Gone but not forgotten
While we're on the service theme, hardly anyone has provided more of it to LISC over the years than Keri Blackwell. Keri (second from left) began her career at the national LISC office in New York. She then brought her formidable talents to Chicago, where she quickly climbed the ranks, becoming the office's deputy director. Her duties and accomplishments at LISC Chicago are too numerous to mention here, but she carved out a special niche in sports programming, including the highly successful Hoops in the Hood basketball program, the historic Spring into Sports citywide competition, and a partnership with the Chicago Cubs Charities Diamond Project to build or refurbish community baseball fields throughout the city. So engaging is the Cubs program that Keri is taking her organizing skills to the North Side team. Sorry to see her go, but comforting to know she's no further away than the Friendly Confines. Good luck, Keri. We'll miss you.