Michael Blue

Michael Blue, FAICP · Michael’s time working in both the public and private sectors of planning have given him an eclectic perspective of the field and how consultants can best serve communities.  Prior to joining Teska in 2013, Michael was the Director of Community Development in Highland Park, IL for 11 years. There he managed a department of 30 staff, worked on a range of planning projects, refined the Department’s organization, supported City Council and Commission activities, and managed passage and implementation of the City’s affordable housing ordinance. Prior to Highland Park Michael was Deputy Community Development Director for the Village of Mount Prospect, IL, managing planning, building permit and code enforcement efforts.

Now as a consultant (having also worked as a planning consultant out of college), Michael brings an implementation oriented approach to his work. As he is fond of saying “Plans must absolutely be aspirational, but there has to be a practical side to them”. In addition to comprehensive and area plans, Michael’s work at Teska involves updating zoning and development codes, preparing strategic plans, and providing organizational and staff development.

Michael has long been active in the local and national leadership of the American Planning Association. He is proud of the work he did for many years as the Planning Officials Development Officer for the IL-APA; that committee provides Plan Commissioner training sessions throughout the State and is a program for which he still serves as one of its training faculty. Michael regularly shares his work experience through sessions at state and national conferences, and guest lecturer opportunities in university classes.

Professional Affiliations
Fellows of the American Institute of Certified Planners (FAICP)
American Planning Association (APA)
Lambda Alpha Economics Society

Lee Brown

With more than forty-five years of professional experience in planning, Lee Brown, FAICP has a diverse background in comprehensive community planning, urban design, development regulations and real estate economics and is particularly adept at facilitating public/private partnerships for community revitalization.

As the former long-time President of Teska Associates, Lee continues to support our clients and provides guidance to our team. He serves as principal-in-charge of a wide variety of projects which utilize his extensive site planning skills and considerable economic development experience including real estate feasibility analysis, Tax Increment Finance, fiscal impact analysis, market analysis, capital improvement programming, municipal budgeting and financing.

In both public service and as a consultant planner for municipalities, he has developed special expertise in drafting, administration and enforcement of zoning and subdivision controls, growth management strategies, and design review regulations. His work with communities on infill and redevelopment has allowed him to apply his expertise in both conventional and traditional neighborhood environments.

Professional Affiliations
Fellows of the American Institute of Certified Planners

Jillian Troiani Benoist

Jillian Troiani Benoist, PLA, ASLA joined Teska after earning her Master’s in Landscape Architecture from the University of Colorado Denver. During her studies in Denver she held a position with Colorado Center for Community Development. At CCCD she worked with towns on the western slope of Colorado and through a series of community meetings, designed streetscapes, signage and wayfinding systems, community parks, playgrounds and regional parks. Prior to CCCD, she interned with the Chicago Park District cataloging their extensive historical archives of drawings and photos of Chicago Parks.

Jill’s background in painting and printmaking has translated well into her graphic visualization of spaces. She is proficient in Adobe Creative Suite, AutoCAD, Sketchup Pro, drone photography/videography, and enjoys illustrating spaces through colorful visualizations and perspective renderings. Her interests in design include living walls/roofs, therapeutic landscapes, urban design, multimodal transportation and environmental justice.

Since joining Teska, Jill has become involved with projects such as Lincoln Square Master Plan, Ainslie Arts Plaza, Wilmette Downtown Streetscape, Kankakee’s Schuyler Avenue Streetscape project and gateway signage, Winnetka’s Streetscape and Signage Plan, Lake Zurich School District, Morris Downtown Masterplan, North Aurora Riverfront Park Plaza, Westminster Place Cottage Homes and Northwestern University’s landscape enhancements.”

Professional Affiliations
Professional Landscape Architect (PLA)
American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA)

Carol Brobeck

Carol Brobeck, AICP joined Teska after earning her Master’s in Urban Planning from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Before becoming a planner, Carol was a farmer, barista, and ESL teacher. Now short stints compared to her time in the planning world, those experiences taught her the importance of (1) small, local businesses, (2) our “third” places and spaces, and (3) that people from very different places are often no more different than you and your neighbor. Carol is first and foremost an observer whose background in sociology and deep commitment to forging greater symbiosis with nature lead her to focus on long-term, equitable solutions.

