Ely Speakers Bureau
Welcome to the Lambda Alpha International Ely-Chicago Chapter Speakers Bureau. Our chapter members offer themselves as a resource for you across a wide variety of land economics industries. Members of LAI Ely-Chicago have a minimum of 10 years of professional experience in their land economics field. They have been selected by their peers as worthy of recognition for their commitment to excellence. Click on a category below to find your next speaker, panelist or moderator from our membership.
If you are an LAI Ely-Chicago Chapter Member, click here to apply for the Speakers Bureau.
Rick Goldman has been involved in real estate development and construction
for more than 30 years. His passion for the built environment and unique experience combine to provide vision that truly drives value.
Graham helps clients obtain government entitlements and solve problems with units of local government. With a focus on the City of Chicago and Cook County, he helps secure necessary approvals for land developments. A consensus builder and negotiator, he maintains excellent relations with community organizations, local elected officials and other stakeholders. Graham provides legal counsel for compliance, regulatory, public policy and encompasses zoning, land use, building code compliance, licensing, construction agreements, government contracts, procurement and legislative approvals. In the land use area, his experience includes securing all types of land use entitlements through planned developments, zoning map amendments, special uses, variations, text amendments and public way approvals. He represents property owners, real estate developers and every classification of real estate including retail, residential, commercial, industrial and myriad specialized land uses.
Amy is a commercial real estate executive focused on cultivating excellence across all team members so they may provide trusted advisory and intelligent solutions to those they serve and, in turn, create value for all stakeholders.
Since 1997, Amy has evolved as a leader in the commercial real estate industry. With career experience in both ground up development and established retail shopping centers, she now oversees all aspects of day to day operations for Caton. Her background in departmental structures and staff architecture, optimizing sales team performance, professional development and coaching, strategic planning, budgeting and forecasting, land development, shopping center leasing, ancillary income revenue streams, and sponsorship negotiations provide a solid and well-rounded foundation from which to lead. Amy holds multiple ICSC (International Council of Shopping Centers) designations and is an industry speaker and leader. She serves as a facilitator, teacher, mentor and Illinois state Ambassador for ICSC, committee member for The Goldie Initiative, a board of director for the CCIM IL Chapter, and as a panelist and/or moderator varying other industry organizations.
Kevin Kramer is the Director of Economic Development for the Village of Hoffman Estates, Illinois in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. He’s worked in this position since 2013 after working as a planner and economic developer for Barrington, IL. He graduated from the University of Illinois with a degree in Urban and Regional Planning.
He serves on several committees including the International Council of Shopping Center’s Illinois State Committee and the Next Generation Leadership Network, the International Economic Development Council’s Young Professionals Advisory Committee, the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning’s Economic Development Committee and the Young Professionals group for the Illinois Economic Development Association. Kevin has earned his Certified Economic Developer status.
While he loves all things economic development he also loves DIY projects, woodworking ventures, hiking in the mountains (not in Illinois of course), and reading an heroic story while enjoying a craft beer, fine whiskey or sparkling water. Kevin lives in the Chicago suburbs with his wife and four children.
Established Senior Executive in the Real Estate Industry with over 40 years of Retail Real Estate experience. Proven performer as a strategic leader in Site Analysis, Entitlement, Development, Leasing, Sales and Disposition.
As Senior Vice President, Development
Justin assembled a truly diverse development team that executes a variety of complex real estate development matters including entitlements and public policy, detailed budgeting and proformas, architectural design coordination and construction oversight.
- Lead all real estate development activities.
- Identify development opportunities and lead initial development efforts.
- Collaborate with finance groups to secure equity and loans for projects.
- Communicate with all partners, investors and development service clients.
- Oversee all operational properties and investments.
Jennifer Tammen is a senior manager in the Indirect Tax team with over twenty years of success in working with developers, property owners, municipalities and quasi-public agencies on all aspects of tax increment financing (TIF), zoning and entitlements, planning, deal structuring, redevelopment agreement negotiation, early-stage project management, and creative approaches to capital and public-private project evaluation and funding.
Ruth Wuorenma is a land use and development expert who has focused her career on helping public, private, for-profit and nonprofit entities align goals and assets for mutual benefit and increased effectiveness. Her work as a land use lawyer and as a developer informs her research, her policy recommendations and her interest in advancing best development practices. Her path has spanned national and international commercial real estate, market-rate and affordable housing, and various civic roles. She has deep experience in land use and entitlements; in the creation of new real estate products and systems that are replicable and scalable; in site selection and development; and has a lifelong passion for community engagement that strengthens a shared sense of place.