On January 8, Jesse Ruiz, the former CEO of Chicago Public Schools, joined the Turnaround Management Association Chicago/Midwest Chapter for its first event of the year. Ruiz regaled his audience with war stories from one of the most combative and highly publicized offices in the Chicagoland area. In April 2015, Mr. Ruiz was appointed to the position on an interim basis by Mayor Emanuel and was immediately asked to oversee management of the third largest school district in the nation, with approximately 400,000 students and a budget of almost $6 billion. He navigated cataclysmic budget shortfalls during his time as CEO, demonstrating tremendous leadership under difficult circumstances. 

In recognition for his time as interim CEO, Mr. Ruiz was appointed to the Board of Commissioners for the Chicago Park District, where he will lead another administrative arm of a city undergoing a prolonged budget crisis.