Mark E. Anderson:

My board involvement spans almost 15 years, having served in every role on the board. My core belief is that all unit owners hold an obligation to be involved in the association in some capacity, enhancing our shared experiences as residents and promoting a shared belief in stewardship to improve property values and living experiences for all residents.

In my “day job,” I’m an Account Executive in Business Insurance for Travelers Insurance.

Kerry Bartell

Kerry Bartell is a principal with the law firm of Kovitz Shifrin Nesbit and has been practicing with the firm for over 20 years. She concentrates her practice in the area of Common Interest Community Association (condominium, townhome, homeowner, Master) law.

Kerry's expertise includes providing guidance on general matters relating to associations, as well as counseling the board of directors for an association on corporate actions, contracts, dispute resolution and other issues relating to the association as a corporation.

Kerry conducts seminars and webinars on community association law for homeowners, property managers and community associations in the Chicagoland area. She is a frequent speaker at industry tradeshows and has written numerous articles featured in publications such as the Chicago Tribune, Common Interest, and The Chicagoland Cooperator.

Kerry is also actively involved with Community Association Institute (CAI), where she served on the Board for six years and as Illinois Chapter President for two years.  She currently serves on the Chapter Speaker Training and Volunteer Committees.

Kerry received her undergraduate degree from Northwestern University and is a graduate of the Chicago-Kent College of Law.

David Bendoff

David Bendoff is a highly accomplished Common Interest Community Associations (condominium, townhome, homeowner, Master) attorney. He also has experience in cooperative (or co-op) law.  

Along with being a frequent educational resource on condo & homeowner association law, David is a well-respected business and civic leader. He has held positions with many business and community organizations, including Chair of the Condominium Law Subcommittee of the Chicago Bar Association, President of the Board of Directors of the Community Associations Institute (CAI, Illinois Chapter), and membership in the Association of Condominium, Townhouse, and Homeowners Associations (ACTHA). David has also served as a member of the Buffalo Grove Board of Fire and Police Commissioners, Secretary of the Long Grove Zoning Board of Appeals, and President of his own homeowners association.

Patricia A. Bialek, CFM®, AMS®,CMCA® , PCAM®, CAM

Ms. Bialek serves as Vice President of Property Management at FirstService Residential. She is responsible for the oversight of the Chicago and suburban portfolio of community associations. Her long career in property management of over 40 years has provided her with the opportunity to oversee the management of residential, commercial, retail and industrial real estate.

Patricia is a frequent guest speaker for the industry and teaches many seminars for all Association Volunteers.

• Active member of the Community Association Institute (CAI),
• Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM) and the
• Association of Condominium and Townhouse Associations (ACTHA)
• Illinois Real Estate Broker

John Bickley III

A practicing attorney since 1978, John Bickley III concentrates his practice on the representation of Common Interest Community Associations (condominium, townhome, homeowner, Master). Additionally, he handles civil litigation and personal injury.

John takes pride in keeping his clients out of court, and – when court is unavoidable – in preventing them from being successfully sued. He believes that to be an effective attorney, one must empathize with the client, and that requires understanding the totality of the client’s circumstances, not just their legal predicament.

John has served as Assistant Attorney General of the State of Illinois. He attained the rank of Major in the United States Marine Corps where he served as Chief Defense Counsel and Chief Trial Counsel. Further, Bickley has been a lecturer/instructor in Condo & HOA Law at Harper Community College and Joliet Junior College. He also holds the position of Chairman of the Hawthorn Woods Environmental Committee.

John has received an AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating from Martindale-Hubbell; their highest peer rating for ethical standards and professional ability.

Kara Cermak, CMCA^®, AMS^®, PCAM^®:

Kara Cermak served as the President and daughter of the founding owner of Rowell Incorporated. She has over 27 years of experience in the industry, managing communities and overseeing the day-to-day operations of Rowell. As a leader in the industry, Kara realizes the importance of improving the industry as a whole. To that end, she served as a Board Member for the Illinois Chapter of the Community Associations Institute (CAI) for 8 years and also served as President of the Chapter for a year. She helped to produce CAI-Illinois' award winning magazine, Common Interest, and helped to spear-head the former radio show broadcast on WIND 560 AM. Kara has appeared on the Channel 5 News, was quoted in ChicagoCrains Business, was elected to the Association of Professional Community Managers (APCM) Board of Directors for CAI in 2011 and became National Faculty for CAI’s Professional Designations Program in 2009. Kara continues to teach for CAI and earned Educator of the Year in 2017 and is now a board member for the National Trustees. Her company is an AAMC® (Accredited Association Management Company).

Kara also began an organization called “celebrating all that is feminine or C.A.T.I.F.” a 501c3, in concert with other professional women friends, in order to find already thriving charities that need a means of funding, in order to give back to women and children in our community. C.A.T.I.F. has contributed over $200,000 to local organizations, from a grassroots effort of fundraising, over the last 9 years.

