Illinois Government Consultants Incorporated

Melvin Caldwell

Principal

Melvin Caldwell's professionalism and commanding knowledge of his clients' interests continually earn the respect of officials, clients, and colleagues. For 25 years, he has successfully represented government and private sector clients in various industries by employing his experience in strategic planning, providing expert political counsel, and working closely with legislative leadership at all levels. He has extensive knowledge and expertise in both state government affairs and general strategic consulting in the political arena.

Caldwell's qualifications are demonstrated by his diverse experience:

Most recently, Caldwell represented the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority (ISFA) before the House and Senate Appropriations Committees to secure its FY 2009 $42 million budget. The ISFA is a government unit created by the Illinois General Assembly in 1987 for the purpose of constructing and renovating sports stadiums for professional sports teams in Illinois. ISFA is the developer, owner and operator of U.S. Cellular Field, home of the 2005 World Champion Chicago White Sox.
He represented in the General Assembly the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 241. Local 241 is the International Union's second largest local within the United States, with membership at nearly 10,000 strong. In January 2008, Caldwell successfully lobbied for the passage of legislation appropriating more than $500 million in transit funding. Without the funding, local transit officials were set to slash bus and train routes, raise fares and lay off more than 2,000 ATU employees.
Caldwell has achieved success as a public policy advocate, and was a respected gubernatorial appointee to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) Small Business Task Force where he assisted in the formulation and passage of environmental laws and regulations in Illinois.
At the city level, Caldwell has served on the aldermanic staff in the Chicago City Council, and at the state level, he has served on the staffs of both Illinois House and Senate members. Caldwell has represented various elected officials, Park District Commissioners, School Districts, and Library Boards on budgetary and funding issues in Illinois.
As a top-level administrator in the public and private sector, Caldwell assisted in the administrative oversight of multi-million dollar projects while working closely with various state agencies, including the Illinois Department of Transportation, Small Business Enterprises Program; Illinois Commerce Commission; State Capital Development Board; and Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.
As a former senior public official for the City of Chicago, Caldwell served three mayoral administrations in various capacities. He served as a member of the City of Chicago Mayor's Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, and worked closely with the General Assembly Transportation, Appropriations, Rules, and other significant committees. Caldwell's responsibilities included monitoring capital development projects awarded by the Public Building Commission of Chicago (PBC), consisting of public libraries, schools, fire stations, police stations, and other facilities.
As a senior administrator for the City of Chicago Department of Revenue, he assisted in the drafting of the City of Chicago Department of Revenue Uniform Tax Code, and oversaw the remittance of millions of dollars in sales, amusement, and parking taxes, and the process of liquor licensing. He also drafted agency rules and revenue intergovernmental accords. As an administrator in the City of Chicago Purchasing Department, Caldwell was responsible for the administrative oversight and compliance of multi-million dollar vendor contracts and certifications.
In his role as a senior economic development administrator for mid-size municipal corporations, Caldwell has worked closely with the Cook County Department of Planning and Cook County Board of Commissioners in administering multi-million dollar Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) programs, funding residential rehabilitation and capital improvement projects.
As a senior municipal grant administrator, Caldwell administered federal funding from the United States Department of Justice Universal Hiring Grant, a multi-million dollar local law enforcement Block Grant Program.
Caldwell has managed innumerable state Senate and state Representatives, countywide, aldermanic, mayoral and judicial campaigns in Illinois.
Notably, Caldwell was instrumental in the landmark 1988 Illinois Supreme Court election law case, Caldwell v. Nolan, Chicago Board of Elections Commissioners (530 N.E. 2d 240), that set the limits of administrative agencies to grant rehearings or modify final decisions without express statutory authority. For the past 20 years, this case has been cited in administrative agencies' and law tribunal decisions.
He is the past President of the Illinois Association of Mortgage Brokers and Bankers, and served as President of the Illinois Association of Emerging Asset Managers and Broker Dealers.

Caldwell received his Juris Doctorate from Ohio Northern University College of Law; a Master of Arts in American Politics and Policy from Governor State University, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude; and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Public Administration from the University of Iowa. He has also served as a member of the Adjunct Faculty of Triton College in River Grove, Illinois.