Join us for an evening of celebration as we welcome the 2025 member class and honor this year’s annual award recipients. This special event recognizes the achievements and contributions of our members while providing an opportunity to connect with peers across the industry.

You are invited to celebrate and honor the 2026 member class and annual award honorees!

LAI 2025 AWARDEES:

Doris B. and Marshall M. Holleb Community Impact Award: Valerie Kretchmer

Valerie Kretchmer started her career in the public sector in New York City and New Orleans before moving to Chicago in 1978. She worked at Real Estate Research Corporation and VMS Realty before starting her own planning and real estate consulting firm, Valerie S. Kretchmer Associates, in 1985. For 39 years she provided market feasibility and economic development guidance to developers, property owners, lenders, municipalities, counties, regional planning and transit agencies, and housing authorities throughout Chicagoland, Illinois and neighboring states. Valerie retired last year after working for 50 years, but remains involved in housing issues as a member of the board of CJE SeniorLife and the Advisory Board of Community Partners for Affordable Housing.  

Distinguished Chapter Service Award: Jacqueline Loewe

Jacqueline J. Loewe is a business development and marketing executive with over 33 years of experience within the professional services and built-environment industry. Ms. Loewe provides relationship-building, ambassador training and presentation coaching for professional service-related companies. Prior to creating Sheridan Park Consulting over fifteen years ago, Ms. Loewe was an equity partner with an architecture / engineering firm and a landscape architecture / planning firm.

She is an adjunct faculty member with Northwestern University’s McCormick School of Engineering, team-teaching graduate-level courses within the Master of Project Management (MPM) program, Business Development in the Built Environment. She is also teaching a hybrid course, Creating a Firm Ambassador Culture for Northwestern University’s Executive Management in Design and Construction (EMDC) curriculum for students pursing their master’s in science degree.

Throughout her career, Jacqueline has served on numerous philanthropic and professional association boards. She is a past president of Lambda Alpha International Chicago region Chapter and a member for over 16 years. A native of Columbus, Ohio and a graduate of Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, Ms. Loewe has lived in Chicago her entire adult life. She is a dog lover and enjoys golfing and cycling.

Daniel H. Burnham Distinguished Service Award: Doug Farr

Douglas Farr FAIA founded Chicago-based Farr Associates identified by the New York Times as "the most prominent of the city's growing cadre of ecologically sensitive architects." The award-winning firm has designed many of the Chicago regions most sustainable buildings including 13 LEED-Platinum-Certified projects and several net-zero buildings. In 2023, Planetizen readers named Doug one of "the 100 most influential urbanists of all time." Doug Co-Chaired the creation of LEED-Neighborhood Development and authored two books: Sustainable Urbanism (2008) and Sustainable Nation (2018). In 2023 he co-founded the Climate Action Museum, the world’s eighth museum devoted to climate.

EVENT POLICIES

MEMBER SUPPORT FUND

The LAI Chicago Region Chapter Member Support Fund is available to members who serve nonprofit organizations, public agencies, academic institutions, or those who in a professional employment transition to help offset the cost of attendance at chapter events and membership dues. The goal of the fund is to make Chapter events and activities more accessible and encourage attendance and engagement. In some instances, guests of members may also be eligible to receive these funds.