Episode Transcript
[00:00:07] Tamlyn Shimizu: Welcome to Smart in The City, the BABLE Podcast where we bring together top actors in the smart city arena, sparking dialogues and interactions around the stakeholders and themes most prevalent for today's citizens and tomorrow's generations.
I am your host Tamlyn Shimizu and I hope you will enjoy this episode and gain knowledge and connections to accelerate the change for a better urban life.
Smart in the City is brought to you by BABLE Smart Cities. We enable processes from research and strategy development to co creation and implementation. To learn more about us, please visit the BABLE platform@BABLE smartcities.eu so welcome back.
[00:00:47] Tamlyn Shimizu: To another episode of Smart in the City. I know I say every episode is special. I'm a little bit biased there, but truly this episode is very special. I'm on the ground in Chicago. This is my, my first episode filming on the ground in Chicago with the U.S. mayoral Roundtable and I'm getting insight into the many facets of urban life in Chicago. I also got to explore a little bit this weekend and I really fell in love with the city. So now I get to really get the inner workings into my mind and I'm excited to share that with you. Also joining me today, also for this co branded episode is George Burciaga. He's a managing partner of the U.S. mayoral Roundtable. So George, welcome to the show. Please start with sharing a little bit about your work.
[00:01:32] George Burciaga: Absolutely. First of all, thank you for allowing us the opportunity to work together. BABLE's done a lot of great work around the world and as you know personally, and I'll talk a little bit about it, the US Roundtable does a lot of that same work in the US and you're here in my hometown. I've lived here born and raised. So excited to have you here. The U.S. roundtable is an organization that works directly with city leaders and will advise them on how to resolve a number of the critical human issues they're dealing with at street level. So ensuring that we take a human approach to using technology and best practices to be innovative and create change. So thank you and I'm glad you're here today.
[00:02:13] Tamlyn Shimizu: I'm really glad to have you. So thanks so much. I'm really excited to work with you on this and great work that you guys are doing on the ground here in the US I know very well. So thank you so much, George.
[00:02:23] George Burciaga: Thank you.
[00:02:23] Tamlyn Shimizu: Yeah. And now without further ado, I'd also really like to introduce you to our special guest today that I'm thrilled to speak to. His name is Bill Lowery. He's the Cook County Commissioner of the third District, representing one of the most populous counties in the nation with over 5.1 million residents. He's also chair of the Health Care and Hospitals Committee, and he plays a key role in shaping policies that impact public health and hospital systems across the county. And because that's not a big enough job, he also has another job beyond public service. He's also the president of Nyen, Bambrick, Kinsey and Lowry, a prominent Midwest law firm where I'm sitting today, actually. So welcome, Bill.
[00:03:05] Bill Lowry: Well, thank you. It's truly a pleasure to join you. And it's also a pleasure to be here with my dear friend George Burciaga. And I want to acknowledge you, George, as well as US Roundtable, for your leadership, your impactful work, I think your generational work, as you work with mayors throughout the country and you work with other leaders in government, including county level. So that's why I'm here. So it's my great joy to be here with you today.
[00:03:33] Tamlyn Shimizu: Yeah. Great to have you.
[00:03:34] Bill Lowry: Welcome to Chicago.
[00:03:35] Tamlyn Shimizu: Oh, thank you. I'm really excited to be here. I came once when I was a kid, but I haven't been back as an adult.
I got to go see the blues. I got to explore, explore a little bit. I got a little bit the heart of the city. So, yeah, thanks for having me.
[00:03:52] Bill Lowry: Well, enjoy your stay. It's good to have you back. And while I serve as Cook County Commissioner of the third District, it's an all Chicago district. So as we speak today here in my law firm, we're actually speaking in the third District. So welcome not only to Chicago, but to the third District.
[00:04:08] Tamlyn Shimizu: Thank you so much. Yeah, I'm really excited to hear a bit more about you as a person and learn your story. It sounds quite interesting. So please, can you tell me about kind of your journey to this role today? What led you here? What experiences have shaped you?
[00:04:24] Bill Lowry: I appreciate that. So I am born and raised south side of Chicago, and I'll start with high school. And don't worry, George, I won't go through every day of high school. But high school is when my person of today really started to be formed. And I started at St. Francis Desales High School, and I stayed there until junior year when I and my buddies, we were leaving basketball practice and a car went by and they shouted out the N word and they shot at us. And obviously, that was a traumatic event. But thankfully, no one was hurt when I told my parents what had happened. Well, that Monday, I was at Francis Parker School which is across from Lincoln Park, Lincoln Park Zoo. And as I look back, you know, I'm so fortunate to have had both experiences because it was really at Desales where I first really faced racism, overt racism. And that was important in me becoming the person that I've become because as I've gone forward in my life, it's been very important for me to make sure everyone is seen and everyone is heard. So I truly embrace diversity in all of its hues. But it really started for me that day when we were shot at and called out a name, trying to leave basketball practice.
