The Better Government Association launched a brand new membership program to build closer relationships with our supporters and give them an inside look at the important mission of the BGA.

The mission of the Better Government Association is to achieve transparency, efficiency and accountability in government in Chicago and across Illinois. Our members make this mission possible with their support.

To thank our new members and get to know them a little better, the BGA hosted a membership launch party at Rock Bottom Brewery on Thursday, September 19th, 2019. Approximately 65 members were in attendance.

Members explored various booths highlighting the different types of work the BGA conducts. BGA investigators showed members their work in print and talked to them about their recent stories. Long-time board member and former BGA investigative reporter Luke Kolman displayed annual reports from our archives dating back to 1976 and entertained members with stories of his time working undercover as a bartender at the Mirage Tavern. BGA Engagement Editor Mia Sato collected members’ burning questions about Illinois government for her series, What the Gov? And finally, members were encouraged to voice their “demands” for better government as a part of our #DemandBetter campaign.

BGA President & CEO David Greising welcomed members with a brief preview of membership benefits to come then interviewed BGA Policy Director Marie Dillon on Mayor Lightfoot’s progress toward BGA’s policy agenda. Marie noted that while Lightfoot has been in office only a few months, she’s making headway on ethics reforms that were stymied for decades by the old guard in the City Council. Marie had high hopes, however, that this administration would set a new standard for government transparency, but early evidence is disappointing.

We rounded out the night with a drawing for our door prize: a signed copy of BGA Director of Investigations John Chase’s book Golden: How Rod Blagojevich Talked Himself out of the Governor’s Office and into Prison.

