WHEREAS, Suellen Long was born on January 17,1942 to Walter and Margaret Glaub in Plymouth, Indiana and was the second of seven children. She went on to graduate from Plymouth High School in 1959, attend St. Mary ofthe Woods and graduated from Ray Vogue College of Design in Chicago and made this city her forever home.
WHEREAS, Long began working and living in the Uptown neighborhood over 55 years ago when she was employed to do the historic renovation of the landmark Benjamin Marshall Building (aka, The Uptown Bank Building), which was the beginning of many transformational projects in Uptown over her decades of community involvement. During that time Long and her husband purchased numerous apartment and commercial buildings with strong architectural features to invest in their own community.
WHEREAS, Long's career in Uptown included leadership in the local Chamber of Commerce and being a founder of Uptown United, the current business organization. She served as President of Heartland Alliance for two terms and many years as a Board Member. Her leadership and fundraising efforts were focused at the McCormick Boys and Girls Club, Heartland Alliance, Sarah's Circle, Landmarks Illinois, and many Uptown start-up nonprofits as well. She always encouraged thoughtful economic and community development - improving services to benefit homeless individuals, historic preservation efforts, business attraction, CTA renovations, etc.
WHEREAS, Long also developed Long Promotional Group, a public relations firm that served local businesses and many nonprofits, helping them structure fundraising and public relations plans. Her clients included countless companies that served the gay community and addressed the HIV AIDS crisis at the time. Long's contributions were endless - she never met a cause that she couldn't help with her creativity, energy and passion.
WHEREAS, Long eventually became the president of Bridgeview Bank, the purchasers of the Uptown National Bank. Her many years i...
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