At Teska, Carol spends her time on data analysis, zoning evaluation, translation, distilling objectives, and sustainable and realistic strategies. Carol’s experience lies most prominently in long-range planning processes, feasibility studies, and designation of economic development tools (TIFs, SSAs), and making the planning process more accessible via Spanish translation.

Professional Affiliations
American Planning Association
American Institute of Certified Planners

Lacey Carlson

Lacey Carlson, ASLA joined Teska with a background in residential site design and landscape architecture, including suburban and large estate. She gained a strong horticultural base while working at Craig Bergmann Landscape Design where she learned about creating lush and intricate planting designs. Lacey is a passionate person and she is eager to learn about anything and everything, both within the field of landscape architecture and outside of it. Within the field she is interested in green systems, streetscape design, urban design, park design, and art in the landscape.

She graduated from Purdue University with her Bachelors in Landscape Architecture and a minor in Studio Fine Arts in 2014. She is an active member of the Illinois Chapter of the ASLA and enjoys volunteering for events and advocacy opportunities. She has a strong love for history and believes the preservation of historic landscapes and architecture is very important.

Professional Affiliations
American Society of Landscape Architects

Alisa Courey

Alisa Courey has always been drawn to the outdoors. As a kid growing up in Sioux City, Iowa, afternoons were spent scaling trees and building survivor-style “shelters”. Her interest in and connection to our natural environment continued to take root while attending Iowa State University, earning a Bachelors in Landscape Architecture with Minors in Urban Studies and Sustainability. Today, Alisa applies her passion for preservation and revitalization so many more generations of children (and adults alike) can explore and enjoy the splendors of our natural playground. 

Her skills as a landscape designer traverse a broad range of software terrain and technical topography; from the flatlands of CAD and precision-based line work, to 2D illustrative renderings and bringing site plans to life in the 3rd dimension. With prior experience working for community visioning and design build firms, Alisa recognizes the important relationship between landscape design and built form. How plans look and feel when they come off the page and into reality, and what spaces and places feel like when you move through them. 

Alisa is a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects and is actively working towards visiting every National Park in the United States. Over a baker’s dozen down and 50 to go!

Erin Cigliano

Erin Cigliano, AICP is a people place planner and creative strategist that has been engaging communities for 15+ years. Her expertise focuses on bridging human-centered communication tools with thoughtfully structured events to build community involvement and consensus. From neighborhood and downtown plans, to comprehensive engagement efforts, strategic visioning and site specific developments, Erin has worked on a diversity of project types and sizes. Specialties include facilitation, mind mapping, data visualization, web development, graphic design, youth engagement, video production, writing, and information architecture. Erin is an expert in the Adobe Creative Suite, website development, CSS, HTML, and a range of video production platforms. By merging the application of outreach mediums with tech and creative thinking, Erin builds project momentum and ensures processes and plans are inviting, inclusive, and inspired.

Recent projects include the Frankfort Comprehensive Plan (APA-IL Daniel Burnham Award for Comprehensive Plan), Imagine Dubuque Comprehensive Plan (APA-IA Outreach Award Winner), Wicker Park Bucktown Master Plan (APA-IL Outreach Award Winner), Evanston Central Street Special Service Areas, Deer Park Strategic Plan, Winnetka Downtown Master Plan, Historic West Des Moines Master Plan, Lincoln Square Master Plan, and has served as the planner for the Village of Deer Park, Illinois since 2015.

Erin graduated from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, with a Bachelors in Urban Planning. She is an active member of the American Planning Association Illinois Chapter and serves on the Board for The Wabash Lights, a non-profit public arts initiative. A lover of historic preservation, Erin lives in a Chicago bungalow (built in 1923) in the Old Irving Park neighborhood with her husband, son, and rescue pup, Lou Dog.

