Architecture / Design

Lisa Dziekan, Lamar Johnson Collaborative

Lamar Johnson Collaborative (LJC) welcomes Lisa Dziekan as Principal, Economic Development. Most recently, Lisa served as Senior Vice President for World Business Chicago (WBC). Dziekan brings extensive experience in strategically growing Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) to drive economic development. In her new role, Dziekan will lead initiatives and build relationships to propel the firm’s growth and impact across Chicagoland and other markets for LJC, Clayco, and its subsidiaries.

Architecture / Design

Elaine Fitzgerald, Lamar Johnson Collaborative

Elaine Fitzgerald joins Lamar Johnson Collaborative (LJC) as Principal and Senior Specification Writer in its Chicago office. Focused on strengthening LJC’s virtual design/construction and project delivery processes, Fitzgerald brings more than 30 years of industry expertise in contract documents, group leadership and motivating teams. Fitzgerald earned her Master of Architecture degree from the University of Illinois Chicago.

Banking / Finance

Garcia Dussard, Live Oak Bank

Garcia Dussard is a Senior Loan Officer based in Chicago on the Small Business Banking Team at Live Oak Bank. In this role, Garcia is responsible for helping small and medium-sized business owners in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs access capital via the SBA for business acquisitions, partner buyouts, real estate mortgages and equipment loans. Garcia has been in the banking industry for over 25 years and worked at several major US banks prior to his role at Live Oak.

Construction

Matt Nemshick, Skender

Skender, one of the nation’s top building contractors, welcomes Matt Nemshick as Director of Data Center Accounts. In this new role, Nemshick will assist in expanding Skender’s footprint in mission-critical construction, which comprises essential, always-on facilities such as data centers and other high-tech infrastructure. He joins Skender with 17 years of experience in the construction industry and also serves as Board Ambassador and Past President of the veteran support charity SALUTE, Inc.

Consulting

Jeff Ehman, Centric Consulting

Jeff Ehman has been promoted to Partner/Director within Centric Consulting's Chicago practice. With over 2 decades of experience, Jeff blends agility and precision to deliver comprehensive strategic transformations that achieve results for Fortune 500 clients. His work covers many industries, with notable CPG sector and M&A achievements. As Partner, he'll continue to lead and grow Centric’s Chicago team of high-caliber consultants, while forging strong collaborations with local business leaders.

Education

Yolanda Luna-Mroz , Carole Robertson Center for Learning

Yolanda Luna-Mroz has joined the Carole Robertson Center for Learning as Vice President of Youth Development. Yolanda brings more than 20 years of leadership experience in elementary and middle school education, serving most recently as Chief Programs Officer at High Jump and as Principal at Decatur Classical School in Chicago. In her new role, she leads strategic efforts to deepen the Center’s youth development program impact, elevate program quality, and ensure long-term fiscal sustainability.

Finance

Derek Stovall-Leonard, The Morton Arboretum

Derek Stovall-Leonard, MBA, joined The Morton Arboretum as Chief Financial Officer on July 24. He provides strategic direction for the Arboretum’s financial activities, facilities, information technology, and sustainability initiatives. He was most recently CFO and Executive Director of Converge Consulting at Forefront. He will play a lead role in forwarding the Arboretum’s vision of a greener, healthier, more beautiful world where people and trees thrive together.

Financial Services

Dan Stiles and Umar Riaz, Wintrust Financial Corporation

Wintrust Financial Corp., a financial services holding company based in Rosemont, Illinois, with more than 170 locations across Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Florida is pleased to announce two promotions. 

Dan Stiles was promoted to SVP, Senior Commercial Banker, Commercial Banking at Libertyville Bank & Trust Company, N.A. Dan joined Wintrust in 2013. 

Umar Riaz was promoted to SVP, Lending, Commercial Real Estate at Old Plank Trail Community Bank, N.A. Umar joined Wintrust in 2014.

Law

Michael Zalay, Much

Michael Zalay has been promoted from income principal to equity principal at Much. Zalay, chair of the Corporate & Finance group, will bring a knowledgeable, fresh perspective as part of the firm’s next generation of leadership. In his legal practice, Zalay is an accomplished corporate attorney. Clients ranging from established businesses to emerging startups rely on him to lead M&A deals and complex transactions as well as to serve as de facto general counsel.

Law Firm

Thomas Kilbride and Adam Vaught, Croke Fairchild Duarte & Beres LLC

Croke Fairchild Duarte & Beres welcomes partners Thomas Kilbride and Adam Vaught to the firm’s litigation group. 

Former Chief Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court Tom Kilbride oversaw numerous landmark cases and led efforts to modernize the state judiciary and expand Illinoisans’ access to justice. 

Noted appellate lawyer Adam Vaught began his career as a law clerk and Counselor to Justice Kilbride before moving into private practice, where he spent 10 years handling complex and high-stakes litigation for a host of leading business and public sector clients. 

Kilbride and Vaught will develop a dedicated appellate court practice, focusing their work on expanding the firm’s leadership in addressing clients’ most complex and novel legal issues.

Law Firm

Jenna DePorre, Croke Fairchild Duarte & Beres LLC

Croke Fairchild Duarte & Beres welcomes Jenna DePorre as an associate in the firm's venture capital practice group. Jenna primarily represents emerging companies, founders and investors in a variety of venture capital transactions and general corporate matters, including equity and debt financings, securities filings, company formations, corporate governance and exit opportunities.

Legal

Jayne E. Bart-Plange, Burke, Warren, MacKay & Serritella, P.C.

Jayne Bart-Plange joined Burke, Warren, MacKay & Serritella as a Partner. As a civil litigation and trial attorney, Jayne has tried high-value, complex cases and successfully argued dispositive motions at the State and Federal court level. Jayne brings her unique insights, work ethic, and passion to every matter and is excited to grow her commercial practice at Burke Warren. Jayne attended the University of Missouri Kansas City School of Law and received her B.A. from Loyola University Chicago.

Non-Profit

Melissa Y. Washington and John C. Robak, Leadership Greater Chicago

Leadership Greater Chicago (LGC), the region’s premier civic leadership development organization, announces the election of Melissa Y. Washington, Senior Vice President of Customer Operations and Strategic Initiatives at ComEd as its new Board Chair and welcomes John C. Robak, former Chairman and CEO of Greeley and Hansen to its Board of Directors. 

Washington will guide the board in strategy, governance and fund development, collaborating with CEO Myetie Hamilton to continue the legacy of driving transformative civic impact across the Greater Chicago region. 

Robak's extensive experience in philanthropy and civic engagement will bolster LGC’s efforts to develop a strong pipeline of civic leaders to shape an equitable future for our Region.

Real Estate

Sean Story, Poplar Homes

Sean Story has joined Poplar Homes as Executive Vice President to oversee leadership of its multifamily management and leasing portfolio. Story will build on the firm's solid foundation of strong relationships and efficient operations established by legacy company 33 Realty to scale Poplar's multifamily division nationwide. He will also have oversight across leasing, property management, maintenance, marketing, and business development.

Technology

Jamie Head, Parts Town Unlimited

Jaime Head joins Part Town Unlimited, the parent company of Parts Town, as the group's Chief Information Officer. Jamie brings over 20 years of global experience, specializing in leading and partnering across various digital transformations and capability building for growth and efficiency. Jaime will be a key partner in realizing Parts Town Unlimited’s goal to become the global leader in high-tech distribution of mission critical replacement parts across several categories.

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