No Boos Just Good News for Fall

Fall Newsletter 2025

Metro Strategies Group was honored to receive two Publicity Club of Chicago Golden Trumpet Awards! The Publicity Club of Chicago honors excellence in public relations, showcasing outstanding campaigns and individuals who have made a significant impact in the media and communications industry. It was a privilege to receive these awards and be recognized with other great firms and projects.

We received a Golden Trumpet Award, and we were a Platinum Award finalist, in the Community Relations Category for our outreach and engagement on the Cook County Climate Resiliency Planning Project. Together with our partners Geosyntec and ICF, we helped translate complex data and issues into clear and understandable strategies for five communities. Cook County has already begun implementing the recommendations from the community plans and is helping these communities better prepare for future climate impacts.

We were also thrilled to receive a Golden Trumpet Award in the Integrated Civic Communications Category for our work on the Clarendon Hills Park District Bond Referendum campaign! This award recognizes our communications strategy that helped the Clarendon Hills Park District secure 70% voter approval for an $8 million bond referendum. This referendum has already helped the Park District begin construction on several projects that will help them better serve the recreation needs of their community.

Thank you, Brian Daly and Deb Kutska, Cook County Department of Environment and Sustainability, and Katie Gock and Claire Chmielewski, Clarendon Hills Park District for celebrating the golden excellence with us!

Client Highlight - Cook County PMO TRIRIGA Award

Congratulations to Cook County’s Bureau of Asset Management on receiving the Best AI Innovation Award earlier this fall at the TRIRIGAWorld/MaximoWorld Conference. It is the largest conference in the world dedicated to the IBM products. The County is pioneering the use of an AI-powered tool as part of the TRIRIGA software implementation. This software will help the County manage and integrate their real estate assets, direct capital projects, support facility operations and improve space utilization across the County. Again, congratulations Cook County we are grateful for the opportunity to assist their work in deploying this innovative tool!

Brave Conversations,

Turning Conlict Into Resolution

In September, Tammy Wierciak, Chair of ACEC IL's Public Engagement Committee, hosted a training on managing difficult conversations with speaker HNTB Associate Vice President Stacey Osburn. Participants learned implementable strategies for handling challenging interactions with empathy, clarity and confidence. These tools are critical, as public sector projects may involve controversial matters like property access changes or land acquisition. Having the right tools to facilitate these conversations in respectful and effective ways, allows participants to feel heard and allows project teams to gather insights that can impact design decisions.

Upcoming Grants & Funding Deadlines

November 5, 2025 - Surface Transportation Program (STP)

November 5, 2025 - IEPA Green Infrastructure Grant Opportunity

November 30, 2025 - State Fire Marshal Small Equipment Grant

December 31, 2025 - MWRD Stormwater Partnership Program

December 31, 2025 - MWRD Green Infrastructure Partnership Program

December 31, 2025 - MWRD Conceptual Project Partnership Program

No Tricks Just Treats: Our Team's Fall Favorite Drinks

Spooky season is here, and we are enjoying some fall fun! Check out what our team is sipping as the leaves change.

“It doesn’t get easier than a batch cocktail when you’re entertaining! A pitcher of apple cider sangria will be an instant hit at your Halloween party.” -Katharine

“Nothing says fall to me like a pumpkin cream cold brew from Starbucks!” -Sarah

“When it comes to fall recipes, you can’t beat an apple cider margarita. My recommendation is to use mezcal, but this can also be a mocktail that’s just as delicious!” -Elli

Visit our website to get the full recipes for these amazing drinks!

Our Boo Crew has Been Busy!

Since the start of fall our team has been super busy reaching major milestones on our projects! In the last eight weeks, we have been hard at work engaging with residents and stakeholders to help shape recommendations to meet client needs and goals. Before the leaves fall for the season, our team will have achieved:

We’re proud of the momentum built and grateful for everyone who has contributed to this success. Stay tuned for more, this monster of a month may be coming to a close, but this year is nowhere near over!

Happy Anniversary to Us!

Four fantastic years! We are grateful to be celebrating our four-year anniversary this October. It is an honor to have such a great blend of clients, partners and community. It is only fitting that Metro Strategies Group celebrates our anniversary every October as it is also National Women’s Business Month. We are proud to be one of the 561,000 woman-owned businesses in Illinois. Our power comes from our people, and we look forward to the next year as we harness the momentum of our incredible team!