[00:05:38] Tamlyn Shimizu: Really incredible, although horrible experience. But can you tell me a little bit more later in life now? How did you get into, I guess you went to law school, I'm assuming.
[00:05:51] Bill Lowry: I did. I did.
After high school I went to Lake Forest College and small liberal arts, wonderful school. And I always say when talking about Lake Forest College, it's given me more than I can ever give it. But there are no coincidences. So as we speak today, I serve as chair of the Lake Forest College Board of Trustees. And it has been an over 40 year love affair I've had with the college. And what did I get from the college? I got knowledge. I got knowledge born from a great education in the classroom, but also knowledge from varied experiences of learning, just interacting with different folks, people different than me outside of the classroom. That is what knowledge is about, education and learning.
[00:06:33] Tamlyn Shimizu: Very important point.
[00:06:35] Bill Lowry: Then law school, then I went to Loyola Law School, Loyola School of Law and had a wonderful experience there, you know, as wonderful as law school can be. And again, because of my proximity, I've stayed affiliated with the law school and I'm a past president of their board of governors. So I think you're seeing a trend. I came up in a household where service was not just a suggestion, it was expected. So when I actually, after law school, I started practicing law at the first labor law firm in the city, Pope, Ballard, Shepard and Pfeil. And after five years there, a group of us broke off and started this firm, which is Nyhan, Bambrick, Kinsey and Lowry. And I have been serving as president of our 45 person firm for 17 years. And I still love the practice of law. But throughout my practice, I always felt a compulsion to give back. And when I first decided to run for public office, I was serving on 14 boards trying to give back. And I don't recommend that anyone serves on 14 boards, but I do recommend, I do recommend that everyone find their way to serve.
[00:07:39] Tamlyn Shimizu: Yeah, very good points. How does your Experience with law shape your public service. How do they interact?
[00:07:47] Bill Lowry: Well, I tell you one way that's very, very obvious when you look at representing others and you have a constituency such as I. My district encompasses parts of 15 of the 50 wards of Chicago. So it's not the tale of two cities, it's the tale of three cities. You know, I have all of Michigan Avenue and all of the glamour that comes with that. The stores. I've got eight hospitals. I've got a number of the museums. But I also have neighborhoods. So depending on who you're talking to, there's a different Chicago that you're hearing about. So what I've seen in this space and my ability to impact in this space is really geared in two ways. It's the justice gap and it's the health care gap. And that has really become a lot of my work, and it's important. So being a lawyer, the justice gap is something I take very seriously. I've worked with a number of legal aid groups. I am still on the advisory committee of Carpals, which is a top legal aid hotline, not only in Chicago, but in the entire country. But also my work has also really been in the space of trying to make sure that health care is a right for everyone, and health care is a right for everyone. It is not a privilege for the few. So that's been my work each and every day.
[00:09:01] Tamlyn Shimizu: Incredible. Thanks so much for sharing. Before we get into the main interview and get a little bit deeper into the topics, I like to get a little warmed up with a bit of a teaser question.
[00:09:10] Bill Lowry: Yeah, I like popcorn.
[00:09:13] Tamlyn Shimizu: I have a question for you. If you could have one superpower to make your job easier or more impactful, what would your superpower be?
[00:09:26] Bill Lowry: Honestly, to help more people? You know, I truly embrace Galatians. I feel we are here to love and serve. And if I could use a superpower to impact more individuals, I would do that.
[00:09:41] Tamlyn Shimizu: Incredible answer. I actually don't know if George, you have also something you want to share from your experiences.
[00:09:47] Bill Lowry: He'd like a cake so you can buy.
[00:09:49] George Burciaga: Yeah, listen.
Yeah, no, let me. Let me. Let me follow up. I couldn't agree with the commissioner more.
[00:09:55] Tamlyn Shimizu: Yeah.
[00:09:56] George Burciaga: I would say his superpower is compassion.
While he's doing a lot of big things around hospitals and tech and supporting the development of one of the largest counties in the United States, he always comes back to caring about people. And I'm not saying that because he's here. I'm saying because I actually say it to people who ask about him. It's the first area that I connect to, and it's probably why we've become so good friends after so many years. And it's the one thing that always keeps us connected. It's not about work, it's not about money. It's not about. It's actually about how we do good, how we do good trouble and really support thinking big. So that's it. My superpower is my wife.
I got to say that because she keeps me in line.
I was fortunate to be able to. I came out of one of the tougher neighborhoods in Chicago, like the commissioner, and unfortunately, I didn't have an opportunity to leave. So I wasn't. I didn't go to any good schools. I didn't find opportunities. I actually had to build them. So instead of working towards sitting at someone's table, I had to make my own table, I had to set up my own shop to be able to really think out of sort of the box and build. So today things are different. I do own a fairly decent sized organization that does good everywhere. I did sell a handful of companies to some of the largest technology firms in the world. I have had a lot of success, but it's really been that family base, the thing I did not have growing up that I do now, that's changed the way I see my future, my. My kids future and our friends and family's future. And it's what I'm working to do. So I would say family's been kind of my superpower.
