The Better Business Bureau of Chicago & Northern Illinois (BBB) is honored to announce this year’s award winners and new board members activated at its 92nd Annual Dinner held on Thursday, March 7, 2019 at the Swissotel Chicago. With over 600 attendees, the event featured the globally acclaimed Dev Patnaik, CEO of Jump Associates and one of the leading voices for Conscious Capitalism, as the keynote speaker.

Jump Associates is a strategy and innovation firm that works with some of the world’s most admired companies, including GE, Nike, Target and Virgin. Dev is a frequent speaker at business forums, and his articles have appeared in numerous publications, including Businessweek, Forbes, and Fast Company, and is the author of the widely acclaimed book “Wired to Care.”

 Distinguished awards that were presented include:

Torchbearer of the Year Award to Daniel Goodwin. As Chairman and CEO of The Inland Real Estate Group of Companies, Inc., Dan oversees a business that specializes in creating, developing and supporting separate real estate investment and financial companies. His passionate focus on ethics in business led to The Inland Real Estate Group of Companies winning the coveted Better Business Bureau Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics three times in the last eight years.

• Diogenes Award for Excellence in Media to Zully Ramírez. Zully works as a reporter for Telemundo Chicago’s consumer unit. “Telemundo Chicago Responde” was launched in 2015 and offers Spanish speaking consumers a direct opportunity to have their concerns investigated. Through her mediations and investigations, she has helped consumers in the Chicago area and suburbs recover nearly a half million dollars. 

• The James E. Baumhart Lifetime Achievement Award to Dale J. Mueller, the Chairman of Chicago AAMCO Transmission Dealers. Dale is the owner and operator of eight AAMCO Transmissions and Car Care operations, and Midas auto repair centers in Chicagoland. Since starting his business in 1967 he has won numerous awards from both franchises for excellence in sales and customer service. He has been a member of the Better Business Bureau since 1986, currently serves on the Board of Directors and is Chair of the Ethics and Standards Committee.

“All of our award recipients exemplify the goals and principles of the Better Business Bureau to support and foster an ethical marketplace benefiting both consumers and businesses,” says Steve J. Bernas, president & CEO of the BBB.

The dinner also included the addition of several top business leaders to the Board of Directors. In alphabetical order they are:

• David J. Abrams | Sales Manager, Windy City Limousine & Bus Worldwide.  As a premier transportation company providing worldwide services, David’s business was voted “Best Transportation Provider in Illinois” nine times in the past ten years by peers in the hospitality industry. 

• Rich Baudo | Vice President of Sales for Comcast Spotlight Chicago.  Since 2017, Rich has been the Vice President of Sales for Comcast Spotlight Chicago, the advertising sales arm of Comcast Cable. He leads a team of 50 local and regional sales professionals in the Chicago market. 

• Ed Connealy | Connealy Design Element.  Started in 2016, Connealy Design Element provides consultation to the local Architect and Design community and drives sales for some of the industry’s most beautifully designed products. 

• Victoria Garofalo | Vice President, Director of Marketing at Pan American Bank & Trust Responsible for the bank’s marketing activities, Victoria oversees the development and delivery of a fully integrated marketing strategy. 

• Susan Jacobs | SVP Revenue Strategy, Tribune Publishing.  In her current role at Tribune Publishing, Susan leads revenue and sales strategy across nine major markets, including Chicago Tribune, NY Daily News, Baltimore Sun, Orlando Sentinel, Ft. Lauderdale Sun Sentinel, Hartford Courant, Allentown Morning Call, Virginia Pilot, and Newport News Daily Press. 

• Juan Leyva | General Manager, LondonHouse Chicago.  Juan manages a team of over 300 employees and oversees day-to-day operations at the 452-room luxury lifestyle hotel in downtown Chicago. 

• Natalie Bauer Luce | Executive Vice President for Culloton Strategies.  Natalie has developed and executed award-winning integrated marketing and communications campaigns. She’s an executive at a media communications and strategy firm that specializes in media relations, crisis communications, public affairs and grassroots campaigns. 

• Roger T. Stelle | Founding Partner, Meltzer, Purtill & Steele LLC.  With a law practice focused on the representation of closely-held companies, including succession issues and the pursuit of both growth and exit strategies for their principals, Roger is a founding member of one of the largest suburban-based law firms in the Chicago metropolitan area with offices in both Schaumburg and Chicago. 

