Lyneir Richardson

CEO

Lyneir Richardson is co-founder and CEO of Chicago TREND. He is an experienced commercial and residential real estate developer with a track record of attracting retailers and businesses to urban areas.

Lyneir is a faculty member at Rutgers Business School and leads the Center for Urban Entrepreneurship and Economic Development. He was recruited by former Mayor Cory Booker and served as Chief Executive Officer of the primary economic development corporation in Newark, NJ for over five years. He was also Vice President of Urban Development at General Growth Properties, Inc. where he led a national initiative to bring quality shopping centers to underserved neighborhoods in U.S. cities. Prior to General Growth, Lyneir founded Lakeshore Development & Construction Company and was recognized by the U.S. Small Business Administration as “Illinois Young Entrepreneur of the Year”. He started his career as an attorney for the First National Bank of Chicago.

Lyneir is a graduate of Bradley University and the University of Chicago Law School. He is a member of Urban Land Institute, International Council of Shopping Centers and International Economic Development Council. He has served on numerous non-profit and civic boards, committees and commissions.

Josi D. Gines

DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATION

Josi Gines has more than 15 years of experience in managing office operations, governance relations and talent development. Josi began her professional career as a Senior Project Accountant for Equity Properties and Development Company. She later worked for General Growth Properties, Inc. for 12-years and was promoted to various leadership roles in Accounting and Contract Administration, including Asst. Vice President, Contract Administration. Her team was responsible for managing greater than $2 billion in new mall development budgets, tenant allowance administration and administering approximately 2,500 contracts annually to support construction, design and tenant build-out work. Josi Gines also worked for National Louis University, as Provost Office Manager and the College Board, as Associate Director of Administration and Operations for the Midwest regional office.

Josi Gines earned her BA in Liberal Arts degree at Roosevelt University and MBA at Keller Graduate School of Management.

Tina Taddei

DIRECTOR OF RETAILER RELATIONS

Tina Taddei is a forth generation Chicago native with a passionate interest in the complexities and idiosyncrasies of the Chicago market. She began her retail leasing career at General Growth Properties, where she first became intrigued by the profound impact that the right combination of tenants brought to a project, an interest that has informed her work ever since.

Her focus on the strategic merchandising of retailers has had a number of notable successes over the years, both locally and nationally. During her tenure at GGP, she conceived and initiated the replacement of Lord and Taylor with American Girl at Water Tower Place, creating additional retailer synergy for both signature destinations. At GGP, she also initiated Akira’s expansion from a single street location to a successful mall retailer. Later, at Sears Holdings, Tina implemented an in-store leasing program that allowed the Sears brand to be strategically marketed alongside other prominent retailers. Her approach was not only adopted internationally, but increased the value of Sears real estate and led to partnerships with international brands, such as Primark.

Jeffrey Wright

Director of Business Development

Jeffrey Wright, a Chicago Native, has nearly 10 years of experience in financial services. As a senior commercial banker, Mr. Wright originated over $50 million in transactions. Throughout his career, he has originated, underwritten, managed and closed over 200 transactions. He has advised clients across diverse sectors.

Mr. Wright is deeply engaged and committed to giving back to the community. He serves on the Board of Directors of Chicago Jesuit Academy, The Daniel Murphy Scholarship Fund and the Chairman’s Advisory Council of Big Shoulders Fund. In 2014, Mr. Wright was appointed by Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel to the Chicago Community Land Trust. Mr. Wright is a member of the Business Leadership Council and the Economic Club of Chicago, in which he is an active member of the membership committee.

Mr. Wright graduated from St. Ignatius College Prep, earned a Bachelor of Science degree in International Business at Georgetown University, and earned a Master of Business Administration in Finance and Entrepreneurship at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.

Robert Weissbourd

PRESIDENT, RW VENTURES, LLC

Bob is co-founder of Chicago TREND. He is highly regarded for completing sophisticated economic analysis on urban markets and designing market-based strategies for regional and community economic development.  For Chicago TREND, he will provide strategic leadership, oversee data and analytics work and support deal facilitation and other client services.

www.rw-ventures.com

Richard Voith, PH.D., CRE.

