Juan Carlos Linares is President and CEO of Association House of Chicago, an original settlement house founded in 1899 and today one of the region’s largest social service agencies. AHC offers 35 programs in behavioral health, community outreach, child welfare, workforce development and the Association House High School for alternative students. This year, Juan Carlos spearheads the 125th year celebration of Association House’s impacts in Chicago.
Serving 12,000 individuals annually, Juan Carlos has overseen the growth and implementation of AHC’s new programs, including a culinary careers program for the justice-involved, schools-based mental health counseling programs and a green jobs training program, among others. Since Juan Carlos’ tenure, AHC’s annual budget has grown from $12 million to $22 million, and its endowment has grown from $12 million to $18 million. In recognition of these efforts, Association House has hosted press briefings with the Illinois Governor and Lt. Governor, U.S. Senators and Congressmen and Juan Carlos has been invited to the White House to advise the U.S. Secretary of Education, the U.S. Secretary of Labor, and Assistant Secretaries of Education, Labor, Health and Human Services and the Department of Justice.
Juan Carlos previously served as the City of Chicago’s first Chief Engagement Officer, where he organized the City’s first-ever youth commission and served as the Mayor’s surrogate in local and national convenings, including at the National Conference of Mayors in Los Angeles. Prior to that, Juan Carlos served as Executive Director of LUCHA, a Humboldt Park-based affordable housing development agency that garnered national prominence in housing, health and energy equity. There, Juan Carlos grew services to serve 9,000 individuals annually, he tripled the value of LUCHA’s affordable housing assets to $45 million, and built the first ever “passive house” certified multifamily building in the Midwest, advancing Chicago as a hub for sustainable development.
Juan Carlos is a Lecturer-in-Law at the University of Chicago Law School teaching the Hate Crime Law course, and he serves on the DePaul University College of Law Dean’s Council. He also serves on the Boards of the Latino Policy Forum, Urban Theater Company, SUM, the Woodstock Institute and Chapin Hall. Juan Carlos has also been a fellow with the Aspen Institute, Edgar Fellows, Leadership Greater Chicago and the Chicago Community Trust. His parents are proud immigrants from Peru and from Guatemala and today, Juan Carlos resides on the south side of Chicago with his wife Monica, a child protection attorney, and their two teenagers.