CONNECT

Tony Andrews founded Tandem in 1997, and is the Director of Construction at Tandem. He manages the site superintendents, project managers, and estimators. He enjoys site and field work, value engineering, operations management and lean processes, as well as business development. Having been in the industry for 27 years, his favorite part is being able to solve problems and seeing the confidence clients have, knowing they’ve made the right decision in choosing Tandem. Tony was born and raised in the Chicagoland area, and now lives in Park Ridge with his family.

Dimitri Nassis received his bachelor’s in Psychology and Philosophy from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Construction Technician Certificate from Triton College. After graduating, he spent a decade in the financial industry as an options trader at the Chicago Board of Trade and the Chicago Board Options Exchange. He left the trading floor and followed his lifelong calling by entering the world of construction and real estate development. After reconnecting with childhood friend Tony Andrews, he helped found Tandem in 1997 and began Tandem’s journey as a developer. In addition to real estate, Dimitri also helps guide the company’s marketing and property management teams. Most recently, Dimitri was instrumental in helping secure Tandem’s largest and most noteworthy development and construction project, MODE 2501, which is a $23M, 78-unit mixed-use building in Logan Square, completed in early 2017.

Chris Walsh received a Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture from the University of Illinois at Chicago and is a licensed Architect in Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan, and Colorado. Prior to becoming a partner at Tandem, he worked for one of the nation’s largest architecture firms and then became the Vice President of Architecture for a national home builder. Additionally, Chris has a background in construction, having worked in the field throughout high school and college. Chris manages the architecture team and serves as the Principal Architect at Tandem.

Sean Staunton received a Bachelor in Public Service from Northern Illinois University. Prior to joining Tandem, he worked with Lettuce Entertain You, Brinker International, and was a realtor at Coldwell Banker. His role at Tandem includes project management, client relations, and business development. He is also the warranty service and OSHA systems manager. His expertise is in designer interior build-outs, including new construction, remodeling, and landscape/exterior space construction. Sean is the Director of Special Projects and Service, helping serve clients and building associations beyond the completion of their projects.

Jeffrey Hreben received his Bachelor’s in International Studies with an emphasis in Economics from the University of Chicago. He earned a Master’s in City Planning from the University of Pennsylvania and a certificate of Real Estate Development from the Wharton School of Business. Prior to joining Tandem, he worked at Progressive Housing Ventures, a residential construction and development firm in Philadelphia that capitalizes on transit-oriented development opportunities. His work at Tandem focuses on various real estate development initiatives, including zoning and entitlements, financial underwriting, investor relations, and project management.

Kevin was born and raised in Green Bay, Wisconsin and moved to Chicago after attending college in Cleveland, Ohio. He has a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Case Western Reserve University as well as a Master of Science in Civil Engineering from Illinois Institute of Technology. He is a licensed Structural Engineer in Illinois, New York, and Arizona and has been involved with the design and construction of over 2,000 apartments, condos, and student housing units, along with healthcare, cultural, higher education, and sports facilities. He currently acts as a Senior Project Manager to manage all aspects of new construction and renovation projects. His expertise is in budgeting, scheduling, construction logistics, value engineering, and coordination of building systems. His favorite part of his job is developing innovative construction solutions through collaboration with design professionals and subcontract trades.

Pat Cox is from Columbus, Indiana and attended Purdue University where he received his B.S. in Construction Engineering with a minor in Management. Pat previously worked at California-based Matt Construction and a Chicago-based development firm where he worked on a variety of complex commercial projects and custom single family homes. Pat is a LEED Accredited Professional and OSHA 10 certified. He joined Tandem in 2015 and manages preconstruction efforts including estimating, scheduling, value engineering, and ongoing project management, including subcontract execution and management, as well as client relations. His favorite part of the job is the satisfaction once a successful project comes to an end, knowing that the builders, designers, and owners worked hard and collaboratively to achieve the project goals.

Tianyi was born and raised in Ningbo, China. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering in China and his Master’s Degree in Construction Engineering and Management at Illinois Institute of Technology. Prior to joining Tandem, he worked as a field engineer for Ningbo Construction—a regionally known developer and GC focusing on site operation for large-scale high-rise projects. He is a LEED Accredited Professional and also OSHA 10 certified. At Tandem, his key tasks include project procurement and project management. His favorite part about his job is keeping trades within the clients’ budgets and meeting the clients’ high-quality expectations.

Matt grew up in central Michigan and moved to Chicago upon graduation from Michigan State University in 2014. He decided to get into the construction industry because it allows for the opportunity to get away from the computer and get outside. His current role as a Construction Manager allows him to work collaboratively through various challenges that construction presents with the help of the team. Fun fact: Matt spent 2 years living in Argentina when he was young, and was fluent in Spanish for a while.

Chris is originally from Cleveland, Ohio and attended college nearby at John Carroll University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication and a Minor in Psychology. He is a Construction Manager at Tandem and is passionate about taking part in the creation of a project. In his free time, Chris enjoys playing golf.

