Upcoming Event
Equity and Housing Development in Kenosha
Southeast Wisconsin’s current housing shortage is affecting nearly every income bracket, and is a top obstacle for new corporate investment in our region. Join us for a riveting discussion between key Kenosha stakeholders about how to expand housing access and equity through new models of development. Moderated by Carthage Professor of Economics, Ron Cronovich.
Thursday, February 27, 2025, from 11:30 - 1 pm
Todd Wehr Center Jockey Rooms at Carthage College
This event is free, but registration is required.
Seating is limited!
Our speakers will include S.R. Mills, CEO of Bear Property Development, Tim Casey Director of Development for the City of Kenosha, and Jeff Towne, Community and Economic Development Officer for the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA). Each of these speakers has been directly involved in the development of housing within the City of Kenosha, and has a passionate interest in supporting housing choice and growth. The conversation will be expertly moderated by Professor of Economics, Ron Cronovich, whose research on the causes and effects of wealth inequality will help us understand the impact of the housing crisis on the economic stability of our wider community.
S.R. Mills is the CEO of Bear Real Estate Group, a family of companies including Bear Development, Bear Commercial, Bear Property Management, Bear Homes and Construction Management Associates-CMA. Each company plays a pivotal role in the acquisition, development, construction and management of residential, industrial, commercial and master planned communities. Bear’s projects and real estate holdings extend to 20+ states with offices in Wisconsin, Illinois and Wyoming. S.R. joined Bear in 2002 after working with several technology companies. He earned his Bachelor’s in Finance, Investment and Real Estate, his
Master’s in Real Estate and is a Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM).
Tim Casey is Director of City Development for the City of Kenosha. He leads a team responsible for the City’s Panning and Development efforts in the Kenosha Innovation Neighborhood (former AMC/Chrysler site), the Uptown area and the Downtown, as well as more than 3,000 acres of prime sites in the Interstate 94 Corridor. He previously served as Director of Economic Development for the Waukesha County Center for Growth, a county-wide 501 (c) 3 Economic Development Corporation; Economic Development Administrator for the City of Brookfield; Director of Economic Development for Milwaukee County; headed the Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Corporation in Oshkosh; and served as Economic Development Specialist in Eau Claire. In the private sector, Tim opened the Wisconsin office of CenterPoint properties, a Chicago based real estate investment trust, and was a real estate broker with Wangard Partners and Equity Commercial Real Estate. Tim is a licensed broker. Tim received his Bachelor of Science from Michigan State University, and a Master’s in Urban Planning from UW – Milwaukee. Tim has served on the boards of several community-based organizations and is committed to the betterment of communities.
Jeff Towne, AICP, has over 20 years of city planning, economic development, and housing experience at the local and state levels. In his current role at WHEDA he serves as the Community and Economic Development Officer for the southern region of Wisconsin. He has worked as a Planner for the City of Rockford, IL and Principal Planner for the City of Appleton, WI, and as the Economic Development Specialist for the City of Racine, WI. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a master’s degree in Sustainable Tourism from Arizona State University.
Professor Ron Cronovich studied music from age 3 to 19, including a year in the jazz studies program at the University of North Texas. He transferred to The American University in Washington DC where he earned his B.A. in Economic Theory. He did his graduate work at the University of Michigan, earning an M.A. and Ph.D. in Economics. He began his career at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in the College of Business’ Economics Department. At UNLV, Professor Cronovich was awarded the College of Business Teacher of the Year Award three times and the UNLV Distinguished Teaching Award twice. At Carthage College, Professor Cronovich remains passionate about the pursuit of teaching excellence. In addition to micro and macro economics and international finance, he teaches courses that creatively explore the realities of poverty and wealth inequality through both humanistic and economic approaches.
About the Series
For nearly 30 years, the Business and Professional Coalition, a network of regional civic, business, and professional leaders have met regularly at Carthage to engage in substantive discussion around topics of regional and national import, and conversations that aim to further the region’s economic growth and prosperity. Through programming that includes prominent guest speakers and panel events, the BPC promotes learning, conversation, and relationship-building to strengthen our local business community.
Interested in becoming involved? Reach out to Katharine Keenan at kkeenan@sydotnet.net or join our mailing list to keep informed.
