By Abby Johnson
Twenty-two-year-old Liam Millerick has joined BAPA’s staff as the new Property Preservation and Safety Coordinator. His onboarding comes after Roberta Kleinman, Coordinator of Property Preservation Services, retired earlier this year.
Millerick is a life-long resident of Beverly/Morgan Park, a graduate of St. Barnabas Elementary School and Brother Rice High School, and he is currently pursuing his Bachelor’s degree in Public Policy with minors in Urban Studies and Geographic Information Systems from the University of Illinois at Chicago. His work with BAPA officially began in the summer of 2017, but he grew up surrounded by the BAPA name, he said.
“I heard people talking a lot about the organization, especially my parents,” he said. “I knew it was a pretty integral part of the community.”
Once he decided to study Public Policy and Urban Studies, he realized involvement with BAPA would provide worthwhile exposure to the type of work he intended to pursue, he said.
“I figured that if I’m going to work in urban planning, then it’s probably a good idea to understand how my own community works,” he said. “I think it’s great experience for what I might eventually deal with on a much larger scale.”
Millerick is certainly acquiring this experience. As a Property Preservation and Safety Coordinator, he responds to property complaints, informs residents of zoning restrictions and renovation regulations and directs neighbors to the proper city service departments. It’s a responsibility that he finds challenging, but interesting.
“It’s difficult at times,” he said. “Sometimes I’m asked a question, and I don’t even know where to begin researching for the answer. But I’m getting the hang of it. Plus, it’s something I enjoy doing.”
When asked what he has learned within his role so far, Millerick said his job has reminded him of the importance of beautification and preservation initiatives throughout the community.
“I never really realized how beautiful this neighborhood is until I started working for BAPA,” he said. “Now that I actually work to keep it this way, it’s become a lot more apparent to me.”
That’s the most important part of his new job, Millerick said. To make sure the Beverly/Morgan Park neighborhood retains its beauty.
“It’s something that should be around for future generations,” he said. “Just like it was here for me.”
For property complaints or inquiries, email lmillerick@bapa.org.
