Executive Committee
JACKIE TAYLOR HOSTEN, CHAIR
Jackie Taylor Holsten is Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Holsten Real Estate Development Corporation and Chair of the nonprofit Holsten Human Capital Development. Ms. Taylor Holsten spearheads property management of all housing types in the Holsten portfolio and ensures the healthy blend of its buildings and residents to create thriving communities. Holsten Real Estate Development Corp. has developed more than $500,000,000 in mixed-income, mixed-use housing, and commercial development throughout Chicago, becoming a leading innovator in multi-layered development financing, resident and commercial screening and selection, fiscal and asset management, resident services, and property management. Holsten Human Capital Development, NFP (HHCD) is a nonprofit, charitable organization with the mission to strengthen at-risk populations by expanding their access to viable resources that promote self-sufficiency, wellness and stability through comprehensive service provision, developing low-income and affordable housing, and fostering economic development. Ms. Taylor Holsten earned her juris doctor from Loyola University and has served as a Trustee on the university’s Board of Trustees.
RON CLEWER, VICE CHAIR
Ron Clewer is the Illinois Market President for Gorman & Company specializing in downtown revitalization through collaborative urban development, dedication to the preservation of affordable, public, rural, and workforce housing, and the adaptive repurposing of historically significant properties. Ron joined Gorman & Company after collaborating on several projects with the organization as the CEO of Rockford Housing Authority. He has more than 20 years of multi-use real estate development and asset management experience. He earned his Business Administration degree from Benedictine University and holds an Executive Leadership certificate through a partnership between the University of Michigan and the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities. Ron resides in Rockford, Illinois.
JEAN FOLLETT, SECRETARY
Jean Follett is a historic preservation consultant who has served in volunteer leadership positions with the Village of Hinsdale, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Gaylord Building Historic Site and Landmarks Illinois, amongst many others. Jean was elected to her fourth, six-year board term in 2024 recognizing her professional experience, wisdom and innovative thinking in contributing to Landmarks Illinois’ organizational transformation. She has chaired the Preservation Issues Committee and twice led the organization’s strategic planning processes. She has served as Interim President at LI twice, most recently in 2011. With a B.A. in the history of architecture and planning from Brown University and a Ph.D. in American and New England studies from Boston University, as well as a long-time passion for historic preservation, Jean continues to be a tremendous resource for Landmarks Illinois.
TERRI SALAS, CPA, TREASURER
Terri Salas is a Principal with Plante & Moran in its Housing and Community Development Solutions Group where she brings more than 30 years of experience in real estate and accounting to assisting clients with structuring and monetizing federal and state historic and New Markets Tax Credits. Terri also serves as a technical resource for Low Income Housing Tax Credits and is known for providing exceptional client service. Terri frequently speaks at internal and external workshops on the topic of tax credit incentives. Prior to joining Plante & Moran, Terri worked extensively in the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit industry for both a real estate developer and a regional tax credit syndicator. Terri graduated from the University of Michigan-Dearborn with a Bachelor of Business Administration.
BONNIE MCDONALD, PRESIDENT & CEO
Bonnie McDonald aspires to shape preservation into a more relevant and just practice. As President and CEO of Landmarks Illinois since 2012, Bonnie advances the vision, mission and programs of Illinois’ only statewide preservation nonprofit organization. Her transformative thinking about preservation has led Landmarks Illinois to focus its work on people and their important connection to historic places. She’s currently spearheading the organization’s evolution at its 50th anniversary to enhance its relevance and to create a national model for justice, equity, inclusion and diversity in preservation practice. Bonnie is a collaborative leader who, with the help of her board, team and volunteers, has nearly doubled Landmarks Illinois’ staff, opened its first regional office, passed vital state legislation and played a visible role as a thought leader during her nine years as president. From 2018-2021, Bonnie served as board chair of the National Preservation Partners Network, the national nonprofit representing preservation organizations, and she is proud to have been awarded the James Marston Fitch Charitable Foundation Mid-Career Fellowship in 2020 for The Relevancy Project and the publication of The Relevancy Guidebook: How We Can Transform the Future of Preservation (Nov. 2023). Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot appointed Bonnie co-chair of the Chicago Monuments Project in 2020 to help lead a truth and racial reckoning process in the city around problematic artworks. Bonnie received a Bachelor’s Degree in Art History (Summa Cum Laude) from the University of Minnesota and a Master’s Degree in Historic Preservation Planning from Cornell University.