Brian was born in Wisconsin, where he graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and majored in Construction Management. Prior to joining Tandem, he was an Assistant Project Manager for Aldridge Electric, one of the largest electrical contractors in the country. He also worked for Central Maine Power on the Maine Power Reliability Program installing foundations for transmission poles. At Tandem, Brian focuses on maintaining the project schedule, preparing weekly progress reports, and coordinating with subcontractors on the field. Brian enjoys being able to work on a project from preconstruction to punch list, and also managing subcontractors while building relationships with the crews on site.

Ian is from the Southwest suburbs of Chicago, and attended college at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he studied Architecture. Prior to starting as a Construction Manager at Tandem, he did a year of service through AmeriCorps with Beaches Habitat for Humanity in Jacksonville Beach, Florida and worked with a small luxury home builder in Chicago for 4 years. Ian’s favorite part about what he does is learning about the diverse projects that are happening and getting to know the team. During his free time, he volunteers with St. Alphonsus’ Night Ministry group and plays Gaelic Football during the summers.

Brian was raised in the Chicago suburbs and graduated from Western Illinois University. He started off working in the family kitchen and countertop business at 14 years old and has been in the industry for over 45 years, where he’s gained valuable knowledge and expertise along the way. Brian’s expertise lies in custom wood working, along with kitchen and bath installation. He has been the lead installer on two national award-winning kitchens and one bathroom. Brian is a Certified Solid Surface Fabricator, Certified Load Remediation, and a former National Kitchen and Bath member. His favorite part about Tandem is being actively involved in a variety of projects and meeting with clients to address their concerns, and turn over high quality products.

Stephen was born and raised in New Jersey, where he was introduced to the trades by his father. He has been working full-time in the construction industry for ten years, and enjoys being able to walk through a project from the beginning and watch it develop to the finish line. Prior to working at Tandem, Stephen worked for a Chicago homebuilder, managing all facets of the construction process. He has also won on a state and national level in SkillsUSA for Building Construction Design. At Tandem, he focuses on performing project management and supervision of home and condominium remodels. His most memorable achievement would be beating cancer.

Chris Wood is originally from San Francisco. He attended the University of California-Berkeley and received his Bachelor’s in Architecture. In 2004, Chris and his family moved to Chicago’s Western suburbs, where Chris is a licensed Illinois Architect. Before joining Tandem, he served as Project Architect for a large Chicago-based firm, as well as Component Design Manager for a national home builder. Chris was brought onto the Tandem team in 2014 and currently is working as Project Architect.

Taylor was born and raised in the West suburbs of Chicago. She is a recent graduate from the Illinois Institute of Technology where she received a Bachelor of Architecture degree with a Business minor. She is an active member in both the AIAS and the AIA; in addition to attending relevant events throughout the city she currently is serving as the Editor-in-Chief for the AIAS CRIT Publication. Her work at Tandem focuses on assisting with the completion of construction documents, permit applications, presentation materials, and most recently site supervision. Taylor’s favorite part about working at Tandem is continuously accelerating her education by learning through others. She is grateful for the opportunities and responsibilities she’s been handed while being a part of the Tandem team.

Sean is a native Chicagoan but has also lived in Milwaukee, WI for 6 years to pursue higher education. He received his Bachelor of Architecture with Minors in History and Political Science and a Master of Architecture with a Minor in Historic Preservation from the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee. He is an Architectural Associate, and specializes in Design and Architectural Visualization. His favorite part of his job is getting to showcase projects in 3D and working with cool people. In Sean’s downtime, he can be found cheering on his Premier League team, at the dog park with his German Shepherd “Charley”, following Tennis and Formula One, and traveling the globe with a pint in his hand.

Michael Ritacco is a Chicago native who received his Bachelor’s in Physics from Loyola University Chicago and a Master’s in Physics from University of Illinois at Chicago. Prior to joining Tandem, he worked for Prometheus Technologies, KahnTact USA, and CRC Construction. His areas of expertise are in account reconciliation, benefits administration, budgeting, human resources, job costing, payroll processing and construction financing. He has been in the accounting industry for 18 years and in the construction accounting industry for 11 years. His favorite part of the job is making deposits!

Christina earned her Bachelor’s Degree from the Illinois Institute of Art, where she majored in Marketing. After spending four years in the Marketing world, she began her Property Management career with BJB Properties and then Cagan Management Group where she was the Director of Leasing for Illinois, Wisconsin, Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. Her work at Tandem focuses on managing the property management software, updating and maintaining written operation procedures and safety manuals, as well as implementing marketing initiatives and creating a tenant retention program. Her favorite part about working at Tandem is being a part of the building process from the beginning.

Fabian is originally from Poland, but currently resides in the Chicagoland area and has been here for 13 years. As the Maintenance Engineer for MODE Logan Square, he performs routine maintenance and repairs for the building and individual units. His favorite part of his job is being able to fix things for the tenants. Some of his hobbies include extreme sports and fishing.

Yitian was born in Beijing, China but has lived in the suburbs of Chicago for most of her life. She attended college at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she majored in Industrial Design and minored in Asian American Studies. Her role as the Marketing Associate involves creating content for marketing and communications, such as print/digital advertisements, original videos, and newsletters, managing the company website and social media accounts, as well as coordinating company events. Yitian enjoys traveling and has been to over 15 countries and 22 of the 50 States of America.