PHOTOS

BGA Membership Launch PartyPhotos from BGA’s September 2019 membership kick-off event.focallength 50flash 9cameramake Canonheight 4480fnumber 3.5exposuretime 0.00625camerasoftware Adobe Photoshop Lighoriginaldate 9/19/2019 9:41:50 PMwidth 6720cameramodel Canon EOS 5D Mark IVfocallength 24flash 9cameramake Canonheight 4480fnumber 3.5exposuretime 0.005camerasoftware Adobe Photoshop Lighoriginaldate 9/19/2019 10:08:48 PMwidth 6720cameramodel Canon EOS 5D Mark IVfocallength 65flash 9cameramake Canonheight 4480fnumber 3.2exposuretime 0.0125camerasoftware Adobe Photoshop Lighoriginaldate 9/19/2019 10:34:39 PMwidth 6720cameramodel Canon EOS 5D Mark IVfocallength 59flash 9cameramake Canonheight 4480fnumber 3.5exposuretime 0.005camerasoftware Adobe Photoshop Lighoriginaldate 9/19/2019 11:05:05 PMwidth 6720cameramodel Canon EOS 5D Mark IVfocallength 200flash 9cameramake Canonheight 6720fnumber 3.5exposuretime 0.005camerasoftware Adobe Photoshop Lighoriginaldate 9/19/2019 11:23:53 PMwidth 4480cameramodel Canon EOS 5D Mark IVfocallength 70flash 9cameramake Canonheight 6720fnumber 3.5exposuretime 0.005camerasoftware Adobe Photoshop Lighoriginaldate 9/19/2019 10:13:09 PMwidth 4480cameramodel Canon EOS 5D Mark IVfocallength 30flash 9cameramake Canonheight 4035fnumber 3.5exposuretime 0.005camerasoftware Adobe Photoshop Lighoriginaldate 9/19/2019 11:38:37 PMwidth 6052cameramodel Canon EOS 5D Mark IVfocallength 24flash 9cameramake Canonheight 4480fnumber 3.5exposuretime 0.005camerasoftware Adobe Photoshop Lighoriginaldate 9/19/2019 10:14:13 PMwidth 6720cameramodel Canon EOS 5D Mark IVfocallength 47flash 16cameramake Canonheight 4480fnumber 3.5exposuretime 0.005camerasoftware Adobe Photoshop Lighoriginaldate 9/19/2019 9:29:44 PMwidth 6720cameramodel Canon EOS 5D Mark IVfocallength 70flash 9cameramake Canonheight 4480fnumber 3.5exposuretime 0.005camerasoftware Adobe Photoshop Lighoriginaldate 9/19/2019 10:53:50 PMwidth 6720cameramodel Canon EOS 5D Mark IVfocallength 70flash 9cameramake Canonheight 4053fnumber 3.5exposuretime 0.005camerasoftware Adobe Photoshop Lighoriginaldate 9/19/2019 10:24:17 PMwidth 6079cameramodel Canon EOS 5D Mark IVfocallength 63flash 9cameramake Canonheight 4480fnumber 3.5exposuretime 0.005camerasoftware Adobe Photoshop Lighoriginaldate 9/19/2019 10:10:43 PMwidth 6720cameramodel Canon EOS 5D Mark IVfocallength 53flash 9cameramake Canonheight 4480fnumber 3.5exposuretime 0.00625camerasoftware Adobe Photoshop Lighoriginaldate 9/19/2019 9:45:40 PMwidth 6720cameramodel Canon EOS 5D Mark IVfocallength 50flash 9cameramake Canonheight 4480fnumber 3.5exposuretime 0.005camerasoftware Adobe Photoshop Lighoriginaldate 9/19/2019 10:06:31 PMwidth 6720cameramodel Canon EOS 5D Mark IVfocallength 70flash 9cameramake Canonheight 4480fnumber 3.5exposuretime 0.005camerasoftware Adobe Photoshop Lighoriginaldate 9/19/2019 9:58:21 PMwidth 6720cameramodel Canon EOS 5D Mark IVfocallength 24flash 9cameramake Canonheight 4480fnumber 3.5exposuretime 0.005camerasoftware Adobe Photoshop Lighoriginaldate 9/19/2019 9:50:31 PMwidth 6720cameramodel Canon EOS 5D Mark IVfocallength 70flash 9cameramake Canonheight 4480fnumber 3.5exposuretime 0.005camerasoftware Adobe Photoshop Lighoriginaldate 9/19/2019 10:53:50 PMwidth 6720cameramodel Canon EOS 5D Mark IVfocallength 24flash 9cameramake Canonheight 3363fnumber 3.5exposuretime 0.005camerasoftware Adobe Photoshop Lighoriginaldate 9/19/2019 11:40:31 PMwidth 5044cameramodel Canon EOS 5D Mark IVfocallength 24flash 9cameramake Canonheight 4480fnumber 3.5exposuretime 0.008camerasoftware Adobe Photoshop Lighoriginaldate 9/19/2019 9:38:05 PMwidth 6720cameramodel Canon EOS 5D Mark IVfocallength 67flash 9cameramake Canonheight 4480fnumber 3.5exposuretime 0.005camerasoftware Adobe Photoshop Lighoriginaldate 9/19/2019 9:39:45 PMwidth 6720cameramodel Canon EOS 5D Mark IVfocallength 35flash 9cameramake Canonheight 6720fnumber 3.5exposuretime 0.005camerasoftware Adobe Photoshop Lighoriginaldate 9/19/2019 9:40:10 PMwidth 4480cameramodel Canon EOS 5D Mark IVfocallength 33flash 9cameramake Canonheight 4193fnumber 3.5exposuretime 0.005camerasoftware Adobe Photoshop Lighoriginaldate 9/19/2019 10:48:54 PMwidth 6289cameramodel Canon EOS 5D Mark IVfocallength 24flash 9cameramake Canonheight 3973fnumber 3.5exposuretime 0.005camerasoftware Adobe Photoshop Lighoriginaldate 9/19/2019 10:57:47 PMwidth 5960cameramodel Canon EOS 5D Mark IV

BECOME A BGA MEMBER

Become a member to receive invitations to events like this in the future. Memberships start at just $10 a month. 

JOIN NOW

SPECIAL THANKS

Free Spirit Media, Kyle Flubacker Photography, and Rock Bottom Brewery.