[00:11:42] Tamlyn Shimizu: Amazing answers to both of you. I really, I really respect both of that.
[00:11:46] Bill Lowry: Now, you know, George is going to get me in trouble. So, so let me say. Let me say Trina's amazing and you've got a great family, but I am very blessed to have a wonderful family and, and my better half, Cheryl is. She is incredible. She's incredible. And we're equally yoked. And that's what it really takes if you're going to give back to the community. It starts with you giving back within your own household and having a partner that you can work with. And we've both been very fortunate with that. But you are about to get me in trouble.
[00:12:18] Tamlyn Shimizu: No one's ever said family is their superpower. And I really love that, really roots level focus that you both have. So thank you for that.
[00:12:27] Bill Lowry: No, I'm just going to brag about him for a minute because I have a number of friends, but George is a foxhole friend. He is one of the individuals you can rely on 24, 7 and I'm going to tell you, you don't find that as often, certainly in the political space. In fact, I often say politicians make lawyers seem decent. But in this service, one of my greatest gifts has been getting even close to George. And I mean that. I mean that.
[00:12:56] Tamlyn Shimizu: That's really special. I've had a lot of special moments on the podcast with friendship and different things. And it's one of the best things about what I do as well is getting to tell your stories and really getting to share that love and trust with other people. So thank you for sharing that with me.
I want to dig a little bit into some of the programs and initiatives.
[00:13:15] Bill Lowry: Sure.
[00:13:15] Tamlyn Shimizu: You've been a part of Commissioner. So you founded the It's Time organization.
[00:13:21] Bill Lowry: Yes. So before I decided to run for office, I was active politically, but behind the scenes. And Hadiya Pendleton was shot and killed 10ft from my backyard in Kenwood, which is just north of Hyde park in Chicago. And it's actually the neighborhood where President Obama comes from. And Chicago's a small, big city. So we had the great fortune of not only following Barack Obama during his rise, but calling he and Michelle friends. Right. So after hadiya was shot 10ft from my backyard, my mid kid, Evan, we are blessed with three kids. Bill Jr. Who's a assistant attorney general, the Bureau of Civil Rights, Evan, who is graduating from University of Miami Law School in May and actually has loved law school, and he wants to be a litigator. And then our daughter, the one I like, Clark, she went to USC and she has worked for the last several years, and she's doing marketing and AI work for Universal Pictures. So all three are doing great. But it was Evan at the time who said, what are you going to do? I said, what am I going to do? He says, yes. He said, this violence has now reached our doorstep. And, you know, some people, what are you going to do? And I was honest with Evan. I said, I don't know. I said, I'm going to pray and I'm going to talk to your mother about it. And I did both. And it was put on us to host a breakfast at our house. We had about 50 friends over. And it was actually the Saturday that Hadiya was laid to rest. And we had every facet of Chicago represented at that breakfast. We had business professionals, we had union leaders, we had educators, we had healthcare individuals, entrepreneurs. I even had a friend who was a former gangbanger who took us through the day of the shooter. And out of that meeting, it was put on me to Say it's time. It's time for us to stop hiding behind safety glass, stop hiding behind our alarm system and to be seen in our community for our youth. So I created Tito, the It's Time Organization. And this was an organization comprised of folks like me who did not spend every day when we were working, working with youth, but instead wanted now to have a role with our youth. So we started with some of the area high schools and we provided after school programming along with Build. And Build is a group out of the west side, and they have been in this space since the late 60s providing programming for youth. And we started going to area high schools and providing the after school program, realizing the most precarious time for our youth was 4pm to 10pm and we wanted to provide constructive activities and opportunities for our youth. And that spilled over to members of Tito, providing summer intern opportunities. And that's what finally got me to realize I had to do more. So I had three high school students here at the firm and I was going to take them over to see city council.
And as we were preparing, there was one gentleman I noticed every day he had his shirt out. I was going to tell him, you're going to meet the mayor, you're going to see city council, you're going to tuck in your shirt. But I had noticed that he had a piece of twine holding up his pants. So the next day I stopped and I got a new belt for him and for the other gentleman in, in my program. And I called the first young man in my office. I gifted him a belt. He said, thank you, Mr. Lowry. I then brought in separately the gentleman who always had his shirt out. And as I gave him his belt, he laughed and cried. He took off his rope, he put on his belt, and that's when I said, you must do more. And it was at that point I decided that I would seek office because I just felt I'd be more impactful if I was able to speak from the vantage point of an elected as opposed to a well meaning lawyer. And the opportunity presented when Jerry Iceman Butler, who's my predecessor as Cook County Commissioner of the third District, decided he was not seeking reelection. And I ran and I ran with his endorsement, with the endorsement of President Tony Preckwinkel. I had six other people against me. I got 33% and one. I then beat the Republican pretty soundly. That still occurs in Chicago. And that's how I became Cook County Commissioner. And now I'm in my second term, and second time was easier. I was unopposed both in the primary and the general. But it was that aha moment when I saw that young man take off his rope and put on a belt that I said, you, Bill Lowe, must do more.
