The South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association (SSMMA) and the Southland Development Authority (SDA) has announced grant awards of more than $400,000 to fund innovative initiatives that further strengthen the economy and communities of the South Suburbs. 

The Southland Economic Transformation (SET) Fund received nearly 60 proposals. The fund is receiving support from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and is managed by SSMMA. 

The 10 winners include a technology incubator, an employer assisted housing program, initiatives in manufacturing productivity, diversifying ownership of high-growth companies and supply chain workforce training, among others.

John Ostenburg, chair of the SET Funding Board and former mayor of Park Forest, said the funding selection decisions were difficult. 

“There is so much opportunity in the Southland right now,” he said. “The area has enormous assets in its people, businesses and communities, and there were many more great proposals than we could fund.” 

Tyrone Ward, president of SSMMA and mayor of Robbins, said the awards “represent the strategic partnerships we need to overcome the current economic slowdown and capitalize on our combined assets in the long run.” 

Many of the grants build from and complement the Southland Development Authority’s Southland Equitable Recovery Stimulus Program. 

It is also funding some of the runners-up projects that will help businesses grow past the pandemic.

Projects with local connections include:

• Prairie State College in Chicago Heights: Hosting one of several new satellite offices for the Spanish Coalition for Housing. The award was $50,000. 
• Governors State University’s Illinois Innovation Network: Partnering with the Supply Chain Innovation Center and Business Incubator and the Chicago Southland Economic Development Corporation, GSU will develop an employee certificate training program in supply chain and logistics. The award was $50,000.
• Governors State University: Collaborating with four other organizations, GSU will work to increase women and minority participation in manufacturing, transportation and logistics. The award was $50,000.

“The mision of the Southland Development Authority is to help the region meet its full economic potential by bringing new capital and capacity to spark investment in the asset-rich communities of the Southern Suburbs,” said Diane Williams, a Flossmoor village trustee and co-chair of the Southland Development Authority’s board of directors.

“The Southland Development Authority creates a new center of gravity, connecting all of the residents and business owners to resources, opportunities and partners, whether to invest in growing industries, or secure employment and housing.”

The Southland Development Authority is a non-profit business organization designed to grow the economy of the South Suburbs. Launched in 2019 by business, civic and political leaders across the Southland, SDA brings the resources and capacity necessary to achieve transformative and inclusive economic growth for the region. It focuses investment in industry, workforce, housing and communities.