• Walt Valo | Managing Director, Lucid Agency.  As Managing Director of Lucid Agency’s Chicago office, Walt Valo focuses on new business development and leading integrated digital marketing strategies that drive business growth for a variety of Fortune 500 clients.

PNC Bank was the presenting sponsor for this this year’s Annual Dinner. This year’s gold sponsor was Inland Real Estate Group of Companies. Silver sponsors included ComEd, Discover Financial and Fox Valley Auto Group.

Other major announcements at the Annual Dinner included:

• The 2019 BBB Educational Foundation’s scholarship contest for high school seniors and college students will move to all video submissions this season. Entries must be submitted by Friday, May 31st. For more information go to org/entry-guidelines.
• The 25th Annual Integrity Golf Classic will be held at Northmoor Country Club on Monday, July 22nd. All proceeds raised from the golf outing will benefit the BBB’s Educational Foundation. For sponsorship opportunities and golfer registration go to org.
• Nominations for the 2019 BBB Torch Awards for Marketplace Trust and Excellence are now open. Nominate your company today at org.

By Better Business Bureau. March 15, 2019.

https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/19631-top-regional-leaders-honored-at-better-business-bureau-of-chicago-and-northern-illinois-92nd-annual-dinner-meeting?bbbid=0654

http://www.dailyherald.com/business/20170907/make-way-for-commercial-pace-funding-in-illinois 

Daily Herald Business Ledger 

By: Mark Pikus

September 7th, 2017

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Commercial Property Executive

April 2017

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Multi-Housing News

October 2016

Inland Green Capital LLC, in collaboration with Solar and Energy Loan Fund (SELF) and the St. Lucie Board of County Commissioners, provided capital for three PACE transactions in the city of Fort Pierce.

A 3,344 SF retail center utilized PACE as a financing tool for energy-efficiency upgrades to doors, windows, hurricane shutters, an improved HVAC system, and roof. A 1,076 SF residential building received financing to improve the outdated HVAC as well as the roof and windows. Additionally, Inland Green Capital provided PACE capital for a 20,000 SF commercial building which will be used to update lighting and its existing HVAC system.

Through the use of PACE financing, all Borrowers had no upfront costs related to the improvements. Due to PACE being a land-secured assessment, repayment is structured over time as part of the buildings’ annual tax bill and not an obligation of any person.

Inland Green Capital provided PACE financing in the amount of $1.6 million for energy-efficient improvements on a seven-story office building in downtown Kansas City. PACE administrator, Missouri Clean Energy District collaborated with Inland Green Capital to update the 105,000 square-foot property’s aging HVAC system. Additional improvements include upgrading the controls and infiltration repair.

Through the use of PACE financing, the Borrower receive 100% financing for the costs and will repay the total amount through a special assessment which is part of the property’s real estate tax bill. The repayment will span over 15 years and stays with the property. PACE financing required no personal liability for the repayment.

Inland Green Capital LLC, in collaboration with PACE administrator, Samas Capital, provided a $492,052 PACE bond to facilitate the funding of solar panels on a 28,093 SF, two-story office building in Anaheim, California. The financing funded 100% of the costs of the transaction.

The PACE financing was provided up-front and will be funded as the construction/ installation progresses for the improvements. The loan will be repaid in the form of a special assessment on its tax bill over 10 years. The amount owed is secured by the property with no personal guarantees of any kind.

Samas Capital was able to coordinate the local contractors, while Inland Green Capital provided the necessary capital allowing the building to proceed with the energy efficiency enhancements.

Inland Green Capital LLC, through the Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance, made history by providing capital for the first PACE transaction in the state of Kentucky. Ivy Knoll Senior Living Community in Covington became the first private property owner to have received 100% financing in the amount of $784,236, enabling the 7-story, all electric building to benefit from several energy-efficient improvements. These benefits will include solar panels, automated heating and cooling for each of the residents’ units, and LED lighting throughout.

By using PACE financing, Ivy Knoll was able to borrow 100% of the costs and will repay the amount as a voluntary special improvement assessment on its property tax bill, which runs with the property and not with the individual property owner.

Additionally, because of its flexible capital, Inland Green Capital was able to provide interim, unsecured financing to the property owner to commence the renovations pending the closing of the ultimate PACE transaction, without the typical underwriting parameters of a conventional banking source. PACE financing did not require any personal guaranty!

The successful completion of the first PACE transaction in the state was largely due to the collaboration and expertise brought on by Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance as the program administrator.

http://www.imn.org/audioframe/559|1502230A98692DAE/ARIU7CFUUZMU

(starting at 19:00)