Thomas Samuels

Biographie : THOMAS R. SAMUELS, FAIA, APA PRINCIPAL EXPERIENCE AND RESPONSIBILITIES Thomas Samuels is the founder and Principal of Thomas Samuels Enterprises (TSE). Mr. Samuels founded TSE to provide comprehensive Development Management, Program Management, Owner’s Representation, and Strategic Advisory Services to the design and construction industry and to pursue opportunistic real estate development. Thomas Samuels Enterprises is positioned to assist private and public sector organizations, institutions and public/private partnerships to achieve their development objectives. Services provided by the company include strategic planning, feasibility assessments, team building, project structuring, and project implementation services. Mr. Samuels, a real estate developer with more than twenty-five years in the industry as well as a registered architect and planner, brings a unique mix of skills and broad hands-on experience to every assignment undertaken by the company. Mr. Samuels also currently serves as a member of the Field Faculty at Cornell University teaching core courses in the Masters Degree in Real Estate Department. Prior to founding TSE, Mr. Samuels was Executive Vice President of Higgins Development Partners (HDP) and a Member of its affiliated investment and asset management single purpose entities. HDP is a national real estate services company headquartered in Chicago. HDP has created more than $5 billion in development value since the company’s inception in 1980. Mr. Samuels joined Higgins Development Partners in 1990. Mr. Samuels led HDP’s Public Sector and Institutional Development Division and was responsible for all public sector, institutional, public/private partnership, hospitality, and life sciences projects undertaken by the company as well as for some of the company’s more complex and technical corporate assignments. Under Mr. Samuels' leadership the Division was responsible for pursuing, securing and delivering more than $2 billion in real estate value during his 17 year tenure at the company. Mr. Samuels also served as the Partner-in-Charge of the Division’s large-scale development, development management, and design/build assignments completed for the company’s affiliated single purpose real estate entities and for third party clients on a national basis. As Partner-in-Charge Mr. Samuels served as the single point of responsibility and the contact person for all clients served by the Division. Development responsibilities included identifying and supporting the underwriting of large-scale projects, strategic and master planning, design management, financial and schedule oversight, contract authority, and accountability for all aspects of project delivery. Prior to joining HDP, Mr. Samuels was Vice President and a Managing Principal at Lohan Associates. Lohan Associates, now Lohan Anderson, is a national architecture firm that grew to 125 employees with over $12 million in annual sales during Mr. Samuels’ tenure. As a Managing Principal, Mr. Samuels was responsible for firm-wide strategic business planning, financial management, legal affairs, operations and management activities and was the Principal-in-Charge of many planning and architectural engagements. EDUCATION Harvard University Graduate School of Business, Cambridge, MA Master of Business Administration with second year honors, 1979 Harvard Graduate School of Design, Cambridge, MA Master of City Planning as a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development National Fellow, 1973 Cornell University, Ithaca, NY Bachelor of Architecture, 1971 PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATION AND LICENSES Registered Architect, Licensed in Illinois, Wisconsin and Massachusetts NCARB Certification, National College of Architectural Registration Boards PROFESSIONAL AND CIVIC AFFILIATIONS American Institute of Architects, FAIA, Elected to the College of Fellows American Planning Association, APA, Member Urban Land Institute, Member Lamda Alpha International, Elected to Membership Lincoln Park Renewal Corporation, Board Member Cornell University Real Estate Department, Rubacha Real Estate Faculty Fellow Building Design + Construction Magazine, Editorial Board