. She is a quick study, an experienced project manager, and a sensitive and determined facilitator. She builds trust well with groups, using honesty and humor. She can keep a lot of balls in the air at the same time. She does what it takes to achieve lofty goals.”
- Pete Plastrik, President, Innovation Network for Communities

Chicago Climate Action Plan (Facilitation and Strategy)

“Julia did an incredible job coordinating our plan development process for the Chicago Climate Action Plan. Creating the Chicago Climate Action Plan was a very complex undertaking, requiring high levels of coordination between City leadership; civic leaders; stakeholder groups; technical consultants, outside researchers and funders.  Julia was the “glue” that held the process together – making sure we kept on schedule and that the deliverables met our quality requirements. She was always thinking one step ahead. I would highly recommend that other cities consider this kind of role in their structure if they are going to undertake a process like ours.”
- Sadhu Johnson, Chief Environmental Officer, City of Chicago

“The Lloyd A. Fry Foundation was a strong supporter of the Chicago Climate Action Plan from the outset. Creation of the plan was a collaborative effort between funders, the City and key stakeholders. We were particularly interested in the development of options for emissions reductions for Chicago and strategies for building retrofits and job training.  We depended on Julia to be the coordinating linchpin between funders like us; City leadership; and the technical consultants working on the implementation strategy. I think the results speak for themselves –we have perhaps the most comprehensive plan in the country.”
- Unmi Song, Executive Director, Lloyd A. Fry Foundation

“Julia’s stamp is on every aspect of the Chicago Climate Action Plan, from the public engagement process to the performance tracking system   and from the communications plan to the jobs and economic development  strategy.  She has supported the efforts of City staff in every possible way.  She has engaged every stakeholder group, pulling us together and keeping us focused on the our big goals.   At the same time, she keeps coming up with new solutions for how to get us there.  Her innovation and foresight have kept both the planning and the implementation process on the cutting edge and ahead of anticipated challenges.”
- Joyce Coffee, Director of Project Development, Policy and Research, Chicago Department of Environment

Chicago Climate Action Plan team

Book: Credit Where It’s Due: Development Banking For Communities (Research and Writing)

“Credit Where It’s Due: Development Banking for Communities by Julia Parzen and Michael Kieschnick provides a very useful framework for thinking about development banking and the planning and operational considerations one must face for more development banking to occur and to be effective.”
- Richard Schramm, Department of Urban Studies and Planning, M.I.T.

“Credit Where It’s Due makes an important contribution in a vitally needed area of financial services. At a time of depressed economic activity, financial failure, and insupportable debt, this work shows how to mobilize capital where it is needed most urgently. This comprehensive work points the way for effectively utilizing this important tool to meet the growth needs of our society.”
- Leland S. Prussia, Chairman Emeritus, Bank of America

“Finally! This is a book that puts both bankers and community organizers reading from the same page. If bankers had read this book ten years ago, some might have avoided billions of dollars in red ink, some might have kept out of jail, and whole communities could have been saved and revived with the money invested. A careful and close reading of Credit Where It’s Due will help direct all of us in moving capital to its use for the greatest good: creating affordable housing and jobs.”
- Wade Rathke, Chief Organizer, ACORN

“This is a thorough discussion of the rationale for several types of development finance institutions; it will raise the level of debate and improve the chances of further adaptation and experimentation in the light of growing U.S. need for such vehicles.”
– Mary Houghton, President, The Shorebank Corporation

“This well-crafted book…is essential reading not only for those directly involved in creating development banks, but also for anyone working in the economic development field.”
- Robert E. Friedman, Chair, Corporation for Enterprise Development, and Chair, Association for Enterprise Opportunity