North Park Ventures
Our Team
NPV Midwest
Co-Founder/Managing Partner
Robert Sekula
Robert is a Managing Partner at North Park Ventures overseeing financial modeling, capital structuring, asset management, and investor relations. Prior to founding North Park Ventures, Robert worked at Cedar Street Capital as an Associate Director managing deal underwriting, capital structuring including preferred equity, mezzanine, and bridge financing, and investor relations and reporting. During his tenure at Cedar Street Capital, Robert was involved in the acquisition, financing, and disposition of over $500MM in commercial real estate transactions. Prior to Cedar Street Capital, Robert was a Senior Consultant with Deloitte focused on corporate finance and technology, advising clients such as Bain Capital. Robert is a Managing Broker in Illinois and member of YREP and REIA. Robert graduated from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University.
Co-Founder/Managing Partner
Robert Sekula
Co-Founder/Managing Partner
Eric Turrin
Eric is a Managing Partner at North Park Ventures overseeing brokerage, leasing, property management and business development. Prior to founding North Park Ventures, Eric was the Director of Commercial Leasing for Cedar Street Companies. Eric has over 15 years of commercial real estate experience assisting users and owners of real estate with their leasing and acquisition strategies. His consulting and transaction experience includes over 10MM square feet of office, retail, industrial, agricultural investments, and sale leaseback transactions. Prior to Cedar Street Companies, Eric had tenures with Foresite Realty Partners, Cushman and Wakefield (UGL-Equis), and Intrawest. Eric is a Managing Broker in Illinois and received a B.S. in Finance-Real Estate from the Kelley School of Business (Indiana University). Eric is a member of NAIOP, ULI, ICSC and the Big Shoulders Fund.
Co-Founder/Managing Partner
Eric Turrin
Director of Construction
Nicholas Cabrera
In his role as Director of Construction, Nicholas collaborates with Architects, Engineers and Contractors during all phases of project development and construction. Nicholas brings to North Park Ventures over 19 years of experience in the management of real estate development projects. With an emphasis on construction management, Nicholas has overseen more than 1.5 million square feet of construction at a cumulative cost over a quarter of a billion dollars. Project experience has covered a broad spectrum of construction types including rehabilitation, out of the ground and structural additions. Nicholas received his Bachelors of Science in Architectural Studies from the University of Illinois @ Urbana – Champaign and his MBA from DePaul University’s Kellstadt Graduate School of Business. Nicholas is a member of the President’s Council at the Museum of Science and & Industry, as well as, a Facilities Committee member for Near North Montessori School, both in Chicago.
Director of Construction
Nicholas Cabrera
Director of Property Management
Joseph Cwick
As Director of Property Management, Joe Cwick is responsible for the residential operations and performance of the North Park Ventures’ multifamily portfolio. Joe is an accomplished Director with over 10 year’s experience in property management and real estate. His expertise is in tenant retention, staffing, delivering strong financial results, cost saving strategies, process streamlining, and excellent customer service. Prior to North Park Ventures, Joe worked as the Director of Property Management at Cedar Street Companies and was responsible for over $200MM worth of assets, including over 1 million SF of commercial space. While at Cedar Street, he was a key function of growing the residential portfolio from a Chicago based firm, into a national organization. Joe studied at the University of Montana with a primary focus in Chemistry.
Director of Property Management
Joseph Cwick
Director of Residential Leasing
Meltem Cazimi
In her role as Director of Residential Leasing, Mel oversees all leasing functions as well as developing the marketing strategies for all residential units throughout North Park Ventures’ portfolio. She is responsible for touring the properties with prospective clients, coordinating the screening and approval process for applicants, preparing lease documents, implementing policies necessary for improving profitability and resident retention, and surveying the property market for rates and trends to maintain competitiveness and occupancy. Prior to joining North Park Ventures, Mel was a Senior Leasing Consultant for AMLI Residential where she was responsible for executing over $5MM in leases over her 2 two years with the company.
Director of Residential Leasing
Meltem Cazimi
Senior Project Manager
Joseph Fox
As a Senior Project Manager, Joe oversees design and construction activities during all stages of project development and acts as the liaison between the design, construction, leasing, and property management teams. A licensed Architect with over 22 years of professional practice, Joe has extensive experience managing multi-family and mixed-use projects and has directed the design of 3,000+ residential units. He received a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana and studied at the Ecole d’Architecture de Versailles. Joe is a member of the American Institute of Architects and a certified LEED AP BD+C Professional.
