Kelwin Harris

Kelwin Harris is the chief civic engagement officer and deputy assessor with the Cook County Assessor’s Office, where he leads public participation and stakeholder outreach for the nearly two million property owners in Cook County. Previously, he was a senior outreach planner with the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) where he led outreach for Chicago's official regional plan, ON TO 2050, and provided technical assistance to help communities find more equitable solutions to improve residents’ quality of life.

Before CMAP, Harris held several roles in faith-based community development on Chicago’s Southside, including serving as director of social services for St. Sabina Church and Catholic Charities and as executive director of The Beloved Community, a non-profit organization focused on academic programming and college exposure for disadvantaged youth. Harris started his career in Chicago in government relations as an assistant to Mayor Richard M. Daley, where he managed the city’s public housing and human capital departments.  

Harris holds a Bachelor of Science in city and regional planning from Cornell University, a master’s in urban planning degree from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design, and a professional certificate in municipal finance from the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy. He currently serves on the board of The Historic Pullman Foundation, MIKVA Challenge, and Acero Schools.