GARY ANDERSON, AIA, BOARD DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE CHAIR
Gary Anderson is the Founder of Studio GWA, a Rockford-based architectural firm working across Illinois and the Midwest Region. Gary was elected Chair of the Landmarks Illinois Board of Directors for 2022-2024 and served as Vice Chair from 2019-2021 before sunsetting from the board for one year. He most recently co-chaired Landmarks Illinois’ DEI Collaborative. Gary envisioned a career in which he could combine his passion for architecture with community activism and revitalization. His interest in historic preservation, sustainability, reinvention, and renovating historic structures has shaped and defined the firm’s quality of work as well as its reputation. He founded what is today Studio GWA in 1982 and continues to maintain and service many of those decades-long client relationships – a testament to his philosophy of caring, understanding, and commitment. Gary shares his knowledge, love of local history, and passion for the community in which he was born and raised by leading summer walking and biking architecture tours of downtown Rockford. Gary was awarded the 2020 Citizen of the Year by the Rockford Chamber of Commerce and the 2021 Excalibur Award by the Rockford Register-Star for his community advocacy. He has also been an Illinois AIA Gold Medal recipient.
JOSEPH ANTUNOVICH, FAIA, MEMBER-AT-LARGE
Joseph M. Antunovich, FAIA is the Chief Executive Officer & Founder of Antunovich Associates, a dynamic 100-person Architecture, Planning and Interior Design Firm with offices in Chicago, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Austin, and Buffalo. Joe also has specialized in the design of historic preservation and adaptive reuse projects that celebrate the rich urban context and history of cities across America. Over the years, Joe has participated passionately in a number of significant preservation projects that have ensured that our marvelous historic buildings are preserved for future generations. Joe is a native of New Zealand and earned a Master of Architecture degree from the University of Southern California.
CATHERINE BAKER, FAIA, PRESERVATION ISSUES COMMITTEE CHAIR
Catherine Baker, FAIA is an architect and the founder of Nowhere Collaborative, a woman-owned and place-based architecture practice formed in 2022 that addresses sustainability, incremental development, and community-based design. Her work is rooted in the intersection of the social and technical disciplines of architecture. Catherine has over thirty years of experience in community-based design in Chicago and she is now focused on applying this experience to understanding people and problems, making connections, and formulating equitable solutions to the development and design of buildings and built environments in a rural context. Catherine is an adjunct professor at IIT, regularly participates in design juries, and has been invited to speak at local and national conferences on housing and community-based design. She was a member of AIA’s delegation to the United Nation’s Habitat III in Quito, Ecuador, and she has presented on community-based design at the Danish Architecture Center in Copenhagen, Denmark.
MARIAH DIGRINO, OUTSIDE PRO BONO COUNSEL, MEMBER-AT-LARGE
Mariah DiGrino is a Partner with the international law firm, DLA Piper. Based in Chicago, Mariah concentrates her practice in the areas of land use and zoning, public-private financing, public incentives, historic preservation, and community and economic development, as well as general real estate. Mariah was named a 2022 Influencer by Landmarks Illinois at its Preservation Forward event. She received a B.A. from Western Illinois University and a J.D. from the University of Illinois College of Law.
ALYSSA FRYSTAK, REINVESTMENT COMMITTEE CHAIR
Alyssa Frystak is the Director of Research and Data Analytics at the Washington D.C.-based firm, PlaceEconomics. As a national and international firm, PlaceEconomics provides data-driven analysis of the economic, demographic, and catalytic impacts of historic preservation. They also specialize in policy, tools, and incentive development that responds to community needs. In her role, she is responsible for data acquisition and preparation, methodology development, and analysis, and is well versed in GIS, census data, municipal data, and various other data resources. She is currently cycling off as the Skyline Council Chair, where she was also the project team lead for the Heart Bomb and Youth Programming initiatives. She is also a former Landmarks Illinois intern (2018), where she assisted with the Most Endangered and Richard H. Driehaus Awards programs.
JEFFREY GOULETTE, PRESERVATION FUND AND EASEMENTS COMMITTEE CHAIR
Jeffrey P. Goulette is co-founder of SGW Architecture & Design and serves as its Design Principal. Throughout SGW’s 30 years, Jeff has specialized in the design of multi-family residential developments, and his award-winning work has been featured in national and local publications, as well as on HGTV. He’s a member of the Chicago Chapter of the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art, the Home Builders Association of Greater Chicago, the Congress for New Urbanism, and the Association of Licensed Architects. Jeff earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Architecture from the University of Michigan.
