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  Mark Skender

  Since joining the firm in 1989, Mark has played an integral role in the development of the company’s long-term vision, strategic direction, organizational design, and values. He oversees the firm’s operations and is responsible for innovating the way Skender delivers projects. As a pioneer in Chicago’s Lean construction movement, Mark helped create and implement Skender’s industry-leading approach to Lean project delivery. He is also the visionary behind Skender’s integration of design, manufacturing and construction, as well as the firm’s breakthrough modular offering, which earned Skender recognition in 2019 as one of the “world’s most innovative companies,” according to Fast Company. Mark is a board member of the Illinois Housing Council and sits on the board of trustees for Frances Xavier Warde Schools in Chicago. He holds an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management.

  Skender

  CEO

  Opening Remarks

  Mark Skender

  CEO

  Skender

Major Projects Changing the Region

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  Gary Pachucki

  Mr. Pachucki is Founder and Principal of the IBT Group LLC, which focuses on creative urban developments in metropolitan areas. Current projects include 1200 Fulton, a full-block creative office, retail and entertainment complex in the West Fulton Market area of Chicago. Mr. Pachucki is responsible for strategic management of all development activities for IBT Group including pipeline, acquisition, financing, planning, leasing and project execution. He has over 30 years of real estate experience and has been involved in the development of over ten million of square feet of office, residential and retail space throughout the country during his career. Prior to the formation of the IBT Group, Mr. Pachucki started and oversaw retail development in the Midwest for Opus Group of Companies, a family owned real estate company which was one of the largest privately held real estate companies in the country. Prior to OPUS he spent several years with Balcor as Vice president where he was responsible for an extensive national portfolio of 2,000,000 square feet of commercial space and 60,000 residential units. An architect by training, Mr. Pachucki spent several years with at the time the largest architectural firm in Wisconsin, Mochon, Schutte, Hackworthy & Juerisson, where he was involved in various aspects of the design process for institutional and commercial buildings including airports, schools and residential projects. Mr. Pachucki graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a Bachelor of Science in Architecture and also completed graduate level studies at the University of Wisconsin Graduate School of Architecture and Urban Planning.

  IBT Group

  Founder & President

  Gary Pachucki

  Founder & President

  IBT Group

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  Benjamin Brichta

  Bringing his architectural experience to his role at X, Ben oversees all aspects of project delivery. He has a particular passion for incorporating compelling public spaces and programming into the portfolio, focusing on the intersection of art, design, and technology. You can typically find Ben in a hard hat on site, but when he’s not traveling you can find him at his L Logan Square apartment with his wife and pittie mix pup, Dosa.

  The X Company

  Partner

  Benjamin Brichta

  Partner

  The X Company

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  Peter Ousley

  Mr. Ousley is the lead representative and a point of contact for the professional service clients of d’Escoto Inc. He directs the principals responsible for project organization, operations, logistics and compliance. Mr. Ousley works to coordinate overall planning and implementation of all contract requirements. Additionally, Mr. Ousley leads the effort to develop business opportunities managing relationships among subcontractors, partners, and clients on behalf of d’Escoto. Prior to joining d’Escoto, Mr. Ousley served as a Vice President and Public Sector Lead for Lendlease in Chicago. As Chief Operating Officer of the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), he was responsible for overseeing the operation of the nation's second largest public transit system; serving Chicago and 40 neighboring communities. Mr. Ousley served as the First Deputy Commissioner for the City of Chicago Department of Buildings and Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Aviation, where he managed more than 400 employees responsible for enforcing the Chicago Building Code and the real estate portfolio for both municipal airports, respectively. To engage his civic obligations Mr. Ousley serves as an adjunct faculty member at Loyola University Chicago. “Chicago Politics” is the focus of a course he has refined and enjoys leading each year as he works to educate and inspire the next generation of leaders.

  d'Escoto

  Business Development Director

  Peter Ousley

  Business Development Director

  d'Escoto

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  Tina Bird

  Tina Bird is a Partner in the Real Estate Practice Group and her practice is nationwide, including contract drafting and negotiation, arbitrations, civil trials, mediations, claim preparation and mid-project analysis. Tina represents material suppliers, subcontractors, contractors, construction managers, design-builders, architects, owners and sureties in every aspect of their business. Before joining Freeborn, Tina was a Partner at Clark Hill PLC in the Firm's Construction, Business and Corporate Transactions, Litigation and Real Estate departments. REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS Defended a construction company against breach of warranty claims as to construction of a subdivision of single-family homes. Represented and was successful on behalf of many subcontractors in asserting mechanic’s lien claims on both public and private projects, and general contractors on private projects including the preparation of the actual liens and the prosecution of the lien litigation itself. Represented large developers in breach of contract claims including projects in Maryland and Florida. Negotiated multi-million dollar contracts for the construction of the Trump Tower and McCormick Place Expansion projects. Successfully prosecuted multi-million dollar contractor claim concerning construction of the Cleveland Browns stadium. Successfully appealed a trial court decision resulting in the creation of mechanic’s lien rights for trucking and hauling of construction material. Represented large national developer in securing disputed zoning rights for construction of a multi-million dollar shopping center.

