Harris Names 2021 Alumni Award Winners

Three accomplished alumni of the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy will be recognized next spring for their leadership and noteworthy contributions in public policy when Harris Public Policy hosts its annual Alumni Awards Dinner during Harris Connect Weekend 2022, a much-awaited gathering. Dean Katherine Baicker and Barbara Barreno-Paschall, MPP’17, the Harris Alumni Council awards chair, will present Ann McCabe, AM’82, with the Career Achievement Award; Andrés Pérez, MPP’15, with the Rising Star Award; and George Letavish, MPP’11, with the CC DuBois Alumni Service Award.

“I’m extremely pleased that the school will be recognizing these three distinguished policy leaders,” said Alison Coppelman, Harris’ associate dean, alumni relations & development. “Each has made an impressive mark in their field, demonstrated extraordinary leadership and a continued commitment to evidence and data, and each still finds ways to engage and make a difference for Harris and our broader community.”

For more about the winners:

Career Achievement Award

Ann McCabe, AM’82

The Career Achievement Award is presented to an alumnus who has served as a significant leader in the public, private, or nonprofit sector, creating meaningful positive change within their institution and society.

Ann McCabe, AM’82, has been a national leader for more than 25 years in energy and environmental policy with extensive regulatory experience in the public, private, and non-profit sectors. As a Commissioner on the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) for five years, McCabe focused on modernizing the power grid and transforming the power sector. She served as board president of the Organization of PJM States, Inc. and of the Mid-America Regulatory Conference (MARC) and chaired the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners’ nuclear issues subcommittee. McCabe consulted to environmental nonprofits and trade associations including two years as interim executive director of The Climate Registry of 30 US states and Canadian provinces and territories. She was a delegate to the 2015 UN Climate Conference of the Parties (COP) in Paris and the 2017 COP in Bonn. She is currently US Program Manager and Principal with the Regulatory Assistance Project, a global non-profit working toward a cleaner, more efficient, more equitable, and decarbonized grid.

Rising Star Award

Andrés Pérez, MPP’15

The Rising Star Award acknowledges a recent alumnus (within 15 years of graduation) who distinguished themselves early in their career, creating a positive impact in the execution of public policy.

Andrés Pérez, MPP’15, is the Chief Economist for Chile and Colombia at Banco Itaú. He is the former Head of International Finance at the Ministry of Finance of Chile where he oversaw the debt management office and the sovereign wealth funds unit, and managed the country’s relationship with international financial institutions, credit rating agencies, and investors. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, he also served as Head of Advisors at the Ministry of Finance, where he led the team that designed and implemented the economic policy response to the pandemic. In a separate capacity, Pérez has driven the issuance of sovereign green bonds by Chile, the first country in the Americas to issue these instruments; in doing so, Chile has become a global leader in sustainable finance, while contributing to the broadening and diversification of Chile's investor base. Pérez has also worked at the Central Bank of Chile, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the World Bank, and in the private sector.

CC DuBois Alumni Service Award

George Letavish, MPP’11

This distinction is awarded to an alumnus who has demonstrated a strong commitment to the school through their service and work to enhance the life of students, fellow alumni, and the welfare of the school, and it is named for the late Cynthia “CC” DuBois, MPP’10. For more information about CC DuBois and the legacy she leaves behind, click here.

A distinguished policy leader in Illinois government and nonprofits, George Letavish, MPP’11, is a Senior Advisor for Federal Policy at the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO). He has served as a Senior Policy Analyst at Get IN Chicago, which funded violence prevention initiatives for at-risk youth, and at the City Tech Collaborative as a Manager of Solution Development, where he oversaw Smart Cities pilot projects between the private and public sectors. Letavish has worked as a policy analyst in the Illinois Governor’s Office, focusing on economic development, transportation, and the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. He has also served in the United States Army as an Intelligence Analyst and worked in defense contracting. Letavish has a long history of volunteer service to Harris. He was one of the early members of the Harris Alumni Council (2014-2018), serving as president from 2016-2017, and has been a Harris reunion committee co-chair, a Harris mentor, a volunteer for the Career Development Office and Student Recruitment teams, and a member of the Chicago regional chapter that plans local alumni events.

Know a remarkable alum?

Learn more about this year’s and previous award winners and make a nomination! Nominations for the 2022 Alumni Awards will open in November.