October 18, 2021• News
NAPERVILLE, Ill. – October 18, 2021 –Nicor Gas announces Northern Illinois Community Initiatives, a foundation created to spearhead bold economic development strategies and to stimulate investment in real estate development, workforce development and entrepreneurship in severely under-resourced communities it serves in Northern Illinois. NICI and Nicor Gas will partner with local organizations and business and civic leaders to support revitalization projects that would benefit from community investment, financial assistance, mobilizing resources and advocacy.
The foundation will target Northern Illinois communities that are most in need and lack the level of outside investment and philanthropic support Chicago neighborhoods can access. NICI will bring together local stakeholders and investors to develop and support economic development strategies that have the potential for transformative impact and regional gains.
NICI is launching with $20 million provided byan affiliate of Southern Company Gas, Nicor Gas’ parent company. With an additional $250,000 grant from the Southern Company Gas Foundation, NICI is awarding impact grants to bridge funding gaps for local revitalization projects. Among the firstgrant recipients are UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial to produce a feasibility study for the revitalization of the Wood Street corridor in Harvey to address systemic health problems in communities of color; and the Chicago Southland Economic Development Corporationtohelp develop 4343 Ascending House, an e-commerce hub and business incubator located at 4343 Lincoln Highway in Matteson, Illinois. Ascending House will include a learning center with development programs, human capital training, access to venture capital investments and bridge grants to diverse entrepreneurs.
“While COVID-19 exacerbated economic distress in many communities, the communities NICI will support were already in a state of emergency before the pandemic and are in need of a bold and forward-thinking economic response now,” said John O. Hudson III, NICI founder and president and CEO of Nicor Gas. “At Nicor Gas, we understand that our infrastructure and programs serve as the foundation for growth and economic vitality in our region. NICI builds on that foundation to empower underserved communities to move forward from surviving to thriving.”
The number of people living below the poverty level in suburban Cook County grew by 77% since 2000, according to the 2018 Community Needs Assessment report completed by the Community and Economic Development Association of Cook County. The data shows that poverty has steadily moved outside the city of Chicago into other parts of Northern Illinois, but services and resources have not followed. Access to job opportunities with higher wages and affordable housing were among the top 10 on a list of needs identified by residents, according to the report.
“Throughout Northern Illinois, there are communities in need of a locallydriven, coalition-supported economic response,” said Tovah McCord, executive director of NICI. “We understand that communities must have buy-in from residents and local officials, as well as the infrastructure to spur business development and innovation to grow economies of scale.”
Learn more about NICI’s mission to build a stronger region by investing in bold economic development initiatives that help communities grow and thrive at nici-il.org.
About Nicor Gas
Nicor Gas is one of four natural gas distribution companies of Southern Company Gas, a wholly owned subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO). Nicor Gas serves more than 2.2 million customers in a service territory that encompasses most of the northern third of Illinois, excluding the city of Chicago. For more information, visit nicorgas.com.
About Southern Company Gas
Southern Company Gas is a wholly owned subsidiary of Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE:SO), America’s premier energy company. Southern Company Gas serves approximately 4.3 million natural gas utility customers through its regulated distribution companies in four states with approximately 666,000 retail customers through its companies that market natural gas. Other nonutility businesses include investments in interstate pipelines and ownership and operation of natural gas storage facilities. For more information, visit southerncompanygas.com.
About Northern Illinois Community Initiatives
NICI was founded by Nicor Gas to bolster investment in under-resourced communities hardest hit by deindustrialization, systemic and environmental racism, and other mitigating factors that affect job creation, wealth-building, healthcare and education. By forming strategic alliances and investing in bold economic development initiatives that help communities thrive, NICI accelerates actionable solutions toward building a more vibrant and equitable regional economy. For more information, visit www.nici-il.org.
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Media Contact:
Jennifer Golz
331.222.8716
jgolz@southernco.com
Wendell Dallas serves as president and CEO of Nicor Gas, one of America’s leading natural gas distributors and the largest distribution company of Southern Company Gas with 2.2 million customers in over 650 Illinois communities. Prior to leading Nicor Gas, Wendell served as vice president of sales and marketing for Georgia Power Company where he was responsible for their topline revenue growth strategy, new product development, product distribution, e-commerce, electric transportation, sales management and energy efficiency.
Wendell brings with him deep institutional knowledge gained from more than 30 years of leadership, operations and engineering experience in the natural gas industry. Prior to joining Georgia Power, he served as vice president of operations for two Southern Company Gas subsidiaries, Atlanta Gas Light and Chattanooga Gas. In these multistate leadership roles, he was responsible for ensuring the company’s operational excellence in delivering clean, safe, reliable and affordable natural gas to more than 700,000 customers in five Georgia and Tennessee regions. He also served as the vice president of economic and community development for the Southern Company Gas multistate footprint.
A native of Opelika, Alabama, Dallas holds a degree in mechanical engineering from Auburn University and is a graduate of Leadership Georgia, Leadership Atlanta and Leadership Savannah. He and his wife have three grown children.
Gorenz is director of finance for Nicor Gas. In this role, he is responsible for the development of the company’s financial plan and assuring its financial objectives are met. Gorenz maintains a broad knowledge of accounting, financial and business principles essential in the performance of his role.
Beyers is vice president of Business and Community Development at Nicor Gas. In this role, she will lead strategies to strengthen our customer engagement and drive our community and economic impact. She will oversee Community Affairs, Customer Development and Energy Efficiency, including strategic leadership of corporate giving, community engagement, workforce development, large customer services and market transformation.
Hudson is a licensed attorney who serves as president and CEO of Nicor Gas, the largest natural gas distribution company in Illinois. In this role, he is responsible for ensuring that natural gas – a clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy source – reaches more than 2.2 million homes and businesses in 656 northern Illinois communities. In addition, Hudson serves as executive vice president of Southern Company Gas, where he has enterprise-wide responsibility for market strategy and new venture development across the company’s regulated utility franchises in Georgia, Illinois, Tennessee and Virginia. Hudson also is a member of the Southern Company Gas Management Council.
Before assuming his current role, he served as executive vice president and chief external and public affairs officer at Southern Company Gas. In this role, he was responsible for the company’s External Affairs, Customer Operations, Corporate Communications, Marketing, Community Relations, Economic Development and Environmental Affairs functions. In addition, he served as president of the Southern Company Gas Foundation, which focuses on philanthropic and volunteer initiatives.
Binswanger is vice president of external affairs for Nicor Gas. In this role, he directs the company’s regulatory policy, strategy and planning and is responsible for regulatory activities with the Illinois Commerce Commission. In addition, he leads the company’s legislative and governmental affairs activities, external lobbyist engagement and development of company policy to align with state legislation.
In February of 2021, McCord was named Executive Director of Northern Illinois Community Initiatives, and brings 15 years of experience in the nonprofit sector. In this role, McCord will oversee all of NICI’s strategic planning, operations and grantmaking.
Most recently, McCord was Foundation Director for the Chicago Blackhawks. During her tenure, McCord served as the public face of the foundation and raised awareness of its engagement in the community, especially with diverse audiences. Additionally, McCord led a brand renovation of the Chicago Blackhawks Foundation, led the development of a new arm of the foundation by creating a direct service pillar, launched six individually branded programs, and pioneered innovative fundraising campaigns including events with NHL players and top chefs in Chicago.