[00:17:52] Tamlyn Shimizu: And it's those little actions. Right. And those little moments that stood with us so much. Yeah, that's. That's an incredible story. I want to learn more about what strategies you're really using in your position today to drive that impact.
[00:18:05] Bill Lowry: I appreciate it. So I really frame my service with four pillars, Four pillars that I've taken from the Black Caucus of our state electeds. And the first is economic equity. And I think it's very important because if you're not at the table, you're on the menu.
Prior to being elected Cook County Commissioner, I was the first African American to serve on the Capital Development Board by appointment of the governor. This is a board of seven individuals who approves every construction contract in the state. You can imagine this is a lot of responsibility.
I was struck meeting after meeting at all of the waiver requests, meaning the entities who were getting these contracts were seeking a waiver. So they did not have to have as a part of their team, minority business enterprises and women business enterprises. And I started shining a light on this while I was vice chair of capital development. And then when I went over and I was elected to be Cook county commissioner, I picked it right up. And my first ordinance was the Good Faith effort Transparency Report ordinance. And what my ordinance requires is any entity bidding on a Cook county contract but seeking a waiver, either full or partial. They now have to go through my document and show their attempts at involvement and participation and inclusion. And what have you seen as a result of this ordinance, which passed unanimously? Less waiver requests. Therefore, more people are at the table than on the menu. That's an example of how you can use this space to truly help others. I also when we had the passage of the state bill in January of 2020 legalizing recreational marijuana, when you look at the 600 pages of that legislation, and most folks don't read the 600. Yeah, let me tell you this. My chief of staff has. But in any event, when you look at the specific intent of that legislation, it was to make up for the past consequences of individuals and communities faced because of the prior marijuana laws. There was a focus to use this opportunity to help social equity applicants and the disproportionately impacted areas of Cook county of the state, I should say, including Cook County. I started the Cook County Cannabis Commission.
I still have the commission. I work with 30 subject matter experts. But out of that we have focused on trying to really shine a light on those social equity applicants who, despite getting licenses, have kind of been kept out of the main, I guess now the recreational cannabis legalized business, they've been kept out. So through this I created a Cook County Cannabis development fund. And through an application process, we were able to award resources to only social equity applicants, but to the tune of $4 million last year, just to help them now go to a bank and get the kind of funding that they need so they can actually open the cannabis business for which they've given licensure. And it was very well received. Unfortunately, we didn't have the resources to really correspond to the demand. But that also tells you we're doing the right thing and we're going to keep doing that. So economic equity is very, very important. I also focus on education and apprenticeship opportunities. I think that this is really a path forward that we need to pursue. And I was working with the Cook County Department of Facilities Management and they created an internship, an apprenticeship program, one with a well recognized union. We have a great relationship, it's been great. But I also brought the Illinois Manufacturers association to the table. So that's private sector. I think that government needs to pivot and realize that we need more collaboration, not just in the public sector, which we of course need, but also in the private sector and just bring everyone to the table for the good of the whole. So that's an example of what we did in that space. I continue to work on criminal justice reform and I work with other like minded electeds at the city level, the state level and the federal level as we try to get our arms around the violence which has gripped the city of Chicago, certain communities more than others. And we continue that work, but that work has also continued. Listening. See, communication is key. And communication is not just talking, it's listening. Same letters that spell listen spell silent. So I regularly go to Cook County Jail where we have just about 5,000 individuals being detained. And I go there to listen. I go there to listen more than I speak. And I was there recently and the question I posed was, when you go home, what do you need to stay home? Because the recidivism rate over three years is about 60%, much too high. When you go home, what do you need to stay home? So I heard, well, I need a job. Okay, we can work on that. I need transportation. We can work on that. I need housing. We can work on that. But I also heard we need behavioral health Care. And that is so interesting because as I speak to you, 49% of the individuals being detained at Cook County Jail have been determined to have a mental health concern. That tells us two things. One, that is the biggest mental health facility in Cook County. That's a problem. But it also gives us number two, the path forward. We must make sure that in addition to traditional health care, behavioral health care is available for the entirety of Cook county and every community within. So that's important work and that's come out of the initiative that I have relative to criminal justice reform. The fourth pillar has become my why. I'm at a point, no matter what anyone's doing, I ask them, what is your why? And that would be health care.
Healthcare has become my why. And it's become my why. Not just because it's important, not just because it's a right as opposed to a privilege, but because it's my story. So in 2019, I've always been good about seeing my physician.
I was seeing my physician and I had my PSA test, prostate specific antigen test.
You want your PSA level to be four or below. I was 6.8.