Senior Project Manager
Joseph Fox
Senior Associate
Sahil Jain
As a Senior Associate at North Park Ventures, Sahil's responsibilities include underwriting acquisitions and developments, supporting due diligence, and investor relations. Prior to joining North Park Ventures, Sahil was a Real Estate Asset Management Analyst at Goldman Sachs where he focused on multifamily and industrial product across all regions. Sahil received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Senior Associate
Sahil Jain
Associate Director of Accounting
Emily Kerns
In her role as Associate Director of Accounting, Emily is responsible for overseeing the accounting of the operating entities and portfolio properties. Prior to joining North Park Ventures, Emily was a Senior Accountant at Kemper Insurance and gained experience with statutory accounting and reporting. Prior to Kemper Insurance, she was working at the National Association of Realtors and handled the accounting and reporting for the Realtors PAC and other groups. Emily has been interested in real estate and very involved in her aunt's rental properties for 8 years and owns her own duplex rental property. Emily received her CPA in September of 2021 and graduated with her B.S. in Accounting from The Ohio State University in 2017.
Associate Director of Accounting
Emily Kerns
Project Engineer
Kierra Craft
In her role as Project Engineer, Kierra is responsible for supporting team members to stay on schedule, monitoring project progress and tracking costs. In addition, Kierra works alongside the Director of Construction to process draw requests, order materials and manage reports between Owners as well as subcontractors. Previously, Kierra worked as a Project Manager in the direct mail marketing industry, handling projects of various volumes. Kierra attended the University of Illinois at Chicago where she received a Bachelors in Business Management.
Project Engineer
Kierra Craft
Director, QRG
Chuck Dickstein
Chuck serves as Director at QRG, leading the team in industrial acquisition and commercial brokerage. He is responsible for identifying and evaluating industrial investment opportunities across the country, in addition to 3rd party commercial brokerage across all asset classes. His role includes underwriting, transacting, and business development. Since joining in 2021, Chuck has completed over 500,000sf of industrial transactions across multiple different markets. Prior to joining QRG, Chuck was an Associate at Mohr Partners, Inc. with a focus on Industrial tenant representation. There, he guided clients through the entire transaction process and worked alongside counsel to negotiate the most favorable lease terms on his clients’ behalf. Chuck is a licensed broker in Illinois and received his BA in Finance from Columbia College Chicago.
Director, QRG
Chuck Dickstein
Executive Assistant
Anaelis Izquierdo
As the Executive Assistant, Anaelis assists the managing partners in their day-to-day operations. Planning, coordinating and executing tasks to keep the managing partners at an idyllic workflow are her key responsibilities. Prior to joining Quadrel Realty Group, Anaelis served as the Executive Assistant at ISTS, managing client relations with over 750 clients internationally while attending university for her degree in Mass Communications with a focus on Sound Engineering. Anaelis is known for being driven, consistent and dependable. Outside of the office, she's an up and coming DJ with a strong presence in the cities of Chicago & Miami. Music is her passion and she's devoted to growing and impacting the communities she's involved in.
Executive Assistant
Anaelis Izquierdo
Regional Property Manager
Jeffrey Joel
Jeff is a Regional Property Manager for the Quadrel Realty Group team. With over 15 years of experience in real estate management, he brings a wealth of knowledge and insight to help guide our management teams in Minneapolis and Chicago. Jeff prides himself on his ability to cultivate relationships with residents, team members, and vendors and he has a proven track record of exceeding resident expectations for their living experience.Prior to joining Quadrel, Jeff worked in Community Association Management for more than a decade where he was directly responsible for the planning, budgeting, maintenance, and staffing for Community Associations throughout Chicago. His proven track record of success with building systems, capital projects, financial control, team oversight, and unparalleled customer service will assist in the continued growth of our real estate portfolio. Jeff was a Personal Finance major at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (Go Badgers!), and he is a licensed Illinois Real Estate Broker.
Regional Property Manager
Jeffrey Joel
Property Manager
Melissa Velazquez
In her role a Property Manager, Melissa is responsible for coordinating daily building and residential maintenance for Chicago and Evanston properties. She is an accomplished Manager, offering 7 years of experience in condo management. Prior to joining North Park Ventures, she provided management services on the North side of Chicago to a variety of different clients. Melissa is known for her dedication and consistency. Whether rain or shine, she carries a great attitude and work ethic and strives to better the properties she manages.
Property Manager
Melissa Velazquez
Property Manager
Josephine Castro
In her role as a Property Manager, Josie is responsible for coordinating daily building and residential maintenance for the Chicago properties. Before joining the Quadrel Realty team, Josie managed various properties throughout the city of Chicago, including neighborhoods like Pilsen, Logan Square, and Buena Park. With 5 years of experience in Property Management, Josie strives to maintain and better all of the properties that she manages. Josie has always had a passion and interest in real estate, and currently holds her real estate broker’s license in Illinois. Josie graduated from Northeastern Illinois University in 2017 with a degree in Business Management. In her free time, you can find Josie walking her dog, spending time with family, or traveling.
