Chicago 2018 Forecast

Under Smietana’s supervision, HSA’s diversified management portfolio has consistently ranked in the top 10 in Chicago and grown to include more than 16 million square feet of office, industrial, retail and corporate facilities in 14 states. Smietana has completed more than 75 commercial developments comprising more than 20 million square feet and valued at $2 billion. His diverse development experience, which began in 1978, includes industrial, retail, hotel, suburban and urban office, senior housing and medical office. He has been responsible for all phases of real estate, including land acquisitions, entitlements, design development, financing, construction management operations, property and asset management, and brokerage.

As President of Fifield Companies, Erin Spears oversees national operations and leads our strategic growth initiatives. During her career, Erin has worked on over $3.5 billion of real estate transactions consisting of multifamily, office, retail and industrial projects across the country. She has directed the acquisition and development of $1.6 billion of investments including 4,600 multifamily units and 400,000 square feet of office buildings in Chicago, the Southeast and Texas. Prior to joining Fifield, Erin spent three years at Heitman as an Executive Vice President of Acquisitions for Heitman’s Value Fund. She was responsible for joint venture value-add acquisitions. Previously, Erin was Vice President of Multifamily Investments at Pearlmark and began her career as a financial analyst in investment banking at J.P. Morgan Securities. Erin graduated with honors from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. She is a member of the National Multi Housing Council; the Urban Land Institute and a WLI Advisory Board member. Erin was named a Crain’s Chicago Business 40 Under 40, a Real Estate Forum “Woman of Influence” and Real Estate Forum Fifty Under 40. Erin is the proud mother of three young children, a Peloton addict and an eternally optimistic golfer.

Craig K. Huffman is a veteran of real estate private equity with nearly two decades of experience as an entrepreneur. Most recently, he served as Co-Founder and Principal of Ascendance Partners, a Chicago-based real estate private equity firm established in 2006 and focused on commercial real estate investments in metropolitan Chicago. Ascendance was an early sponsor of institutional investment funds that acquired real estate in economically underserved communities of Chicago and has sponsored real estate funds for foundations, endowments, pension funds, family offices and high net worth individuals. Notable Ascendance investors have included Bank of America, PNC Community Development Company, LLC, the Retirement Plan for Chicago Transit Authority Employees’ Trust and the University of Notre Dame. Prior to Ascendance, Huffman worked in diverse senior management roles in the sectors of entrepreneurship, education, non-profit and politics. Huffman serves on numerous philanthropic boards and is an advisor and investor for several emerging minority entrepreneurs. He holds a B.A. from Morehouse College and a master’s degree and MBA from the University of Chicago.

Mr. Hites is Principal and Chief Investment Officer for The John Buck Company with primary responsibility for the development and implementation of investment strategy, oversight and coordination of the firm’s investment activities and the origination of new investment opportunities. Kevin also has direct responsibility for management of capital partner and investor relationships. Kevin is a member of The John Buck Company’s Investment Committee and Board of Directors. Prior to joining JBC, Kevin was a Managing Principal and Chief Investment Officer at Pearlmark Real Estate Partners, where he oversaw and coordinated the firm’s investment activities. Kevin invested over $2 billion in real estate across the U.S. on behalf of Pearlmark’s private equity funds during his 15-year tenure at the firm. Previously, Kevin was with ING Clarion Partners in New York, where he was involved in acquisitions and asset management. He also worked in Morgan Stanley Dean Witter’s Real Estate Investment Banking Group in New York. Kevin earned his AB degree in Business Economics at Brown University and his MBA at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. He is an active member of Urban Land Institute (ULI).

Charley is a Vice President in the Construction & Real Estate Practice Group for Willis Towers Watson. Located in Chicago, Charley is a client advocate that delivers strategic risk management consulting for project-specific risks and renewable corporate insurance programs. Charley has over 12 years dedicated to the industry. His clients are firms that represent all ends of the construction continuum including real estate owners, developers, general contractors, construction managers and trade contractors. These firms are publicly traded, non-profits, start-ups and Public-Private- Partnerships (P3) in the construction and infrastructure space. As a trusted advisor, he connects his clients to the Willis Towers Watson global network of resources. Before joining Willis Towers Watson, Charley was an Account Executive with a global insurance brokerage firm for ten years. Charley specialized in project- specific insurance placements and account management for the firm’s largest domestic general contractor clients. He supported six of the ENR Top 200 GCs and managed the account servicing on over 45 individual construction projects that were placed in 15 different states. Charley’s experience includes federally funded projects under USACE, NAVFAC, DOT, DHS and the VA. A 2005 graduate of University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Charley holds a Bachelor’s degree in Consumer Economics. He is a member of NAOIP’s Developing Leaders Program and was recently a panelist for the Illinois Ready Mixed Concrete Association and presented to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) about construction insurance risks.

