Board of Directors

Peter M. Friedman, Partner – Elrod Friedman LLP  |  CCLBA Land Transactions Committee Chairman

Peter has an accomplished and broad real estate practice and is the founding partner of Elrod Friedman LLP, a law firm specializing in representing exclusively public sector clients.  Mr. Friedman previously was a partner at Holland & Knight, and represented private and public sector clients in all phases of real estate finance, acquisition, development, zoning and land use matters. He counsels property owners, pension funds, tenants and developers in a variety of real estate and transactional projects.  READ MORE

Xochitl Flores — Bureau Chief – Cook County Bureau of Economic Development

Xochitl Flores is the Bureau Chief of Economic Development for Cook County. In this role, Flores oversees the activities of the three departments within the Bureau, which include the Department of Planning and Development, Building and Zoning, and the Zoning Board of Appeals.  She is responsible for leading the work of the Bureau, collaborating with the seven counties of northeastern Illinois and the City of Chicago to develop and implement initiatives to grow the regional economy. READ MORE

Ciere Boatright, Commissioner – City of Chicago Department of Planning & Development

Ciere Boatright was appointed commissioner of the Chicago Department of Planning and Development (DPD) in November 2023 by Mayor Brandon Johnson.  An experienced real estate and economic development executive, Boatright is responsible for leading DPD’s economic development, planning and zoning functions while promoting inclusive, equitable growth across the city.  READ MORE

Joy Aruguete — Chief Executive Officer, Bickerdike Redevelopment Corporation

Ms. Aruguete has served as the Chief Executive Officer of Bickerdike Redevelopment Corporation for 26 years. In this capacity, she supervises operations for this 54-year-old award-winning nonprofit community development corporation dedicated to community controlled development, the preservation and management of affordable housing, economic development centered on job creation, comprehensive community planning and engagement, and the development of community leaders. Ms. Aruguete manages corporate, subsidiary and affiliate business operations of over $25 million annually and oversees the work of 80 staff members who carry out Bickerdike’s mission.  READ MORE

Katrina Thompson — Mayor, Village of Broadview, Illinois

First elected, the seventh Mayor of the Village of Broadview in a five-person race with 44% of the vote on April 4, 2017, Katrina Thompson became the first African American female mayor of the village. In the 2021 election contest against a former mayor, Mayor Thompson was elected to a second term with 71% of the vote. Beyond the Village of Broadview, Ms. Thompson has served and serves on multiple boards and commissions in multiple regional organizations, including: former President of the Proviso Municipal League; President of the West Central Municipal League as well as the Chairwoman of the Environmental Committee, Illinois Municipal League Board of Directors, Cook County Land Bank Board of Directors; Triton College Foundation Board; Visit Oak Park Board; Proviso Leyden Council for Community Action, Inc. (PLCCA) Board of Directors; Secretary of the Woodlake Specialty Hospital Advisory Board; NLC National Black Caucus Local Elected Officials Regional Director; Metropolitan Mayors Caucus Housing Committee Chair/Environmental Committee; and Co-Chair the Broadview-Westchester Water Agency and the IKE 911 Center.

Kelly Burke — Mayor, Village of Evergreen Park, Illinois

Kelly Burke was elected mayor of the Village of Evergreen Park in May 2021. She has been a village resident for 29 years; she and her husband, Terry, have three children. Kelly was a village trustee for two years; during that time she helped negotiate balanced budgets that prioritize residents’ safety and health and initiated a pilot tree-planting program.

Kelly spent seven years as a trustee on the Evergreen Park Library Board, serving as president during the extensive renovation of the library building. Kelly has volunteered in Evergreen Park for many years, notably with Most Holy Redeemer Parish. She started a Mock Trial program for area grade school students and volunteers with the Restorative Justice program for freshmen students at Leo High School. READ MORE

Michelle Carr — Chief Executive Officer, Evergreen Climate Innovations

Michelle Carr is the Chief Executive Officer of Evergreen Climate Innovations. She brings years of executive, operating and fundraising experience in the financial, environmental and climate technology sectors.

Prior to leading Evergreen, Michelle was the Illinois Director for The Nature Conservancy (TNC) a global science-based nonprofit founded in 1951 through grassroots action. While at TNC, Carr made marked progress in bridging the gap between conservation and economic decisions to influence solutions at a regional and global scale. Prior to TNC, Michelle was an advisor with Goldman Sachs for 16 years where her clients included entrepreneurs, chief executive officers, families, foundations and endowments.

Carr graduated from St. Louis University with a B.A. in history and economics and holds an MBA from Vanderbilt University. From 2008 through 2012, she was a member of President Obama’s National Finance Committee and she currently serves on the boards of the Paula M. Trienens Institute for Sustainability and Energy at Northwestern and the Cook County Land Bank. Carr is a member of the Economic Club of Chicago and lives in the city with her husband and three children.