Professional Affiliations
American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP)
American Planning Association
Wabash Lights Board Member

Greta Diaz

Greta Diaz is a passionate urban designer who believes the little details shape how we experience and interact with places. Equipped with a design obsession and architectural degree from the Central University of Venezuela, Greta hones in on the intersection of development patterns, local history and culture to celebrate the multifaceted nature of projects. Experienced in Lumion, AutoCAD, Sketchup, and Adobe, her software chops and visual eye bring big ideas to life.

Prior to moving to Chicago from her hometown of Caracas, Venezuela, Greta worked on a variety of projects including the coastal development of Venezuela’s Vargas State, the renovation of the seashore and its connection with the city. A proud resident of Lakeview, Chicago, when not busy helping shape great places and communities, you can find Greta out exploring them on foot, bike or roller skate!

Yuchen Ding

Yuchen Ding, AICP, LEED AP ND is known for pairing his creativity in urban planning and design with his technical background. He joined Teska after having served as Associate Planner for the Village of Plainfield. Working in the heart of a growing community allowed Yuchen to manage a full array of planning cases—from those involving large national developers to others involving longtime residents and businesses. He regularly served as staff liaison to the Plan Commission, Zoning Board of Appeals, Historic Preservation Commission, and Board of Trustees. In addition, he conducted municipal planning affairs such as amending zoning ordinances, reviewing and processing all types of planning applications, facilitating historic preservation requests and landmark identifications, and responding to planning inquiries. Yuchen drew upon his technical experience to design numerous publications for the Village’s presentations, community events, media posts, and economic development outreach.

While pursuing his master’s degree in Urban Planning with a concentration of Physical Planning and Design at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Yuchen interned with the Cities of Ferndale and Dexter in Michigan. Prior to his time in Michigan, he graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, with a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Planning and a minor in Landscape Studies.

Yuchen has a wide interest in planning and design and a persistent passion to remain on the cutting-edge of new practices in the field. His life experiences have drawn him toward transit-oriented development, complete street design, and mixed-use development, among many other pursuits. His academic background and professional experience feature sophisticated technical skills, including Adobe Create Suite, SketchUp, V-Ray, Lumion, AutoCAD, and ArcGIS. Yuchen is certified by the AICP and is a LEED Accredited Professional for Neighborhood Development.

Professional Affiliations:

American Planning Association
American Institute of Certified Planners
U.S. Green Building Council

Andrew Dunham

Andrew Dunham, AICP (but you can call him Andy) specializes in urban design, with a keen focus on community engagement and putting ideas to paper throughout the planning process. Skilled at a variety of communication tools, technology and techniques — Andy shapes vibrant multimedia dialogues with clients. From hand drawn sketches to Rhino modeling and ArcMap, he demystifies data and helps communities visualize their collective goals.

Having worked at local, state and non-profit levels across the Midwest and South, Andy approaches planning from a variety of angles. He has assisted in placemaking efforts, transportation planning and modeling, numerous economic development initiatives, entitlements, and the development coordination of residential, mixed-use, and commercial projects.

Before joining Teska, Andy worked as a planner at Norris Design in Aurora, Colorado, and Cumberland CID and Central Atlanta Progress, both based in Atlanta, Georgia. Applying this experience with his skills and passion, he helps create impactful, vibrant, and resilient spaces.

Experienced in graphic communication, skills include Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator; modeling in SketchUp, AutoCAD, and Rhino; and geographic and quantitative communication through ArcMap, ArcGIS online, and QGIS.

Andrew graduated with his Masters in City & Regional Planning from Georgia Tech, with a specialty in Urban Design. He earned his B.A. in Urban Studies and Planning from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Maggie Eickhoff

Maggie is passionate about creative visioning processes and capacity building for communities big and small. Capitalizing on her ability to clearly translate complicated data and concepts, as well as her skills in innovative visual communication, she is driven to make planning an inclusive and jargon-free activity in which anyone can take part.