  Freeborn & Peters LLP

  Partner

  Moderator

  Tina Bird

  Partner

  Freeborn & Peters LLP

Construction Finance

How to Handle Rising Construction Costs & Labor Shortages

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  Shaylyn Cullen

  Shaylyn Cullen is the Founder and President of Cullen Construction Management. Over her 20-year career as a General Contractor and Owners Representative, Shaylyn has led projects ranging from apartments to office buildings, interior buildouts to airport renovations, LEED certified Outdoor Classrooms, Luxury High Rise residences as well as Cargo and Logistics facilities. These experiences have focused on all aspects of building from conceptual cost planning through final turnover. Her sharp focus on cost control provides clients a full service of design and change management which ensures that quality and costs are maintained. Shaylyn graduated from Marquette University with a B.S. in Civil & Environmental Engineering, and DePaul University with a Master’s in Business Administration. She spent 10 years at Lend Lease, where she developed her preconstruction skills while also spending time in the field. Cullen CM is a City of Chicago certified Women’s Business Enterprise as well as a State of Illinois BEP Certified firm. Cullen works with clients of all types to fill any gaps in the development and construction process. They provide top level expertise to guide each stage of the project with respect to design, budget, constructability, schedule and quality. The Cullen team delivers creative and sensible solutions to any situation.

  Cullen Construction Management

  President

  Shaylyn Cullen

  President

  Cullen Construction Management

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  John McLinden

  John brings 30 years of real estate experience to Hubbard Street Group. Over his career, he has developed over $3 billion of institutional-grade commercial, residential and hotel properties across the country. John focuses his attention on HSG’s new development and investment activity in Chicago and other major markets. John received a BBA and MBA from the University of Wisconsin - Madison. John loves traveling the world with his wife, friends and growing family. He enjoys road biking, skiing, golfing, hiking out west and good wine and food.

  Hubbard Street Group

  Managing Partner

  John McLinden

  Managing Partner

  Hubbard Street Group

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  Eli Ungar

  Founder & Principal

  Antheus Capital

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  Robin Ellerthorpe

  At Invicara, Robin helps clients assess how building information can help transform their businesses. With more than 25 years of industry experience, he combines his knowledge of architecture, finance, computer application development, organizational design, and strategic planning to help clients lower their total cost of construction and operations. Robin is a registered architect, an AIA Fellow and a member of CoreNet Global. His research efforts on space occupancy resulted in a U.S. patent for measuring space utilization using remote wireless sensors tied to business intelligence tools for analytics. This technology earned Herman Miller a CoreNet Global H. Bruce Russell Award for innovation. Robin holds a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and a Bachelor of Science in architectural building construction engineering technology from the Milwaukee School of Engineering.

  Invicara

  Strategic Account Executive

  Moderator

  Robin Ellerthorpe

  Strategic Account Executive

  Invicara

Fireside Chat With Commissioner Judy Frydland

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  Judy Frydland

  Judy Frydland serves as the Commissioner of the Department of Buildings for the City of Chicago. The Department of Buildings is a 285‐person department with an annual budget of $37 million. The DOB enhances safety and quality of life for residents and visitors of the City of Chicago through permitting, inspections, trade licensing, and enforcement of the Chicago Building Code. Since Commissioner Frydland’s appointment in 2015, the Department has implemented several reforms that have streamlined the permit process for all building projects, from single-family home renovations to large-scale developments, making it quicker and more efficient to obtain a permit than ever before. In 2017, the Buildings Department issued a record 48,408 permits. Under her leadership, the Department is modernizing City code to align with national and international standards. In fall 2017, Chicago became one of the first major cities to align with the National Electrical Code. The updated code improves safety requirements, advances sustainability, brings additional energy efficiency to Chicago’s booming building industry and can lower costs on electric bills for residents and businesses. Prior to joining the Department of Buildings, Ms. Frydland spent 25 years in the Chicago Law Department working with various city departments, community groups and other stakeholders on the enforcement of building code, municipal health and business license regulations. In her role as Deputy Corporation Counsel for Building and Licensing Enforcement, Ms. Frydland enforced the city’s vacant building ordinance and implemented strategies aimed to preserve the city’s housing stock, closed down and revoked licenses for problem businesses engaging in criminal activity, actively preserved occupied residential buildings through circuit court litigation and city programs, aggressively prosecuted illegal signs and dangerous and hazardous rooftop water tanks, as well as enforced the Life Safety Evaluation (LSE) requirements for pre-1975 high-rise buildings. Commissioner Frydland is the recipient of the 2018 “Labor Person of the Year” award from IBEW Local 134 and the 2018 “Building Industry Woman of the Year in Construction” award from the Home Builders Association of Greater Chicago. Ms. Frydland graduated from I.I.T. Chicago Kent College of Law, was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 1990 and is a current member of the Chicago Bar Association. Ms. Frydland earned her law degree while working as a social worker and assistant administrator in a nursing home. Ms. Frydland also has a Master’s Degree in Community Health Care Planning and Administration.

