Robin Ficke

Robin Ficke is currently the Vice President of Research at World Business Chicago. Robin previously worked as the Deputy Policy Director for the City of Chicago, where they were responsible for developing policy on a variety of issues, ranging from human trafficking and homelessness to low-income housing development and animal care.

During their time with the City of Chicago, Robin successfully passed an ordinance that created a dedicated revenue source for sheltering and housing survivors of domestic violence. This was the first time the local administration had increased the shelter beds and housing options for this population. Robin also developed a first-of-its-kind program to study and house homeless families as identified by the U.S. Department of Education definition of homelessness – a broader definition than is typically recognized, so that assistance may be offered to homeless families before they are forced to turn to emergency shelters.

In addition, Robin successfully advocated for funding of a low-threshold, 24-hour, comprehensive shelter service model for homeless individuals living in street encampments. Robin also led efforts to improve management of and appoint homeless advocates to the Low Income Housing Trust Fund Board.

Thanks to Robin’s dedication and commitment to helping those in need, they have made a significant impact on the lives of many individuals and families in Chicago.

Robin Ficke has a Bachelor of Arts from The University of Texas at Austin in Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics. Robin then went on to get their Juris Doctor from University of Illinois Chicago School of Law. After that, they got their Project Management Professional Certification from Georgetown University. Finally, they have a certification from edX in edX Verified Certificate for Data Science: R Basics.

Robin Ficke reports to Michael Fassnacht, Interim President & CEO. They work with Alison Bouchard - Chief of Staff, Andrew Arden Hayes - VP, Director of Marketing & Communications, and Carrie Simmons - VP of Operations & HR. Some individuals on their team include Justine Ingram - Research Coordinator, Hannah Loftus - Research Director, and Himashi Jayasundera - Research Analyst.