Meet the New Chicago Transportation Team

John Roberson currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer for the City of Chicago. In this role, Roberson oversees the day-to-day operations of 37 departments with an annual budget of $16.2 billion. Prior to this role, Roberson served as deputy chief of staff to Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle where he managed government and legislative affairs and strategic operational departments and initiatives.

Roberson has had a long career in both the public and private sector. He has served as chief of staff to 17th Ward Alderman David Moore; managing principal with Electronic Knowledge Interchange, a Chicago based technology company; as well as vice president for strategic partnerships with the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce.

Roberson's career also includes serving in several senior executive roles under former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley. Under Mayor Daley, Roberson served as commissioner of the Department of Aviation, Commissioner of Buildings, commissioner of Sewers, chief of development for Chicago Housing Authority, and the first executive director of the Department of Construction and Permits.

Roberson is an Air Force veteran who received commendations for his service during the Persian Gulf War. Roberson has received several awards and recognitions including Crain's Chicago Business 40 Under 40, Xi Nu Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Statesman of the Year, and the national Young Public Administrator of the Year of the National Forum for Black Public Administrators.

His community service includes serving as the chairman of the Local School Council of Lindblom Math and Science Academy, a nationally ranked selective enrollment junior/senior high school located on Chicago's South Side.

He is a graduate of Roosevelt University and a proud and enthusiastic member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated. Roberson is the father of three children: John (28), Jasmine (25), and Joelle (18).
https://www.cmap.illinois.gov/about/john-roberson

Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) Commissioner Jamie Rhee manages one of the world’s busiest airport systems, comprised of O’Hare and Midway International Airports, which serves more than 100 million passengers each year and propels Chicago as a global leader for air cargo activity. Chicago’s airports are also among the most connected in the world, serving more than 260 locations via 50 different commercial carriers to 46 countries worldwide.

Rhee has a long history of mastering complex issues in aviation as well as municipal government. Rhee began her career with the City of Chicago, and has worked for nearly 24 years in various roles, most recently as the Chief Procurement Officer. In this role, Rhee oversaw purchasing of $2 billion in goods and services for dozens of user departments of the City of Chicago, including the CDA; and the certification of thousands of minority-owned, women-owned, and disadvantaged business enterprises, including the Airport Concessionaire Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (ACDBE) program. Under Rhee’s leadership, Chicago’s procurement reform efforts have received national and international recognition, and Rhee has been recognized with a dozen awards from industry organizations for her contributions to public service.

Rhee previously served in various roles at the CDA. From 2004-2008, she served as the General Counsel for the O’Hare Modernization Program (OMP), where she handled all legal matters for the multi- billion dollar program, including all federal and state litigation as well as legal strategy with the Chicago Corporation Counsel, Department of Justice and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA); oversaw the successful completion of the FAA’s Environmental Impact Statement process and managed the legal process and procurement for all contracts, including commissioning the OMP’s first runway project ahead of schedule and under budget.

She also played key roles in previous administrations, having served as a Deputy Chief of Staff to the Mayor; and in various roles at the Departments of Law and Planning and Development.

Rhee has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Michigan State University and a Juris Doctorate degree from DePaul University School of Law.

Tom Carney assumed his role as the 10th Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) in March 2024, following his nomination by Mayor Brandon Johnson. As Commissioner, Carney oversees the department responsible for Chicago’s streets and sidewalks, bridges and viaducts, traffic signals and signage, streetlights, bike lanes and the citywide bikeshare system, and the permitting of activities in the public right-of-way.

With over twenty years of public service within CDOT, Carney has held numerous key positions, such as First Deputy Commissioner, Managing Deputy Commissioner for Operations, and Deputy Commissioner in the In-House Construction division. His breadth of experience across multiple CDOT divisions has given him a deep understanding of how to successfully deliver both the day-to-day neighborhood services and major capital programs that are critical to Chicago’s infrastructure, mobility, and quality of life for residents.

Carney was born and raised on Chicago’s South Side, where he attended Brother Rice High School. He continues a family tradition of public service; his father was a longtime employee with CDOT’s Division of Sign Management, making the Carney family part of CDOT since the Department was established in 1991.

Carney has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Marquette University and a Master of Public Service Management from DePaul University.