Chicago Construction & Development

Born and raised in Chicago, Andre Vasquez is the Alderperson of the 40th Ward and one of the six Democratic Socialists elected to City Council. Prior to his life in Public Service, he was the Illinois Director for AT&T Connected Communities, a local Community Organizer with the Peoples Lobby, and a Hip Hop Artist. He has brought those different experiences and perspectives to City Council to improve government services while creating community-centered development. He is the Vice Chair of the Committee on Special Events and Cultural Affairs, the Secretary of the Progressive Caucus, and Treasurer of the Latino Caucus.

Matt Martin is serving his first term as alderman of the 47th Ward. He lives in Lincoln Square with his wife Katelyn, seven-year-old son Isaac, and two-year-old daughter Ameena. Prior to being elected alderman, Matt worked as a civil rights lawyer at the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, where he focused on important issues including police reform, immigration, healthcare, and worker’s rights. Matt earned bachelor’s degrees in Jazz Studies and Political Science from Northwestern University, and his juris doctorate from Harvard Law School. As alderman, he believes it is critical to be independent, transparent, and willing to take on big challenges like maintaining and expanding affordability, fully funding our schools, and addressing community violence.

As the Chicago Office Design Leader and a Senior Project Designer at DLR Group, Aaron is committed to fostering a culture of design excellence. He does this by providing a purposeful, hands-on approach that prioritizes mentorship, collaboration, and process. With his design leadership, Aaron guides his project teams to create practical, innovative, and contextually relevant architectural solutions that exceed the expectations of clients and users in our rapidly changing society. He thrives in collaborative environments and synthesizes collective efforts to achieve exceptional design that resonates with the human spirit and community vision. Currently, he is leading design efforts for a 30-story dual-brand hotel in downtown Austin, Texas.

Bob started Clayco with the goal of finding new, better ways to do business, and hasn’t looked back since. Over the past 35+ years, Bob has grown Clayco into one of the top full-service building firms in North America while building Clayco’s commitment to the communities in which they work and becoming a national civic and business leader. Bob has established and nurtured a culture of innovation, collaboration and a can-do attitude that continues to make Clayco the best option for clients, and one of the best places to work in the country.

Benjamin founded Cyclone Energy Group in 2012 with a vision of making the world more efficient by bridging together design, construction and ongoing operation of high performance buildings. With his background in building design, energy modeling, commissioning and retro- commissioning, he has established and runs the 20 person Chicago-based consultancy which has earned international recognition for both its projects and team members. Over his career, he has helped create some of the most energy efficient and unique buildings in the world. Projects include super-tall high-rise buildings, net-positive energy designs, LEED Platinum and WELL Certified buildings. He has earned the prestigious ASHRAE International Design Award for the Walgreens Net Zero Energy Store. In 2015 he was named 40 under 40 by Consulting Specifying Engineer Magazine.

Sandya Dandamudi is President of GI Stone, located in Chicago. Founded 28 years ago by her mother Rani Dandamudi, GI Stone is WBE/MBE certified, a signatory to Union Local 21, and a vital employer. Sandya’s deep knowledge of stone and her “get it done” attitude has propelled GI Stone as the leading stone company in Chicago. GI Stone is unique in its versatility by executing both Exterior and Interior work – With an impressive resume that includes buildings such as 9 Walton, One Bennet Place, The Ritz Carlton, The Four Seasons Hotel, Wolf Pointe, The Tribune Tower, Northwestern Outpatient hospital, The Northwestern Kellogg’s School of Business parking garage, One Chicago Square etc. – there is not a project that GI Stone cannot do. Sandya is also on the Board of the Chicago Marble Contractor’s Association and is an active participant in contract negotiations. She is actively engaged in mentoring, sponsoring, and training apprentices for The Marble Setters Union-Local 21. She has a personal commitment to encouraging individuals who do not have a traditional background in the construction industry. As a child of immigrants, Sandya understands what the American Dream is about – her parents realized it and she and her two siblings have greatly benefited from their years of hard work. This family drive has led to her conviction that everyone deserves to participate in that dream. Sandya has an unwavering interest in assuring the existence of services that support emotional health, access to nutritional food and promoting self-expression and identity. She also believes that through the medium of the Arts, lies a powerful medium that needs to be valued and is active in promoting artistic expression in disenfranchised youth.

