PRESIDENT
AMY KELLERGrowing up in a suburb of Detroit, Michigan, Amy Keller always had an admiration for the Art Deco style (hands-down, the Guardian Building is her favorite building of all time). It wasn’t until attending college at the University of Michigan, and being appointed to a committee that would provide recommendations to the university’s president on how UM’s residence halls should be restored, that Amy began to appreciate the importance of historic preservation.After college, Amy attended the John Marshall Law School in Chicago and is now an attorney at Wexler Wallace LLP pursuing consumer protection and product safety, while also advocating for the preservation of Chicago’s beautiful Art Deco structures as Chair of CADS’ Preservation Committee.
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
JEFFREY KRUSEJeff Kruse is an Evanston native that has returned to the Chicago area in recent years and now calls it home. He currently works as the Director of Operations of Edgar Miller Legacy, a non-profit dedicated to the preservation and education of the works and history of one of Chicago’s great 20th century master artist-designers. Through that, he has enjoyed expanding his interest and knowledge of modern design movements that have greatly shaped the iconic look and feel of Chicago through to today. Jeff has had a long-standing passion for architecture and art design, having studied and lived in some of the great Art Deco cities of the world; he is a graduate of New York University in New York, and Fudan University in Shanghai, China. His particular interests include design work that incorporates vernacular and traditional motifs from non-Western cultures, in topics ranging from Eastern influence on French decorative work in the 1920s to Mayan revival architecture in Mexican design. TREASURERSCOTT GRUBCZAKScott Grubczak was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago. He attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and currently works in banking. Scott serves on the Finance Committee and assists the Treasurer with managing and monitoring CADS finance's. His passion for Art Deco took roots and grew throughout his childhood with every family visit to downtown Chicago.
SECRETARY
EBONY SMITHBio to come.ANN MARIE DEL MONICOAnn Marie is currently a member of CADS and serves on the board. Art Deco has appealed to her for as long as she can remember and greatly influenced her career in interior design. She enjoys sharing all things "Deco" with our members. Ms Del Monico is also on the condominium board of the Art Deco styled building where she resides. She spearheads the Design Committee and works to preserve the Art Deco style in their planned renovations. RICHARD FRIEDMANRichard is a managing member of the Chicago law firm of Neal & Leroy, LCC, where he concentrates in land use law, litigation, municipal law and historic preservation. He is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urban-Champaign and the University of Chicago Law School. Richard has a special interest in the 1933-4 A Century of Progress International Exposition and is a fan of Art Deco Archtecture. He joined CADS soon after the organization was formed. He has been active in supporting historic preservation, having served on the Board of Landmarks Illinois for six years, and also as its General Counsel and Secretary. In addition Mr. Friedman teaches Historic Preservation Law in the graduate program of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and the University of Chicago Law School. STEVE HICKSONSteve's interest in Art Deco was sparked by late night viewings of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movies. While he appreciates Deco in many forms (architecture, furnishings, clothing, etc.), Steve finds the most exciting expression of the era in vintage transportation: trains, airships and most of all, ocean liners, whose apex happily coincided with the height of the Art Deco movement. | JOE LOUNDYJoe traces his interest in Art Deco back to 1985 when he first attended the Art Deco Weekend in Miami Beach and was mesmerized by the architecture and unique colors of the Art Deco buildings in South Beach. He became a member of CADS upon his return.Joe joined the CADS Board in 2001, was elected Vice President in 2003, and President from 2007-2015 and interim President in 2016. While Joe’s initial introduction to Art Deco design was through the architecture of South Beach, he particularly enjoys the many applications of Art Deco design themes in the whole range of decorative arts, fine arts, and commercial/industrial design as well different countries interpretations of the first truly international design. MARY MILLERMary is a retired CPA and long-time resident of Evanston. Mary's primary interests are preservation and education. She is active in the Volunteer Corps at the Art Institute of Chicago and has served on various Boards, serving preservation interests and the special needs population. DAVID NITECKI Bio to come. KEVIN PALMERKevin’s interest in art deco began over 15 years ago when he and his partner began collecting art deco pottery, art, statuary, and furniture. Kevin has been involved with CADS for the past five years as a board member and has been actively serving on the Social Committee to plan many of CADS’ social activities, including the annual picnic and outings to many of the Chicago area's finest art deco locations. Kevin has been a high school social studies teacher for 28 years and for most of those years he has taught a course with an emphasis on art and architecture and found a true love of all things inter-war/art deco. Kevin has a B.A. in Political Science and an M.A. in History, both from Indiana University. Besides serving on the board of CADS, Kevin is also a board member of the Swedish-American Museum of Chicago and the Palmer Square Park Advisory Board. JEFF SOUVASince his first introduction to CADS at a fundraiser for the Chicago Motor Club, Jeff has enjoyed exploring Chicago's Art Deco history through the social and educational programming offered by the organization. He appreciates design and architecture of many styles, and is especially attracted to the clean, horizontal lines of Streamline Moderne design. In addition to CADS, Jeff is a professional fundraiser for a national civil rights organization and, more locally, serves as a representative on Chicago's 46th Ward Zoning and Development Advisory Committee. JACKIE VOSSLERJackie is retired as founder and president of Core Group, a product design and marketing company specializing in outdoor products. A graduate of The Ohio State University, Jackie has had a career and interest in design with Art Deco as a special enthusiasm. She has been a member of the Chicago Art Deco Society for seven years. In 2012 she coordinated an award-winning program between CADS and the Elgin Area Historical Society exploring Elgin’s Art Deco heritage. She is also the Vice President of the Caxton Club and a member of the Council of the Bibliographic Society of America, the Associate Board of the Smithsonian Libraries, and the Smithsonian’s Chicago Regional Host Committee. |