Dominican University Presents Entrepreneur Speaker Series with Joe and Mark Skender
Dominican University
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Sep 12, 2019 12:00 AM
Brennan School of Business will kick off its new Entrepreneur Speaker Series with Mark Skender and Joe Skender, CEO and chairman emeritus, respectively, of Skender, a full-service contracting firm with a large, prestigious footprint in Chicago. The Skenders will speak on Tuesday, October 8 at 6:30 p.m. in the Martin Recital Hall, 7900 W. Division Street.
During the program, the Skenders will receive the James W. Haugh Award for Entrepreneurship and Ethics in Business. The annual Haugh Award is presented to an entrepreneur whose achievements reflect extraordinary business acumen, personal integrity and dedication to community. The award was created in honor of James W. Haugh, who served for 10 years on Dominican’s board of trustees, including three years as chairman. He is the founder of American Capital Assets Management LLC and was a partner and national director of bank tax services for KPMG LLP, where he worked for 26 years.
An integrated construction, design and manufacturing firm headquartered in Chicago, Skender has been involved in a number of high-profile projects in the Chicago area, including the city’s first Hyatt House extended-stay hotel in the Fulton Market District; The Resurrection Project, a modular affordable housing project in the Pilsen neighborhood; the renovation of the Fulton Market District headquarters of Vital Proteins; and an expansion project at North Shore Place, an assisted living facility in Northbrook.
Mark Skender joined the firm in 1989 and has played an integral role in the development of the organization’s long-term vision and strategic direction. He helped pioneer Chicago’s Lean construction movement as a founding member of the Lean Construction Institute’s Chicago Community of Practice. He recently received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. He also holds an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management.
Joe Skender retired from the firm in January 2019. Under his leadership, Skender grew to be one of the largest general contractors in the country. He co-created the Skender Foundation, which, since its inception in 2012, has contributed more than $3.5 million to more than 300 nonprofit organizations focusing on education and wellness. The Foundation also includes The Builders’ Board, a group of next-generation leaders working to inspire positive and sustainable change in their communities. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from DePaul University, where he serves as a trustee.
Skender has received widespread recognition for innovation and satisfied employees. The firm is ranked by Fast Company as one of the “Most Innovative Companies in the World” (2019), has been listed by Midwest Construction as a “Top Illinois Contractor” for 10 years in a row, and has been included in the Daily Herald Business Ledger’s “Best Places to Work in Illinois” each year since 2009.
The lecture will be preceded at 5:30 p.m. by a networking session, with appetizers. This program is free but registration is required at dom.edu/entrepreneur-series-2019. For more information, contact Kate Robards at krobards@dom.edu.
During the program, the Skenders will receive the James W. Haugh Award for Entrepreneurship and Ethics in Business. The annual Haugh Award is presented to an entrepreneur whose achievements reflect extraordinary business acumen, personal integrity and dedication to community. The award was created in honor of James W. Haugh, who served for 10 years on Dominican’s board of trustees, including three years as chairman. He is the founder of American Capital Assets Management LLC and was a partner and national director of bank tax services for KPMG LLP, where he worked for 26 years.
An integrated construction, design and manufacturing firm headquartered in Chicago, Skender has been involved in a number of high-profile projects in the Chicago area, including the city’s first Hyatt House extended-stay hotel in the Fulton Market District; The Resurrection Project, a modular affordable housing project in the Pilsen neighborhood; the renovation of the Fulton Market District headquarters of Vital Proteins; and an expansion project at North Shore Place, an assisted living facility in Northbrook.
Mark Skender joined the firm in 1989 and has played an integral role in the development of the organization’s long-term vision and strategic direction. He helped pioneer Chicago’s Lean construction movement as a founding member of the Lean Construction Institute’s Chicago Community of Practice. He recently received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. He also holds an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management.
Joe Skender retired from the firm in January 2019. Under his leadership, Skender grew to be one of the largest general contractors in the country. He co-created the Skender Foundation, which, since its inception in 2012, has contributed more than $3.5 million to more than 300 nonprofit organizations focusing on education and wellness. The Foundation also includes The Builders’ Board, a group of next-generation leaders working to inspire positive and sustainable change in their communities. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from DePaul University, where he serves as a trustee.
Skender has received widespread recognition for innovation and satisfied employees. The firm is ranked by Fast Company as one of the “Most Innovative Companies in the World” (2019), has been listed by Midwest Construction as a “Top Illinois Contractor” for 10 years in a row, and has been included in the Daily Herald Business Ledger’s “Best Places to Work in Illinois” each year since 2009.
The lecture will be preceded at 5:30 p.m. by a networking session, with appetizers. This program is free but registration is required at dom.edu/entrepreneur-series-2019. For more information, contact Kate Robards at krobards@dom.edu.