Chicago Higher Education Real Estate Summit

Jason Schwartz serves as a Principal for Blue Vista and is the Head of the Student Housing platform. Jason sits on the Blue Vista Management Committee and the Investment Committees for both the firm’s Student Housing and Middle Market equity funds. Additionally, Jason has been on the Board of Directors for Peak Campus Companies since the company’s inception in 2011. Since joining the firm in January 2008, Jason has held several roles and has been directly responsible for investing in over $1 billion of commercial real estate across the various Blue Vista strategies. Prior to joining Blue Vista, Jason worked as an Investment Manager at Hearthstone, a real estate private equity firm in Chicago. Before that, he worked as an Associate at The Cypress Group, a private equity leveraged buyout firm based in New York City. Jason began his career as an investment banking analyst at Credit Suisse (formerly Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette) in New York City. Jason earned an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, a BBA from the University of Michigan Business School and is a member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI).

With nearly two decades of experience in all facets of the real estate investment process, including acquisition, financing, construction management, property management and disposition, Joe guides the short- and long-term vision of 3L as founder and CEO. He oversees operations of all of 3L’s properties and leads business development. In his career, which has spanned 100 properties and 6,000 units in the Midwest region, Joe has played a critical role in more than $500 million in acquisitions, another $500 million in renovations, and $2 billion in financing. Prior to founding 3L, Joe rose through from intern to partner at BJB Partners, where he was central to the design and implementation of efficient-footprint and adaptive-reuse strategies. At BJB, Joe played a central role in designing and implementing the efficient footprint and adaptive re-use strategies he continues to innovate at 3L.

As Chief Investment Officer for NB Private Capital, Paul Perkins has over 26 years experience in the commercial real estate industry. He has a broad knowledge of property and note acquisitions, property dispositions and financing, as well as real estate investment brokerage and the acquisition of real estate operating companies. Perkins has worked in the private as well as the public sector of real investments and recently served as CIO for several local Southern California investment companies before joining NBPC. He received his undergraduate degree in Business from USC and a Masters in Real Estate and Development from New York University.

Brad Carter is currently a Project Executive (PX) in Turner Construction’s Chicago office. In his role Brad is responsible for all operational planning activities on his jobsites, including maintaining effective relationships with the entire team and orchestrating all actions necessary to achieve the project’s safety, quality, scheduling and budgetary goals. Brad’s current projects include two transformative buildings on the University of the Chicago’s campus; Woodlawn Commons, a large dormitory project and Rubenstein Forum, a multi-purpose center composed of meeting spaces, workshop areas and much more. Brad joined Turner in 1999 in Arlington, VA as a Field Engineer after graduating from the University of Virginia with a B.S. in Civil Engineering. He relocated to Chicago in 2007. Over the past 20 years Brad has worked on several iconic projects, such as U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Center for Naval Analyses Corporation, E.M. Dirksen Federal Courthouse, and University of Chicago Saieh Hall for Economics. Brad lives in Downers Grove with his wife Kim, and three (3) kids; Layla (11), Peter (10), and Maddie (7).

Jackie is a Student Housing Property Manager in Chicago. She has been managing purpose built housing in the market since 2009, and working in the industry since 2007. Jackie’s experience in Chicago touches multiple academic institutions and property types. She is a Commissioner of the City of Chicago’s Special Services Area #61 – Hyde Park, and the Treasurer of 18th and Wabash, Corp., a Chicago-based not-for-profit that owns and oversees low-income housing in the South Loop neighborhood. Her portfolio also includes overseeing the State licensing process for Peak’s eight Illinois based properties.

As vice president of public-private partnerships, Jason Taylor participates in American Campus Communities (ACC) business development and university partnership efforts. His responsibilities include assisting university leaders in the evaluation of facility financing and delivery options. Prior to joining ACC in 2019, Jason participated in the planning and execution of more than $1.5 billion in public-private partnership student housing, and advised more than 140 colleges and universities on the planning, feasibility and financing of campus housing. He served as managing director of university partnerships at Greystar where he led P3 student housing business development and partnership efforts in the Midwest, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. He also served as chief executive of the advisory services practice in his 12 years at The Scion Group, which served more than 200 campus markets and advised more than $4.5 billion of student housing development during his tenure. He is an active member of numerous industry and professional associations, including the Association of College and University Housing Officers-International (ACUHO-I) Foundation Board of Trustees and ACUHO-I P3 Working Group, and is a frequent panelist and presenter on public-private partnerships and the future of higher education. Taylor began his career in university housing marketing and public relations at the University of Michigan, where he received his degree in economics.

