Member Spotlight
Membership Spotlight Erin Blaskovic | Client Development Manager, Cleveland Construction, Inc.
Erin Blaskovic is an active member of ULI Cleveland, who recently moderated our online panel conversation, ULI Cleveland: Navigating Development and Construction During COVID-19. Since joining ULI Cleveland in 2017, she has quickly become involved with the ULI Cleveland Programs and Young Leaders Committees.
Learn more about Erin below:
Why are you a member of the Urban Land Institute Cleveland?
The combination of continuing to educate myself on real estate & development, as well as building a stronger network within the industry. I’ve loved being a part of the Partnership Forum and Programs Committee over the past few years!
Current position: Client Development Manager
Tell us more about your daily tasks: A combination or market research, networking, branding, & correspondence with owners & consultants
What is your favorite part of the job? Building strong relationships and continuing to learn different aspects of the industry
Your hobbies: I love being active – running, biking, strength training, yoga, hiking, and looking forward to SUP (stand up paddle boarding) this Summer! I also love to travel. One of my favorite places so far has been Slovenia – Lake Bled is straight out of a fairytale. It’s also part of my ancestry so I have a special connection to the homeland.
Member Spotlight Keri Zipay | City of Beachwood, Economic Development
Keri Zipay joined ULI Cleveland in the fall of 2018. Since joining, she has quickly become involved in the ULI Cleveland Outreach Committee and has also taken the opportunity to learn more about various ULI Cleveland programs and events. Learn more about Keri below:
What does a typical day or week look like? The best thing about Economic Development is that there is no typical day, which I love! Particularly in Beachwood, we have a lot of diversity in the industries that are represented such as medical, technology, manufacturing, and retail/hospitality. My position in Economic Development entails visiting our existing businesses and connecting them with resources they need to grow or assisting them with any challenges that the city may be able to help alleviate. I also work to attract new businesses, encourage entrepreneurship, as well as, serve on the board of the Beachwood Chamber of Commerce.
Why are you a member of ULI Cleveland? I am meeting people I may not normally engage with, and learning about great topics that are of interest to me in my field.
What’s your favorite ULI event or program? I joined last fall and so far my favorite event has been the women’s networking event at Vocon. I greatly enjoyed learning more about Vocon and their work, but the best part was seeing their new space. I took a picture of two of their signs – one reads, “Love your work” and the other reads, “Crush it Every Day”. Those are words to live by! I hope they won’t mind, but I am thinking of having prints made to hang in my office!
Member Spotlight Dave Budge | Assistant Vice President at WXZ Development Inc.
Dave Budge is the Assistant Vice President of WXZ Development Inc. and is heavily involved with the ULI Cleveland Outreach Committee. Over the past year, Dave has focused his time with ULI on the UrbanPlan for Public Officials workshop. The next UrbanPlan workshop will be in March 2019.
Tell us more about your daily tasks: Working as a developer putting together smaller scale commercial developments/redevelopments that businesses and investors want to be involved in. Day to day tasks include negotiating contracts, leases, reviewing city codes, financial underwriting, building design and site planning, working with municipalities on approvals, pitching investors on projects.
Your hobbies: sleeping, reading, backyard basketball, golf and collecting vinyl.
Why are you a member of the Urban Land Institute Cleveland? Great network of professionals that keeps me involved in land use issues around the country and in northeast Ohio.
Member Spotlight Kenneth Kalynchuk | Senior Financial Analyst at Project Management Consultants (PMC)
Ken Kalynchuk currently works for Project Management Consultants as a Senior Financial Analyst. As a master’s student at Cleveland State University from 2015-2016, he participated in the ULI Hines Competition and has been a member of ULI Cleveland since 2015. Ken is currently very involved in the ULI Cleveland Hines Competition planning and will serve as a mentor during the 2019 competition. See below to learn more about Ken and his involvement with ULI Cleveland.
Tell us more about your daily tasks:
As Senior Financial Analyst at Project Management Consultants, I help communities and developers solve for financing gaps in real estate projects. I help identify, apply for, structure, and coordinate gap financing for projects, thus bringing challenging projects to life in communities across the Country. Our group uses tools such as historic tax credits, New Markets tax credits, tax increment financing, loans and grants to help developers and their public partners achieve their development goals. I focus on brownfield, warehouse and distribution center, New Markets Tax Credit and technology company projects.
What is your favorite part of the job:
Working on challenging projects in the City of Cleveland and surrounding communities. I grew up in the City of Cleveland and am passionate about rebuilding its urban fabric through economic development.
Your hobbies:
To stay active, I play kickball and racquetball, and enjoy biking and hiking in Cleveland and in our Nation’s incredible national parks. I love exploring Cleveland and check out new restaurants and activities frequently. I also enjoy traveling to other Cities. I look forward to visits to Philadelphia, San Juan, and Grand Teton National Park in 2019.
Why are you a member of the Urban Land Institute Cleveland?
I first got involved in Urban Land Institute Cleveland in graduate school during the Hines Student Urban Design Competition, where ULI Cleveland members mentored me and helped teach me how to develop complex development pro formas. Urban Land Institute Cleveland is an unmatched educational resource, helping to keep all sectors involved in development up to date with the latest practices in development, connecting us all in a very critical way.
Member Spotlight Kirstyn Wildey | Associate at McDonald Hopkins
Kirstyn Wildey currently works for McDonald Hopkins as an Associate. She has been a member of ULI Cleveland since 2017 after moving from Grand Rapids, Michigan to Cleveland. Since her move to Cleveland, Kirstyn has been very involved in the ULI Cleveland Women’s Leadership Committee and Membership Committee. See below to learn more about Kirstyn and her involvement with ULI Cleveland.
Tell us more about your daily tasks:
As an Associate in McDonald Hopkins’ real estate and commercial finance practice groups, I am engaged in borrower and lender-side representation on a variety of business matters. I focus on community development and project financing, representing investors, lenders and developers using historic preservation tax credits, renewable energy tax credits, and new markets tax credits. Additionally, I assist with our firm’s solar energy development practice.
Your hobbies:
I enjoy spending time with friends and family, cooking, and traveling as often as I am able to. I previously studied abroad in Australia and am currently planning a trip to Iceland. Additionally, I enjoy watching Cleveland sports and continuing to explore Northeast Ohio. I also remain closely connected to my law school and undergraduate university, serving as a member of their respective Alumni Association Board of Directors.
Why are you a member of the Urban Land Institute Cleveland?
Being new to the Cleveland area, ULI Cleveland has been a great resource to connect me to others in the real estate industry and stay up-to-date with trends in the local and national markets. I’ve truly enjoyed helping grow the value of ULI Cleveland through my involvement on ULI Cleveland’s Membership and Sponsorship Committee and Women’s Leadership Initiative.
Email: [email protected]