Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Websites
Accomplishments
Volunteerserviceawards
Publicationspresentations
Professional Development
Affiliations
Languages
Timeline
Generic

S. Mayumi "Umi" Grigsby

Chicago,IL

Summary

Strategic and mission-driven attorney with over 15 years of leadership experience in government, philanthropy, and advocacy. Proven track record in litigation, policy development, and project management with a strong focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Adept at driving complex initiatives, managing high-stakes projects, and achieving legislative victories while fostering community partnerships and advancing equity-focused agendas.

Overview

17
17
years of professional experience

Work History

Chief of Policy

City of Chicago
01.2023 - Current
  • Member of the Mayor’s Office Senior Leadership Team and Recruited, Hired, Coached and Managed a team of 12
  • Lead the ARPA Reallocation Steering Committee, allocating $199 million in funds to align with evolving policy priorities
  • Spearheaded the Mental Health System Expansion Working Group, overseeing the launch of three new behavioral and mental health clinics and services by the end of 2024
  • Directed the Plow the Sidewalks Initiative, a pioneering $3.5 million program providing municipal residential snow removal services in Chicago
  • Achieved legislative successes including expanding Paid Time Off and ending subminimum wage for tipped workers
  • Implemented key policy initiatives, such as the Municipally Owned Grocery Store Feasibility Study, Missing Women and Girls Task Force and the Public Banking Initiative
  • Lead the GBV Task Force and the Women’s Advisory Council in issues of Reproductive Justice, Women’s Health and Economic Justice

Policy Director

Chuy for Chicago Mayoral Campaign
01.2023 - 12.2023
  • Developed comprehensive policy plans addressing Health, Immigration, Aging, Women, LGBTQ+ community, Environmental Justice, Public Safety, People Living with Disabilities, Education, Economic Development, Immigration, Budget and Fiscal Management, Community Development, Housing, Veterans, Open Government and Ethics Reform and Transportation

Chief of Staff

Chicago Foundation for Women
01.2021 - 12.2023
  • Led the Anti-Racist Transformation Team in launching the Foundation’s first equity audit
  • Overhauled organizational processes, including hiring, recruitment, and financial reporting, enhancing operational efficiency
  • Fundraised for- and developed a cohort of grassroots Reproductive Justice leaders training in advocacy and leadership development
  • Member of the Senior Leadership team including IT, Programs and Grant-making, Operations, HR, Administration, Development, Finance and Communications, reporting to President/CEO
  • Managed cross-functional teams and created the Foundation’s first KPI dashboard to track progress and impact
  • Responsible for fundraising the largest donation for the community foundation in a single fiscal year
  • Created the Foundation’s first dashboard to measure progress and productivity, overhauled the financial reporting process, Sharepoint and document management system and led fundraising and grantmaking efforts in improving the nonprofit sector

Chair, Commissioner

Cook County Human Rights Commission
01.2019 - 12.2023
  • Elected Chair of an eleven-member board overseeing human rights issues, serving a renewable three-year term

Chief of Policy and Advocacy

Office of the City Clerk
01.2019 - 12.2021
  • Company Overview: City of Chicago
  • Member of the Senior Leadership Team and Recruited, Hired, Coached and Managed a team of 5 consisting of a Deputy Chief, a Director, Deputy Director and 2 Administrative Supervisors
  • Established the Policy Platform for women, girls, and nonbinary individuals, collaborating with community partners and securing successful fundraising initiatives
  • Managed the CityKey Municipal ID Program in budgeting, logistics, business, government and philanthropic partnerships, operations, policy, strategy, technology, security, legal and communications (a city-wide program looking to service 2.7 million Chicagoans with a budget of $688,412)
  • Chicago Co-Lead for Cities and Counties for Fine and Fee Justice leading national efforts for fines and fees reform
  • Lead Project Manager of the City of Chicago Mayor’s Racial Equity Rapid Response Team, the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the City’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC), implementing a racial health equity lens, liaising with anchor community groups - setting up community hubs to meet early childhood, COVID testing and food needs
  • Drafted the Office’s first DEI plan
  • City of Chicago

Assistant State’s Attorney

Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office
01.2017 - 12.2019
  • Represented Cook County in complex litigation and criminal appeals, managing cases and leading trial teams from discovery through trial

Staff Counsel/Polikoff-Gautreaux Fellow

Business and Professional People for the Public Interest (BPI)
01.2015 - 12.2016
  • Coordinated coalition efforts to address health issues in Altgeld Gardens and managed mixed income housing policy projects

Northeastern University School of Law Co-Op Fellowships

01.2013 - 12.2015
  • Conducted research and legal analysis for various organizations including the Massachusetts Governor’s Office, Vera Institute of Justice, and the Center for Constitutional Rights

City Coordinator

US Fund for UNICEF
01.2011 - 12.2012
  • Managed a volunteer team to build strategic partnerships, fundraise and raise awareness for the US Fund for UNICEF’s Tap Project Campaign

Special Assistant

Office of the President, Ministry of State
01.2008 - 12.2011
  • Led logistics and financial strategies for trade and investment, international conferences, women’s leadership development, peace and security and supported fundraising and curriculum development for the Angie Brooks International Centre

Education

Bachelor of Arts - French and Government

Georgetown University
Washington, DC

Juris Doctor - Concentration in International Law and Human Rights

Northeastern University School of Law
Boston, MA
05.2015

Skills

  • Strategic leadership
  • Community Engagement
  • Data-driven decision-making
  • Strategic Partnerships
  • Organizational Development
  • Portfolio Management
  • Legislative Advocacy
  • Government relations
  • Policy analysis
  • Policy Implementation