Then that leads to step two. Step two is you're going to be given a pelvic MRI that showed inflammation around the prostate. Might mean you have cancer, might mean you just have inflammation around the prostate. The next step is a biopsy where some clips are taken. And that was done. A little uncomfortable, but certainly not painful. And I get a call from the hospital about four days later and they say, good news, no cancer. You exhale three days later, my urologist calls me from Bali. If your urologist calls you from Bali, it's not to ask you about Chicago weather.
So he said, bill, based on the second reading, we think you have early detected prostate cancer. He says, this is a slow growing cancer. So we can just do what is called surveillance. We'll keep an eye on it. We'll take your PSA level every couple of months, two, radiation where the cancer is actually you shrink it through the radiation, or three, removal of the prostate. So I talked to my wife. We were absolutely certain that we were no longer trying to have children. And I decided I wanted it out. And because it's slow growing, we went through the holidays and In January of 2020, I had my prostate removed. And it was done through a robotic method. It's called the Da Vinci method. Couldn't have been, honestly, easier. It just couldn't have been. And that day, following the procedure, I'm walking in the hospital and my wife and I were infused to do a video. So she did a video of me walking in my gown saying, to all of you who may come down this road in the future, it's going to be all right. And then we went on. For me to do for the rest of the video is after I left the hospital, sat down, I did an interview with my chief of staff, just talking about all of these different factors. But I knew then that cancer prevention and early detection was going to be part of my calling. And I started doing my annual Commissioner Bill Lowe Men's Health Fair every September, as September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. And to show you the impact of this, I was doing a radio Show September of 2023.
And I get a call. We get a call from a gentleman named Ricardo Mendoza. I can use his name because he told me I can. And during the radio show, he shared that his PSA level was 16.8. He shared that he had an MRI which showed inflammation.
He shared that the digital exam showed that his prostate felt like a walnut, not like a sponge the way it's supposed to. He was scheduled for a biopsy when he lost his job and his insurance. And he shared this story over the radio, but you could tell he was tearing up. By the end of that day. I had him in touch with Provident Hospital, one of the hospitals in the Cook county health system. And a month ago, he called me to let me know his treatment was over and he's cancer free. That is why healthcare has become my why. But it goes on.
Following my diagnosis and successful treatment of prostate cancer.
Back seen my physician. I'm good at it. He said to me, I know you're feeling well, but let's get some scans. Take a half day just to see what's going on in your body. So, okay, there's no diagnosis. So I went in pocket and paid for those thousands of dollars. Everything was fine except for one, which showed I had a mass on my right kidney. My right kidney was removed again, thankfully, had not spread. Following that, I started immunotherapy because that's my issue. It's my immune system defeating the cancer cells that all of our bodies produce. And that went as it was desired to do. So I feel great.
But I found myself saying, how can I help individuals have early detection when they can't go in their pocket and pay thousands of dollars? And I tell you the truth, I'm sleeping and one night I pop up in bed. It's like 3:10am in the morning. 3:10am and it's put on me to create the Cook County Birthday Health Screening Program.
And that led to the program which we launched last month. And actually, no, it's January already, it's March. So we launched it in January.
And under this program now any woman in Cook County. So we talked about 5.1 million individuals in Cook County. Any woman 40 or older can get a free mammogram at any Cook county hospital or clinic, whether they have insurance or not. Every man 45 and older can get a free prostate screening at any Cook county hospital or clinic, whether they have insurance or not. And we're going to find that just this program promotes early detection, overall wellness, and it's going to extend life expectancy.
As I talk to you Today, there's a 30 year life expectancy difference between individuals living in Inglewood versus individuals living in Edgewater. It's incumbent on electors like me, community leaders like George, and all of us to do something about that. That's what I'm committed to doing. That's what Georgia's committed to doing, and that's what the US Roundtable's committed to doing. That's the import of this work. So I'm very pleased about us launching this program in Cook County. But I said, let me take my show on the road. So I went national.
So I went to the NACO conference, that's the national association of Counties. And I went there last week and I presented my national resolution for health screening. And it not only references breast evaluations and screenings in prostate, but also lung. So now NACO is a national organization like me, trying to get federal resources so that we can replicate what we've done in Cook county throughout the United States. That is why health care is my why.
[00:30:27] Tamlyn Shimizu: Thank you so much for sharing your why. That's incredible. I. I have so many questions I want to ask you, but of course, limited time.
How did you. How did you get funding for this? The birth date? Cancer screening? Because I know people want to know that.
[00:30:43] Bill Lowry: Well, I appreciate that. So first of all, I just want to say thank you to my colleagues on the Cook County Board of Commissioners who all supported this. It was first a resolution. They all supported it unanimously. I want to say thank you to President Tony Preckwinkle, who heads up our board, for her support. I want to say thank you to all of the friends I have at Cook County Health who supported this. But this is partly the answer to your question.
As a hospital, we have a charity care expectation, and all hospitals do. It's in return for having your Tax exempt status for property taxes.
With all the hospitals in Cook county, the hospitals we have in the Cook county health system account for over 50% of the charity care.
