Chicagoland Transit in Crisis: What is the Fix?
2025-06-25 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Chicago) | FREE ZOOM WEBINAR
Join Lincoln Forum and the Union League Club of Chicago Transportation Subcommittee in partnership with ACEC-IL for a free virtual event, Chicagoland Transit in Crisis: What is the Fix?, on Wednesday, June 25 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. CT.
Dr. Joe Schwieterman of DePaul University will moderate a timely discussion with IL State Representative Eva-Dina Delgado and IL State Senator Ram Villivalam on the looming $770 million budget shortfall facing regional transit agencies when funding runs out on December 31. The panel will explore potential solutions, including a proposed statewide $1.50 retail delivery tax.
Register: https://ulcc-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_0T2TAbBHTruzlSChcsJGOQ#/registrationh

Draw the Line: Why Fair Maps Matter
2025-08-19 08:00 - 10:00 | Union League Club of Chicago, 65 West Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL, 60610, United States
Draw the Line: Why Fair Maps Matter
A Conversation on Redistricting, Representation, and Reform
Lincoln Forum and the Union League Club of Chicago invite you to a timely breakfast panel exploring the complex and critical issue of gerrymandering and its impact on political representation. With redistricting reform continuing to spark debate across Illinois and the nation, this discussion will examine the current system and potential paths forward.
The panel features William M. “Bill” Daley, former U.S. Secretary of Commerce and White House Chief of Staff, and Ray LaHood, former U.S. Secretary of Transportation and longtime Illinois Congressman—both co-chairs of Fair Maps Illinois.
They’ll be joined by Michael Dorf, constitutional scholar and former General Counsel to the Democratic Party of Illinois, and Bill Cadigan, former chair of the Illinois State Board of Elections, both who played a key role in the 2014 Yes for Independent Maps campaign.
Moderated by Chicago Tribune chief political reporter Rick Pearson, the conversation will offer insights from experienced public servants and legal experts on a topic that continues to shape electoral outcomes.
📅 Tuesday, August 19, 2025
🕗 Doors open: 8:00 AM | Breakfast & Program: 8:30 AM
📍 Union League Club of Chicago, 65 W. Jackson

Part 2 - Chicagoland Transit in Crisis: What is the Fix?
2025-09-25 12:00 - 13:00 | FREE ZOOM WEBINAR
Part 2 – Chicagoland Transit in Crisis: What is the Fix?
Join the Lincoln Forum and the Union League Club Transportation Subcommittee for a follow-up virtual discussion on the growing transit funding crisis in our region.
Moderator: Joe Donlon, Anchor, CBS 2 News
Panelists:

Illinois State Senator Ram Villivalam (D-8th District)
Illinois State Senator Seth Lewis (R-24th District)
Illinois State Representative Kam Buckner (D-26th)
Illinois State Representative Brad Stephens (R-20th)

Regional transit agencies continue to face a looming $770 million budget shortfall when emergency funding runs out on December 31, 2025. Unless lawmakers reach a funding deal during the October fall veto session, the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) will be forced to move ahead with budget scenarios that include severe service cuts and fare increases beginning January 1, 2026.
With agencies already developing their 2026 budgets around a projected 20% funding gap, this conversation will focus on potential solutions, legislative pathways, and the very real consequences for riders, workers, and businesses across Chicagoland.

Reclaiming Civility: How America Moves Forward Together
2025-11-10 09:30 - 10:30 | FREE ZOOM WEBINAR
Reclaiming Civility: How America Moves Forward Together
Monday, November 10, 2025 | 9:30–10:30 a.m. CT | Virtual Event
Presented by Lincoln Forum and the Union League Club of Chicag​o
At a time when civility and trust in public life are being tested, Lincoln Forum and the Union League Club of Chicago will host a one-hour virtual discussion on how America can rebuild respect and unity in our democracy. Vice President Mike Pence and Ambassador Rahm Emanuel will share their perspectives in a bipartisan dialogue moderated by Jonathan Martin, politics bureau chief and senior political columnist at POLITICO.
We invite you to join us for this free ​conversation, an opportunity for civic leaders, policymakers, and engaged citizens to reflect on how we move forward, stronger, together, and with a renewed commitment to dialogue, understanding, and the democratic values that unite us.
Register: https://ulcc-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_DeXx7-zTTCCAbCQCSPrmqg

