Connie Lindsey Joins Change for Good as Event Chair

We’re honored to have Connie L. Lindsey, the Executive Vice President and Head of Corporate Social Responsibility and Global Diversity & Inclusion at Northern Trust, as the event chair for our annual Change for Good Luncheon next Tuesday, September 22 at 12:30 p.m. at Northern Trust in Chicago.

“Northern Trust is actively involved in community development initiatives in Chicago and communities in which we are located,” she said, noting that is has been a priority since the company’s founding in 1889. “Community involvement is deeply rooted in the Northern Trust culture.”

It’s through that commitment that Northern Trust and Lindsey were introduced to the work of Healthy Schools Campaign (HSC). The health and well-being of students is important to Lindsey and Northern Trust because students are the future, Lindsey said. “Northern Trust is proud to be a contributor to Healthy Schools Campaign, and I am thrilled to be chairing the Change for Good Luncheon.”

Lindsey said the on-the-ground work of HSC has made Chicago schools healthier places for all students. “HSC’s work has real results,” Lindsey said. “Today, more than 350,000 students in CPS are eating healthier school food thanks to policies and practices the district has put in place with Healthy Schools Campaign’s support. At the time HSC and Parents United for Healthy Schools started advocating for the return of recess for CPS elementary schools, only six percent of schools had recess. Through parent involvement and advocating for a policy change, recess returned to all CPS elementary schools in 2012.”

Those interventions are important because research shows proper nutrition and exercise have a direct correlation to academic success of school children, Lindsey said. “Eating healthful foods is associated with improved cognitive function, memory and mood,” she said. “Time spent in recess has been shown to positively affect students’ cognitive performance and classroom behaviors.”

It’s this work that our annual Change for Good Luncheon highlights. The luncheon is an important opportunity to share a vision for the health and success of all Chicago students; gain an important national perspective; celebrate outstanding local parents, teachers and principals; and hear about successes and challenges in transforming school food, student fitness, schoolyards and classrooms in Chicago.

We’re excited for Connie Lindsey to be a part of it. Click here for more information.