Shannon Trotter serves as the City of Chicago Local Liquor Control Commissioner, having been appointed in March 2017. Commissioner Trotter has spent her entire professional career working for the City of Chicago where she brings a wealth of legal expertise and a reputation for creative problem-solving. As Local Liquor Control Commissioner, Commissioner Trotter handles a wide range of duties and responsibilities which include reviewing all liquor and public place of amusement license applications; overseeing special event liquor permits; and regulating and imposing liquor license discipline.
Commissioner Trotter works closely with members of the hospitality industry to help maintain Chicago’s well-deserved reputation as a world-class culinary destination with a bevy of beverage options. Since being appointed Local Liquor Control Commissioner, Commissioner Trotter played an integral role in licensing the Park at Wrigley, the City’s first Sports Plaza. She was also in charge of licensing all concessionaires at Midway Airport as part of the Midway Concessions Redevelopment Program. Commissioner Trotter lead the charge in passing city legislation to allow liquor license applicants to seek an exemption from the prohibition on liquor licenses being issued within 100 feet of a church or school. She is committed to creating new and innovative licensing options to help small businesses launch and grow in the City of Chicago. She was responsible for designing the City’s Expanded Outdoor Dining Program which provided a lifeline to hundreds of bars and restaurants during the COVID-19 pandemic by allowing them to operate outside. Most recently, Commissioner Trotter worked to create the City’s first outdoor entertainment venue license to allow for private outdoor concert venues.
Prior to 2017, Commissioner Trotter spent 17 years in the Building and License Enforcement Division of the City of Chicago Law Department working with various city departments, community groups, elected officials, and other stakeholders on the enforcement of license violations, municipal health, and misdemeanor code violations. As a Senior Corporation Counsel of the License Enforcement Unit, Commissioner Trotter was responsible for the prosecution of license discipline and appeal cases, and helped draft new license ordinances and amendments to the Municipal Code. In her tenure at the Law Department, Commissioner Trotter handled high profile license discipline cases working closely with the Chicago Police Department to find innovative solutions to address crime and problem businesses. Commissioner Trotter was awarded the Chicago Police Department’s Problem Solving Award in 2016.
Commissioner Trotter graduated from The John Marshall Law School and is a member of the Illinois Bar. She earned her bachelor’s degree from DePaul University.