ZEB MCLAURIN, FINANCE COMMITTEE CHAIR
Zeb McLaurin is CEO of McLaurin Development Partners. He is an entrepreneur whose work and thought leadership have created nationally recognized developments for urban communities and Fortune 500 companies. Zeb credits his humble beginnings as the spark that sustains his work in the development and revitalization of marginalized neighborhoods. He is a visionary leader whose accomplishments have been recognized by the NFBPA, Illinois Governor, Illinois State Treasurer, Mayor of Chicago, Chicago Public Schools, and Chicago Housing Authority.
JACKIE MONTESDEOCA, MEMBER-AT-LARGE
Jackie Montesdeoca is a Senior Director with Elevate, a Chicago-based nonprofit organization that wants everyone to have access to clean and affordable heat, power, and water in their homes and communities. Jackie has worked for Elevate since 2010 and has led the organization’s building electrification program. She previously served as a consultant with MacRostie Historic Advisors and interned for Heritage Consulting and the World Monuments Fund. She has a bachelor’s degree in architecture and Spanish from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a master’s degree in historic preservation from the University of Pennsylvania.
MAGDALENA NOVOA ECHAURREN, DEI COLLABORATIVE CO-CHAIR
Magdalena Novoa Echaurren is an Assistant Professor of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Magdalena’s engaged scholarship focuses on the intersections of historic preservation and social justice, cultural heritage and memory policies, gender and deindustrialization, grassroots organizing and alternative planning approaches in the Americas. A native of Chile, her interest in historic preservation and cultural heritage as a resource for community development has been a sustained topic of her academic and professional experience in diverse international contexts. She worked in the UK at the Sorrell Foundation and Open City Foundation managing youth participatory planning and design programs and she was Head of the Education and Outreach department at the National Monuments Council. She co-founded Aldea, an international NGO dedicated to fostering community engagement in urban and rural development. Dr. Novoa also works as a consultant in several preservation projects in the Americas and is currently co-producing the Cairo, Illinois African American Heritage trail together with local community organizations, institutions, and partners thanks to an Illinois Social Innovation grant. Magdalena received her Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin. She also holds an M.A. in Arts and Cultural Management from the London School of Communication, a B.A. in Fine Arts from Pontificia Universidad Cat61ica de Chile, and a B.A. in Education from Universidad Gabriela Mistral. She resides in Champaign, Illinois.
SARA PHALEN, DEI COLLABORATIVE CO-CHAIR
Sara Phalen, J.D., is the Director of the West Chicago City Museum and Warrenville Historical Museum & Art Gallery, the Co-Founder and Board President of People Made Visible, and the proprietor of 140East, a National Register Historic Home community project in rural Illinois. For over 20 years Sara has worked towards equity in local history and preservation, including partnering with area artists for redevelopment and community engagement projects. Sara received a B.A. in Anthropology and a B.A. in English from the University of Illinois at Champaign Urbana. She received a J.D. from Northern Illinois University College of Law and holds a master’s degree in Nonprofit Management from North Park University.
JUDY TIGHE, MEMBER-AT-LARGE
A native of Jacksonville, IL, Judy Tighe is an SIU-C alum with a BS in interior design. Prior to owning her own design business for 12 years, she was a drafter and designer for engineering and architectural firms in Colorado and Illinois. Judy was also a freelance writer for an online interactive newsletter when becoming the Jacksonville Main Street manager in 2001. Currently the longest-serving director in Illinois, she became a Certified Main Street Manager and was voted Executive Director of the Year by cohorts in 2006. Judy served on the Illinois State Historic Sites Advisory Council, Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area Council, and as a Certified Local Government grant reviewer. She has helped Jacksonville Main Street earn National Main Street Accreditation for 23 years plus over 40 Lt. Governor Awards in Excellence in Downtown Revitalization, 3 Richard Driehaus Preservation Awards, a Governor’s Hometown Award, and the Great American Main Street Award in 2012. She has helped downtown Jacksonville become a National Register Historic District as well as encouraged over 50 building renovation projects. She currently serves on the Illinois Main Street Advisory Council and boards of the Jacksonville Enterprise Zone Development Corporation, Jacksonville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, Chamber, Looking for Lincoln, Jacksonville Area Museum, Land Bank Advisory Committee, and Jacksonville Historic Preservation Commission.
