Opening Keynote

Building the Obama Presidential Center

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  Lori Healey

  In December 2020, Lori Healey joined the Obama Foundation as Senior Vice President and Executive Project Officer for the Obama Presidential Center (“the Center”). She is leading the work to build and operate the 19.3-acre campus within Jackson Park, that includes a Presidential Museum, Auditorium, Restaurant, retail store, Fruit & Vegetable Garden, playground, lush parkland and greenspace, and a new branch of the Chicago Public Library. She previously served as President of Clayco’s Chicago Business Unit. In that role, she led enterprise activity for development, design, and construction related activities in the greater Chicago area and surrounding region. Prior to joining Clayco, she was the Chief Executive Officer of the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (MPEA), the owner of McCormick Place and the 1,258-room Hyatt Regency McCormick Place. During her tenure, Ms. Healey oversaw the development and construction of the 10,000-seat Wintrust Arena and the 1,205-room Marriott Marquis Chicago. Ms. Healey served as the Chief Executive Officer of Tur Partners LLC (“Tur”), a firm founded by Chicago’s former Mayor Richard M. Daley. She also served as Principal in the Development Group for the John Buck Company, focused on growing the firm’s private real estate and infrastructure-related transactions. She coordinated the organizational and planning activities for the 2012 NATO Summit in Chicago, acting as Executive Director of the NATO Host Committee. Additionally, in 2009, Ms. Healey was appointed as President of Chicago 2016, where she was responsible for co-leading Chicago’s bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics and Paralympics Games. Ms. Healey held several senior leadership positions for the City of Chicago under the administration of Mayor Richard M. Daley, most recently acting as Mayor Daley’s Chief of Staff. She earlier served as Commissioner of the City’s Department of Planning and Development. Her previous experiences also included time as a principal at Perkins + Will, and as Deputy Director for Business Development of the (then) Illinois Department of Commerce & Community Affairs. She began her career as a policy aide to former Governor John Carlin of Kansas in 1983. Ms. Healey holds a B.A. in Economics and M.S. in Public Administration from Kansas State University. She serves on the Boards of Civic Consulting Alliance, the Chicago Urban League, the City Club of Chicago, the Chicago Sports Commission, the Chicago Fire Department Foundation and the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation. She is also an advisory board member of the Loyola University Health System and the Civic Federation. Ms. Healey is also a member of the Economics Club of Chicago and the Commercial Club of Chicago.

  Obama Presidential Center

  Sr. Vice President / Executive Project Officer

  Lori Healey

  Sr. Vice President / Executive Project Officer

  Obama Presidential Center

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  Junisa Brima

  Junisa Brima serves as Construction Executive and Deputy Operations Manager for the Chicago Business Unit of Turner Construction. He is the day-to-day leader responsible for successful operational delivery of the OPC in line with the missions of the Obama Foundation and Lakeside Alliance. Brima has significant experience working on technically complex, fast-paced projects, including the Ohio Stadium Renovation, the Adaptive Reuse of Soldier Field, University of Illinois State Farm Center Renovation, and Kuala Lumpur East Mall. As Deputy Operations Manager, he focuses on talent recruitment, development, and advancement opportunities for regional staff. Brima has volunteered with ACE Mentoring Program and Rebuilding Together Metro Chicago and is a current and founding member of Turner’s National Inclusion Action Committee. He earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Civil Engineering from The Ohio State University.

  Turner Construction

  Deputy Operations Manager/Construction Executive

  Junisa Brima

  Deputy Operations Manager/Construction Executive

  Turner Construction

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  Abie Ehimwenman

  Abie is a Senior Project Manager at BOWA Construction. She currently leads all day-to-day operations for the Obama Presidential Center Athletic Center Project. Abie studied Construction Management and was an All-American and Big Ten Champion at The Ohio State University and has over 10 years of experience. She has successfully completed over $300M of construction in the data center, healthcare, education, and aviation sectors. Abie is passionate about mentorship and uplifting women of diverse backgrounds and changing the status quo within the construction industry. Elevate Design Build Group (“Elevate”, formerly known as PAAC Design Builders) is a joint venture led by BOWA Construction (65%), AECOM Hunt (35%), Moody Nolan Architects, and the Blackwood Group. As community builders, they share the Obama Foundation’s vision to create an engaging and welcoming athletic and events center that will both honor shared history and inspire people throughout the world to show up for the most important office in any democracy: that of a citizen. The Elevate team believes that each building has a story to tell, a story that is generated from the neighborhood in which it stands. Elevate is led by several former student athletes who each have proven professional track records of impacting community through their work and local hiring. BOWA Construction, the lead partner, is a certified Minority Business Enterprise and full service Construction management and general contractor with headquarters on the South Side of Chicago and offices in Brooklyn, New York; Champaign, Illinois; Columbus, Ohio; and Washington, D.C.

  BOWA Construction, Elevate Design Build Group

  Senior Project Manager

  Abie Ehimwenman

  Senior Project Manager

  BOWA Construction, Elevate Design Build Group

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  Jeffrey Parfitt

  Jeffrey brings many years of experience with large scale, inclusive joint venture projects beginning in 2002 with the O’Hare Terminal 6 project, followed later by the McCormick Place West Hall expansion, culminating in his current role on the Obama Presidential Center. In addition, Jeff has overseen the technical coordination and design of a number of smaller scale project of a variety of types, including Chicago Public Library’s West Town Branch, the Chicago Fire Department’s Engine Company 16 station in Bronzeville, and the Bruce D. Nesbitt African American Cultural Center at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Jeff is a graduate of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. He has an extensive background in sustainable design, collaborating on a number of LEED certified projects, and is a LEED BD+C accredited professional.

