ASE represents a breadth of organizations, civic leaders, members, and allies, all committed to reinvesting in the families and neighborhoods of Chicago’s Southeast Side. Together, we are making our communities stronger, safer, healthier and more powerful. (Interested in joining us? Go to our Member Page for more info!)

Executive Director: Amalia NietoGomez
Amalia NietoGomez has been the executive director/lead organizer for ASE since Jan. 2013. She:

• Co-directs the Coalition for a South Works CBA, a diverse &broad-based Coalition of 35+ organizational members on Chicago’s southeast side, working to prioritize local residents for jobs, training, and education opportunities, affordable housing, &environmental sustainability at local developments on Chicago’s southeast side. Coalition members have met with 9 developers, & are currently working on community benefits for the South Works site. The Coalition is working to obtain Community Benefits Agreements (CBAs), written agreements between developers and community groups to ensure developments benefit local residents.
• Convenes a Citywide Equitable Development Roundtable (CEDR), with a number of Chicago organizing groups on equitable development policy.
• Organizes Germano Millgate tenants around address health/safety issues. Results: In 2019, tenants organized 2 actions, resulting in a meeting with top regional U.S. Dept. of Housing &Urban Development official, Region V Administrator Joseph Galvan. Previously, tenants won $1.6 million in HUD funds released for capital repairs in 2017, reduction in pest-related asthma triggers by 45+% between 2013-2015, &agreement by owner to use $4.2 million in HUD funds to address top 5 tenant-identified priorities for repairs in 2015.
• Organized youth leaders to hold 1st annual anti-violence march &rally. News coverage: Channel 5, 7,Television, Univision. Event is now held annually.
• United local organizations & Ceasefire to establish local nonviolence zone. Results: Community events with 300-400 residents. 8 Safe Havens, places where a child can take shelter or request assistance.

Previously, Amalia was a board member of ASE, Alianza, and the Alianza/ASE transition board. Before joining ASE, she had 13 years of housing/banking experience and community outreach. Amalia has organized around neighborhood safety, tenants rights, asthma, predatory lending, immigrant rights, and education. She directed statewide coalition efforts against predatory lending, resulting in passage of the first anti-predatory lending city ordinance in the U.S, state regulations, & state law. These policies resulted in a 2 year decrease in foreclosures started in the City of Chicago– the first decrease in home foreclosure starts in over a decade (before the housing bubble burst), and served as model for organization’s CRA agreements and national anti-predatory lending campaign.

Amalia graduated from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of International Affairs with a minor in Latin American Studies.

Board of Directors
Vanessa Schwartz, Board President
Executive Director, Metropolitan Family Services– Southeast Chicago site

Arnold Bradford, Board Secretary
Executive Director, Crossroads Collaborative

Clifton Muhammad, Board Treasurer
Owner, The Record Track

Ana Guajardo
Executive Director, Centro de Trabajadores Unidos

Chloe Watson
Member, Youth Leadership Council

Estela Nava (Member at large)
Owner, Estela’s Hair Care Studio

Marie Collins-Wright
Vice President, Jeffery Manor Community Revitalization Council

Tevonne Ellis
Executive Director, Claretian Associates

Other Community Partners include:
Black Workers Matter
Chicago Housing Initive
Chicago Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights
DePaul University
ETHOS (Environment, Transportation, Health, Open Space)
Friends of the Parks
Heartfield Chicago
Illinois Environmental Council
Jeffery Manor Community Revitalization Council
The Quarry Event Center
Southeast Environmental Task Force
Working Family Solidarity
and more

ASE-led Coalitions:
ASE organizes, coordinates, &staffs the Coalition for a South Works CBA. Goal: Present a powerful, united coalition of residents &community organizations in meetings with developers &public officials to obtain CBAs on local developments. ASE convenes monthly Coalition strategy sessions. Since 2013, the Coalition has worked to ensure community benefits for the South Works site. Resident leaders convened community meetings to discuss priorities for the site and met with two previous developers, McCaffery Interests and Barcelona Housing Systems.

ASE also organizes the Youth Leadership Council. Participating students are from: Bowen High School, Baker College Prep, Arnold Mireles Academy, Butler College Prep, Carnegie Elementary, Chicago Collegiate Charter School, Gwendolyn Brooks, Epic Academy, South Chicago LEARN Charter School, Warren Elementary, and George Washington High School. ASE coordinates weekly YLC meetings &provides leadership trainings for the youth.

ASE organizes and staffs the Citywide Equitable Development Roundtable (CEDR). CEDR is a compassionate group of people determined to fight discrimination, environmental racism, accessability issues, poor distribution of housing and jobs, displacement, and other issues. CEDR unites struggles and works together to prove we are a world class city that wants to take care of the needs of Chicagoans at the intersections of all identities for the greater good. ASE coordinates monthly strategy meetings.
Values: CEDR values racial, social, and environmental equity; self determination of divested communities, transparency, accountability, and a broader sense of what the public good is.
History: CEDR was developed by groups from across the city that want resources to transform past and current harms created by past and present racism and exploitation.

ASE is a member of the following coalitions:
Coalition for a Modern Metra Electric (CMME)
Jobs to Move America (JMA)
Metropolitan Tenants Organization
#StopGeneralIron Campaign