In uncertain times, many businesses need to rely on a crisis management plan to weather the storm. The Shelter-In-Place order to mitigate COVID is no exception. This workshop will feature experts in real estate, insurance, and labor to help business owners think through what to do in the event of an unforeseen crisis, and how to prepare for re-opening their business when the Shelter-In-Place order is lifted.
Panelists:
Caroline Orzac Shoenberger is a practicing attorney, a retired government official and a retired college faculty member who started her own non-profit foundation in 2019, the Shoenberger Public Interest Law Foundation. Caroline served a member of Mayor Richard M. Daley’s Cabinet as the Commissioner of Consumer Services for the City of Chicago for 15 years. Prior to her appointment as Commissioner, Caroline held two supervisory positions in the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. Caroline also served in the Attorney General’s office as both an attorney and a Division Chief. For 15 year she was the Supervisory Attorney at the Pilsen Office of the Chicago Legal Clinic (now known as the Greater Chicago Legal Clinic) where she practiced Immigration law and hosted a monthly cable television program. Caroline also served as a full-time Faculty member at Harold Washington College where she taught Business Law, Marketing, Ethics and Management and also established a Legal Clinic at the College. Caroline speaks French, Spanish and some Italian. She received her B.A. in French Area Studies
from the University of Wisconsin, her M.A. in French from the University of Virginia, her M.B.A. from Loyola Graduate School of Business and her J.D. from DePaul University College of Law. Caroline also completed a Mediation Certificate course from Northwestern University.
Gina brings a unique understanding of business districts with a proven track record of results from her background in economic development, urban planning, real estate, and small business. As a certified urban planner and licensed real estate broker, she specializes in neighborhood economic development and leverages her referral network to support the success of her clients, which include municipalities, landlord and tenants. Clients benefit from Gina’s understanding of their goals and finding strategic and creative solutions for them thorough sound data, listening, and insights into clients’ communities and organizations.
Career highlights include transforming the City of Chicago’s Special Service Areas (SSAs) from an underutilized tool to the nation’s second largest portfolio, supporting the success of 70+ business organizations in over 60 Chicago neighborhoods as Assistant Commissioner with the City of Chicago, implementing innovative and sustainable programming as the Executive Director of the Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce/SSA #8 and utilizing her urban planning expertise to become a highly successful broker with The Lord Companies, LLC.
Gina brings a unique perspective to projects with her blend of public sector urban planning and private sector real estate experience. Gina also worked on various SSA and economic development projects with PLACE Consulting, including the renewal of Downtown Evanston SSA, the Southeast Chicago SSA 50, and managing Devon SSA 43.
Since 1986, Keith Lord has served as President and General Partner of The Lord Companies, L.L.C., a diversified real estate corporation with consulting, brokerage and development divisions specializing in urban infill and adaptive re-use brokerage, design, and development. The Companies’ clients range from developers, Fortune 500 corporations, banks, law firms, private individuals, and the City of Chicago. In 2004, Keith Lord, along with Scott Fithian, were named the City of Chicago’s “Top Retail Leasing Owner’s Representation Brokers” by the Commercial Forum Awards. In 2012 he received the Top Producer Gold Sales Award by Chicago Commercial Forum for investment sales. In 2015 The Lord Companies, LLC received Chicago Commercial Forum Awards for most retail rental leases and most gross square footage leased.
In 2009, Mr. Lord founded Lord Financial Advisors, LLC. He is currently the President and Manager. Lord Financial Advisors provides distressed asset consulting and disposition services to financial institutions including banks, credit unions, insurance companies and private equity firms.
Mr. Lord is heavily involved in the Chicago non-profit sector and has served on over 15 boards and been elected President of 8 organizations. Mr. Lord lives in Chicago on the north side of the City.
Scott Priz is a Cook County based attorney and Workers Compensation Consultant. He is Vice President of Advanced Insurance Management, LLC, which specializes in reducing businesses workers compensation premiums. He was been consulting in the field of workers compensation since 2003, and the c-author of a book on managing workers compensation premiums. He is also the principal attorney of his law firm, Priz Law, LLC.
Julie Hart is an experienced employment lawyer who has worked as in-house employment counsel and with large and boutique law firms, who launched her own practice, Julie Hart Associates, in 2018. Julie brings more than three decades of legal expertise and experience working with global organizations, their senior leaders and HR professionals to help organizations and individuals navigate the most complex and challenging workplace disputes. Julie has extensive experience as a party advocate in mediations of employment disputes, and has leveraged that experience in her newest role of “mediator,” acting as the neutral in mediations to help parties achieve resolution of their disputes before they become expensive litigation. Julie is also an experienced investigator, engaged by companies to handle their most sensitive internal investigations.