PRESIDENT OF ECONSULT SOLUTIONS INC

Dick will direct his firm to collect and analyze data for the Chicago TREND annual survey and develop and continually refine our models and analytic tools for predicting neighborhood trajectories, consumers’ shopping choices and households’ residential choices. Dick will also work closely with our Retailer Coalition of the Willing™ to develop new tools for assessing market demand and the likely impact of new retail on communities and other retailers.

www.econsultsolutions.com

Patricia Adell

MANAGING PARTNER, REAL ESTATE SOLUTIONS GROUP

Patricia provides real estate transaction structuring consultancy services, financial analyses and public/private financing strategy to Chicago TREND.

www.resgroup.net

Calvin Holmes

PRESIDENT OF CHICAGO COMMUNITY LOAN FUND (CCLF)

For Chicago TREND, CCLF will complete the underwriting process and propose loan terms and conditions, close approved loans and provide loan servicing and portfolio management services.

www.cclfchicago.org

David Baum

David Baum is a leading figure in Chicago’s real estate development and retail leasing communities. Since co-founding Baum Development, LLC in 1989 and Baum Realty Group, Inc. in 1991, David has cultivated the business from a start-up company into an award-winning commercial and residential development firm and Chicago’s leading retail brokerage firm. Chicago-based Baum Realty Group (BRG, www.baumrealty.com) is one of the nation’s premier retail brokerage firms. For more than 20 years, the award-winning company has provided comprehensive real estate services for a diversified clientele of top property owners as well as national, regional and local retailers such as Starbucks Coffee, FedEx Office, US Bank, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Jared The Galleria of Jewelry and many others. David is often a featured speaker for real estate and business groups, Universities and forums and was named one of Crain’s Chicago Business’ “40 Under 40” leaders and was featured in Real Estate Chicago’s “40 Under 40” edition as well.

Joel Bookman

Joel Bookman is the President and CEO of Bookman Associates, Inc., providing consulting services in economic development, comprehensive community development, commercial corridor development, and strategic planning. Previously, he served as Managing Director of the Institute for Comprehensive Community Development, a venture of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), and Director of Programs for LISC Chicago.  At LISC Chicago, Bookman guided the work of LISC staff in its New Communities Program, Elev8 Education Initiative, and its Centers for Working Families. The New Communities Program is a 10+-year program to support comprehensive community development in 16 Chicago neighborhoods. Over the past 35 years, Joel Bookman served as the Executive Director of the North River Commission and the Lawrence Avenue Development Corporation (LADCOR), and the Chief Executive Officer of the Kimball Plaza Development Corporation (KPDC) and the Mayfair Commons Senior Living Center LLC, on Chicago’s northwest side. He has served as a consultant in strategic planning, economic and community development, and nonprofit management since 1981. Mr. Bookman is a master of urban planning and policy from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

John Bucksbaum

John Bucksbaum, founder of Bucksbaum Retail Properties, LLC. Bucksbaum previously served as chairman and CEO of General Growth Properties, Inc., a publicly traded Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) which had ownership and management interest in over 200 regional and super regional shopping malls in 44 states. The company portfolio totaled approximately 200 million square feet of space. Bucksbaum received his bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Denver, Denver, Colorado in 1978. Professional affiliations include the following: past worldwide Chairman of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC). Trustee and member of the Executive Committee of ICSC; past Chairman of the Zell/Lurie Real Estate Center at The Wharton School; Trustee of the Urban Land Institute (ULI). In addition, Bucksbaum serves on the boards of the University of Chicago Hospitals, The Field Museum, the Chicago Sports Commission, the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team, USA Cycling, the Paralympics Advisory Committee to the U.S. Olympic Committee, Young Presidents Organization and the Advisory Board of the Chicago Chapter of the American Jewish Committee.

Todd J. Cabanban

Todd J Cabanban, one of the founding Principals of Cabanban, Rubin, & Mayberry LLC, has demonstrated a sure command of the metropolitan Chicago commercial real estate market over a 22-year career. Todd has spearheaded the leasing for a number of significant developments in the city such as Sherman Plaza at 87th and the Dan Ryan, South Loop Marketplace, the Roosevelt and Ashland Jewel/Osco Center, the Osco center at 67th Street and Stony Island Avenue, and also in the suburban markets, with Broadview Village Square and Gurnee Town Center. Todd spent 10 years building a strong company as a founding partner of Zifkin Realty & Development. Prior to Zifkin Realty Todd was executive vice president and managing director of retail brokerage at Hiffman Shaffer Associates. Todd also sits on the State Committee for ICSC (International Council of Shopping Centers). He is a board member and President for the Ely Chapter of Lambda Alpha International and an active mentor for the Eisenberg Foundation. Todd’s civic duties include being the Board Chair for the Leaning Tower YMCA in Niles, IL as well as serving on the Board of Managers for the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago. He is an Indiana University graduate and holds an Illinois Brokers real estate license.

