Previously a principal in our Chicago office, Sydney returns to CPS with over a decade of experience in Illinois government at both the state and local level. Most recently serving as deputy mayor of intergovernmental affairs under Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, Sydney acted as a vital link between the city, state, federal agencies, municipalities, and legislative bodies. She not only built and maintained relationships with these entities but also lobbied for legislation, grants, and funding to benefit the city. Sydney also managed multijurisdictional crises, navigated complex regulatory requirements, and led strategic projects requiring interagency cooperation, such as citywide development and infrastructure upgrades.
At the state level, Sydney spent time as the interim deputy director and house liaison in Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker's office of legislative affairs, where she advocated for key administration priorities, such as pension reform, business regulation, gaming, higher education, and health care access, in the General Assembly. In this role, she also coordinated with Illinois’ 27 state agencies, which included facilitating legislative briefings from the Illinois Department of Public Health during the pandemic, organizing stakeholder and public hearings, and training staff on legislative processes. Prior to time with the governor’s office, Sydney held roles as a legislative coordinator in Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle’s office of legislative affairs and as a research appropriations analyst for Illinois Speaker of the House Michael Madigan.