WEST LOOP — He’s obtained the identify, the community and a legacy to uphold. However Walter Redmond Burnett needs you to know he’s not simply following in his father’s footsteps. He’s forging his personal.
After 30 years at Metropolis Corridor, Burnett’s dad, Ald. Walter Burnett Jr. (twenty seventh), plans to step down by the top of the month. He’s anticipated to both lead the Chicago Housing Authority or step away from public service totally, although he’s additionally hinted at a doable run for Congress.
Now, Burnett Jr.’s youngest son is looking for to interchange him. If appointed by Mayor Brandon Johnson, the 29-year-old Burnett would turn out to be the Metropolis Council’s youngest member, getting into huge sneakers in certainly one of Chicago’s most energetic wards — dwelling to booming high-rise improvement, the metropolis’s first on line casino, a deliberate mega-development close to the United Heart and extremely engaged neighborhood teams.
The youthful Burnett is conscious his appointment may very well be seen as traditional Chicago nepotism. However, he mentioned, he’s earned his place on the desk via his group involvement.
“I’m not a slouch,” Burnett mentioned. “I’ve executed quite a bit to take part inside my group … I’m a steward of this group, no matter if I’m afforded the chance to be on this aldermanic seat or not.”
Burnett sat down for an unique interview Friday with Block Membership Chicago at Drip Collective within the West Loop to speak about his background, skilled expertise and imaginative and prescient for the ward.
First issues first: “Name me Pink,” Burnett mentioned.
Walter Redmond Burnett isn’t a junior or “the third” — and he needs folks to know the distinction. Although he shares a primary and final identify together with his father, he has a distinct center identify. That’s why household and shut mates name him “Pink,” a nickname he’s had since childhood.
“I believe it’s necessary to have the excellence, as a result of we’re our personal particular person folks,” Burnett mentioned. “Hopefully, [Burnett Jr.] will nonetheless have a really distinguished function on this metropolis. So Pink, I believe, is the brand new desire.”
Whereas Burnett Jr. got here of age in Cabrini-Inexperienced public housing and served time in jail as a youngster earlier than he was pardoned as an grownup, his son’s path was formed by selective-enrollment faculty, faculty on the East Coast and internships with monetary leaders like Mellody Hobson at Ariel Investments.
A former funding banking and actual property affiliate at Goldman Sachs, Burnett describes himself as a “progressive-leaning” Democratic capitalist. When requested about his political values, he mentioned affordability, walkability and the atmosphere are a few of his high priorities.
Burnett grew up on Chicago’s West Aspect, with roots in neighborhoods like East Garfield Park, Austin and the Close to West Aspect. He calls himself a “290 child,” referencing the Eisenhower Expressway and the Inexperienced Line trains he rode between communities that formed his upbringing.
He described watching the speedy transformation of the Close to West Aspect into distinguished neighborhoods just like the West Loop and Fulton Market, “in awe of what change may very well be” following his commencement from Whitney Younger Magnet Academy Excessive Faculty and departure to Fordham College in New York for school.
After spending practically a decade in New York Metropolis and 5 years at Goldman Sachs, Burnett moved again to Chicago to be nearer to household in 2022.
“Particularly for my youthful cousins who’re boys, I believe this time, between 10 to twenty, is extraordinarily necessary to have these male mentors,” Burnett mentioned. “I didn’t wish to solely be round for weddings and funerals.”
At Goldman Sachs, Burnett labored as a monetary analyst, structuring debt offers and later specializing in actual property investments in hospitality initiatives throughout the nation, together with Chicago.
Burnett now runs his personal consulting agency, Hannibal Valley, which focuses on hospitality, actual property and leisure. He advises builders on monetary modeling and venture ideas, helps artists with enterprise improvement and touring logistics, and builds instructional applications to advertise monetary literacy. He wouldn’t identify his purchasers however mentioned he has executed work for the Academy Group, a profession mentorship group that gives younger Chicagoans with financial and educational assets.
Burnett mentioned getting concerned in Chicago’s political scene got here naturally upon his return to Chicago, citing the connections of his father and godfather, former Illinois Secretary of State Jessie White, his father’s mentor.
“I grew up in Chicago politics,” Burnett mentioned. “After I moved again, it was exhausting to not get entangled.”
He jumped into volunteering for campaigns, together with for Alds. Invoice Conway (thirty fourth) and Lamont Robinson (4th) and his brother, state Rep. Jawaharial “Omar” Williams.
In 2024, Burnett participated in The Black Bench Chicago 2024 Cohort, a six-month program for rising younger Black leaders. This system was based by Alex Sims, CEO of APS and Associates, a distinguished political consulting agency that prioritizes “equity-centered” political candidates.
Program fellows realized about Chicago’s historical past and up to date developments in politics and campaigning, communications and promoting technique, fundraising and political evaluation, he mentioned.
“It undoubtedly sparked the bug of claiming, OK, I do have a perspective. I do have a talent set that may very well be helpful. Why not attempt to assist out the town in any approach I can?” Burnett mentioned.
Burnett mentioned reasonably priced housing is without doubt one of the greatest points dealing with Chicago, and never only for its low-income residents. He believes the town should construct extra housing and make it simpler for builders to navigate metropolis forms whereas nonetheless making certain affordability. He mentioned he helps Johnson’s Lower The Tape initiative, designed to streamline and expedite housing and business improvement.
Burnett additionally named walkability and the atmosphere as high priorities, saying all three are “deeply interconnected.” If appointed alderman, he mentioned he hopes to bridge gaps between labor, builders and residents, and plans to leverage his background in finance and actual property to assist the town entice funding and pursue more practical, equitable improvement.
Relationships with distinguished builders like Scott Goodman and Jeff Shapack have helped Burnett higher perceive how cities develop and learn how to create initiatives that may profit complete communities, he mentioned.
Burnett’s work advising builders and artists would inform his strategy to coverage, not battle with it, he mentioned.
If appointed, Burnett mentioned he additionally plans to proceed operating his consulting agency alongside his duties as alderman.
“I labored at Goldman 16 hours a day,” he mentioned. “The exhausting work and doing each jobs isn’t one thing that I’m terrified of in any respect.”
And if he isn’t appointed as his father’s successor, he mentioned he’ll simply hold doing what’s he’s been doing — although he remained mum on whether or not or not he would run for the place in 2027.
“This is a chance for me to present and serve,” Burnett mentioned. “It’s as a lot as I wish to stick with it a legacy. It’s not an absolute.”
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