Derek R. B. Douglas

Derek R.B. Douglas joined the University of Chicago in January 2012 as the Vice President for Civic Engagement. In this role, he leads the University’s local, national, and international urban development and civic engagement efforts. He also spearheads the University’s efforts to work in partnership with the surrounding South Side neighborhoods, city, region, nation, and globe to advance urban economic development, enhance the quality of life for residents, and enrich the work of University faculty and students through research, education, and direct engagement. From 2009 through 2011, Douglas served on the White House Domestic Policy Council (DPC) as Special Assistant to President Barack Obama, where he led the DPC’s work on urban and metropolitan policy issues. Prior to working in the White House, Douglas served as Washington Counsel to New York Governor David A. Paterson and Director of Governor Paterson’s Washington, D.C. office. In this capacity, Douglas served as the Governor’s chief architect for federal policy and oversaw federal policy development and advocacy on domestic, economic, and urban policy issues for the State of New York. Douglas graduated from the University of Michigan with Highest Honors in Economics and from the Yale Law School.

Meghan Harte

Meghan Harte serves as the executive director of the Chicago office of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC). A national leader in comprehensive community development, LISC Chicago’s mission is to connect neighborhoods to the resources they need to become stronger and healthier. Meghan oversees a professional staff of 13, an active real estate loan portfolio, and an annual organizational budget of $8 million. Prior to joining LISC Chicago, Meghan served as Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s Deputy Chief of Staff. Previous to working in the Mayor’s office, Meghan was Vice President at AECOM. She also served as the Managing Director of Resident Services for the Chicago Housing Authority. Meghan served as a deputy chief of staff for Mayor Richard M. Daley and held positions surrounding the 1996 Democratic National Convention and the 2012 NATO Host Committee. Meghan holds a B.S. degree from Vanderbilt University and received her JD from Loyola University Chicago School of Law. She serves on the Chicago Housing Authority Board of Commissioners, is on the board of Special Children’s Charities Chicago and is a volunteer coach at ABC Pilsen.

Greg Hummel

Greg Hummel is a senior partner at the national and international law firm Bryan Cave LLP. He is based in Chicago, where he leads the firm’s public private partnership practice. His work involves real estate development and finance, as well as, public and project finance. His 40-year career unfolded first as counsel to leading national developers, architect/engineers, construction companies, and commercial and investment banks. Today, Greg’s practice focuses on the economic development and job creation activities of cities, states and other units of government both in the United States and abroad. He has advised public and private clients on public finance and economic development strategies all over the world including the governments of New Zealand and its capital city Wellington, New South Wales, Australia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, U.S. cities of Chicago, Raleigh, and Hartford. Another facet of his practice is incentives where he has obtained financial benefits for private sector clients in the form of grants, tax credits and/or tax exempt debt in over twenty U.S. states. Mr. Hummel also serves as legal counsel to some of the nation’s largest banks, construction companies and real estate developers, for whom he handles all facets of acquisition, zoning, construction, financing, leasing, management and disposition of office, retail, industrial and residential projects. Greg Hummel is a graduate of MacMurray College (BA) and Northwestern University School of Law (JD).

Carl Jenkins

Mr. Carl A. Jenkins serves as a Senior Advisor at Penta Mezzanine Fund. Mr. Jenkins serves as a Managing Director and Head of Community Investments for BMO Harris Bank N.A. Mr. Jenkins oversees Community Reinvestment Act investments targeting lower middle market companies and community-based real estate development in all BMO Harris markets. Mr. Jenkins manages a team and investment portfolio with commitments exceeding $500 million and covering the states of Arizona, … Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Washington and Wisconsin. He served as a commercial real estate lender for BMO Capital Markets and the BMO Harris Community Development Lending team. He has been with Harris since 2000. Previously, Mr. Jenkins served as a Vice President at BMO Harris Bank National Association. Mr. Jenkins spent eight years with Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC). He began his professional career in 1986 as an architect. He serves as a Member of Financial Advisory Board of Patriot Capital, L.P. He serves on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Affordable Housing Lenders, Cook County Land Bank Authority, Disability Opportunity Fund, Small Business Investor Alliance, Chicago Sinfonietta, Goodman Theatre, the Illinois Facilities Fund, and the Chicago Low-Income Housing Trust Fund. Mr. Jenkins earned his bachelor’s degree in architecture from Washington University in St. Louis. He also holds a Master’s of Business Administration from the Kenan-Flagler School of Business at the University of North Carolina.

