McPier names CEO to lead convention expansion
The Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, the agency that runs McCormick Place, said Tuesday its board has appointed Larita Clark as its CEO. Clark has been an employee of the agency since 1984, rising to the job of chief financial officer.
She has been its acting CEO since her predecessor, Lori Healey, resigned in October.
Commonly called McPier, the agency said it settled on Clark after conducting a search that included
“a review of joint recommendations” from Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Mayor Lori Lightfoot. They share appointment powers for members of the McPier board.
Cynthia McCafferty, spokesperson for McPier, said it did not use an outside search firm because that process has not worked for the agency. But she said the board considered several candidates and that Clark told her she had nine interviews during the hiring process.
McCafferty said the board will discuss a compensation package for Clark at its meeting Feb. 18. Clark’s last known salary was $201,827 as CFO in 2017.
Said Mayor Lori Lightfoot, “Our administration worked hand-in-glove with the State and the Board to advance our recommendations, and Larita ascended in this process because of her outstanding qualifications and the wealth of experience she’s amassed from climbing the ranks at the Authority over the past three decades. We are thrilled to see the city’s first African American female leader and CPS graduate taking the role of CEO, and the entire city is behind Larita as she works to uphold the MPEA’s status as one of the nation’s top destinations for conferences and conventions.”
Brett J. Hart, board chair and executive vice president at United Airlines, said, “Larita Clark brings outstanding operational and financial expertise that made her the right choice for MPEA. We have complete confidence that under Larita’s leadership, the authority will continue to deliver outstanding service to our customers.”
The agency said Clark will continue to oversee modernization efforts. Last year, McPier failed to get the Legislature to approve an expanded city restaurant tax to support a new facility and the possible demolition or reuse of the old Lakeside Center, the oldest part of its convention complex.
A source familiar with the selection process, who asked not to be named, said Clark “knows McCormick Place — every square inch of it — like the back of her hand” after moving up the ladder at McPier.
Board members were so impressed by her presentation, they opted not to conduct a nationwide search, the source said. Their vote to approve Clark was unanimous.
Prior to her appointment, Clark presented a specific plan for each building and for capital projects to increase square footage.
The source refused to share Clark’s plan for the underused Lakeside Center, except to say that “nobody” at McPier wants to see a Chicago casino in or anywhere near there for fear it would draw visitors off the convention floor.