ALLISON TOONEN-TALAMO, RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE CHAIR
Allison Toonen-Talamo is a Restoration Consultant at Walker Consultants in Waltham, MA. Within Walker and her prior employer, Klein and Hoffman, Allison’s focus is within existing structures, including historic landmarks and residential, commercial, institutional, and municipal buildings tailoring to restoration and repair programs based on need. Allison has a Bachelor of Architecture and a Master of Structural Engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology. Additionally, serving as the Resource Development Committee Chair, she is a Board member of the Alumni Association at Illinois Institute of Technology, a member of the Association for Preservation and Technology (APT) (Northeast Chapter), Board for the Boston Preservation Alliance – Young Advisors, and the Preservation Engineering Technical Committee. Allison held leadership positions as Vice-Chair of the Executive Committee, Chair of the Board Development Committee for Landmarks Illinois, and Chair of the Skyline Council of Landmarks Illinois. She received the following awards: the 2020 American Aspire Award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the 2021 Landmarks Illinois 50Forward Influencers, the 2022 Chicago Landmark Award for Preservation Excellence for the 226 W. Jackson project, and the 2023 Outstanding Young Alumnus/Alumna Award by the Illinois Institute of Technology.
SARAH VAN DOMELEN, MEMBER-AT-LARGE
Sarah Van Domelen is a professional engineer and Associate Principal for Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates (WJE), where she specializes in historic building envelope restoration. Sarah holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Michigan State University and a Master of Science in Historic Preservation from the University of Pennsylvania. Sarah is a member of the Association for Preservation Technology (APT) International, secretary of the APT Western Great Lakes Chapter, and a member and former secretary and vice chair of the Landmarks Illinois Skyline Council.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
ERIC DEXTER
ERIC DEXTER
Eric Dexter is Vice President of Berglund Construction’s Restoration Division, leading the team and overseeing multiple initiatives. He specializes in a wide range of job scopes, including restoring significant buildings to bring them back to their original glory. Eric believes that no amount of education or training can ever teach you what you learn from watching the work performed in the field and listening to people with many years of experience. Eric has been an active member of the Landmarks Illinois Skyline Council for over ten years and a Landmarks Illinois Board member for 2 years. In addition, he serves on the Board of Directors at the Glessner House. He earned a Bachelor of Architecture Degree, with Honors, and a Minor in Construction Management at IIT in Chicago. Eric resides in La Grange, Illinois.
RACHEL FIRGENS
Rachel Firgens has over a decade of experience in managing complex historic tax credit projects and advising teams on obtaining financial incentives for the rehabilitation of a variety of historic properties across the country. Before joining Chase, Rachel was a Manager with MacRostie Historic Advisors (now Ryan LLC), in Chicago and Washington, D.C., specializing in the eligibility of properties for rehabilitation and design standards. Rachel also worked with Higgins Quasebarth and Partners, LLC in New York City consulting on HTC, NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission, and special projects.
CHERYL JOHNSON
Cheryl Johnson serves as PCR’s Executive Director. She is the daughter of the late Ms. Hazel Johnson who founded PCR and is known as the Mother of Environmental Justice. Cheryl learned the fundamentals of community organizing from her mother and carries on the work of PCR’s mission to enhance the quality of life of residents living in communities affected by pollution. A lifelong resident of Altgeld Gardens, Cheryl is a well-known and highly trusted community leader. She is a fierce advocate for economic equity and environmental community benefits for South Side residents. Cheryl has played an integral role in the functioning and success of PCR’s programs and administration since 1987. In 2001, she assumed the role of PCR’s Executive Director. Under her leadership, PCR has continued to work for environmental justice and economic equity, expanding our outreach across the region. Since then, PCR has stopped discriminatory recruiting practices from the Ford Motor Company on the far south side, prevented hundreds of units in Altgeld Gardens from being torn down and displacing residents, pressured the CHA to create a redevelopment plan that included community input, secured safe environmental cleanup on the southside and stopped (another) landfill from being placed in our community. Cheryl’s deep community connection, long-term vision for a thriving Far South Side and commitment to carrying her late mother’s legacy fuels her work. Cheryl recently served on the Environmental Protection Agency’s National Environmental Justice Advisory Council, the Illinois Environmental Justice Commission, and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s transition Environmental Justice Subcommittee. She is also a certified trainer at the International Chemical Workers Union Health and Safety Council/Coalition of Black Trade Unionists. Cheryl currently serves on the National Environmental Protection Act subcommittee. She is also the mother of two grown children and a proud grandmother of three.