A natural people person and community engagement liaison, Maggie has a unique affinity for being a “guide” through different sensory contexts. She served as a tour guide for the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio in Oak Park; a tasting guide for a winery in Indiana; and a scent consultant for a custom candle bar in Chicago. In the planning realm, she is able to leverage these experiences and communication skills to help people get in touch with their communities and embrace the placemaking and visioning process.

Prior to working at Teska, Maggie worked on transportation safety policy for the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning’s Regional Policy and Implementation team. She also has a background in business development for planning firms and in civic and political engagement on college campuses. Proficient in the full Adobe Creative Suite, ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS Online — Maggie lends her creative and geo-spatial zest to an array of projects and community planning endeavors.

Maggie holds a Master’s of Urban Planning and Public Policy from the University of Illinois Chicago and a Bachelor’s degree in International Studies from Indiana University.

Scott Goldstein

Scott Goldstein, FAICP, LEED AP specializes in mobilizing implementation of projects at the intersection of community and economic development. Since his first job at a large community development corporation in New York to his dozen years at the Metropolitan Planning Council, and now as a President at Teska, he brings his passion and commitment to help communities reach their potential.

Since joining Teska, Scott has led plans and community development strategies throughout the Chicago region and across the U.S. Past projects have included leading quality of life and community development plans in a dozen Chicago neighborhoods. His work has led to the creation of new organizations that have grown out of local planning efforts, including the West Bloomington Revitalization Projects in Bloomington, IL and the Lake County Land Bank which is repurposing vacant and abandoned properties. He has also jump started implementation efforts including the Aspire Initiative, a multi-organization effort around early childhood, affordable housing and workforce training in the Austin neighborhood of Chicago.

Nationally, he has provided technical assistance and facilitated planning efforts with the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), NeighborWorks America, Habitat for Humanity International and Vectren Foundation. He has also led several plans in Greensboro, NC including an award-winning sustainability plan and the redevelopment of a large former public housing development into a mixed-income community.

Professional Affiliations
Fellows of the American Institute of Certified Planners
U.S. Green Building Council LEED AP
Chair, Urban Land Institute Chicago
Teaches urban policy in the MPPA program at Northwestern University in Chicago and Evanston
Past Chair of the Village of Wilmette Plan Commission

Mike Hoffman

Mike Hoffman, PLA, AICP has been helping communities define and achieve their vision for over 40 years, including the last 34 with Teska. He has served as project manager for over 35 comprehensive plans, predominately for small and mid-sized communities and counties. His practice has focused on business district and corridor revitalization, development review, and preparation of modern zoning and appearance codes. Landscape architectural assignments have ranged from large scale land planning for a 1,500 acre mixed use development to landscape design for the Morris City Hall. Creation and management of Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Districts is also a specialty of Mr. Hoffman, having helped create over 25 TIF’s.

Mike holds an MBA from Texas A&M University and a BLA from the University of Illinois. He served as Chairman of the Mount Prospect Plan Commission and the Downtown Strategic Plan Ad Hoc Committee. Example projects include Comprehensive Plans for Dubuque, Iowa, and Ottawa, Illinois, Zoning Ordinances for Diamond and Plainfield, Illinois, and serving as on-going planning consultant to Morris, Olympia Fields, and Kankakee.

Professional Affiliations
Professional Landscape Architect (PLA)
American Institute of Certified Planners

Pete Iosue

Pete Iosue, AICP is a community planner with advanced expertise in Tax Increment Financing, development review, and zoning code / ordinance rewrites. With over 20+ years of experience, Pete has led dozens of successful economic development projects throughout the Midwest. Recent client communities in Illinois include Bedford Park, Beecher, Berkeley, DeWitt County, Lyons, North Aurora, Palos Heights, Rochelle and Woodstock. Prior to joining Teska, he served as the Assistant City Planner for the City of Hammond, Indiana where he provided staff support for the Plan Commission, Board of Zoning Appeals, and Historic Preservation Commission, and lead a joint project in cooperation with the City of Chicago for the designation of the Illinois – Indiana State Line Boundary Marker as an historic landmark.

