REALTY CLUB OF CHICAGO

​​President: Farzin Parang

Farzin Parang is the Executive Director of the Building

Owners and Managers Association of Chicago

(BOMA/Chicago), the premier trade association that

represents Chicago’s commercial office building industry.

He works closely with industry members, government

officials, labor partners, and community leaders to

promote the city's commercial real estate sector and

overall economic vitality. Prior to BOMA/Chicago,

Parang worked in the Chicago Mayor's Office across two

administrations, most recently serving as Mayor Rahm Emanuel's Deputy Chief of Staff for Economic Development. Farzin coordinated the City’s departments that oversee development, business promotion, and technological innovation, as well as the efforts of World Business Chicago, the Mayor’s public-private partnership for economic development and business recruitment.  He worked with community groups and other agencies to create new economic development programs, projects, and jobs, and to promote innovation across the city. Previously, Farzin was the Deputy Director of the Mayor’s Office of Legislative Counsel and Government Affairs, responsible for shaping the Mayor’s legislative agenda in the Chicago City Council and working with City Council members to solve neighborhood problems. Parang has also served on the Board of the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning and as the Chairman of the City of Chicago Zoning Board of Appeals. Prior to entering public service, Farzin practiced law at the law firm of Dykema Gossett. He received his bachelor’s degree in Public Policy from the University of Chicago and his J.D. from Northwestern University.

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​​Vice President: Richard Whitney

Richard Whitney is the Vice President of FitzGerald

Associates Architects, a national architecture, interior

design, and sustainability firm committed to creating

environments that improve the quality of life for residents,

employees, and communities. A leader in the firm’s pursuit

of multifamily housing, affordable housing and adaptive

reuse projects, Rick helps developers and owners realize

their visions for a variety of uses and functions. He is a

champion of the firm’s belief that the adaptation and

rehabilitation of older buildings is a viable and effective

course of action to energize the performance of existing assets while preserving community, history, and context. From individual buildings to planned communities, Rick has led projects that enhance the built environment for tenants, users and surrounding communities. Rick has served on the Friends of the Chicago River Planning Committee and on Westinghouse College Prep’s Local School Council, including two years as Chair. Rick received a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from Lawrence Technological University.

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Treasurer: Andrew Philipsborn

Andrew I. Philipsborn is President of The Philipsborn

Company, a privately held commercial mortgage banking

firm in Chicago, Illinois which dates back to 1925. The

Philipsborn Company originates, structures, and place

commercial debt and equity with a variety of institutional

lender including correspondent life insurance companies,

banks, Wall Street conduits, multifamily agencies, as well

as private capital. Philipsborn is a former director of the

Illinois Mortgage Bankers Association and former chair of

its Commercial Finance Group. He is a licensed Illinois real

estate managing broker,  and  an associate member of the Association of Industrial Real Estate (AIRE).

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Membership Chair: Tyler Quast

Tyler Quast is the Chief Operating Officer of Blue Star

Properties. Blue Star Properties is a Chicago-based

commercial real estate company known for the

acquisition and revitalization of urban retail, office, and

mixed-use properties in and around Chicago. Prior to

Blue Star, Mr. Quast was Director of Property Services

and Business Development for McCaffery Interest

which developed over 3 billion in assets over its 32

years in business. Before his work with McCaffrey, Tyler

was a founding principal at Zifkin Realty & Development

where he grew the brokerage business as well as helping to start the asset management division of the company.  Tyler is a 26 year veteran of the commercial  real estate industry and holds a CCIM designation. 

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Administrative Director: Elizabeth Fisher