  Interactive Design Architects

  Associate Architect

  Jeffrey Parfitt

  Associate Architect

  Interactive Design Architects

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  Renauld Deandre Mitchell

  Renauld believes in the power of collaboration and its ability to shape the world through design. Passionately committed to improving communities, Renauld’s commitment to engaging community and giving voice to the underrepresented has catalyzed transformative outcomes through his projects and the constituencies they serve. Renauld leverages a nearly 3-decade track record of excellence in building design, project management, construction management, owner representation, and contract management to provide a uniquely balanced perspective to his stakeholders. During his accomplished career, he has skillfully led complex project teams in the delivery of several of Chicago’s largest, most visible projects. Particularly noteworthy, Renauld served as the client Project Manager for the Renzo Piano-designed Art Institute of Chicago Modern Wing Expansion (completed in 2009) and as Moody Nolan’s Partner-in-Charge for City Colleges’ $251.9M Malcolm X College & School of Health Sciences (opened in January 2016), the $165M Wintrust Arena (opened in September 2017), and Chicago Public Schools’ $85M Englewood S.T.E.M. High School (opened in September 2019) – built in Renauld’s childhood Englewood community. He is currently leading the design efforts for Morgan State University’s new $342M Science Center, Howard University’s Center for Fine Arts & Communication and The Athletic Center at the Obama Presidential Center. As a citizen-architect, Renauld has served several local youth organizations such as the Boys & Girls Club of Chicago, Spark Youth Mentoring Program, and My Block, My Hood, My City. He is also a dedicated member of the National Organization for Minority Architects (NOMA) and was elevated to Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (FAIA) in its 2021 Investiture Class.

  Moody Nolan

  Partner, Director of Chicago Operations

  Renauld Deandre Mitchell

  Partner, Director of Chicago Operations

  Moody Nolan

Construction, Collaboration, and Success Stories

The city's leading architects in conversation with the partners who bring their vision to life.

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  Rob Muller

  As a Senior Design Leader and Managing Partner at BKV Group, Robert brings over 20 years of experience on a wide variety of projects including multifamily housing, mixed-use developments, and corporate and commercial buildings. His expertise includes urban planning, developing the design of multifamily residential towers, high-rise offices, higher education facilities, and complex, mixed-use projects. As an award-winning architect with a variety of featured articles and publications, while actively participating in guest critiques at local universities, he brings his skill set in listening to the client, collaborating closely with project and consultant teams, hand-sketching, 3D visualization, planning, documentation, building and zoning codes, knowledge of materials, systems, construction processes and detailing.

  BKV Group

  Senior Design Leader & Managing Partner

  Rob Muller

  Senior Design Leader & Managing Partner

  BKV Group

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  RaMona Westbrook

  President

  Brook Architecture

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  Joe Cliggott

  Principal and Office Director

  HKS

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  Maria Kook

  Chicago Business Practice Leader

  CannonDesign

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  Julie Donovan

  Julie Donovan is a Senior Associate at Horton, Lee's Brogden Lighting Design. She has been working in the architectural and engineering industry for 34 years and has worked on a variety of lighting design projects in almost all market sectors. She is a registered architect, LEED BD+C, professional member of International Association of Lighting Designers and serves on the ASHRAE 90.1 committee and IES RP-29 Lighting for Hospitals and Healthcare Facilities committee.

  HLB Lighting Design

  Senior Associate

  Moderator

  Julie Donovan

  Senior Associate

  HLB Lighting Design

Designing Chicago's Future

A closer look at the designers reshaping the Windy City's skyline with new projects, technologies, and strategy.

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  Paul De Santis

  Partner and Design Director

  Goettsch Partners

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  Jeff Renterghem

  Partner

  Pappageorge Haymes

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  Ray Hartshorne

  Partner

  HPA

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  Brian Vitale

  As a Co-Managing Director of Gensler’s Chicago office, Brian is always striving to “find the poetic in the everyday.” He was awarded the AIA National Young Architect Award in 2014, and his passion for design can be seen in award-winning projects like Gratz Center at Fourth Presbyterian Church, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, and the University of Kansas Capitol Federal Hall. Brian blurs the line between roles and industries, and his projects and teams are widely recognized with industry awards and attention. He has served as both visiting faculty and an Adjunct Professor of Design. Brian holds a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a Master of Architecture with Honors from Washington University in St. Louis, where he was awarded both the AIA Scholastic Gold Medal and the school’s Distinguished Young Alumni Award.

  Gensler

  Managing Director, Principal

  Brian Vitale

  Managing Director, Principal

  Gensler

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  Robert Benson

  Robert Benson is an architect and artist known for his creativity, passion, humor, and talent. A partner at Racer Design Studio, his work has received over 30 major design awards from the AIA and IIDA and has been published and exhibited globally. With degrees from MIT (M.Arch) and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (BSAS), Robert blends conceptual thinking with a fascination for light and void. His expertise spans a diverse range of project typologies, including education, science and technology, commercial, and hospitality. Notable projects include the Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation in Florida and Building 201 at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab. An adjunct professor and lecturer, Robert champions “designing with rather than for,” emphasizing community involvement in the design process. He is currently working with the City of Pontiac Michigan on their new community recreation center.

  RACER Design Studio

  Founder & Partner

  Moderator

  Robert Benson

  Founder & Partner

  RACER Design Studio