Jonathan McCulloch is co-chief executive officer of Belgravia Group, Ltd., a leading Chicago residential real estate development firm which he joined in 2004.  He oversees its residential developments, new company endeavors, debt sourcing and equity fundraising. He is also a principal at Lakewest, Inc., a Belgravia affiliate involved in non-residential real estate and private equity investments; a co-founder of Lakewest Venture Partners which has invested in over thirty early-stage companies since its formation in 2012; and a venture partner at Dundee Venture Capital. In 2010 he joined the board of directors of Accel Entertainment and served on the board until November 2019 when the company completed a public listing onto the NYSE (ACEL). He also serves on boards of various companies in the Dundee Venture Capital portfolio. Jonathan is a member of the US Soccer Federation’s Chicago Development Council where he supports the Federation’s efforts to increase access and resources to accelerate the development of youth soccer players and their coaches in the U.S. He also serves on the board of directors of Back 2 School Illinois, a nonprofit that operates the largest school supply program in Illinois providing over 20,000 low-income children with free school supplies annually Jonathan grew up Washington, D.C., and received a B.S. in Economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He lives in Roscoe Village with his wife and two children.

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.

A building or development doesn’t emerge fully formed—there are countless steps from a concept to construction and, finally, to occupancy. Suzanne Kahle is the Farpoint managing director who ensures that every one of these steps progresses, whether the effort is relatively straightforward or something as monumental as our Bronzeville Lakefront 100-acre megadevelopment on Chicago’s South Side. Suzanne proved her dexterity and diligence before joining Farpoint in early 2022 by overseeing such noteworthy projects as Steppenwolf Theatre’s expansion, a University of Chicago dormitory complex and the Gensler-designed addition to the Fourth Presbyterian Church of Chicago. There’s a common thread in these and the other projects she’s brought to completion: a commitment to creating places and space where people want to be and can thrive. Today, she’s directly managing the relocation of the Chicago Transit Authority’s control center to a new 150,000-square-foot combined control and training complex in Garfield Park as well as the redevelopment of its current campus in the West Loop. Suzanne has a master’s degree in urban planning and policy from the University of Illinois-Chicago, as well as a bachelor’s degree in history from Tufts University. Fittingly, she and her family live in suburban Riverside, a community designed by Frederick Law Olmsted in the 1860s. She currently is a member of the Urban Land Institute where she sits on the Chicago Product Council, as well as Riverside’s Community and Sustainability Planning Initiative, the Cross Community Climate Collaborative (C4).

Bill Williams is working to build a better and more equitable Chicago. As founder, principal and managing member of KMW Communities LLC, Williams plays an important role in Chicago's ongoing real estate renaissance. Williams is consider a thought leader in the field of urban renewal and community wealth building strategies. The Chicago native— grew up on the city’s West and South sides communities that he now invests and serves. While working full time, with a young family, Williams earned a B.S. from DePaul University, and an M.B.A. from the University of Notre Dame. He leveraged his knowledge of the inner-city, experience as a Community Development and CMBS banker at the former LaSalle Bank/ ABN AMRO to become a proven expert in development, property management and general contracting services, but also capital structure, acquisition, site selection, design and marketing strategies. Through Williams’s efforts as a community developer, he built a strong relationship with the Chicago’s Department of Planning and Housings that resulted in housing and development committee advisory appointments, and public-private partnerships with the City of Chicago and Chicago Housing Authority. Williams activities have produced 100’s of units that consisted of affordable, market rate and mixed- income developments. Williams particularly active in the rebuilding of the city’s Woodlawn, Garfield Park, Humboldt Park, and Lawndale communities that have experienced decades of disinvestment. He continues to live in the community that he grew up in, and committed to strategies that concentration and targeted investment, which bridges gaps between lower and higher income neighborhoods with housing and services to low-to- moderate earners. Furthermore, KMW has embarked on a $50 million private equity investment vehicle, KREO I that would focus on transformation, catalytic projects in the aforementioned communities. A lifelong resident of Chicago, Williams has developed an intimate knowledge of the neighborhood dynamics understanding the investment needs, both physical capital and human capital. He is committee to transformation of communities and people, by investing in both people and real estate.