Executive Director, Megan McDonald

Megan McDonald has served as the department's Acting Executive Director since March, 2007.

The Office of Special Events is responsible for creating, programming and managing large scale free events for the City of Chicago. These events range from family focused events to sporting events to music festivals and cultural performances that take place throughout Chicago's many diverse neighborhoods.

As Director, McDonald manages day to day operations of the Office, which produces more than 20 events annually and provides technical assistance to hundreds of private and civic events taking place in the City.

She also works closely with Chicago's corporate community, which sponsors many large- and small-scale special events throughout the year.

McDonald, re-joined the Office of Special Events in December, 2006, as First Deputy Director, having worked there from November 2000 to November 2002 as an event manager in the Sports Development Department.

From 2002 to 2006, she served as Director of Lakefront Operations for the Chicago Park District. In that role, she was responsible for daily operations and maintenance of the city's 26 miles of lakefront property - including 18 miles of lakefront trail, 48 lakefront parks, nine harbors and 29 lakefront beaches.

From 1999 to 2000, she was a project manager for the National Conference of State Legislators, and from 1998 to 1999, she worked for the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority as supervisor of its Student Ambassador and Internship programs.

Megan grew up on the city's South Side and is a graduate of St. Ignatius College Prep. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Fairfield University, Fairfield, Connecticut.