Celebrating 50 Nifty Years & Counting
Part 2 · Culture & Leadership: Carrying on the Values and Legacy Established by Founder, Bob Teska
As Teska Associates celebrates its 50th year of innovation in planning and design, we continue building on Bob Teska’s original values and interdisciplinary spirit. He built the firm with a vision of uniting a team with diverse talents and shared dedication to serving communities. Though much has changed over the years relative to tools and technology, our collaborative spirit and commitment to partnerships remains unwavering. After Bob's retirement, the firm's second-generation of leaders – Lee Brown, Mike Hoffman, and Nick Patera – have continued the legacy of integrating diverse talents and backgrounds to serve clients since taking the reigns in 2000.
Lee Brown, FAICP
Serving as President of the firm, Lee Brown helps communities large and small to develop a vision for the future and supports them along the way in managing their growth and development. These efforts include preparing some of the earliest and most significant tax increment finance (TIF) districts in Illinois and aiding communities in evaluating and refining development proposals. Lee’s leadership extends to the planning profession, having served as the President of the Illinois Chapter of the American Planning Association and President of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP), among other roles.
"Creating and maintaining a working relationship with a client is the kind of steady relationship building that transforms a job into a career.”
- Lee Brown
"Work has taught us how important it is to have a clear implementation agenda in our plans; develop the capacity to take things past the plan." - Lee Brown
Nick Patera, PLA
As Senior Vice President, Nick Patera leads the firm’s landscape architecture and land planning practice. He meets the challenge of building communities by working mostly with private sector development clients. As a creative engine, he understands that building upon the unique features of properties to emphasize their natural assets is the best way to create special places. Nick serves his clients by finding solutions to challenges, whether they are related to the land being transformed or the process by which development is approved. His work over the years includes mentoring many designers at Teska and bringing the magic of creative design to clients and communities alike.
"The best result from well-designed spaces, big or small, are the genuine, positive human interactions in people’s everyday lives. Those results are the greatest motivation for me."
- Nick Patera
"At the end of the day, I want people to feel positive... an increased sense of humanity." - Nick Patera
Mike Hoffman, PLA, AICP
As Vice President, Mike Hoffman brings degrees in business and landscape architecture to the firm. He merges creative and technical abilities to help communities develop cool and engaging plans and bring them into reality. Mike’s experience also emphasizes giving back. He served as Plan Commission Chair for the Village of Mount Prospect, directing the downtown plan that started the success the district sees today, and is a leader in an international group serving children abroad.
"Working at Teska is awesome, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I appreciate having a good network of peers in the office to bounce ideas off. It’s fun when I can partner on projects with other senior staff."
- Mike Hoffman
"Ultimately, design is in everything we do, so planning and landscape architecture go hand in hand. " - Mike Hoffman
Celebrating Different Backgrounds, Talents & Approaches