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Written by: Guadalupe Casimiro, CSI, CDT | CSI Chicago Chapter Nominating Committee Chair As Chair of the CSI Chicago Chapter Nominating Committee, I am pleased to announce the slate of candidates for the FY2023 (July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023) Board. We received a total of 11 nominations for our open board seats with an excellent variety of skills and types of members represented. Sincere thanks to the Nominating Committee for their hard work and wisdom: Brad Schwab, and Jennifer Friedland. Following the January 10, 2022 deadline for nominations, the Nominating Committee reviewed all the nominations very carefully. We assessed the skills and experience ...
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Bobby Chestnut, CSI Senior Manager, Architectural Products McGrory Glass Joined CSI Chicago: 11/2021 Provide a brief description of your professional career. I have worked for three different glass fabricators over the last 20 plus years. Been an active member of GANA/NGA organization and currently hold the Vice-Chair position for the Fabricating Committee. Chairman for Guidelines on Decorative glazing products in interior and exterior applications. What is your most memorable construction project you worked on and why? Publishing the Guidelines on Decorative glazing products in interior and exterior applications. ...
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This past week, I had the opportunity to reconnect with my fellow CSIrs, in Nashville, TN at the National Conference. As you may know, outside of the many workshops available and highly anticipated award ceremony (CSI Chicago was presented with two awards), we were apprised of some upcoming structural changes from National that will impact CSI Chicago. The list of changes begins with: new suggested boundaries for chapters within our already outlined region, a significant change (for Chicago) in membership dues value and distribution for each chapter beginning with the member renewal process, a new logo and brand promise for the association, and a strong commitment ...
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Brian R Linville, CSI Roof Consultant K2N Crest Joined CSI Chicago: 7/2021 Provide a brief description of your professional career. I currently work as a non-biased third party roof consultant, specializing in low slope roof systems. I have been involved in the roofing industry as a repair technician, estimator, salesperson, and regional technical manager. What is your most memorable construction project you worked on and why? My most memorable projects were correcting the damages from the Santa Rosa wildfires for clients in Northern California. What are some challenges you face in the industry? I am always looking to ...
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Dear CSI Chicago Members, From early in my professional career as an interior designer and transitioning to a building product representative, CSI has been my guiding light within the construction industry. Although my level of involvement changed with each career move, the value I have for the education and relationships built within CSI, has not waivered. I will be forever grateful to those who took me under their wing to lead me to this wonderful family of professionals. I am honored and excited to step into the position of President this month with the plans of meeting face to face this fall. My personal goal this year is to understand what Influences ...
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The month of June marks my last month as CSI Chicago President. As I reflect back on the year, I am grateful for having the opportunity to serve as President of this organization of outstanding professionals working to advance the greater Chicago area design and construction community’s knowledge of building information management, construction technology, and project delivery methods to improve facility performance while fostering relationships and promoting education. Thank you to all the members who stepped up, embraced change, and challenged the status quo during this unprecedented year to support our chapter’s mission. I learned so much this year from ...
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Oh What A Night! Chapter Awards Celebration Shines Bright. The CSI Chicago Chapter’s Awards Celebration was held on Wednesday May 19, 2021 from 4 to 5:30 PM. Over 45 attendees helped the Chapter honor and recognize 11 individuals in 6 categories who significantly impacted our chapter and/or the Chicago construction industry. Chapter Fellow Award – Jim Lucas NEW! EL (Emerging Leader) Award – Katie Maciejko and Rachel Nava Awards of Excellence - Heidi Cervantes-Garcia, Drew Clausen, Paul Fogarty, Rachel Nava, and Heather Rice. Technical Award – Scott Conwell and Jeff Diqui Rookie of the Year Award – Kevin Carter President’s Award ...
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Nolan Day, CSI, CDT, LEED AP President Day Architectural Marketing Joined CSI Chicago: 8/2015 Provide a brief description of your professional career. I started was a carpenter's apprentice at age 15 and eventually moved up to Assistant Superintendent for CL Peck by the time I graduated college. I worked on major projects such as the L.A. World Trade Center and Bonaventure hotel and have always had a keen eye for innovative construction methods and materials. After I finished playing professional football and rugby, I opted for a career in the building material industry with the Hilti company. Having worked in Europe and the Middle ...
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Written by: Jennifer Friedland, CSI, CDT | CSI Chicago Chapter Nominating Committee Chair As Chair of the CSI Chicago Chapter Nominating Committee, I am pleased to announce the slate of candidates for the FY2022 (July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022) Board. We received a total of 12 nominations for our open board seats with an excellent variety of skills and types of members represented. Sincere thanks to the Nominating Committee for their hard work and wisdom: Brad Schwab, Andrea Baird and Heather Salisbury. Following the November 30, 2020 deadline for nominations, the Nominating Committee reviewed all the nominations very carefully. We assessed the skills and ...
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Written by: John McKevitt, CSI | CSI Chicago Foundation President I’m honored to have been selected to be the President of your CSI Chicago Foundation for 2021. I’d be remiss if I didn’t thank those that put in a substantial amount of time and effort to found and organize the foundation. I have the easy job of building on what has been put in place. In this brief, I’ll cover the common questions we hear of why the chapter has a charitable foundation, where the money comes from, and how money is allocated. The CSI Chicago Foundation was established in 2018 as a 501 (c)3 non-profit organization to facilitate the receipt of tax-deductible donations ...
