Kendra Freeman

Kendra joined the Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) in 2016. With more than 20 years of experience in program development and operations, she has held leadership positions in the private and nonprofit sector with a focus on affordable housing and capacity building. In her current role at MPC, Kendra is responsible for leading the Equitable Transit-Oriented Development (eTOD) program which includes research, policy advocacy, outreach and providing technical assistance to communities. Kendra enjoys scoping new opportunities, managing and engaging external partners and cultivating relationships to support new and ongoing projects, including the Cost of Segregation and Elevated Chicago.

Prior to MPC, Kendra worked in affordable housing development and management, where her work focused on investing in people to improve the quality of life in their communities. She held various roles, from direct service to senior management. As executive director of Holsten Human Capital Development, NFP from 2011 to 2015, Kendra was responsible for oversight of daily operations with an annual budget in excess of $1.5 million and 25 staff serving more than 1,200 households living in subsidized housing.

Kendra is a native Chicagoan and licensed real estate broker. She holds a bachelor’s in sociology and a master’s in public administration from DePaul University. She serves as an officer on the Board of Directors for Storycatchers Theatre and is a volunteer tax preparer for the Center for Economic Progress.

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