Accomplishments

  • Led logistics for International Colloquium for Women's Leadership Development Peace and Security for Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in Liberia
  • Advocated for the first World Water Week Proclamation in 2012 in Houston Texas
  • Transitioned the CityKey Municipal ID from in person to remote at the onset of the pandemic
  • Lead Project Manager for the City of Chicago's Racial Equity Rapid Response Team in Communications, Food Distribution, COVID Testing and Early Childhood Resources
  • Steering Committee Lead for the Mental Health Systems Expansion Report leading to the reopening and expansion of several mental health clinics


Volunteerserviceawards

  • 2024, Co-Chair, Brown Forum for Women in the Law Conference
  • 2023, Panelist, Women in the Law 2023
  • 2022, Board Member, Institute for Work and the Economy; Planned Parenthood of IL
  • 2021, International Book Award Finalist, Women’s Health, EmpowerHERed Health: Reforming a Dismissive Health Care System
  • 2020, Vice Chair, GirlForward Chicago – Lead Strategic Planning
  • 2016, Founding Board Member, Equity and Culture Committee, Between Friends
  • 2014, Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly’s Leadership Scholarship Award, Boston, MA
  • 2014, Helena Rubinstein Fellow for Women’s Justice, New York, NY
  • 2014, The International Trademark Association’s Saul Lefkowitz Moot Court Competition, New York, NY, Winner - Best Brief and Third Place Team, Eastern Region
  • 2013, Valerie Gordon Book Award, Boston, MA, Winner - 20-year legal writing competition on the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, hosted by PHRGE at Northeastern
  • 2012, The President’s Volunteer Service Award, Houston, TX, Recipient - National Honor from President Barack Obama for outstanding volunteer service due to work with the U.S. Fund for UNICEF

Publicationspresentations

  • 2024, ‘EmpowHERed’ Health: Reforming a Dismissive Health Care System, Routledge Chapman & Hall
  • 2022, 'EmpowHered' Health: How FQHCs Can Lead in Providing 'Empowhered' Health, Northwest Pulse
  • 2021, Pleasant Black Woman, Chicken Soup for the Soul, https://www.chickensoup.com/book/im-speaking-now
  • 2021, Solving Local Problems in Health to Maintain US Global Leadership, Speaker, Chicago Council on Global Affairs, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPmy9HOt3zY
  • 2020, EmpowerHERed Health: Reforming a Dismissive Health Care System, New Degree Press, Dec. 2020
  • 2020, How to Fight an Anti-Feminist Virus, Georgetown Public Policy Review, May 21, 2020, http://gppreview.com/2020/05/21/fight-anti-feminist-virus/
  • 2020, The death of George Floyd demands bold societal responses, Atlantic Community, June 15, 2020, https://atlantic-community.org/the-death-of-george-floyd-demands-bold-societal-responses/
  • 2019, Adults, Listen Up, Medium, January 30, 2019, https://medium.com/@umigrigsby/adults-listen-up-3c6f2d4873c3
  • 2017, Damage Done: The Impact of the Illinois Budget Stalemate on Women and Children, Chicago Foundation for Women, Aug. 2017, http://loyolacurl.squarespace.com/projects/2017/8/2/the-impact-of-the-illinois-budget-stalemate-on-women-and-children
  • 2016, Protecting Immigrant Women and Children on #GivingTuesday, Medium, November 29, 2016, https://medium.com/highlighting-generosity/protecting-immigrant-women-and-children-on-givingtuesday-a9021a6767f3
  • 2016, Enforcing Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: A Stark Dichotomy, NE. U. L.J. EXTRA LEGAL, Spring 2016, http://nulawreview.org/extralegalrecent/2017/5/3/enforcing-economic-social-and-cultural-rights-a-stark-dichotomy
  • 2016, Community-Based Solutions to the Challenges Facing Teen Moms, Strengthening Chicago’s Youth, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, June 30, 2016, https://scy-chicago.tumblr.com/post/146615360344/community-based-solutions-to-the-challenges%20facing/embed

Professional Development

  • 2024, Leadership Greater Chicago “The 40th Class” Signature Fellows Program
  • 2024, New Sector Alliance, 2024-2025 Leadership Longevity Fellowship
  • 2024, Member of the Supreme Court Bar, US Supreme Court
  • 2022, Chicago United for Equity Fellow
  • 2020, Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Emerging Leaders Program
  • 2020, Project Management Institute (PMI) Course: “Creating a Culture of Change”
  • 2020, Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Course: “Cultivating Cultural Competence and Inclusion”
  • 2017, Member of the General and Trial Bar, Northern District of Illinois
  • 2016, Licensed Attorney, State of Illinois

Affiliations

  • Black Women's Lawyer's Association

Languages

French
Native or Bilingual
English
Native or Bilingual

Timeline

Chief of Policy

City of Chicago
01.2023 - Current

Policy Director

Chuy for Chicago Mayoral Campaign
01.2023 - 12.2023

Chief of Staff

Chicago Foundation for Women
01.2021 - 12.2023

Chair, Commissioner

Cook County Human Rights Commission
01.2019 - 12.2023

Chief of Policy and Advocacy

Office of the City Clerk
01.2019 - 12.2021

Assistant State’s Attorney

Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office
01.2017 - 12.2019

Staff Counsel/Polikoff-Gautreaux Fellow

Business and Professional People for the Public Interest (BPI)
01.2015 - 12.2016

Northeastern University School of Law Co-Op Fellowships

01.2013 - 12.2015

City Coordinator

US Fund for UNICEF
01.2011 - 12.2012

Special Assistant

Office of the President, Ministry of State
01.2008 - 12.2011

Bachelor of Arts - French and Government

Georgetown University

Juris Doctor - Concentration in International Law and Human Rights

Northeastern University School of Law

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S. Mayumi "Umi" Grigsby