Professional Affiliations
American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP)

Aaron Lewis

From concept to construction, Aaron’s experience in the field and studio ensures every project is executed with precision and creativity. As an Associate Landscape Designer, Aaron Lewis brings a solid foundation of commercial and civic experience spanning the states of Maryland, Virginia, Iowa and Illinois. With a keen eye for detail and passion for design-thinking, Aaron strives to create impactful projects that benefit both public and private users. He’s a master of Lumion, bringing designs to life with stunning 3D renderings, but understands the importance of successful technical execution and boots-on-the-ground oversight. Years working on construction crews and careful construction administration helped to hone this pragmatic approach and attention to detail. Aaron’s immersive academic journey at Iowa State University, particularly through the Savanna Studio and Rome Program, further deepened his understanding of and approach to design.

Ever curious about the world around him, Aaron enjoys exploring cities and small towns seeking inspiration for future projects, and ways to make communities better for people and more resilient for future generations.

Professional Affiliations
American Society of Landscape Architects

Jodi Mariano

Armed with a design addiction and a passion for people places, Jodi Mariano blends her backgrounds in architecture and landscape architecture to guide the firm’s public place practice, including the development of vibrant streetscapes, plazas, parks, and signage programs. Since joining Teska, Jodi’s work incorporates engaging community processes that guide creative public place design.

Notable community-based placemaking projects completed under Jodi’s supervision include the Wilmette Downtown Streetscape (APWA Chicago Metro Public Works Project of the Year), Evanston Fountain Square Plaza (APA-IL Implementation Award), Lockport Downtown Streetscape (APWA Southwest Branch Public Works Project of the Year), Skokie’s Talking Farm (APA-IL Sustainability Award), Lincoln Square Master Plan / Ainslie Arts Plaza and Wilmette Public Library Renovations,

Jodi has instructed at the Joseph Regenstein, Jr. School at the Chicago Botanic Gardens, teaching in the Garden Design Certificate Program. A fan of music, the lakefront and gardening, Jodi lives with her husband, two kiddos and a pair of kitties in the Ravinia neighborhood.

Professional Affiliations
Professional Landscape Architect (PLA)
Council of Landscape Architectural Registration Boards (CLARB)
Member of the American Society of Landscape Architects

Danny O’Brian

Danny O’Brian, PLA, ASLA employs the design process and the principles of landscape design to discover creative and thoughtful solutions for every scale of project. He believes well planned landscapes are dynamic, alive, and ever-changing. To Danny, it is his responsibility to create healthy and safe environments that improve the welfare and success of all of its users.

Since joining Teska Associates, Inc., Mr. O’Brian has worked on a wide variety of projects including: land planning, residential infill, residential site planning, planned use developments, mixed used developments, healthcare campus planning, senior residential, a various other real estate marketing developments.

Before joining Teska, Mr. O’Brian acquired 6 years experience as a Landscape Architect and Designer primarily focusing on a wide variety of projects including highly detailed urban and suburban residential design, rooftop gardens, church memorial gardens, and corporate campuses, and a variety of other site design opportunities in the Chicago-land Area, Lake Geneva, and Milwaukee.

Mr. O’Brian holds a Bachelors in Landscape Architecture from Ball State University (2010). He is a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects and since 2014, is a registered Landscape Architect in the state of Illinois.

Professional Affiliations
Professional Landscape Architect (PLA)
American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA)

Nicholas Patera

Nicholas Patera, PLA · Nick is known for creative ingenuity and collaborative problem-solving. For over four decades he has demonstrated a unique ability to provide distinctive site and landscape architectural design solutions to enhance his clients’ ambitions. Using a fresh creative approach allows each assignment to express its own unique personality and provide a memorable user experience.

Nick started his professional Landscape Architectural and Site Design career in San Francisco, where he worked as a registered California Landscape Architect for ten years. Nick returned to his Midwest roots and brought his talent to Teska Associates in 1987. He has worked across the country and overseas creating plans for a wide range of scales from new towns and mixed-use communities, conservation planning, hospitals and healthcare, senior residential, resorts, camps, and clubs to parks, plazas, streetscape, waterfronts, and individual residences.