Striving to minimize legal risk while maintaining a sensible balance with practical business judgment, Jessica Lingertat’s practice includes all aspects of commercial lending and real estate law. As Chair of Gould & Ratner LLP's sophisticated Real Estate Practice, Jessica leads her group in the representation of lenders, developers, investors, management companies and other corporate clients in commercial real estate transactions, development issues and related business matters. She is active in the acquisition, financing, development and operation of varied types of commercial properties, including office, mixed-use, industrial and different types of residential projects, with an emphasis on residential development and lending matters, including construction financing. Jessica also has deep experience in the acquisition, restructuring and disposition of complex distressed assets. She represents corporate clients in a variety of business transactions, including commercial financing. A marquee service of Gould & Ratner, our Real Estate Practice supports clients with interests in some of the most desirable, iconic and innovative properties in Chicago and the United States. Working with clients on both trophy transactions and high-volume deals, our lawyers have recently led such closings and representations as the acquisition and development of the Old Chicago Main Post Office, a national expansion for a retailer of hand-crafted coffee, development of a multiproperty Aspen ski resort, and several transit-oriented development projects in Chicagoland.

Marc is Principal and COO. He leads R2’s Operating Platform and Holding Company and oversees the implementation of R2’s services and investments. Marc has over 20 years of business experience in retail management, banking, business operations consulting and real estate operations. Prior to R2, Marc founded and managed a Chicago based residential and commercial real estate management company. Marc graduated from Marquette University with a degree in business and received an MBA with a concentration in finance and operations from the University of Notre Dame

With more than 20 years of development and project management experience, Tony has helped lead developments totaling more than 13 million square feet of office, multifamily, hospitality and mixed-use projects in multiple markets on two continents. As Chief Operating Officer for Riverside, Tony provides day-to-day oversight of business operations and development activities while also working with the executive team to develop and implement the company’s strategies, goals and growth plans. Tony received his BS and MS in Civil Engineering from Northwestern University, and an MBA from Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management.

Seth Halpern joined Shapack Partners in the summer of 2013 as its General Counsel. Seth's duties include tending to all legal matters of the company, including the negotiation, legal due diligence and closing of all real estate acquisitions and dispositions as well as the day to day management, leasing activities and general corporate affairs of the company. In January 2015, Seth became a Principal of Shapack Partners. Prior to joining Shapack Partners, Seth practiced law at Horwood, Marcus and Berk Chartered and Timm & Garfinkel, LLC, where he represented clients in the purchase, development, operation, financing, leasing and disposition of real property in Illinois as well as throughout the United States. Seth received his Juris Doctor from Chicago-Kent College of Law and a B.A. from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He lives in Deerfield with his wife and two children.

Michael is an architect with over 34 years in commercial design. Michael is passionate about the forces that drive commercial real estate development and understands the social aspects that influence design trends in the workplace, branded environments and technology systems around the world. As Corporate + Commercial Studio leader, Michael’s responsibilities include client leadership and project team management. HED serves clients in a broad range of market sectors including Workplace, Housing, Mixed Use, Science, Healthcare, Higher Education and Pre K-12 + Community Education with offices in six locations nationally. As the Managing Principal of HED’s Chicago office, Mike has insight into all of HED’s target markets.. HED Advances Your World. Founded in 1908 We seek creative solutions that have a Positive Impact for our Clients, The Community, and the World. See how we advance your world at www.hed.design

Eugene "Gene" J.M. Leone is a Partner in the Global M&A Practice Group and a member of the Real Estate Industry Group, based in the Chicago and New York offices. Gene represents some of the most recognizable names in real estate and has a track record of leading, structuring and executing complicated deal transactions for a broad universe of investors, including private equity, entrepreneurs and public companies. His practice focuses on all aspects of commercial real estate, including joint ventures, acquisitions, dispositions, leasing, financings and workouts. A highly rated lawyer and sought-after speaker, Gene is a member of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers and the Real Estate Roundtable and frequently speaks on a variety of real estate topics at conferences around the country.