2021 State of the City
The Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce presented its 2021 State of the City address on May 17, 2021. The presentation delivered by Mayor Steve Chirico was offered both as a virtual viewing event and at in-person watch parties at the Embassy Suites – Naperville and Marriott Naperville.
The State of the City Address is a recap of the past year’s events. The speech shines a light on the improvements to the area’s quality of life. Furthermore, the address also looks to the future, as it highlights upcoming programs and initiatives scheduled for the year ahead.
Foundations of our Future
This year, while Mayor Steve Chirico focused his efforts on looking ahead to what Naperville’s post-pandemic future looks like, he took time to reflect on the life-changing events of 2020 and the commitment the local government showed to safety, financial security, equality and inclusion, and their overall incredible response to new challenges they faced each day. He remarked on the resiliency of both the public and private sector by saying:
When everything familiar about our world changed, we had to change with it. I think they call that pivoting. And pivot really was the word of 2020. I mean look, it faced some stiff competition from words and phrases like “in these uncertain times,” “social distancing,” “you’re on mute,” and “unprecedented” . . . But pivoting is what kept us moving ahead. For some of us, that meant a switch from the board room to the dining room. Or connecting over Zoom instead of in the office (which, by the way, we were well positioned to do thanks to Money Magazine naming us the 3rd best place to live if you work from home.) Or maybe it was moving your business model to focus more online instead of, well, in line, . . .But whatever last year meant to you, one thing is certain . . .In times of turmoil and uncertainty, we can count on the foundations put in place to lead us to a brighter day.
Mayor Chirico also used the ceremony not only to recognize Naperville’s accomplishments but as a platform to honor the people who made it possible. The 2021 State of the City address recognizes our city officials and their years of service to the community.
The entire address will also be aired on NCTV17. Please check our programming schedule for details.