Property Manager
Josephine Castro
Assistant Property Manager
Martin White
As an Assistant Property Manager, Marty supports the property management team to coordinate daily building and residential maintenance. Prior to joining Quadrel Realty Group, he worked as a property manager for JS Property Management, and provided management services for multiple commercial properties in the western suburbs of Chicago. Marty received a Bachelors of Business Administration in Finance from the Tippie College of Business at the University of Iowa.
Assistant Property Manager
Martin White
Senior Superintendent
Steven Burke
In his role as Senior Superintendent, Steve collaborates with Architects, Engineers, and Contractors during all the phases of construction development. Steve has 13 years of experience as a General Foreman/ Superintendent in the construction industry. He has overseen projects in both commercial and residential work, ranging from healthcare to government. Steve is a lifetime resident of Chicago, and helps run a non-for-profit baseball program for children in his free time.
Senior Superintendent
Steven Burke
Project Manager
Omar Villalobos
As the Project Manager at Quadrel, Omar is responsible for the oversight of construction projects from inception to completion, working closely with contractors to deliver projects on schedule and budget. Omar has a Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Project Management. Before joining Quadrel he managed a variety of residential and commercial construction projects, all in both the private and public sectors.
Project Manager
Omar Villalobos
Leasing Consultant
Grace Konovodoff
As a Leasing Consultant, Grace is responsible for marketing, touring and leasing units in both the Chicago and Evanston markets. Grace's journey in the real estate world began during her tenure as a Leasing Consultant at AMLI Residential, where she honed her skills in understanding the unique needs of both renters and property owners. Her dedication to delivering exceptional service led her to excel in matching clients with their ideal living spaces. Prior to joining North Park Ventures, Grace spent valuable years in property insurance underwriting. This experience deepened her understanding of the intricacies of property management, making her a well-rounded professional who can navigate the complexities of the real estate market. Aside from her love for real estate, she enjoys reading a good book and spending time with her two dachshunds.
Leasing Consultant
Grace Konovodoff
Accountant
Danielle Elwood
As the Accountant, Danielle manages the daily accounting activities and preparation of financials. Prior to joining North Park Ventures she served as an Accountant at a Chicago real estate firm, managing the day-to-day accounting for the brokerage and rental/HOA units. Danielle has 9 years of experience in real estate in administrative, property management, and accounting roles. She is passionate about the industry and loves learning the ins and outs of buying, selling, managing, and developing. Danielle received her Bachelor's from the University of Kansas (Rock Chalk!) in 2016 and is known for her attention to detail and positive attitude.
Accountant
Danielle Elwood
NPV Florida
Managing Partner
Gediminas Bulota
Gediminas is a Managing Partner at North Park Ventures Florida overseeing real estate development and construction management. Prior to joining North Park Ventures, Gediminas worked as a Development Manager overseeing project budgets and schedules, working with city officials, managing project teams, and successful project closeout and turnover. He has consulted on a number of high-profile projects in Florida with a combined value over $200M, among them, the first class A office building in Miami Beach branded as the Starwood Headquarters. Prior to a Real Estate career, Gediminas was spearheading international technology-based expansions, advising clients such as Bosch. Gediminas received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Florida.
Managing Partner
Gediminas Bulota
Managing Partner
Kyle Solomakha
As the Director of Acquisitions for North Park Ventures' Florida office, Kyle is responsible for locating and sourcing new investment opportunities in a multitude of ways including fostering relationships with quality brokers and launching unique campaigns to directly reach motivated sellers of commercial multi-family buildings. Living locally in South Florida for over 15 years and being involved in real estate investment for the past 3 years has given Kyle first-hand experience within the local market along with an established network of connections and vendors to help handle all projects in Florida. Prior to joining North Park Ventures, Kyle operated his own real estate investment firm focusing on the purchase and sale of distressed single family homes and smaller multi-family properties. While attending college at Florida State University, Kyle founded a commercial cleaning company catering to local rental properties which he then sold upon graduating with an emphasis in Entrepreneurship.
Managing Partner
Kyle Solomakha
Property Manager
Luis Romero
As Property Manager, Luis is responsible for the management of the North Park Ventures' portfolio in Florida. His responsibilities include the day-to-day operations of all properties, tenant retention and satisfaction, and spearheading all leasing activity. Prior to joining the North Park Ventures team, Luis had 5 years of property management experience in mixed-use building rentals and high-rise condominiums, responsible for handling both tenant and maintenance issues. Before that, he also worked with maintenance as an assistant project coordinator.
Property Manager
Luis Romero