Mr. Patera is responsible for a wide range of diverse site planning and design projects. His scope of experience ranges from land planning for a new planned community of 35,000 residents to downtown and streetscape design, site planning, and testimony for traditional neighborhood developments and a wide range of residential, commercial, regional shopping centers, resort, and industrial land planning, and landscape architectural designs.

Highlight projects include planning for resorts in Jamaica West Indies, California, and Lake Geneva, Wi., campgrounds in Canada, Virginia, and Maine, community planning on the Gulf of Mexico and south Texas, over 50 planned conservation open space and senior community neighborhoods in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri and Michigan, over 1,000 acres of properties in Chicago’s North Shore communities including historic landscapes, Parks, Clubs, and several senior and healthcare campus plans in the Chicago metropolitan area, Evanston, Highland Park, Skokie and Glenview, Il.

Mr. Patera holds a B.L.A., Bachelor of Fine and Applied Arts from the School of Landscape Architecture, University of Illinois (Urbana). He is a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects and is a registered Landscape Architect in both Illinois and California.

Professional Affiliations
Professional Landscape Architect

Francesca Sallinger Lawrence

Francesca Sallinger Lawrence, AICP interests and experience span from community and economic development to neighborhood planning and transportation equity. She enjoys combining data analysis, mapping, and research to understand communities and collaboratively plan for their futures.

Francie has worked in the non-profit, public, and private sectors and with communities of all sizes, from rural towns to large cities. In all places, she has seen the importance of authentic and wide-reaching engagement. She passionately pursues this goal with the rest of the Teska team through the firm’s commitment to creative and meaningful community outreach.

Prior to joining Teska, Francie worked on transit-oriented development initiatives at the Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT), at Alta Planning + Design as a bike + pedestrian planner, and in Washington D.C. as a Transportation Policy and Finance Fellow at the Eno Center for Transportation. While pursuing her master’s degree, she also worked as a Community + Economic Development Graduate Assistant with the University of Illinois Extension. An experienced user of the Adobe Creative Suite, ArcMap, and ArcGIS Online, Francie loves to create compelling and fun graphics and maps.

Professional Affiliations
American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP)
American Planning Association (APA)
Women in Planning + Development

Maly Sears

Maly Sears is a landscape designer with a passion for healing, restorative, and welcoming design. Maly earned her Master of Landscape Architecture and minor in Spanish from Kansas State University. Her research thesis focused on universal design and accessibility within protected natural areas such as National Parks and private nature preserves. Nature is for everyone! While learning Spanish, she studied abroad in Costa Rica, hiked a cloud forest, and used a machete in a tropical ecology class.   

Prior to joining Teska Associates, Maly worked at Olsson Studio on projects such as senior living communities, cultural plazas, and pedestrian oriented streetscapes. Maly is delighted to apply these interests and background to enhance the experiences people have in Teska-designed landscapes. Outside of work, you can find her roller blading, checking out the Lincoln Park Beaver, and reading a book by a window. 

Dominic Suardini

Dominic Suardini, PLA brings 20 years of work experience and graphic communication to the drawing board with a skillset versed in urban design, land planning, construction docs, and planning. Detail-oriented with ability to put on the planner hat, Dom understands ‘big picture thinking’ of community visioning and smaller-scale needs of vibrant streetscapes. His ability to execute projects from schematic design through construction, provides clients with a streamline experience and multiple creative solutions no matter how large or small the project.

Professional Affiliations
Professional Landscape Architect (PLA)

Emma Swanson

Robert B. Teska

Robert B. Teska established Teska Associates, Inc. in 1975 with a vision to bring together a creative, multidisciplinary team of trusted professionals committed to providing innovative approaches to planning and design. Fast forward through decades of planning and placemaking adventures and our team still rocks those same original values of teamwork, creativity and trust. While tools and tech have evolved, our collaborative spirit and commitment to community and client partnerships remains unwavering. Bob Teska has embraced a well-deserved retirement and his multidisciplinary approach and sustainable model of leadership continues on to this day.

