Is race a driver or mitigating factor in some retail decisions? The session will summarize the findings of a comprehensive, two-year retail investment study conducted in four Chicago suburbs (Olympia Fields, Matteson, Park Forest, and Richton Park) that examined reasons, including race, for the lack of Class A retail and restaurant establishments in local communities. Discuss possible solutions to challenges in providing the shopping and dining opportunities community members desire.
Speaker Details
Deven Gibbs
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Michael Schostok
Bridget Lane
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Bio: Bridget Lane specializes in commercial revitalization strategy, fiscal impact analysis, market analysis, and retail business development. Her ten years of experience as a retailing executive, seven years as a professor at Chicago’s DePaul University and three years managing Downtown Evanston serve as a practical foundation for her market research and business development consultations.
Education: Before obtaining a Master's Degree in Business Administration from the Harvard Business School, Bridget graduated from the University of Illinois with a degree in Urban Planning
Janet Smith
Associate Professor
University of Illinois at Chicago
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Bio: professor
Education: PhD Urban Studies, Cleveland State
Michael E. Hoffman, AICP
Vice President
Teska Associates, Inc.
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Bio: Mike is a Vice President and Principal Planner with Teska Associates, a Community Planning and Landscape Architectural firm with two offices in the Chicago region. His work is focused on providing planning services to small and mid-sized municipalities and counties. He has managed development of 18 Comprehensive Plans, 6 complete zoning code rewrites, numerous development code revisions, and over 15 downtown and corridor planning efforts. He also serves as staff planner to several communities. Prior to joining Teska Associates, Mike was a planning consultant for J.T. Dunkin and Associates in Dallas Texas.
Education: Bachelors of Landscape Architecture from the University of Illinois Masters of Business Administration from Texas A&M University
Past Assignments: Big Dreams in a Small Town, 2012 Illinois State APA Conference Preparing Better Staff Reports, San Fransico National APA Conference TIF Success Stories, 2012 Grundy County Growth Conference
David A. Mekarski, AICP
Village Administrator
Village of Olympia Fields
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Bio: David A. Mekarski, AICP currently serves as the Village Administrator for the Village of Olympia Fields and maintains his license as a certified planner with APA. Working with over nine mid-sized and small communities throughout the United States, Mr. Mekarski has achieved a sustainable record of accomplishments contributing to their quality of life. He brings to our region, over 32 years of experience in municipal management, public policy, planning and economic development. Mr. Mekarski possesses an Undergraduate Degree in Political Science; a Masters Degree in Urban and Regional Planning; a second masters in Public Administration; as well as, a Fellowship from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. Mr. Mekarski works with a number of regional and local groups in combating the unconscious racism that prevents our communities from achieving their full economic potential. He has designed a regional retail redlining initiative, and is concluding as project manager, a two year analysis of the retail market potential for the 4 communities that make of the South Suburban Coalition.
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