David Conforti, AMS, CMCA

Born in Chicago, Illinois and have resided in the Chicagoland Area for my entire life. Graduated from Wilmington High School in 1991. Attended Joliet Junior College and earned Associate of Arts and Associate of Applied Science in Criminal Justice Sciences in 1995. Transferred to Illinois State University and obtained Bachelor Degree in Criminal Justice Sciences with a Minor in Sociology in 1997.

Worked as a probation officer from 1997 until 2012. Moved on to property management in 2012, working for Caruso Management Group and obtained CMCA in February 2013. Caruso Management Group was acquired by RealManage on January 1, 2015, where I have remained since. Earned AMS in February 2019 and have been named employee of the month three times since the acquisition, including the month of February 2019. 

Marshall N. Dickler

Mr. Dickler’s practice encompasses representation of condominium and homeowner associations in all matters including litigation, commercial and residential real estate transactions and litigation, corporate acquisitions, divestitures, operations and litigation, healthcare organization operation and litigation, zoning and collections.

Mr. Dickler is a sustaining member of the Community Associations Institute (CAI) and has lectured, taught and participated in national and regional conferences and conventions since 1977, addressing many subjects dealing with condominiums, homeowners’ associations, corporate, real estate, insurance and tax matters. Mr. Dickler is a former director and past president of the CAI-Illinois Chapter and a former trustee of the CAI National Association. CAI conducts an annual National Law Seminar, and Mr. Dickler was a member of the Seminar faculty. He is a member of the College of Community Association Lawyers (CCAL). He is a member of ACTHA and has spoken at their programs. Additionally, Mr. Dickler is the author of three chapters on Condominium and Homeowners’ Association Litigation for the Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education (IICLE). Mr. Dickler has lectured statewide on the subject matter of these chapters to members of the Illinois Bar, and he was a special advisor to the IICLE, as to its real estate publications and lectures. Mr. Dickler has many years of experience providing all aspects of legal assistance in business and financial advice to small and large businesses and corporations and was, and is, counsel to a number of major For-Profit and Not-for-Profit organizations in healthcare, manufacturing, real estate, hospitality and construction. He has been counsel to, and performed work for, a major national collection agency. He is counsel to a national medical products supply company.

Mr. Dickler is admitted to the Illinois Bar; he is also admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, United States Appellate Court for the Seventh Circuit, the Federal Trial Bar for the Northern District of Illinois and the Court of Customs and Patent Appeals.

He is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association, Northwest Suburban Bar Association, Chicago Bar Association, DuPage County Bar Association and American Bar Association.

Mr. Dickler has been selected by peers and added as a member of the Leading Lawyers.

In addition to being an attorney, Mr. Dickler is an electrical engineer by education and experience. Mr. Dickler practiced as an electrical engineer for six (6) years and during part of that time, attended law school at John Marshall in Chicago, Illinois. He is registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office and has practiced as a patent attorney. Mr. Dickler’s practical engineering background is of great value in understanding technical problems involved with the construction, operation, reconstruction and repair in structures such as multi-unit residential buildings.

Pat Costello: 

Patrick T. Costello is a shareholder in the firm of Keay & Costello, P.C. He has been licensed in the State of Illinois and by the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois since 1993. He is a member of the Federal Trial Bar for the Northern District of Illinois, and is also a member of the Illinois State Bar Association, DuPage County Bar Association, and the Chicago Bar Association.

Jim Jacobsen, Jr.:

Jim Jacobsen, Jr. has served as the 400 Condominium Association Board President Since 2007.  With 956 units, a budget of over 8 million dollars annually and a full-time staff of more than 40 persons - 400 East Randolph Street Condominiums is one of the largest Homeowners Associations in the state.  It is an iconic Chicago property located adjacent Maggie Daley and Millenium Park and located on Lake Shore Drive.  The property is most identified by its Buckminster Fuller inspired outdoor pool with geodesic dome that once sat atop the infamous “S-Curve” prior to the relocation of Lake Shore Drive.

During the past twelve years, Jim Jacobsen has overseen more than 60 million dollars in capital investment and improvements to the property - including major investments in new plumbing systems, windows, new 14,000 square foot health-club, hallway renovations, life-safety and infrastructure modernizations.

Jim Jacobsen is Owner and President of DePue Mechanical, Inc. (WWW.DEPUEMECHANICAL.COM), serves as the Treasurer of the Mechanical Contractors Association of Chicago (MCA-Chicago, www.mca.org) and also operates with his family Troll Hollow Campground in Marseilles, Illinois.

Jim is a veteran of the United States Navy having served on the staff of The Chief of Naval Operations, The Pentagon - Plans, Policy and Operations.

