CREW Chicago
Member News, December 2009

Audrey Davis, MAI, MBA of Urban Real Estate Research, Inc. served as a speaker/author at the 29th Annual National Conference of State Tax Judges in Cambridge, Massachusetts, September 24-26, 2009.  The conference was sponsored by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy and the topic she addressed was Property Tax Appeals in the Current Economic Environment.  Davis was also a speaker/author at the Appraisal Institute Seminar, speaking on the topic of “The Nuts & Bolts of Tax Appeal: Property Tax Seminar and Mock Hearing (2009).”  In addition, she was elected to the Board of Directors of the Chicago Chapter of the Appraisal Institute.

Pamela Flores is now Associate Director of Public Relations at the Chicago office of GyroHSR LLC, an integrated marketing communications, advertising and public relations agency.

Judy Karlov, Principal with Alliance Cost Containment (ACC), is the 2010 Women’s Group Co-Chair of the Turnaround Management Association (TMA).  TMA is an additional networking opportunity for the many CREW members currently doing workouts.  Events can be found at www.chicago.turnaround.org.  Judy especially recommends the next Women’s Group luncheon in February.

Courtney Mayster is now a principal at law firm Much Shelist. 

Spes Mekus, ASID, IIDA, LEED AP, had an exciting summer at Mekus Tanager, Inc. (MTI), helping the firm achieve some exciting company milestones.  Her firm recently completed four significant projects, across very different market sectors.  First, was the completion of the new South Campus Residence Hall at the University of Chicago, for which Spes led the interior design efforts in collaboration with the building architect, Goody Clancy Associates of Boston.  The new hall was featured in a recent architectural review by Blair Kamin in the Chicago Tribune, and opened for student occupancy last fall.  Spes also led the design of Konica Minolta’s new space, who was represented by Marilyn Lissner of Cushman and Wakefield.  The Konica Minolta space is exciting because it is an example of adaptive reuse of existing conditions that can save money and still create a stunning work environment.  On the retail side of the firm, the Kenly 95 truck stop, designed by fellow Principal, Steve Wierzbowski, was recently completed, featuring a life-size model lighthouse tower.  And finally, MTI completed the first LEED-NC Certified building for the Archdiocese of Chicago, the new Chapels and Administration Complex at All Saints in Des Plaines, IL.  The complex is currently pending LEED-NC Gold Certification.  In addition, Spes has been giving trends presentations to clients and conducting market strategy assignments for clients interested in embracing new approaches to the use of real estate and space for competitive advantage and greater value.

Lynn E. Reich, SIOR, CCIM, Executive Vice President with Colliers Bennett & Kahnweiler Inc.’s Industrial Services Group was officially sworn in to the position of International President of the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors (SIOR).  The ceremony took place in Toronto, Ontario Canada at the fall SIOR World Convention.  Reich is only the second woman to hold this position in the organization’s 68-year history.

Janet M. Johnson will be moderating at panel on legal issues for the Illinois Real Estate Journal's 8th Annual Commercial Real Estate Forecast Conference on January 19, 2010 at the Chicago Downtown Marriott.  Information on the event and the online registration form can be found at www.recg.com\conferences.