|
 |
| |
|
|
About Us
regionalintel is an interactive group connected with and actively participating in the rapidly
changing economic landscape. Our office is centrally located in Chicago's West Loop where we have access to
both the economic development community and the business community at large. We work in partnership with economic development
groups, property developers, local business owners, educational institutions, industry associations, and other hardworking
professionals. Working at the ground level across multiple groups helps us to keep on top of the most recent
innovations in workforce development, place-based marketing, government funding opportunities, public finance, and education.
Luke Bujarski
Director
& Lead Researcher
Luke has worked across international markets, supply chain consulting, regional
economic development, community development, and education. He has a Master's in Urban and Regional Planning from the
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he worked as a researcher for distinguished faculty in the fields of
regional science, cluster analysis and strategy, economic impact analysis, and global value chains research. He
founded regionalintel in 2007 after working for Intersources UK (now Hubwoo), a London-based management
consulting firm specializing in strategic sourcing. His main responsibility with Intersources was to advise global buyers
on spend negotiation strategies across a supplier base spanning Europe, Asia, North America, and Latin America.
He is now a designated Global Value Chains Researcher with Duke University's Center on Governance, Globalization, and
Competitiveness, and is fluent in Spanish and Polish with a good command of Portuguese. Based
out of Chicago's West Loop, Luke is actively involved in community and economic development projects in Chicago and elsewhere,
focusing heavily on industry-centric strategies in healthcare, manufacturing, and green jobs. luke@regionalintel.com
Rebecca Steffenson, PhD Lead Economist
Rebecca
has conducted applied research projects for a range of governmental agencies in the US and across Europe. Her primary areas
of research are international trade, foreign direct investment and regional economic competitiveness. She is currently a visiting
assistant professor of Political Science at DePaul University, where she will join the graduate faculty at the School of Public
Service from June 2010. She previously held posts with NIU Center for Governmental Studies/ Regional Development Institute,
the Institute of Governance at Queen's University Belfast, and the European University Institute in Florence, Italy. She holds
a PhD from the University of Glasgow (UK), and a masters degree from University College Dublin (Ireland). rebecca@regionalintel.com
Pablo Varela
Workforce Development Pablo has over 20 years of advanced manufacturing and workforce development.
He began his career in 1990 as a production technician with Toshiba Tungaloy, where he was sent on assignment to Japan to
learn innovative manufacturing and managerial methods currently utilized by today's world class manufacturers. In 1997, he
moved to Honeywell Aerospace where he continued his work in lean manufacturing for the impeller division at Honeywell's production
facility in Phoenix, Arizona. In addition to being a core regionalintel partner, Pablo now teaches specialized manufacturing
skills programs for the City Colleges of Chicago and the Institute for Latino Progress on Chicago's south side. He has been
engaged in Chicago's workforce development community since 2003, working and advising on nationally recognized programs sponsored
by the Manufacturing Skills Standards Council, the National Institute for Metal Working Skills and other organizations dedicated
to securing the readiness and competitiveness of America's manufacturing workforce. pablo@regionalintel.com Eric
Hansen
Sustainability
Eric spent over a decade in the restaurant
industry, earning a Culinary Arts degree from the New England Culinary Institute in Vermont. Later he worked as a chef for
prestigious restaurants in Napa Valley, San Francisco and Edgartown, MA. Eric later went on to earn a BS in politics and government
from Illinois State University and subsequently a Master's in Urban Planning from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
His graduate coursework focused on land use, sustainable development and spatial analysis. Eric worked as a Project Specialist
at the Land Use Evolution and Impact Assessment Model (LEAM) at UIUC where he conducted land use policy research and analysis,
working with McHenry County, Illinois and the greater Chicago region on issues of agricultural preservation, growth management,
sustainable growth and development, conservation design, green infrastructure, watershed management and transportation. In
addition to strong experience with Geographic Information Systems, Eric's technical skills include web design, content management
systems, database development, programming and has obtained LEED AP Certification from the US Green Building Council.
eric@regionalintel.com Drew Simek
State & Local Taxation
Drew is an expert in state and local taxation.
He holds a degree in finance from Northern Illinois University and carries seven years of experience in the private sector
working for one of north America's leading tax services firms. Prior to moving to Chicago, Drew worked in Dallas, Texas helping
firms drive savings through his in-depth knowledge in sales and use taxation. He specializes in manufacturing, processing,
and fabrication exemptions giving him a direct understanding of the challenges and opportunities currently facing today's
manufacturing sector. drew@regionalintel.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
