Lori Healey, who stepped in and out of roles in the public and private sectors, achieving successes in both and helping shape Chicago, has died. She was 65.
Healey was chief of staff to Mayor Richard M. Daley; served as chief executive of McPier, the agency that operates McCormick Place; and most recently oversaw development of the Obama Presidential Center project.
Healey died Saturday of pancreatic cancer, her family said in a statement.
“Our mother was someone who was fiercely loyal not just to us, but to her friends, mentees, and those who entrusted her to lead,” her family said. “Her career was filled with extraordinary accomplishments that will help define her legacy. So many knew her as a transformative force in public service, city planning, and civic development, but to us, her most meaningful role was as our mom.”
In addition to serving as Daley’s chief of staff, Healey ran the 2016 Chicago Olympic bid committee and organized the NATO and G-8 summits in Chicago in 2012. She also served as a commissioner of the city’s Department of Planning and Development.
In a statement, Daley said Healey was a “brilliant leader” whose “tireless spirit” set her apart.
“From major civic developments to international events, Lori’s clarity of vision and gift for collaboration made her an essential force in our city’s most important achievements,” Daley said. “She was so much more than a colleague — she was like family. Her passing is a profound loss for me personally and for so many others in our great city who continue to feel the impact of her extraordinary life.”
During her time at McPier — short for the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority — Healey oversaw the development and construction of Wintrust Arena and the Marriott Marquis Chicago, enhancing the McCormick Place convention center space.
When she left that post in 2019, Gov. JB Pritzker credited Healey with making “important investments in good-paying jobs for our residents that will stand the test of time.
“Illinois is proud to be home to the continent’s finest convention center — a title earned in no small part through Lori’s efforts these past four years,” Pritzker said.
Her next role was at development and design-build firm Clayco as president of its Chicago regional business unit, overseeing development, design and construction in the greater Chicago area.
In 2020 she joined the Obama Foundation to lead construction and operations of the Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park as senior vice president and executive project officer.
Last month, Healey was honored with the Game Changer Award at the 37th Annual Chicago Commercial Real Estate Awards.
Valerie Jarrett, chief executive of the Obama Foundation, said that Chicago is a better place thanks to Healey’s work. Jarrett said Healey could connect with anyone in any room, from heads of state to young people.
“She enhanced the beauty and vitality of our neighborhoods while mentoring countless young people,” Jarrett said in a statement. “At the Obama Presidential Center, Lori not only oversaw the massive construction effort on the South Side, but also dedicated herself to inspiring and mentoring young women in construction, management and public service. We will miss her for these many reasons, but most of all, we will miss her faithful and radiant friendship.”
Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza said she was heartbroken by Healey’s passing.
“To say she was one of the absolute best, most awesome people I’ve ever met & had the honor to work with would be an understatement,” Mendoza said on X.
Dan Gibbons, CEO of the City Club of Chicago, where Healey was a board member, said she leaves behind “a legacy of impact and leadership” that will continue to inspire.
“Her generosity, brilliance, and unwavering commitment to our city will never be forgotten,” Gibbons said in a statement.
Healey’s career began in 1983 when she served as a policy aide to former Gov. John Carlin of Kansas. She was a graduate of Kansas State University, where she earned an undergraduate degree in economics and a master’s in public administration.
“We are heartbroken by this loss but comforted in knowing that her legacy lives on in the countless lives she touched — in her grandchildren, colleagues, friends, and the city she loved so much,” Healey’s family said.