Ely Speakers Bureau
Welcome to the Lambda Alpha International Ely-Chicago Chapter Speakers Bureau. Our chapter members offer themselves as a resource for you across a wide variety of land economics industries. Members of LAI Ely-Chicago have a minimum of 10 years of professional experience in their land economics field. They have been selected by their peers as worthy of recognition for their commitment to excellence. Click on a category below to find your next speaker, panelist or moderator from our membership.
If you are an LAI Ely-Chicago Chapter Member, click here to apply for the Speakers Bureau.
Currently a Principal Planner in HNTB’s Chicago office, Diane has professional experience in urban planning, urban design, and architecture, including consulting for municipal and public agency clients, non-profit real estate development, and architectural design focused on transit and public facilities. Diane’s experience covers the spectrum from strategic and policy planning to detailed design solutions with an emphasis on consensus-based and contextually sensitive infrastructure and land use planning for developed areas. Her work with various constituencies and communities has fostered an ability to view planning issues from multiple perspectives, work across disciplines to increase common understanding, and develop visionary yet implementable planning solutions.
Established Senior Executive in the Real Estate Industry with over 40 years of Retail Real Estate experience. Proven performer as a strategic leader in Site Analysis, Entitlement, Development, Leasing, Sales and Disposition.
Fran is a trusted economic development advisor with a deep understanding of real estate market analysis and development strategy, financial feasibility analysis, public-private partnership finance and value capture for transportation. Her ability to analyze various market scenarios and recommend strategic redevelopment options that work for both the public and private sectors has been key to informing numerous policy and development decisions. Fran is skilled in evaluating the financial feasibility of development projects and has underwritten or structured over $1.7 billion in public assistance for a broad range of projects. Fran has a broad and in-depth understanding of housing, from national and regional housing market dynamics down to project-level feasibility, and assists clients in formulating housing policies and structuring transactions. Fran holds a Master of Urban Planning and Policy degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Policy from the University of Chicago. She is a member of the American Planning Association, Lambda Alpha International-Ely Chapter, Council of Development Finance Agencies, The Goldie Initiative, Illinois Housing Council, and the Illinois Tax Increment Association. Fran is a Series-50 Qualified Municipal Advisor Representative
Ellen Shepard is CEO of Community Allies, a Chicago-based consultancy working across North America to build neighborhoods and cities where prosperity and opportunity are accessible for all. Ellen works as a strategic advisor to community leaders (including non-profit directors, government officials and staff, and funders), to support their efforts towards equitable economic development, vibrant neighborhood commercial districts, and deep community engagement.
Richard Wilson is an architect and city planner who leads the City Design Practice of Chicago’s Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture. Richard has 30 years of experience working with public and private sector clients to master plan, design, construct and operate large scale urban districts and neighborhood redevelopments in historic and emergent cities worldwide.
Richard is the 2020-2022 President of the Ely Chapter of Lambda Alpha International. He also serves on the Board of Directors of Friends of the Chicago River, the Regional Advisory Council of the National Parks Conservation Association, and the Regional and Urban Design Knowledge Community of AIA Chicago.