Chicago State of the Market

Keating focuses on new acquisitions and development, as well as strategic capital pursuits and relationships. He also oversees Sterling Bay’s retail merchandising portfolio. During his tenure at Sterling Bay, Keating has pursued and acquired Sterling Bay’s land portfolios in both Lincoln Yards and Fulton Market, successfully aggregating strategically located industrial land for mixed-use redevelopment at a competitive cost in two high-demand emerging markets. Keating’s career in commercial real estate began in 2002 at Tishman Speyer in New York City and San Francisco, where he was Director of Development involved in over six million feet of ground-up residential and office development projects. He earned a BA from Duke University and a JD-MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and Pritzker School of Law. Keating currently serves on the boards of the National 9/11 Memorial & Museum, the 606/Bloomingdale Trail, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, the Northwestern Memorial Foundation and the Trinity College Board of Visitors for Duke University. In 2014, he was recognized on Crain’s Chicago Business’ 40 Under 40 list.

In his real estate career, Robert Sevim has executed over 20 million square feet of transactions valued at more than $10 billion. With an exceptional client roster including News Corporation, UnitedHealth Group, The Big Ten Conference, Aetna and Exelon, Robert has developed a reputation for solving the complex real estate challenges of organizations spanning many geographies and property types. He is a dedicated advisor to a broad spectrum of business types, where sophisticated business acumen is highly valued and critical to project success. Robert specializes in the development and implementation of strategic plans that align his clients’ real estate with their overall organizational objectives and financial goals. Robert was named Executive Vice President and Co-Head of the Chicago office in 2014, taking over the management of the operations, recruitment, training & development, research and marketing initiatives, in addition to his professional broker responsibilities. He was promoted to Vice Chairman in 2017, and was named to the company’s North American Board of Directors in 2020.

Jake Pepper is a creative problem solver with a focus on Pepper's continued growth in the evolving construction industry. While taking the company into new markets and relationships, Jake remains responsible for Pepper Environmental Technologies, our Quality team and Integrated Construction Services (ICS). The ICS group is comprised of people who represent some of the most advanced thought leadership in our industry—investigating new technologies, evaluating new methodologies exploring high performance and solar advancements and creating innovative solutions in the field to help our clients realize their vision. In addition, Jake oversees Pepper's Field Supervision leaders and partners with them to drive continuous improvement by using technology in the field. His experience in project management benefits operations by providing integrated platforms designed to bring efficiencies at both the business and project levels. Starting in 2002, Jake worked at Pepper in various summer internships. But after graduating from college, Jake decided to explore different opportunities in the fields of engineering and finance. By the Spring of 2013, he felt ready to bring his new perspectives on the business world back to Pepper and joined the company as a project manager. In 2015, he began working with the IT department to provide strategic direction on business-critical initiatives. Jake also provides support and insight to our virtual construction and high performance groups, and is leading initiatives related to our long-term facilities plans. Jake completed his MBA from Northwestern University Kellogg School of Business. In addition to serving as a guest speaker for the Masters of Project Management program at Northwestern, he is an active member of CMUG, CMiC’s user community, as well as the Urban Land Institute. Outside of work, Jake volunteers as a math mentor for students involved with the POSSE Foundation and has a passion for environmental issues, including clean water and sustainable urban farming.

Kristen Boike is the Office Managing Partner of Honigman’s Chicago office. Kristen focuses her practice on advising clients on a wide array of transactional real estate matters, including joint ventures, development, senior housing, commercial leasing, acquisitions and dispositions, mixed- use developments, sale leaseback transactions, and corporate mergers and acquisitions. Kristen also has extensive experience representing both landlords and tenants in office, retail, data center, warehouse and industrial leases. She counsels both publicly held and private companies, as well as universities, in connection with their institutional real estate matters. Additionally, she has been a member of numerous multidisciplinary firm teams representing key clients in a variety of transactions.

Rick Hurd Managing Partner, Investment Management Mr. Hurd joined Waterton in 2013 and serves as managing partner, investment management. Mr. Hurd collaborates with the firm’s executive management and works closely with the acquisition and capital market teams to oversee all real estate transactions. He helps to set strategy and further develop the firm’s market focus, investment execution and network of industry relationships. Mr. Hurd participates on the firm’s Management, Investment and Valuation Committees. Mr. Hurd has over 35 years of real estate investing experience with a strong focus on multifamily. Prior to joining Waterton, Mr. Hurd was the co-founder, president and chief investment officer of Strategic Capital Partners, a privately held real estate investment management company that invested over $1 billion in value add multifamily, hotel and commercial properties across the country. Prior to that, Mr. Hurd spent almost 20 years at GE Capital Real Estate (“GE”), where he was most recently a managing director responsible for GE’s institutional real estate equity program. While at GE, Mr. Hurd invested just under $2 billion in various equity joint ventures, preferred equity, mezzanine debt and convertible preferred equity strategies. Mr. Hurd holds a bachelor’s degree from Ohio Wesleyan University and an MBA from Drexel University. He is a board member of The Catalyst Schools, a Chicago based chartered school organization. Mr. Hurd is a member of the National Multi Housing Council (NMHC) and a member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Multifamily Silver Council. He is also on the board of Up for Growth Action.