Cementing Illinois’ AI Leadership Through Smart Policy
2025-12-02 12:00 - 13:00 | FREE ZOOM WEBINAR
Cementing Illinois’ AI Leadership Through Smart Policy
Tuesday, December 2 | 12:00–1:00 PM CT
Free Virtual Panel Discussion
Presented by the Lincoln Forum & The Union League Club of Chicago
As artificial intelligence accelerates, Illinois has a unique opportunity to solidify its role as the Midwest’s center of innovation and AI leadership.
We invite you to join a timely virtual conversation that brings together voices from government, tech, law, business, and academia to explore how Illinois can remain competitive, attract investment, and build the workforce of the future.
Featured Panelists:
• State Rep. Edgar Gonzalez Jr., Chair, Cybersecurity, Data Analytics & IT Committee
• Birju Shah, Clinical Assistant Professor of Product & AI, Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management & CEO of Loam
• Erika Knierim, Emerging Tech Attorney, Founders Law
• Brad Folkens, Entrepreneur, Technologist, Investor & CTO/Co-Founder, iAsk.ai
We hope you’ll join us for this important conversation.

The Future of Higher Education
2026-03-02 11:30 - 13:15 | Union League Club of Chicago, 65 West Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL, 60610, United States
The Future of Higher Education
Hear from academic leaders shaping tomorrow.
Presented by Lincoln Forum and the Union League Club of Chicago
Please join us for a luncheon discussion on the Future of Higher Education, featuring senior leadership from three of the nation’s leading research universities, in a forward-looking conversation on the opportunities and challenges facing colleges and universities today. The event will take place at 11:30 a.m. CT on Monday, March 2, at the Union League Club of Chicago.
Featured University Leaders

Henry Bienen, President, Northwestern University
Charles Isbell Jr., Chancellor, University of Illinois
Paul Alivisatos, President, University of Chicago

The discussion will explore leadership, access, innovation, and the evolving role of major public and private research universities in shaping regional and national outcomes. Topics will include financial sustainability, enrollment and demographic shifts, workforce, industry, and civic partnerships, and the growing impact of technology on research and university operations. The conversation will also highlight how leading institutions are increasingly collaborating across institutional lines, including initiatives such as the Chicago Quantum Exchange.

The Bracket Briefing
2026-03-16 12:00 - 13:00 | FREE ZOOM WEBINAR
The Bracket Briefing
Monday, March 16 | 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM CT
Free Virtual Event
Presented by Lincoln Forum & the Union League Club of Chicago
The bracket drops Sunday night. Monday at noon, we break it down.
Join us for a sharp, fast-moving conversation on the 2026 NCAA Tournament. Our panel of sports experts will reveal their Elite Eight, Final Four, and national champion, breaking down key matchups, potential upsets, and the logic behind their picks.
Whether you’re entering a pool or just love the strategy of March basketball, this is your inside look before tipoff.
Moderator:

​Lou Canellis, NBC 5 Chicago

Panelists:

Carmen Defalco, ESPN Chicago
David Haugh, 104.3 The Score
Kevin Powell, WGN Radio
Tina Nguyen, Fox 32 Chicago

The New Hiring Equation: AI, Talent and What Employers Want Now
2026-05-27 12:00 - 13:00 | FREE ZOOM WEBINAR
The New Hiring Equation: AI, Talent and What Employers Want Now
Wednesday, May 27 | 12:00–1:00 p.m. CT
Free virtual event
Artificial intelligence is changing the workplace and reshaping what employers value in talent.
Join Lincoln Forum and the Union League Club of Chicago for a timely virtual conversation on how AI is influencing hiring, workforce development and the skills needed to succeed in today’s evolving job market.
The panel will feature:

Brooke Elliott, Dean of Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Krista Fischer, Managing Director of HR, United Airlines
Alexandra DeLuca, Workforce Systems Director, P33

NITA Takes Effect: What Comes Next for Regional Transit
2026-06-30 12:00 - 13:00 | FREE ZOOM WEBINAR
NITA Takes Effect: What Comes Next for Regional Transit
On June 1, 2026, Illinois launched the Northern Illinois Transit Authority, known as NITA, marking a major shift in how public transportation will be governed, funded and coordinated across the six-county Chicago region.
Join Lincoln Forum and the Union League Club of Chicago Transportation Subcommittee on June 30 from 12:00–1:00 p.m. for a free virtual conversation, sponsored by ACEC-IL, about what NITA means for riders, businesses, municipalities, infrastructure firms and the future of regional mobility.
Moderated by Kirk Dillard, Chairman of the Regional Transportation Authority, this panel will break down what changes now, what happens during the transition and what to expect in the months ahead. The discussion will cover governance, funding, fares, public safety, procurement, capital planning, service improvements and the broader economic impact of a more unified transit system.
Panelists:

IL Senator Ram Villivalam
IL Representative Eva-Dina Delgado
IL Senator Seth Lewis
Maulik Vaishnav, NITA Act Implementation Lead,Office of Governor JB Pritzker