Sheila Chalmers-Currin — Village President, Village of Matteson, Illinois

Her leadership began in 1999 when she was appointed by then-Mayor Stricker of the Village of Matteson as the Fire and Police Commissioner of Matteson Illinois. This was an appointed volunteer position. In recognition of the great work she did in Matteson, she moved on to become the Director of The Fire and Police Commission for the State of Illinois. Sheila was elected as the first African American female to become the President of the Fire and Police Commission for the State of Illinois. While serving as President, Sheila was awarded the most prestigious Doc Wilson award for advancing the organization by implementing budget changes and adjustments to balance to overall organizations budgets.  READ MORE

Danita Childers — Executive Director, Housing Authority of Cook County (HACC)

Danita Childers boasts a diverse and extensive professional background, spanning across various organizations. Childers recently served as the Deputy Chief of Development Operations at the Chicago Housing Authority where she managed the financial aspects of the Development Division, overseeing a $65 million budget. Prior to her work at the CHA, Childers held the position of Deputy Commissioner within the Department of Planning & Development for the City of Chicago, where she effectively managed the north planning region. Earlier in her career, at Jones Lang LaSalle, Danita excelled as an Associate Director in the Global Consulting Group, contributing to the development and implementation of strategic real estate solutions for diverse clients. Danita Childers holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, with a concentration in Accounting and Finance. Prior to obtaining her MBA, she earned her Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) from the University of Michigan.

O. Victoria Lakes-Battle — Executive Director, Chicago Region, IFF

O. Victoria “Vickie” Lakes-Battle has been at the forefront of commercial and mission-based lending for over 30 years and has developed a recipe for equitably serving communities: time + proximity + authentic partnerships. When you think of Vickie, you think of a master connector who is acutely aware of the nuances in building strategic alliances and partnerships that bolster relationships, systems, and equity within communities and organizations.

With a never-ending reserve of expertise in community development, finance, and executive leadership Vickie Lakes-Battle leads with equity, purpose and strategy in everything she does.  READ MORE

Tracey B. Royal — Chicago Association of Realtors

Bringing over three decades of expertise to the real estate industry, Tracey Royal is a highly respected leader and the Vice President of Agent Development for the Chicago City Region at Coldwell Banker Realty. In this role, she empowers real estate professionals at all levels, from those launching their careers to seasoned agents looking to scale their business.

A firm believer in education and professional development, Tracey holds a BA in Management and an MS in Criminal Social Justice, along with numerous Realtor® designations and certifications. She is an alumna of prestigious leadership programs, including the 2022 National Association of Realtors® Leadership Academy, 2019 Women’s Council of Realtors® Leadership Institute, and 2018 Illinois Realtors® Leadership Academy.

Cheryl Thomas — President & CEO, Ardmore Associates, LLC

Cherryl Thomas has over 40 years of experience successfully directing, managing, maintaining and administering various high-profile projects and budgets. She founded Ardmore Associates in 2003 and merged with The Roderick Group in 2018 to form Ardmore Roderick, where she currently serves as Chief Strategic Officer.

Cherryl has worked for the City of Chicago Departments of Public Works, Water, Aviation and Buildings, and as Deputy Chief of Staff for Infrastructure in the Mayor’s Office. She retired as Commissioner of Buildings for the City of Chicago to accept an appointment by President Clinton as Chairman of the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board.

She received her Bachelor’s in Biology and Chemistry from Marquette University. Received her Master’s in Physiology from University of Illinois. Received her Honorary PHD from Boston College.  READ MORE

Michael Kaplan — Vice President, Related Midwest   |  CCLBA Finance Committee Chairman

In his role as a Vice President, Michael Kaplan assists with the daily management and coordination of all tasks associated with Related Midwest’s on-going affordable and mixed-income projects. Michael brings over ten years of experience in real estate and over six years of experience in in affordable housing finance, preservation, and development. Michael has closed on over $320 million of financing and managed over $100 million worth of construction, and currently oversees a portfolio of over 2,000 units. Michael has experience working on a variety of project types, including public-private partnerships, affordable housing preservation, mixed-income housing, and mixed-use development; as well as experience working with federal, state, local and private financing vehicles. Michael received his Master’s in Urban Planning and Policy from University of Illinois at Chicago and a Bachelor of Arts in economics and sociology from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Tony “Thurman” Smith — Senior Vice President, PNC Bank

Mr. Smith currently leads PNC Bank’s community lending, opportunity zone and neighborhood investing strategy for the Wisconsin-Illinois and Missouri region. He has more than 35 years of banking experience, has also served as an Adjunct Professor in the business school at California State University – Northridge and, as a U. S. Marine, served as a member of the Presidential Helicopter Squadron (HMX-1). Mr. Smith currently serves on the executive committee for Community Investment Corporation, the Board of Directors for both Cook County’s Land Bank and Economic Development Advisory Committee, Neighborhood Housing Services and Benefit Chicago.  Mr. Smith also serves on various Advisory Committees for the University of Chicago and DePaul University’s Institute for Housing Studies.  In 2018, he was a delegate to the National Science Foundation sponsored study of the Alaskan Native Science and Engineering program in Anchorage and was named to the Academy of Distinguished Alumni at Chicago State University where he graduated Summa Cum Laude.

Dr. William S. McClinton Ed.D. MBA — South Suburban Representative

Dr. William S. McClinton is a 20-year veteran of the United States Navy. He is the President and CEO of McClinton life Sciences Inc. (MLS) a company specializing in distribution and supply chain logistics of packaging components and medical laboratory supplies. MLS also specializes in the distribution of chemicals used in the development and manufacturing of medical supplies, personal care products, biotechnology, and pharmaceuticals.

William holds a Doctoral degree in Social Entrepreneurship and a Master’s in Business Administration, with minors in Organizational Leadership and Human Resources from Governors State University. He also holds a Master’s and Bachelorette degree in Education from Southern Illinois University with minors in Workforce Education and Curriculum Development. READ MORE