So to answer your question, we certainly have resources that we budget relative to the charity care piece. Also, we have a $10 billion annual budget. Half of that is the hospital fund. We've got resources. But the other thing that is just so important and can't be ignored, the cost on the front end is a whole lot less than the cost on the back end. When someone presents with advanced cancer, because we don't turn anyone away and because of charity care, we're going to treat that individual well. This is a way for us to treat the individual, early detection before it's advanced, and then also say to the individual, would you like a primary care physician? Here's a list. Because for some of our residents in our community still use the emergency room as your primary care physician. So you have individuals now can have their own primary care physician moving forward. Early detection is available at this part on the front end of whatever issue that they have. These are all advantages and I think really part of good governance.
[00:32:38] Tamlyn Shimizu: Absolutely. I want to ask you a bit more. You know that this podcast typically is about innovation, and some of the things that you're talking about are innovative.
[00:32:48] Bill Lowry: Yes, of course.
[00:32:50] Tamlyn Shimizu: Maybe you can share a little bit more about how you see innovation shaping Cook County's future.
[00:32:55] Bill Lowry: Yeah, I'm happy to.
As we're speaking, there's research going on. There's research going on relative to the toxins in our bodies and how to remove them.
Can't say much other than to say, it's coming. This is exciting. This is innovative. Just since I started my journey with my first diagnosis of cancer in 2019, there are other techniques now using when you've got cancerous situations with early detection, example ablation therapy. So now if you have early detected, let's say, a small mass, it might be on your kidney, it might be on your prostate, it might be on your lung. There's the ability for the physician to literally go in and to freeze that mass and kill it. And you walk out that day. You don't even. You're not even put under. You're given what's called twilight sedation. So what's happening is we're finding innovative ways to attack these issues, and we're doing so sooner rather than later. And I don't care what your situation is, what your diagnosis is, the earlier you know it's there, the better off you're going to be.
[00:34:10] George Burciaga: Could I add.
[00:34:10] Bill Lowry: Sure.
[00:34:11] George Burciaga: Something really quick, Commissioner. Well, let me also. Because you, you. You asked a question about innovation. And the commissioner has been incredibly upfront with identifying how to create change at the county, city and state level. And I'll explain why.
Within the last two years, the City of Chicago got a new mayor, Mayor Brandon Johnson, and the commissioner asked if I would connect with the team that was emerging to develop some form of technology task force.
And because of his push, knowing that technology was going to be critical in running any municipality, including the county, which he plays a significant role on the finance committee with the allocation of funding for tech as well. But. So he advocated for it. It happened January 26, 2024, in the city of Chicago. The US Roundtable stood up the first task force on innovation focused on public safety, intelligent infrastructure and smart government. How we change the internal workings. The three categories not only took off, it called and brought in 30 of the largest technology firms in the world.
This was only because the commissioner saw its potential and he advocated and pushed for it. And we have good partners in the city who felt the same way, like the chief operating officer, John Roberson, and the mayor saw it as well. But the commissioner is the one who said, I see something here that should be upfront and moving forward. And they were attracted to it because they saw the potential impact to help every family in every community. Today, we just actually launched March 6th, our first 2025 meeting, and the size of our group has doubled. So it means we have companies from all over the world, and we've included 10 other municipalities from around the US to participate in providing insights as well. And in this case, we're looking at how we develop what we'll refer to as an innovation lab, a living lab where we can test new technologies. But this all started because of the commissioner. This will happen in his area within his. It's not ward, is it? District, district, district, third district.
Because of his push. Everyone saw it. So you need people to stand up to ensure that you are at the table. You need people to stand up to be able to identify what's critical to create change. Now, let me sidetrack a little bit. With all the work he's doing in healthcare as the commissioner of the Healthcare and Hospitals Committee, there's going to be a lot of technology that he's going to be evaluating that we're actually going to be talking about with companies like Nvidia and others where AI will play a critical role. Drone dispatch for health care emergencies. There'll be a number of things that we'll be reviewing to him now. The great part about it is he's always open to review new opportunities that tell a bigger story, that help every family, that change the way we live. So for us, this is a city leader, a county leader that is going to change the way healthcare is delivered. And he's gonna use technology, he's gonna use medical innovation, he's gonna use his compassion to see what's required first and then call in other folks who are subject matter experts, because you need a subject matter expert in the core delivery of service, right? And that's what he does. And then he calls in some of the other folks who are experts in tech medical innovation. The birthday resolution develops, right? All these things start to happen. But you need someone who can see the future. And he does a really good job at identifying it and then allowing other folks to charge at it with him and support him. And we've already attracted a lot of attention globally with firms who will get behind him with this birthday resolution moving forward. And when he says it's coming, he'll have some announcements in the near future on some bigger deliveries of tech companies and others who are saying, we want to stand with you in this fight to ensure every person has an opportunity to stay healthy. So you're going to see a lot coming.