Lauren G. Lowery

Lauren G. Lowery is both a Principal and Managing Broker at Finders Plus Real Estate and FP Commercial Real Estate based in Chicago, Illinois. Ms. Lowery is responsible for business strategy, new business development, retailer relationships and retail advisory services for FP Commercial.  Throughout Ms. Lowery’s extensive and diverse 20-year career, she has been involved with the development and representation of retail and residential properties throughout the greater Chicagoland Area with an emphasis on Chicago’s urban, downtown and South Side communities. FP Commercial Advisory Services has provided real estate related counsel to The City of Markham, Illinois, The Bronzeville Retail Initiative, Edgewater Development Corporation, Neighborhood Housing Services of Illinois and West Humboldt Park Development Corporation. Ms. Lowery received her Bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University in Evanston, IL and a Master of Arts in Inner City Studies at Northeastern Illinois University, Carruthers School.  Ms. Lowery is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers, an Illinois State Licensed Managing Real Estate Broker and is a Professional Certificate candidate at NeighborWorks America in Community Revitalization.  Ms. Lowery is also member of the Society of American Archivists, holds a Professional Certificate from the Modern Archives Institute at the National Archives and Record Administration in Washington DC and the immediate past Vice President of the Northwestern University Black Alumni Association.

Cynthia McSherry

Cynthia McSherry is the Executive Director of the Urban Land Institute Chicago, one of the first district councils of ULI-the Urban Land Institute. ULI Chicago, with over 1300 members, continues to be the leading voice for improving state and local land use policy and development practices in the greater Chicago land area. She has been an integral link in the chain of progress for ULI Chicago for over 18 years. Ms. McSherry is also President and Founder of McCarthy, McSherry and Associates, Ltd. (MMA), started in 1990, offering a flexible, creative, individual approach to meeting, event and management services including organizational management from board development and strategic planning to fundraising campaigns and volunteer recruitment. Prior to building her own company, Ms. McSherry acted as the Executive Director of the Three Arts Club of Chicago, a landmark residential facility for women in the arts, responsible for the overall building management and maintenance of this historic property on the Chicago’s Gold Coast. As an Assistant Dean of Students for the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business, her tenure was spent soliciting funds from both private and public institutions and individuals for minority student scholarships.

Jeff Malehorn

Jeff Malehorn is the President & CEO of World Business Chicago (WBC), where he is responsible for the attraction, expansion and retention of companies to Chicago. Malehorn leads the implementation of the Plan for Economic Growth and Jobs, which was produced by WBC at Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s request and is the outline for the city’s overarching economic development efforts. Jeff reports to WBC Chairman Mayor Emanuel and Vice Chairman Michael Sacks and works closely with WBC’s distinguished board of directors and the Mayor’s office. A GE Company Officer since 2001 and Chicagoland resident since 2004, Jeff was previously President & CEO of GE Capital, Commercial Distribution Finance. Additionally, he served as Co-Leader for GE Capital, Americas Commercial Council. Prior to that, he served four years as President & CEO of GE Healthcare Financial Services. An experienced global leader who has spent the majority of his career growing financial services businesses, he was President & CEO of GE Commercial Finance’s Global Financial Restructuring business based in Tokyo, where he led teams buying distressed debt in Europe, Asia and the Americas. He is the outgoing Metropolitan Chicago American Heart Association board chairman and is a board member for the Greater Chicago Food Depository, Junior Achievement and was a founding Midwest Board member for BuildOn.

James E. Matanky

James E. Matanky of Chicago, Illinois, is President of Matanky Realty Group and heads the development and brokerage arms of the company. He is the immediate past Chairman of the Illinois state planning committee of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and is ICSC Certified in Executive Leadership (CRX), Leasing (CLS), Development (CDP), Shopping Center Management (CSM) and Marketing (CMD). He currently serves as the North American Chair of the ICSC Ambassador Program and is the Midwest Divisional Operations Chair. He regularly participates as a panelist for both the ICSC and the Urban Land Institute. James has worked with the City of Chicago as a mentor for retail redevelopment, and has served on the Chicago Building Department Commissioner’s advisory panel as well as the Illinois Food Marketing Task Force tasked with determining strategies to eliminate food deserts around the State. James was honored as a recipient of the Chicago Neighborhood Developer of the Year Award multiple times for his work in Chicago’s underserved communities. He was also honored as a recipient of the Chicago Good Neighbor Award. James received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the University of Illinois, College of Law and is an Honorary Fellow of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. James graduated with honors from the University of Illinois with degrees in finance, accounting and law. He earned an honors graduate degree in law from Cambridge University, Cambridge, England.