As a kid growing up in Wisconsin’s Racine County, Robert B. Teska, wasn’t necessarily thinking about planning or being a planner. In fact, Bob’s professional sights were set on being a highway engineer. And it was in that coursework, while pursuing a degree in civil engineering at UW-Madison in the 1960s, that he learned of an elective class in city planning. “I thought it sounded interesting. I took it, and I just got hooked on it.” Always being open to looking beyond the well-engineered road before him, Bob began his journey in planning.

After working at Barton & Aschman for a time, Bob felt there was a need to work more closely with individual communities, to bring them new ideas based on their specific needs, and to help them look beyond the obvious path. That spark of innovation was the first of many at Teska Associates, Inc. Over time, more people, more mentors, and more experiences helped to feed the flame of innovation and support bright futures for our public and private clients and communities.

Bob’s professional career spanned a period of over forty-five years, during which he has consulted to the World Bank overseas and directed over 400 projects throughout the United States. Many of these have been nationally and internationally acclaimed award winners for innovative concepts in transportation/land use relationships, new town design, business district revitalization and citizen participation in environmental planning. In 1986, Mr. Teska was awarded the American Society of Civil Engineers’ Harland Bartholomew Award for distinguished service in the field of urban and regional planning. In 1999, Mr. Teska became one of the first urban planners in North America to be honored as Fellow of the American Institute of Certified Planners for his distinguished contributions to the advancement of the planning profession.

Mr. Teska has held positions as Principal and Vice President of Land and Community Planning for Barton-Aschman Associates, Inc. (Evanston and Washington, D.C.), Lieutenant in the U.S. Corps of Engineers, Planning Engineer for the Blauvelt Engineering Company and Staff Planner for the Madison, Wisconsin City Planning Commission. He is a registered Professional Engineer and a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners. Mr. Teska founded Teska Associates, Inc. in 1975. The consulting firm specializes in community planning, site design, development economics, and landscape architecture. In 1980, Mr. Teska founded Design Evanston, a non-profit volunteer organization of local design professionals to promote the theme, “Good Design is Good Business”. In 1992, he founded Business Districts, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in business district revitalization. The author of over 50 professional papers and articles, Mr. Teska maintains a heavy public speaking schedule and lectures at numerous colleges and universities.

Mr. Teska’s civic activities in Evanston include service on the City’s Planning Commission; Chair of Evanston’s Business District Redevelopment Commission; founder of Design Evanston; and work on the Chamber of Commerce Parking Committee. He is a Charter Member of Evanston Lighthouse Rotary Club, Past President, and former Assistant Governor of Rotary District 6440. He served on the Steering Committee of Leadership Evanston as well as the Mitchell Museum of the American Indian Board of Directors, both as member and Vice President. He produced the book, “Downtown Evanston Revitalized,” and was the 2017 recipient of the Daniel H. Burnham Distinguished Service Award.

He has served on the Board of Governors of the Metropolitan Planning Council of Chicago and as co-chair of its Regional Development Committee, Chairman of the American Planning Association’s Metropolitan and Regional Planning Division, Chairman of the Governor’s Committee on Metropolitan Planning Organization in Northeastern Illinois, and Chairman of the Evanston Business District Redevelopment Commission.

Bob received his B.S. B.S. M.S. Civil Engineering University of Wisconsin (Madison) City Planning University of Wisconsin (Madison) City Planning University of Illinois (Urbana)

Professional Affiliations
Fellows of the American Institute of Certified Planners
American Planning Association
American Society of Civil Engineers
Urban Land Institute
International Downtown Association
Lambda Alpha International, Honorary Land Economics Society

Sara Voelz

Sara Voelz joined Teska in 2004. From her first high-school job working at a bank, she has enjoyed accounting, and today she enthusiastically manages the financial side of Teska’s client relationships and internal operations. Over the past several years, she has worked with clients and partner firms to ensure that all of Teska’s billing documentation is precisely what clients need. Sara has also streamlined the firm’s internal bookkeeping and reporting procedures, so that Teska’s design professionals can spend more time serving clients and less time serving paperwork.