Kristofer D. Kasten

Kristofer D. Kasten is an associate attorney at Michael C. Kim & Associates. He represents community associations throughout Cook and the collar counties in transactional, litigation, and governance matters.  He is active in legislative matters affecting community associations and has testified before both House and Senate Judiciary Committees of the Illinois General Assembly about such legislation.  He regularly speaks about community association issues and enjoys sharing his knowledge and experience, as well as learning from others.

Michael C. Kim

Michael C. Kim is principal of Michael C. Kim & Associates, providing a full range of legal services to condominium, homeowner and cooperative associations.  He serves as Co-Chair of ACTHA’s Legislative Committee; frequently speaks for local industry groups such as ACTHA and the Community Associations Institute – Illinois Chapter; authored numerous articles on association law; served as co-author of the Historical and Practice Notes to the Illinois Condominium Property Act; and is recognized as an Illinois Super Lawyer and Leading Lawyer.  

Adrienne Levatino: 

Adrienne Levatino was appointed by Kreg Allison, the Director of the Division of Real Estate for the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, as the Condominium and Common Interest Community Ombudsperson as of January 1, 2017. The mission of the CCIC Ombudsperson is to provide information to unit owners, condominium and common interest community associations and their respective boards in order that they all may better understand their rights and obligations under the Condominium Property Act and the Common Interest Community Association Act.

Dawn L. Moody

Dawn L. Moody concentrates her practice solely on the representation of community associations within the Chicagoland area. She assists boards in all areas of association governance including drafting and amending governing documents, providing legal opinions, reviewing policies, for compliance with applicable laws, and reviewing contracts. In addition, she has been responsible for overseeing the firm's assessment collection practice. As part of that practice, Dawn regularly guides boards in adopting collection procedures and handling assessment collection. 

Peter Santangelo

Peter Santangelo started in November 2001 and currently serves as the President of Wintrust Community Advantage®. Mr. Santangelo has more than thirty years of banking experience in consumer, commercial, & portfolio management. He has been working with community associations and property management companies for over fourteen years.

Mr. Santangelo has managed relationships in several large corporate banks. He was responsible for the sale of bank deposits, investment and cash management products, provided construction, bridge and interim loans, and various types of consumer credit, equity and small business lending loans. Mr. Santangelo also has experience training new personnel in an underwriting unit and was the liaison for installment lending, interfacing with other bank branches.

Mr. Santangelo is a Certified Manager of Community Associations® (CMCA) by the National Board of Certification for Community Associations Managers. He joins many CMCAs nationwide who have mastered the fundamental knowledge to manage condominium, cooperative and homeowners associations. Mr. Santangelo was the 2008 President of Community Associations Institute Illinois chapter and currently serves on various committees.

Brad Schneider

Brad Schneider is the President and founder of CondoCPA, Inc. a Certified Public Accounting firm. Brad is a graduate of the University of Illinois in Urbana with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting. He also earned an MBA from the University of Illinois Chicago Campus. He has been a Certified Public Accountant, practicing in public accounting for over 35 years. He is also a Certified Fraud Examiner. CondoCPA now services more than 600 community associations.

The Honorable Andre M. Thapedi, IL House Representative, 32nd District 

State Representative Thapedi is Chairperson of the IL House Judiciary Civil Committee which oversees Condominium and Common Interest Community Property legislation.

Representative Thapedi has been an advocate for improving laws affecting Associations to assure a healthy balance between the rights the Association Owners, Boards, and management.

Professionally, Representative Thapedi is an Attorney and Real Estate Broker and served Associate attorney with two major Chicago law firms before founding Thapedi & Thapedi law firm with his mother, retired Circuit Court Judge Llewellyn Thapedi.  

Representative Thapedi is a lifelong Chicagoan who earned his J.D. degree from John Marshall Law School (Chicago), his undergraduate degree from Morehouse College (Atlanta), and his high school diploma from St. Ignatius College Prep (Chicago). 

Jessica Towles, CMCA, AMS, PCAM

Jessica Towles has been in the community management industry for 19 years with experience maintaining all aspects of associations and management company administration, including facilities management, financial management and customer retention. In addition to her role with LMS, Ms. Towles currently serves on the CAI Board of Trustees, the Community Association Manager Council, and is the 2019 President of the CAI Illinois Board of Directors. 

Katerina Tsoukalas-Heitkemper

Katerina Tsoukalas-Heitkemper (Kathy) is an attorney and partner in Tressler LLP's Condominium and Common Interest Community Association Practice Group. Kathy's practice includes extensive experience and deep knowledge of all areas of civil litigation, collections, bankruptcy and foreclosures, including a deep knowledge of those laws pertaining to condominiums and common interest community associations.