David Reifman

David L Reifman was appointed by Mayor Rahm Emanuel to be the City of Chicago’s commissioner for the Department of Planning and Development, effective September 1, 2015. Prior to this appointment, Mr. Reifman was a partner at DLA Piper in Chicago where he spearheaded a variety of major economic development projects and large-scale planning initiatives throughout the city. A native Chicagoan, Mr. Reifman specializes in zoning, land use planning, tax increment financing, historic preservation, and public-private partnerships. David Reifman brings a long career in complex development deals that combine community economic development, affordable housing development, job creation and neighborhood engagement. Some of Mr. Reifman’s projects include representing Unilever Manufacturing in seeking development expansion of its Hellman’s facility in Little Village; redevelopment of the Chicago Transit Authority’s Wilson Yard site, which now has a Target, Aldi, and affordable family and senior housing; redevelopment of the 200-acre Ryerson site in Pullman which includes Method, as well as additional space for neighborhood retail and commercial uses. He also represented the Chicago Cubs during the team’s renovation and expansion of historic Wrigley Field. Mr. Reifman earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from University of Illinois. He received his law degree from Northwestern University School of Law.

Lyneir Richardson

CEO

Lyneir Richardson is co-founder and CEO of Chicago TREND. He is an experienced commercial and residential real estate developer with a track record of attracting retailers and businesses to urban areas.Lyneir is a faculty member at Rutgers Business School and leads the Center for Urban Entrepreneurship and Economic Development. He was recruited by former Mayor Cory Booker and served as Chief Executive Officer of the primary economic development corporation in Newark, NJ for over five years. He was also Vice President of Urban Development at General Growth Properties, Inc. where he led a national initiative to bring quality shopping centers to underserved neighborhoods in U.S. cities. Prior to General Growth, Lyneir founded Lakeshore Development & Construction Company and was recognized by the U.S. Small Business Administration as “Illinois Young Entrepreneur of the Year”. He started his career as an attorney for the First National Bank of Chicago. Lyneir is a graduate of Bradley University and the University of Chicago Law School. He is a member of Urban Land Institute, International Council of Shopping Centers and International Economic Development Council. He has served on numerous non-profit and civic boards, committees and commissions.

Cynthia Stewart

With a background in state and local government having worked as a State Senate Chief of Staff and a City Clerk, Cynthia Stewart began her ICSC career as a Manger of State Government Relations. As the Director of Community Relations, she spearheaded ICSC’s Alliance Program and helped grow ICSC public sector membership. She now oversees the Department of Community Development, where she and her team promote sound development and public-private partnerships (P3) thought the P3 Retail Program and utilize ICSC communication platforms to highlight and better relate the social, civic and economic effect of the industry on local communities. Prior to ICSC, Ms. Stewart was Chief of Staff to Maryland State Senator Jim Simpson. She also served at the municipal level in both Illinois and South Carolina as Deputy City Clerk, City Clerk and Community Development Assistant. She completed her B.A.A.S. in Public Administration from Midwestern State University, Wichita Falls, TX and has also completed the University of Shopping Centers School for Economic Development and the ICSC School for Professional Development. Since joining ICSC, Ms. Stewart has served on various councils including the Brookings Institution’s Urban Markets Initiative Advisory Council and the U. S. Conference of Mayors’ Business Council Steering Committee .

Robert Weissbourd

Robert Weissbourd founded RW Ventures, LLC in 2000, after serving for ten years in executive positions at Shorebank Corporation, including as co-manager of Shorebank Chicago Companies and of Shorebank Advisory Services. He was a lead developer of MetroEdge, the Center for Financial Services Innovation and the Urban Markets Initiative. Bob is also a Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution Metropolitan Policy Center. Bob served on the Obama Transition HUD Agency Review Team and as Chair of the Obama for America Campaign Urban and Metropolitan Policy Committee. Bob has been active for over twenty-five years in community and civic organizations. He has served as President or Vice President of the Boards of the City Colleges of Chicago, Center for Neighborhood Technology, Crossroads Fund, Businesspeople in the Public Interest and PROCAN, as well as on the Visiting Committee of the University of Chicago Law School and the Advisory Committees for the Institute for Comprehensive Community Development, (Chicago) Mayor’s Technology Advisory Committee, CWICSTATS (research advisory board to the Chicago Workforce Investment Council), Brookings Metropolitan Economy Project and Brookings Urban Markets Initiative. Bob clerked for federal Judge George Leighton, after receiving a J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School and a B.A. from Yale University.