A Certified Development Company (CDC), SomerCor is a nonprofit corporation certified by the US Small Business Administration (SBA). We provide capital to entrepreneurs throughout Illinois with a mission of business growth and job creation by offering SBA 504 loans in partnership with banks, credit unions and other lending institutions. The 504 Loan Program provides businesses financing for the purchase of fixed assets of owner occupied projects at a long-term, below-market, fixed interest rate. As part of a broader economic development vision, SomerCor also originates SBA 7(a) Community Advantage loans and administers the City of Chicago’s Small Business Improvement Fund (SBIF) and Neighborhood Opportunity Fund (NOF) grants. We are ranked a Top 25 National CDC for SBA 504 loans and are Chicago’s largest 504 loan provider holding and servicing a loan portfolio in excess of $525 million, comprised of more than 965 loans to Illinois entrepreneurs.

- Executive Committee member.

- Appointed by Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle to review and vote on Class 7 property tax incentive applications for commercial real estate developments throughout Cook County. - Assist the County Bureau of Economic Development with strategic planning, policy setting, governance, programming investments and incentives to help grow local economy.

- Guided enterprise growth strategy and oversaw external affairs (government and regulatory).- Led all communications, marketing and business development.- Expanded the company’s revenue and services in Health Care and Government.

Served as Special Counsel on matters related to government affairs in local and state government, as well as financial regulatory matters before the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.

- Primary practice areas included: banking/consumer finance regulation and compliance; land use and zoning; and government affairs; clients included banks, fintech software companies and crypto currency businesses.- Appointed by Illinois General Assembly Minority Leader, Representative James Durkin to serve on the Illinois Legislative Block Chain and Distributed Ledger Task Force; advised General Assembly and Illinois Governor on potential government and private sector uses of blockchain technology to streamline government services and spur private sector investment and innovation. - Represented the firm in its Associate Memberships with the Illinois Bankers Association and Community Bankers Association of Illinois.

- Served as Chief Executive Officer of a state regulatory agency with an employee head count of 500 and an operating budget of $111,000,000.- Developed and enforced state-wide policies and laws pertaining to the regulation of state-chartered banks and credit unions, real estate industry, consumer finance, and professional licensure and enforcement.- Collaborated with key stakeholders including trade and professional associations (Illinois Bankers Association and the Community Bankers Association of Illinois), chambers of commerce, elected officials, and consumer advocacy groups on the development and implementation of legislative and regulatory initiatives. - Directed the IDFPR constituent outreach and engagement programs that included banking industry roundtable meetings and conferences, consumer financial literacy initiatives, homeowner mortgage assistance workshops, and legislative and regulatory updates for elected and government officials.- Oversaw the regulatory examinations and enforcement investigations of banks and financial services companies with the Federal Reserve Banks of Chicago and St. Louis, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. - Implemented agency operational reforms that resulted in more efficient processing of professional licenses, enhanced interagency collaboration in enforcement investigations and prosecutions, and systemized the processing of complaints, investigations and prosecutions of cases to streamline IDFPR case management.

- Led a team of 138 employees.- Secured reaccreditation for IDFPR as a well-performing bank regulatory agency from the Conference of State Bank Supervisors.- Managed the regulation of state-chartered banks, trust companies, mortgage companies and brokers, and pawnshops.- Chaired the IDFPR Mortgage Fraud Task Force, an intra-agency working group that investigates and disciplines Illinois licensees engaged in fraudulent activity in the residential lending industry.- Chaired the Illinois Banking Board and served as a member of the Illinois Supreme Court Special Committee on Foreclosures – a committee that researched and recommended reforms to the Illinois Code of Civil Procedure governing foreclosure filings.

- Regulated investor owned utilities in the areas of electricity, gas, water and telecommunications; adjudicated numerous utility fee rate cases before the ICC.- Convened and led stakeholder meetings with Com Ed, Ameren, Peoples Gas, Nicor Gas, Clean Energy Trust, Citizens Utility Board, the Illinois Attorney General, and energy experts to develop state-wide energy and public-utility policy.- Directed the implementation of the Illinois Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard and the Illinois Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard.

- Led the redevelopment of neighborhoods throughout the 1st Ward, including: Wicker Park, Buck Town, Humboldt Park, Ukrainian Village, East Village, and Logan Square. - Spearheaded the Green Exchange development (a green/clean energy business center), created two Special Service Areas and extended Tax Increment Finance zones within 1st Ward to enhance local investment and development, created two landmark districts, renovated five parks, worked with the Chicago Housing Authority on the redevelopment of the Julia Lathrop Homes (a public housing community), assisted in the development of a marquee Mercedes Benz dealership in Wicker Park, led an effort to build a 50K square foot Dominick’s (now Mariano’s) grocery store in Ukrainian Village. - Collaborated with the Wicker Park-Bucktown Chamber of Commerce, the West-Town Chamber of Commerce, the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, Leads Council, and the Center for Neighborhood Technology in implementing economic development strategies for the 1st Ward.- Introduced and passed legislation in the areas of land-use and zoning, government accountability, consumer protection, economic development, and energy efficiency incentives.

- Served as legal counsel for Cook County Government and Cook County elected officials on labor and employment matters.- Litigated cases before the US Northern District Court of Illinois, the Cook County Circuit Court, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Cook County Human Rights Commission, the Illinois Labor Relations Board, and the Cook County Sheriff Merit Board.

- Prosecuted misdemeanor DUI and drug offenses.- Litigated motions, bench and jury trials.