NeoCon 2024 Featured Presentation - Offices for the New Work Reality 

Presented by Crain's Chicago Business
Occupancy in downtown Chicago offices is hovering at just over 55%. Hybrid models of work-with employees working from home part time and at an office part time-seem to be here to stay. They also present challenges in designing offices. Come hear from designers, executives in the trenches and leasing agents who have a bird’s-eye view into making (or remaking) spaces that reflect the nature of work today. Find out what has worked-and what hasn’t-in encouraging employees to come back to the office. (Hint: It’s more complicated than installing a ping-pong table.)
Speakers:
Eva Greene leads initiatives that aim to enhance the firm’s client experience as the Director of Client Experience for Cresset. Eva’s role is to manage the voice of customer/client program from survey design/launch, data analysis and feedback implementation. With nearly 20 Cresset office locations across the country, Eva collaborates with Cresest’s Office Experience team to deliver a consistent and signature guest experience nationwide. Eva also manages the firmwide client gifting strategy to ensure the delight factor for Cresset clients is brought to life. Eva is also a leader within the firm in organizing local and national philanthropic efforts as part of Cresset’s corporate social responsibility program.
Kate Davis has been a pioneer in taking a systems approach to thinking about the future of work. She focuses on what clients need to maintain productivity; how organizations can be more resilient; and how a future-focused approach can position them for long-term prosperity. She is an adherent of the philosophy that “work is what we do - not where we do it” which allows her to lead clients in reimagining the link between business goals, real estate strategies, employee health and satisfaction and adopting a work ecosystem that meets their changing needs. In her 20 plus years of practice, Kate has amassed broad expertise through all project phases, from discovery, strategic real estate analysis, programming and space planning to project and construction management.
Jason Hall founded Charlie Greene Studio in 2013 after spending the previous eighteen years at large international design firms. As Creative Director at CGS, he works to bolster the performance of organizations by developing solutions that integrate people, place, and process. His experience encompasses a broad range of project types and sizes, bringing unique expertise to his clients. Regardless of scale, all of Jason’s projects begin with a strategic mindset, careful planning, and a focus on spatial storytelling.
Sarah Silva serves as a Vice President on the JLL Chicago Tenant Representation team. She advises clients of all sizes, from single location offices to businesses with a global portfolio. Sarah’s expertise is aligning business strategy with real estate by supporting the full life cycle of real estate decisions.
Sarah brings over 10 years of real estate strategy and execution experience globally. She optimized portfolio performance for a Fortune 100 company spanning 200+ locations, 18 million square feet, and 78 countries resulting in client savings of over $40 million over three years. Sarah has assisted countless Chicago-based clients to optimize their portfolio through business strategy alignment.
Paul Tokarz, ChFC, AIF, is a Partner with WestPoint Financial Group. Paul’s vision has always been to help clients by implementing comprehensive financial strategies, advisory asset management and risk management strategies.
Paul’s blue-collar upbringing has instilled in him the work ethic foundation to have one of the quickest starts of anyone amongst his peer group in the industry. “I’ve been lucky to have two parents have two jobs each growing up, have a brother become a police officer and my sister become a public-school teacher,” he says. “Seeing firsthand their ability to never quit is what drives me to make an impact in as many lives as possible.”
Paul’s passion for helping others extends beyond WestPoint Financial Group. He is actively involved in the community, and wholeheartedly believes in giving both time and money to causes he supports. Paul is particularly interested in education for disadvantaged youth, helping families and children who have gone through life-changing events and helping those with special needs.
Jan Parr (Moderator) has been creating quality content for magazines and the web for more than 30 years. Most recently, she was assistant managing editor of Crain’s Chicago Business, where she created the publication’s popular “Coolest Offices” feature. She is now a contributor to Crain’s and an adjust instructor at Northwestern’s Medilll School of Journalism. A longtime editor at Chicago magazine, she became a specialist in start-ups, founding three magazines for the city brand: Chicago Home + Garden, Chicago Shops, and Chicago Visitor.