  City of Chicago

  Commissioner, Chicago Department of Buildings

  Judy Frydland

  Commissioner, Chicago Department of Buildings

  City of Chicago

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  Jenny Han

  A licensed architect with 25 years of experience, Jenny oversees Skender’s modular architecture and design for healthcare projects. In her role as director of healthcare design, she manages day-to-day design administration, including staffing, budgeting and planning. Previously, Jenny led on-site design teams for capital projects at Rush University Medical Center, where she supervised program management and design for a wide variety of campus- wide initiatives, including interior renovations, master planning and programming, and budgeting and forecasting. Since 1999, Jenny has mentored high school-aged immigrant and refugee women with the Young Women Warriors (YWW) mentorship program. She has been a board member since 2007 for the YWW’s parent organization, the Chinese Mutual Aid Association, of which she is currently board chair. She also volunteers on the board of directors for the Hanul Family Alliance. Jenny earned a Bachelor of Architecture from Cornell University and a Master of Arts in the Social Sciences from the University of Chicago.

  Skender

  Director of Healthcare Design

  Jenny Han

  Director of Healthcare Design

  Skender

• 

  Heather Morrison

  Heather Morrison is the Founder and CEO of Morrison Architectural Planning Strategies, LLC, and MAP Studio LLC, a WBE-licensed architecture firm. She is an architectural strategist and project manager with a twenty-five year record of successfully managing large-scale architecture and construction projects. After working in the field of architecture for several years, and especially while project managing with ZGF Architects for the Lurie Children's Hospital, she often observed significant inefficiencies in how entitlement processes for permitting, code review, and licensing were managed. Changes in the design often have to occur after the fact within this process, exacerbating inefficiencies. Heather found a hole in the market, which quickly became a passion for helping all sides of a development team streamline the compliance process. Heather started MAP Strategies (MAPS) to bring accountability to her clients, and the discipline to be informed, organized, and prepared for the governmental regulatory process. Similar to the law, building codes exist to systematize how architects design buildings for the safety of the public. As a compliance partner, Heather and her team focus on editing architectural designs during pre-construction and strategically plan the path for permitting and licensing, creating better design outcomes while saving time, money, and resources. Heather’s then-startup began in 2014 in the West Loop with the dream of turning compliance on its head. Fortunately, notable developers gave her a chance early on to prove MAPS’s value–and she and her team delivered. These early successes and a reputation for high-level service paved the way for consistent growth in the years to follow. Notable developments overseen by Heather and her team include: 400 North Lakeshore Drive, Lincoln Yards, 727 West Madison, the Tribune Tower renovation, and 900 West Randolph, the tallest building in Chicago’s West Loop. Beyond Heather’s professional achievements, she is passionate about her civic engagement and contributions. After a long battle with cancer, her father Michael Morrison, a prominent real estate attorney in Chicago, passed away in 2010. To honor his legacy and commitment to giving back and lifting up underserved populations in Chicago, Heather gathered together a fundraising committee which eventually raised over 100 thousand dollars to endow a scholarship in Michael’s name at the Chicago Jesuit Academy, a full-scholarship college preparatory middle school located on Chicago’s west side. Distinguished by small classes, an extended academic day, and a longer school year, CJA makes it possible for young men from modest economic backgrounds to find their way to outstanding high schools and colleges which they would otherwise not be able to attend. January 11, 2023 Heather and her team regularly volunteer as pro-bono consultants, performing zoning assessments, code consulting, permit management and other entitlement services for affordable housing developments.

  MAP Strategies

  Founder & President

  Heather Morrison

  Founder & President

  MAP Strategies