Richard is responsible for leading the development of undergraduate residential communities at UChicago and managing major auxiliary services related to campus life, including Housing and Residence Life, UChicago Dining, and the campus bookstore. He works directly with colleagues from across the University to execute a master undergraduate housing strategy that advances the University's goals and objectives. As AVP/Associate Dean, Richard serves both as a senior staff member in the College and on the CSL leadership team, collaborating on projects and initiatives both within and outside of the College and CSL. Richard was appointed to this role in July 2017. Richard has deep roots at UChicago. He first came to the University in 1993 as an Assistant Director of Student Housing, supervising the staff and operations in three residence halls housing 700 students. In 1999, he left the University to take on a senior administrative role at the Brookfield Zoo, but returned to UChicago in 2005 as the Director of Operations and Communications in Housing and Dining Services. Richard was promoted to Executive Director of UChicago Dining in 2011. For his six years in this role Richard provided the vision and strategic direction for operations, budget development, and personnel functions for twenty different campus-dining venues with a total operating budget of $20 million and over one million meals served annually. Richard holds bachelors and masters degrees from the University of Oklahoma. He received an MBA from the Keller Graduate School of Management.

Rick Moreci Bio • Bachelor’s Degree from Northern Illinois University – Deafness Rehabilitation Counseling • Master’s Degree – Loyola University Chicago – Higher Education Administration • June 2000 - Started at DePaul University – Residence Director • 2003 – DePaul University, Barat Campus – Assistant Director of Housing Services • 2004 – DePaul University – Manager of Housing Facilities • 2005 – DePaul University – Associate Director of Housing Services • 2009 – DePaul University – Director of Housing Services • 2018 – DePaul University – Director of Housing and Student Centers Rick has enjoyed a long career at DePaul University working first for Residence Life in the Division of Student Affairs and then transitioned more into the Operations side after Residence Life split into Residential Education and Housing Services. Since 2003, Rick has worked under the umbrella of Facility Operations in various roles. After a log run as the Director of Housing Services – a department that focuses on Occupancy Management, Facilities, Marketing, Security and Business Administration – Rick has recently transitioned again and now has the administration of the Student Centers in his portfolio. Rick still oversees Housing but also now manages the Student Center operations on both of DePaul’s campuses. Rick has managed DePaul owned residential facilities and has worked closely with P3 companies in the management of housing in the Loop. Rick was instrumental in the sale of University Center and now works with the new owners and management company of University Center in a master lease partnership. Rick is a Chicago native and appreciates the fact that his entire professional career has been spent at DePaul where he has had countless opportunities to wear many professional hats along his path. Rick believes that one of his biggest strengths is the professional relationships he has built throughout his career not only with other DePaul colleagues but also within the university housing arena within the Chicagoland area. Rick has also made connections through many professional networking opportunities within this field via his involvement in several professional organizations.

Gene is a Principal and Studio Leader with HED Architects in Chicago, IL. He is actively involved in academic planning and design throughout HED’s eight locations across the US. Notable HED student life projects include Catlett Residence Hall at the University of Iowa, The Student Housing West P3 at UC Santa Cruz, and The Village at The University of Southern California. Gene is a veteran of architecture and planning with a background that includes successful, contemporary design leadership in the academic and development industries. He has led and designed successful student life projects, both public and private, throughout the nation and beyond and he has devoted his career to finding opportunities for lasting design within tough parameters and constraints. Gene holds a M.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and a B.A. from the University of Kentucky. Active in multiple industry organizations, he has presented frequently on issues regarding academic planning, programming and pedagogies related to student life.

Steve Sovak, P.E. is a Principal and Project Executive at WMA Consulting Engineers, a Salas O’Brien Company, with over thirty-five years’ engineering experience . As Project Executive, Steve provides engineering designs and solutions for the firm’s most complicated client projects, focusing on institutional, commercial, municipal, and industrial buildings. Steve is a graduate of Northwestern University, where he earned both a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering. He is licensed Professional Engineer in multiple states, and is a member of ASHRAE, the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES), and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Over the years, Steve’s design projects have won numerous awards, including ASHRAE’s Excellence in Engineering Award and ASHRAE’s Energy Design Awards.