[00:38:28] Tamlyn Shimizu: I'm looking forward to that. George, thanks for giving that insight as well. That is really a gift to be able to rally the people behind you and see that future vision. So I want to ask you, Commissioner, what's the best advice you've ever received and what's the worst advice you've ever received?
[00:38:45] Bill Lowry: Well, before I do that, let me just say this in response to what George just said, because it's so important. You know, the provision of services is very important for any elected. Certainly it's important to me, but so too is efficiency. And there are things that I still have and that I'm speaking to George about all the time that I want us to continue to push toward. Just some examples, you know, we're Provident Hospital is one of the two main hospitals of the Cook county health system. And we're going to be really refurbishing Provident. But telehealth is going to be a huge component of what we're doing, right? That's important that we partner with friends such as George as we go down that road. I still want us to have a county card. You know, we provide so many different types of resources to residents. They should just have a simple place where they can go and download whatever they want to get off of the cart and move forward and go about their day. Ease. Right. I think that's something we can do. We're still, in some ways, I think, antiquated, where I told you, we've got $5 billion in our health fund, we're still budgeting for unfilled positions so that once the need is there, you can move quickly. But I've got to think that there are more efficient ways for us to use those resources. And that's where I need guidance from friends such as Georgia, where I want to partner with the US Roundtable. So let me say that best advice I ever heard, it was not someone I knew personally, but someone I truly respected. And it was John Kennedy who said, with every success comes the potential of failure, but with every failure comes a potential for success. And there's not a person that you're ever going to encounter if they're being in integrity, who won't be able to say that they once fell. The question's not falling, it's did you get up? So I always get up when I need to get up, and I encourage others around me when they fall to get up. But that's the advice that I hold onto to the point, you know, I'm old school, I still write things down. And I will write that quote down every year so that I have it someplace that I can look at it on the down days.
[00:40:58] Tamlyn Shimizu: Do you feel comfortable sharing one time when you fell down and that you got back up what that taught?
[00:41:04] Bill Lowry: Oh, absolutely. I feel absolutely comfortable doing it. When I first took the bar exam, I failed it. I took the bar exam twice. And when I speak to law students, and I do that with regularity, I always say at the end, I say, don't think of me as a Cook county commissioner or president of a 45 person litigation firm. Think about me if you got a D when you thought you should have had a B. Think about me when you're not top 10% of the class, because only 10% of the class could be top 10% of the class. Think about me if you have to take the bar exam again. And when you fall, get up. Think about me when you get up.
[00:41:37] Tamlyn Shimizu: That's great advice. Now I want to hear from you. What's the worst advice you've ever heard? It's a bit tougher.
[00:41:44] Bill Lowry: No, no, you got it. No, I do.
[00:41:46] Tamlyn Shimizu: Okay.
[00:41:46] Bill Lowry: And this came from someone that I love with all my heart, my absolute mentor. It's my father. He said, don't run for public office.
He said, don't run for public office. But he said that because he recognized that it's not always an easy road. But it's bad advice because I've been able to help people, and that's what I want to do.
[00:42:08] Tamlyn Shimizu: Amazing. I'm glad you didn't take his advice. It sounds like you're doing incredible work.
[00:42:13] Bill Lowry: Thank you.
[00:42:14] Tamlyn Shimizu: Now is the time when I get to give you a little bit of the open floor. I think we've touched a lot of topics that you're really passionate about. I heard the passion in your voice, but maybe we missed something, and that's why I like to. To give you this space and this time. Did we miss something that you really want to share with listeners today?
[00:42:30] Bill Lowry: I just want to share that we all can help, and we're at a time when we need all hands on deck. And I want everyone within the sound of my voice to know if they have a passion to do something, do it. And if you're looking to do something, you're not quite sure what it is, contact me or contact someone like me. We need all of us, all hands on deck, right through here. The other thing I want to say is every vote matters. I can't tell you how many times I've heard, well, my vote doesn't matter. It does matter, and it's not just about the Oval Office. It's about the House of Representatives, it's about the Senate, it's about the federal judges, it's about the Illinois Supreme Court. Your vote matters. And I want. I want everyone to embrace that.
[00:43:20] Tamlyn Shimizu: Absolutely. Many of our listeners are European, either politicians or European, you know, city practitioners working on some of these topics. Obviously, it's a different landscape in Europe, but there's a lot to share.
What would you like to share with those Europeans today?
[00:43:37] Bill Lowry: Yeah, I, first of all, I love Europe. And one thing that I've come away from, my trips abroad with absolute certainty of people are people.
So the same expectation that I have on myself and others here, I'd have on those in Europe. And that is live Galatians. Realize whatever you're doing, you are here to love and to serve. And I think if we have enough of us who embrace that, it's going.
[00:44:05] Tamlyn Shimizu: To be a better world, a good universal message. So thank you so, so much for that. George, did you want to add anything else that we didn't get the chance to touch on today?