LISA YUN LEE
Lisa Yun Lee (BA, Bryn Mawr College, PhD, Duke University) is the Executive Director of the National Public Housing Museum, an Associate Professor of Public Culture and Museum Studies in the UIC School of Art & Art History, and teaching faculty with the Prison and Neighborhood Arts/Education Project at Stateville Correctional Center. A cultural activist, Lisa researches and writes about museums and diversity, cultural and environmental sustainability, historic preservation, and spaces for fostering radically democratic practices. She served on Mayor Brandon Johnson’s and Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s Arts & Culture Transition Teams and Mayor Lightfoot’s Commission for Monuments, Memorials, and Historical Reckoning.
CHELSEA MEDEK
Chelsea Medek joined BTL Architects, Inc. in 2024 where she continues her architectural focus on historic preservation, specializing in the restoration and rehabilitation of building façades and envelopes. Before BTL, she worked at AltusWorks, Inc., as a Preservation Architect, designing architectural solutions for the historic preservation of building envelopes and façades and conducting historical research, site inspections and creating field documentation to support the development of the appropriate architectural solution. She also worked at the firm Klein and Hoffman as an associate from 2010-2018.
BRAD MULAY
Brad Mulay serves as Vice President and Commercial Account Manager for Chicago Title Insurance Company, National Commercial Services, in Chicago. He joined the company in 2006 and has been a perennial Million Dollar Club company award recipient every year since. Brad manages a diverse customer portfolio, which includes large institutional lenders, Fortune 500 companies, developers, multi-family, agricultural, industrial, federal, city, and county governmental entities, publicly traded REITs, and major law firms. Brad prides himself on delivering a value-added single-source solution through dedication and hard work. He strongly advocates for his clients through effective internal and external communications. With this value-added approach, he has successfully closed various complex single and multi-site transactions. Brad is also active in several professional organizations, including the Real Estate Investment Association (REIA) and Chicago Loop Alliance (CLA).
LAUREN PACHECO
Lauren M. Pacheco is a third-generation Mexican American born and raised on the southwest side of Chicago in the Brighton Park neighborhood. She is an arts and culture practitioner with two decades of professional experience in arts administration, curation, and project management. Her expertise is grounded in social practice and public engagement with a personal mandate to responsibly and respectfully invest in targeted communities. Pacheco has become a resource to policymakers and has helped engage in the public dialogue about issues that impact artists and creative enterprises. She is co-founder of the Chicago Urban Art Society, the Chicago Lowrider Festival, and, from 2012 – 2015, Pacheco developed and curated the award-winning public art initiative, ‘Art in Public Places’ along the 16th street viaduct in Chicago’s Pilsen community. Additionally, Pacheco serves as curator for #PAINTGARY, an initiative bringing over 40 public art pieces to Downtown Gary’s historic Broadway Avenue. She serves on the Chicago Creative Reuse Exchange (CCRx) executive board. She has received grant funding from the Knight Foundation, Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Legacy Foundation, Chicago Community Trust, and the National Association for Latinos Arts and Cultures. Pacheco has presented and guest lectured with Creative Mornings Chicago, the Association of Arts Administration Educators, Illinois Institute of Technology’s School of Architecture, Pratt Institute, the University of Chicago, Michigan State University, and the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, among others. She holds degrees from Northwestern University, Evanston, IL (Communication Studies), School of the Art Institute of Chicago (Arts Administration and Policy), and the University of Illinois at Chicago (Social Work). Lauren lives in Gary, Indiana, with her husband, Phil, and their two pit bulls, Sam and Max.
EMILIO PADILLA, AIA
Emilio Padilla, AIA is a Project Principal at JGMA (Juan Gabriel Moreno Architects). Emilio studied architecture at the University of Illinois at Chicago and also lived and studied in Merida, Mexico, and Barcelona, Spain during his academic career. At JGMA, Emilio oversees and manages multiple projects while promoting the firm through business development. Through his 18 years of work experience and influence, Emilio’s portfolio includes a wide range of local and international project typologies; public and private sector, hospitality, aviation, commercial and non-profit organizations. Emilio has served as president of Arquitectos Inc., where he supports the success of the organization’s mission. His mission-driven leadership has expanded services provided by Arquitectos to students, emerging professionals, and licensed professionals seeking further professional development. Emilio is also a board member of Landmarks Illinois. He is very active in the AEC community and has served as a roundtable member of the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee for AIA Chicago where he helped promote EDI best practices within the profession.
