Greetings and Happy New Year LAI Chicago Region Chapter members!

It is an honor and an absolute privilege to serve as your 2025 Chapter President. I am looking forward to working with the 2025 Board of Directors to bring forth a renewed sense of energy and unique perspective to chapter events, activities and member engagement.  

2025 is signaling to be an unprecedented year of transition and change, and while no one has a crystal ball to know what’s to come, I believe staying rooted in community and fostering connection will be key to maintaining some sense of sensibility and stability in a shifting landscape. Our theme for this year, “Connection Matters, Community Matters”, has proven to be more prescient than when it was originally conceived.

The theme was initially conceptualized to encourage membership to reconnect and support one another amid career shifts and leadership advancements. This is still the case, but it also materialized into raising awareness of “getting back to basics”. Our foundational work in real estate and land use development is about building community–about people– and working to preserve the health, safety, and interconnectivity within the built environment for the community’s use. When we recognize that our professional endeavors are ultimately in service to others, we can remain grounded and steadfast, even amidst times of change. So yes, both Connection Matters and Community Matters. 

Cheers to 2025! Looking forward to sharing some of the exciting things the Board and I have in store for our Chapter!

Sincerely,

Jewell Walton, 2025 LAI Chicago Region Chapter President