[00:44:14] George Burciaga: No, I'm great. I'm. I enjoyed the conversation completely. I want to say thank you to BABLE and yourself for spending time here. The one thing I will say is to the Commissioner's point and to the statement you made, elected officials in Europe, if they're interested in connecting with our U.S. partners here, our city leaders like Commissioner Lowry, we'd welcome that from a US Roundtable perspective to work with you to connect them so they can share ideas, so they can work together, so they can actually refer to the wins and losses and the weaknesses and strengths that they've had to work through. So I, I'm a true believer that, to the Commissioner's point, that we're stronger together. So if there is an opportunity to connect our city leaders from around the world with the US we'd be happy to support facilitating that.
[00:45:06] Tamlyn Shimizu: Yeah, I'd be happy to work on that with you, George, as well and see how we can connect the dots though, and really share those learnings. So with that, we just move on to our segment. The segment you did shout out a fair number of people today, but you also, I imagine you have a lot more people that you think might deserve more recognition in the field than what they're given. And so the segment I've chosen for you today is shout out, shout out.
[00:45:34] Tamlyn Shimizu: Mention a person, an organization or a city you think deserves more recognition in the field.
[00:45:43] Bill Lowry: Look at that. A person, organization or city.
Well, I'm going to say Chicago. I love Chicago and born and raised, it's my home. And often those who are not here, you hear a certain narrative, right? This is a world class city. We have great people, it's clean, we have great food and our violence is going down. So I want to encourage all to come to Chicago. If you haven't ever come to Chicago and if you haven't been here for a while, come back. And we even had a mild winter this year, right? That's right. But I'm very proud of this city and I'm proud of all 77 communities within this city. So I want to shout out the 77 communities of Chicago and the city itself.
[00:46:36] Tamlyn Shimizu: Great.
Yeah. I didn't imagine Chicago just from a personal experience. I think I had an image of Chicago that it didn't really fit. When I came here as an adult, I didn't picture it as clean and vibrant. And, you know, I didn't have this picture. You think of Chicago as, you know, a big city that's kind of, you know, a little bit rugged, etc. And I'm sure there are parts like that as well. But it really surprised me as well on my visit. So I advocate for that.
[00:47:06] Bill Lowry: Thank you.
[00:47:08] Tamlyn Shimizu: Now, it's the last question I hope you're ready for. It's the question we ask every single guest. And because there's so many definitions that you can share, the question is to you, what is a smart city?
And George, I want to hear from you too.
[00:47:25] Bill Lowry: I would say a smart city is a city which embraces change, efficiency, innovation, and through all of that, opportunity.
[00:47:41] Tamlyn Shimizu: Very good. To the point, what do you think? What can you add? George?
[00:47:46] George Burciaga: Yeah, absolutely. Usually when I'm asked this, whether it's in Smart City Expo, World Congress in Barcelona or somewhere else around the world where it's heavy tech focused, I'll always switch gears and take a human approach, recognizing that a smart city is a location.
Could be a town, could be a village, could be a city, could be a county. The idea that it's a location where all of the inner workings listen and react to every person. And the problem here is we hear people say we're building a smart city, but if it doesn't work for everyone, if the technology doesn't hit every 77, you know, all 77 communities, it can't be that smart if we have a mom and three kids who can't get to a doctor's appointment because of gun violence because they don't have enough money to get on the bus and it's snowing and it's late at night and you have all of these things, if those are the types of issues we're still dealing with. I want a city that actually works for everybody. If I hear a gunshot, I, I want the light to get brighter. I want the police to be dispatched. I want the alerts to be given to every person walking in that area. I want the bus to not move in that direction. And I want to make sure that happens in our highest crime locations in the city, not just downtown. So my focus would be a smart city would have to be a location that listens to the softest voices, that need the most help, that start to create change and transformation, that help everybody live an equal life in that location. So that's balanced and we're trying really hard to articulate that. So it's not about the nuts and bolts and the tech, but it's really about how it improves the way we live in every community.
[00:49:41] Tamlyn Shimizu: Amazing answers. You both. I love asking that question because you always get a mixed bag, but I love your focus.
[00:49:48] Bill Lowry: But he was long winded, like a politician working at it.
[00:49:53] Tamlyn Shimizu: That's your next college right with that. That's all I have for you today. So I just have to give a really big thank you for coming. Well, I came to you today, but thank you for being here with me today.
[00:50:05] Bill Lowry: Thank you.
[00:50:06] Tamlyn Shimizu: And thank you for having me in your city and thank you for sharing all your amazing stories.
[00:50:11] Bill Lowry: Thank you.
[00:50:11] George Burciaga: Yeah, thank you.
[00:50:13] Tamlyn Shimizu: And with that, I also have to thank our listeners. Don't forget, you can always create a free account on Babla Dash, SmartCities, EU and you can find out many more stories, solutions, implementations. Thank you very much.
[00:50:26] Tamlyn Shimizu: Thank you all for listening. I'll see you at the next stop on the journey to a better urban life.