Douglas W. Lyons is a Managing Principal of Pearlmark, with responsibility for the firm’s capital markets and debt investment activities. He is also a member of the firm’s Management and Investment Committees. Prior to joining Pearlmark in 1996, Mr. Lyons was Vice President of Equity Institutional Investors, Inc. where he was responsible for merchant banking activities and strategic portfolio management projects for the Zell/Merrill Lynch Real Estate Opportunity funds, the Zell/Chilmark Fund, and other Sam Zell-related affiliates. In addition, Mr. Lyons actively managed an institutional portfolio of REIT stocks. Previously, he worked in the New York Real Estate Capital Markets groups for Bankers Trust Company (1989-1991) and Merrill Lynch & Co. (1987-1989). Mr. Lyons earned a BA degree in History from Amherst College where he was a two-time All- American in soccer, and his MBA from the Harvard University Graduate School of Business Administration. He currently serves several nonprofits including the Harvard Alumni Real Estate Board, the U.S. Soccer Foundation, and the JDRF Illinois Chapter as Chairman of the Real Estate Games. Mr. Lyons is also a member of the Pension Real Estate Association and the Urban Land Institute, where he is a Trustee. Mr. Lyons currently serves as a Trustee of the Loomis Chaffee School chairing its Buildings and Grounds Committee and previously served as a Trustee for Lycée Français de Chicago and Chair of its Facilities Committee and as Treasurer of St. James Cathedral in Chicago.

Sean was born outside of San Francisco but grew up in numerous locations due to his father being in the Air Force. These areas included Washington D.C., Kansas City and Boston. Sean went to undergrad at Boston College where he played lacrosse and Law School at the University of Missouri Kansas City. Sean grew up with a surgeon for a father and a lawyer for a mother. He also had an Uncle in real estate who always seemed to be having more fun and inspired him to pursue that career. Sean has received the designation as Co Star Power Broker 3 times. Prior to joining 33, Sean learned investment brokerage at a boutique brokerage in Chicago. Sean brings his creative thinking and background in the law to derive solutions to complicated transactions. Sean is excited to see 33 continue to expand into other markets to serve clients interest in geographic diversification. When not at work Sean enjoys spending time with his family and travel. Sean and his family started lacrosse in Kansas City after moving from the DC area. In law school he won a state Championship for his high-school coaching with his Dad and brother.

Molly is a partner in the Chicago Office of Siegel Jennings, a national property tax law firm. As a litigator and trusted advisor, she collaborates with Owners, Asset Managers, Acquisition teams and Tax Departments to identify, create and execute property tax reduction strategies. She becomes a member of her clients’ management team. Her goal is to maximize and protect the full potential of real estate assets, minimize related tax liabilities, and resolve disputes with tax authorities and government entities. Molly’s client experience ranges from family owned 1031 portfolios to national commercial investment funds, including special use properties such as hospital campuses to multi-million-dollar manufacturing facilities. Her comprehensive understanding of the commercial real estate market was developed in part through her time as a real estate broker in the Chicago area prior to starting her legal career. Molly regularly represents clients in hearings before review boards, local assessors’ offices, the Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board, and the circuit courts.

Patrick Olerich, CPA, is a Director in CohnReznick’s Chicago office with over ten years of experience. Patrick has extensive experience in partnership and real estate taxation, hospitality (including both hotels and restaurants), affordable housing, and historic tax credits. Patrick concentrates on the real estate industry and provides services to developers, syndicators, and funds in the affordable housing, multifamily, and commercial real estate industries. Patrick’s responsibilities at CohnReznick include the supervision and review of the tax return preparation process and also working closely with all members of the team to achieve clients’ goals and objectives. Education  Northern Michigan University: Bachelor of Science, Accounting Professional Affiliations  Illinois CPA Society

Matt Havey joined Vermilion Development in 2018 as a Managing Director. Matt focuses on capital markets, asset management, risk management, and acquisitions. In addition to other projects, Matt is leading the development of 605 Davis, an 18-story “Class A” office building located in downtown Evanston, IL. Matt joined Vermilion from The John Buck Company, where he concentrated on asset management, capital markets, and acquisitions. Prior to The John Buck Company, Matt practiced law in the Corporate & Securities group of Faegre Drinker LLP, where he represented public and private clients in corporate finance, M&A, and securities matters. Matt received a BS in Economics from Northwestern University, an MBA from The Kellogg School of Management, and a JD from the Northwestern University School of Law.