JAY ROWELL
In 2020, Jay Rowell launched Hire360, a Chicago-based organization that strengthens underrepresented populations in Illinois by providing connections to opportunities and career paths in the hospitality and trades industries. HIRE360 is a unique partnership between organized labor, philanthropic groups such as the United Way and some of the largest contractors and developers in Chicago. As its Executive Director, Jay continues to raise millions of dollars to fund pre-apprenticeship training for candidates and capital loans that support MBE/WBE firms. Since its inception, Hire360 has placed more than 400 people in every trade union in the Chicago area. Jay lives in Oak Park with his wife and two daughters.
STEVE SCHNEIDER
Steve Schneider has been a Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Wintrust Commercial Banking since 2015. The majority of Steve’s career was at the accounting firm of Blackman Kallick where he was managing partner up to and following the firm’s merger with Plante Moran. Prior to joining Blackman Kallick in 1981, Schneider was a manager in the banking practice at Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co. (now KPMG). A native of the Chicago area, Schneider received his Bachelor of Science in Accountancy from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign.
DIANA SHOTT
Diana Shott is the President and CEO of Resource Bank, N.A., the last remaining locally owned community bank in DeKalb County, leading a team of over one hundred eighty employees throughout fifteen, and soon to be sixteen, locations. She first joined the bank in 1987 as the Director of Marketing, where her talents and dedication propelled her to ever-increasing roles and responsibilities. She joined the Board of Directors in 2008, became CEO in 2016, and President in 2022. Growing up in Genoa, IL, Diana’s roots run deep within the community she serves and continues to call home. She is a proud alumna of the NIU College of Business, and she remains a driving force behind Resource Bank’s mission to empower and support small towns and our local communities.
KORINNE SMILLIE
Korinne Smillie has spent nearly 12 years at the accounting firm of Plante Moran, beginning her tenure there in 2012 as an assurance intern while studying at the University of Illinois. Korinne has been promoted four times, from Assurance/Tax Staff to now Partner in the tax arena, a position she has held for nearly three years. Terri Salas, Landmarks Illinois Treasurer and Principal in the Housing and Community Development Solutions Group at Plante Moran, identified Korinne as a Plante Moran colleague that she would welcome on the board. As Terri approaches her mandatory sunset year from the board in 2026, we feel that it is important to cultivate the next Treasurer and to maintain our close relationship with leading preservation tax firm Plante Moran.
MARTIN C. TANGORA, LIFE DIRECTOR
Martin Tangora is a retired associate professor of mathematics at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He consults on architectural history and has been active in Chicago preservation issues since 1971. He has a B.S. from the California Institute of Technology and a PhD in mathematics from Northwestern University.
RABBI ROB THOMAS
A native of Jacksonville, Illinois, Rabbi Rob Thomas (Rabbi Rob), is the Founder and CEO of Team Cymru, a global computer and network security company, and is also Managing Director of WW2 Armor, a museum based in central Florida that provides fully operational World War II armor for reenactments and other educational events. Rabbi Rob served in the U.S. Navy as a hospital corpsman attached to Marine Corps units, and is a venture capitalist who also initiated a fund to foster startups in Jacksonville, Illinois. Rabbi Rob and his wife, Lauren (from Chicago), purchased a home in Jacksonville in 2022; they continue to spend their time between Illinois and their home in Florida. They have three children.
ALEX WOLKING
A second-generation broker with a career spanning over two decades, Alex has been immersed in the industry from an early age, developing an exceptional understanding of market nuances and client care. Alex has been a driving force in the Chicago real estate market, specializing in the sale of historic single-family homes, co-ops, and luxury condos. Alex and his team consistently rank as top producers in Chicago’s northside, especially in the Uptown, Lakeview, Lincoln Square and Edgewater neighborhoods. His boutique team employs a collaborative approach coupled with innovative marketing strategies, earning him recognition as a trusted advisor to the most discerning sellers and buyers. Beyond his professional achievements, Alex is actively invested in his community, serving on boards and committees dedicated to Chicago’s historic preservation and community development.