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The ABC’s of CDT & Beyond Panel Discussion Recap Written by: Paul Fogarty, CSI, CDT | CSI Chicago Certification Chair For those who were unable to attend our recent ABC’s of CDT & Beyond Panel Discussion focusing on CSI certifications, we wanted to provide a brief recap and FAQ that may help answer the questions we often see. There are four certifications available through CSI: Construction Documents Technologist ( CDT® ), Certified Construction Specifier ( CCS ), Certified Construction Contract Administrator ( CCCA ), and Certified Construction Product Representative ( CCPR ). Attaining one or more certifications can strengthen and demonstrate ...
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New Year, New Change Order Member Newsletter Format Written by: Brad Schwab, CSI CDT | CSI Chicago Chapter President Happy New Year! CSI Chicago is looking forward to another successful year of advancing the greater Chicago area design and construction community’s knowledge of building information management, construction technology, and project delivery methods to improve facility performance while fostering relationships and promoting education. 2020 was an unprecedented year that required the Chapter to pivot quickly and increase our utilization of digital technology in all of our initiatives. 2020 pushed every committee to assess their offerings, ...
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2020 Virtual Holiday Party & Online Holiday Raffle Big Success Written by: Brad Schwab, CSI, CDT Congratulations to the CSI Chicago Social Committee for thinking out of the box and delivering a successful 2020 Virtual Holiday Party and Online Raffle. The CSI Chicago virtual holiday party was held on Thursday, December 3, 2020 from 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm. 35 attendees joined the party via our new Hopin Virtual Event Platform and networked their way through a Holiday Scavenger Hunt for a chance to win a $50 Amazon Gift Card. Member Alan Itzkowitz walked away with the $50 Amazon Gift Card. The highlight of the evening came at the end when Social ...
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As you may have noticed, the holiday season is around the corner. I hope that you and your family are safe and in happy holiday spirits! I want to take this opportunity to thank you all for your hard work and dedication to our chapter’s mission during this unprecedented year. We are holding a Virtual Holiday Party via Hopin’ on Thursday, December 03, 2020, from 5 pm CST to 6:30 pm CST. Please dress in your best ugly sweater, so everyone gets into a festive mood. I hope that all our members are able to find the time to come celebrate with us and share some holiday cheer. As part of the holiday festivities, the chapter will be holding an online ...
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As we head into the holiday season during these unprecedented times, I could not be more thankful for our members, partners, and Executive Director’s dedication to our mission to advance the greater Chicago area design and construction communities knowledge of building information management, construction technology, and project delivery methods to improve facility performance while fostering relationships and promoting education. Our plan to utilize digital technology to drive engagement and connection has not been easy, but everyone has supported the plan wholeheartedly and has not backed down from any of the challenges we have faced. This has inspired ...
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We are creatures of habit and if we are honest with ourselves, most of us prefer certainty, which brings predictability and comfort. What words come to mind when you hear the word “change”? Typically, the words are negative, right? Words like “fear”, “the unknown”, “anxiety “, “confusion”, and “feeling defeated” come to mind. However, there are often many positive outcomes that come from change. Transformation, growth, innovation, and advancement are a few positive things that can come from change. Learning to embrace change is a process that we are all managing more than ever right now. Remember, you are not alone during these unprecedented times. All of ...
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CSI’s Certification Exam Registration Is Now Open: PDPG 3rd Edition Now Available Certification Committee News The Fall 2020 Exam Cycle registration has officially opened. CDT, CCS, and CCCA are available this cycle (CCPR is still in a re-evaluation and redevelopment process is not currently an available certification). Early registration runs from August 3-31; standard registration runs from September 1-30; and final registration is from October 1-30. Discounts are available for earlier registration and for students pursing their CDT certification. The fall exam window is available from November 2 through December 4. Test results will be made available ...
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Giving Back With Rebuilding Together Despite Canceled Rebuild Day Rebuilding Together Committee News For the first time in 29 years, Rebuilding Together- Metro Chicago canceled the annual National Rebuild Day last April to protect homeowners and volunteers from COVID-19. Many of the homeowners are of a vulnerable population and their needs can go beyond home improvements. RTMC will be providing PPE and food in addition to home improvements that can be performed by their own staff. This would have been CSI Chicago’s third year sponsoring a home and we were looking forward to bringing our group of volunteers to the sponsored home in the Englewood neighborhood. ...
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With the shift from in-person work settings to virtual work settings, traditional methods of building and maintaining relationships have gone out the window. In light of these widespread changes to workplace culture and organization, it is imperative more so than ever that we make an intentional effort to facilitate and maintain virtual interpersonal relationships. CSI Chicago’s leadership is dedicated to aiding our members in building and maintaining relationships through a virtual network. I am humbled and impressed by the effort and innovative virtual solutions our committees are coming up with to continue to support our mission to advance the knowledge ...
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CSI National announced its 2020 Award Winners and CSI Chicago members earned four CSI awards and will be honored during the virtual CSI Honors and Awards Ceremony later this fall. Click here for the full list of 2020 award recipients. Fellowship – Elias Saltz, CSI, CCS, CDT Congratulations to Chapter Member Elias Saltz, CSI, CCS, CDT for being selected to be elevated to a CSI Fellow! Fellows of the Institute are chosen by their peers. Nominees must have notably contributed to the advancement of construction technology, the improvement of construction specifications, education, or by service to the Institute. Take a few minutes ...
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