Chad serves as managing partner of LCI Development Partners, which focuses on joint ventures with trusted developer clients and institutional equity partners across the country. LCI provides expertise and equity capital for development projects, adding value through credit enhancement, project management and construction expertise. Upon receiving his MBA in real estate and urban land studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Chad spent nearly a decade working as a senior vice president at The John Buck Company, where he was also a member of investment committee. He has also worked for The JBG Companies, Sunrise Senior Living and Cambridge Associates. Chad earned is bachelor of science in business from Wake Forest University and is active with the Urban Land Institute (ULI), Marshall Bennett Institute of Real Estate (MBIRE), and the Wisconsin Real Estate Alumni Association (WREAA). He also previously held leadership positions with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago.

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.

Liza Jessen knew she wanted to pursue a career in construction at a young age. A frequent traveler as a child, she was always fascinated when flying over a city "grid." She was in awe of how methodical and tedious it must have been for an engineer to make these ideas a reality. After earning her Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Villanova University, she immediately began working in the Special Projects Division of a large Chicago general contractor. It was here that she started gaining her vast experience in tenant interiors. Liza joined Clune Construction as a Senior Project Manager in 2019. She continued to oversee a variety of buildouts in the tenant interior market. She has recently broken into Clune's Mission Critical division and is now overseeing ground-up projects. Always emphasizing the importance of continuing to build relationships, while also gaining knowledge, Liza has been instrumental in helping Clune obtain repeat clients. During her relatively limited tenure at Clune, Liza has quickly gained respect from upper management, team members and peers. She has risen through the ranks quickly to become a Vice President. She was recently promoted to a Team Lead. Liza is very involved with Clune's continuous improvement along with her own professional development. She is known for her honesty and accountability, and as a leader, she wants the same for her team. Liza is dedicated to this effort and fosters an environment of open communication. Liza is also actively involved with Camp Hope, an organization that provides summer camp experience for mentally handicapped adults. In addition, she is active in her children's school and her alma mater, the School of St. Mary in Lake Forest.

For more than 40 years, Rich Reizen has represented a wide array of clients in connection with numerous construction projects and complex commercial litigation matters. Rich, who is chair of the firm's Construction Practice, has represented contractors, subcontractors, architects, engineers and owners in connection with hundreds of construction projects in Chicago and throughout the country. Rich is both an experienced litigator and construction lawyer, using his depth of skills to advise his clients in all phases of construction, including pre-construction documentation, construction issues arising during the project, and the mediation, arbitration or litigation of claims resulting from the projects. Rich also has a wealth of experience in a broad range of commercial litigation matters. He has represented large institutions, entrepreneurs and closely-held businesses in numerous types of matters. In addition, Rich has also served as lead counsel in numerous complex multidistrict class actions. Rich was selected as a Fellow of the Construction Lawyers Society of America , which noted that: "Rich Reizen's excellent reputation in the construction law arena throughout the country is a positive result of top-quality service.’” Rich is a frequent author and speaker on a variety of construction-related topics, as well as other topics including class actions, accounting and banking issues.

With 22 years of experience in commercial real estate, Allen Rogoway is an Initial Managing Principal of Cresa Chicago. He is an advocate for the real estate interests of occupiers throughout the Greater Chicago area. Allen began his career in commercial real estate at Equis Corporation, where he worked on both local and national accounts while pursuing a Master’s of Urban Planning and Policy degree at The University of Illinois, Chicago.

Barbara Schenberg joined Cushman & Wakefield in 2011 and recently was Executive Director with C&W responsible for over 2 million RSF of leasing downtown Chicago. An industry veteran with over 28 years experience, she was previously with Capital Properties where she served as Senior Vice President and Director of Midwest Region where she was responsible for the leasing and re-positioning of the historic Inland Steel Building. Previously, Ms. Schenberg was a Senior Vice President with The John Buck Company for 13 years. During her tenure with the firm, Ms. Schenberg was responsible for leasing a portfolio of over 5.2 million square feet in downtown Chicago.

Mike specializes in commercial real estate property tax consulting, ensuring that real estate assessments are fair and equitable for clients, and advising on the property tax implications of new acquisitions. In his role, he is responsible for overseeing the entire property tax appeal process for several Midwest states, which includes compiling market research, constructing valuation analyses and direct capitalization models, filing appeals, and negotiating settlements with local assessing officials. His extensive experience handling various property types includes office and medical office buildings, freestanding retail, shopping centers, hospitality, multifamily, assisted-living facilities, industrial buildings, and parking facilities.

Walid is a Manager of Commercial Development for Xfinity Communities. Xfinity Communities is the multifamily arm of Comcast, serving customers such as apartments, condos, dorms and senior facilities. Walid leads the Account Executive team, with a primary focus in the City of Chicago and surrounding suburbs, working with owners and associations to provide unique solutions to meet their needs. Walid joined Xfinity in 2013 bringing nearly 20 years of telecom experience with the last 10 years solely focused on Multi-family. Walid was born in Chicago and currently lives in the south suburbs with his wife and 3 kids.