Kurt Summers Jr. is the Treasurer of the City of Chicago, Illinois. Summers was appointed by Mayor Rahm Emanuel on October 22, 2014, and took the oath of office on December 1, 2014. Summers was elected to his first full-term in office during Chicago’s citywide election on February 24, 2015. He was preceded in office by Stephanie Neely.

Summers graduated from Whitney Young Magnet High School in Chicago. He received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with Management Distinction High Honors in Finance and International Business, with a minor in East Asian Studies, from Washington University in St. Louis. He also holds a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School.

Summers began his career at the consulting firm McKinsey & Company. He was later appointed Chief of Staff to Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and as the appointed trustee for the county’s $9 billion pension fund.

In that capacity, Summers led changes to provide performance management in every department, which Preckwinkle claimed in 2014 had saved the city $400 million annually. In his role as Chief of Staff for President Preckwinkle, Summers also steered the closure of a $487 million budget deficit while keeping the administration’s promise to roll back the county sales tax, saving taxpayers more than $400 million a year. Additionally, Summers aided in reforming the county’s procurement rules and helped pave the way for a more sustainable health and hospital system.

We are proud of his achievement and exploit. We recognize him as one of the Most  Influential People of African Descent, Business and Entrepreneurship category Class of 2018.