Samantha Fields

Samantha Fields serves as the Director of Government Innovations. Sam is responsible for identifying public funding streams that align with the public health service models for violence prevention programming. She will also collaborate with elected officials, government leaders, and community organizations to develop an effective public health infrastructure for violence preventions, identify and build capacity among those service providers to effectively qualify the organization for reimbursements of new revenue sources.

In May of 2019, Sam was named the Senior Advisor for Intergovernmental Affairs by Mayor Lori Lightfoot. In her role, she directed the Administration’s interactions with local, State, and Federal elected officials, unions, and other key external stakeholders on legislative and policy initiatives. Sam identified opportunities for leadership on policy matters at the regional and national level with organizations such as the United States Conference of Mayors and the Illinois Municipal League for issues related to public safety and COVID recovery measures, etc. Before as Senior Advisor, she served as the Budget Director of the City of Chicago where she led a team of analysts who developed and monitored the City’s Annual Operating Budget of $10.6 billion and five-year Capital Improvement Program of $8.7 billion.

Sam has held a number of senior legislative and operational roles under Mayors Richard M. Daley and Rahm Emanuel and Governor Pat Quinn. She received her law degree from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, and her undergraduate from Spelman College in Atlanta, GA, and is a member of the bar in Illinois and the District of Columbia.