Senior Vice President
Caren Kay, AICP
Caren is passionate about helping communities achieve development objectives through intentional economic development and public assistance strategies.
Caren is a multidisciplinary urban planner with experience across the pre-development continuum. From high-level economic strategic planning to site-specific market analysis and project underwriting, Caren is singularly focused on helping clients influence the built environment to positively benefit communities. In nearly 10 years at SB Friedman, Caren has led regional economic strategic planning initiatives, countywide housing strategic plans, economic and tax policy studies, and supported numerous comprehensive and corridor planning initiatives. Across her work, she has focused on humanizing complex topics and clearly communicating data to decision makers and community stakeholders.
Caren is a licensed broker in Illinois. She is a member of the American Planning Association (APA) and the APA Illinois Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee.
Affiliations & Achievements
- Master of Regional Planning with a concentration in Economic Development Planning, Cornell University
- Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration and Urban and Regional Planning, Miami University
- American Planning Association – American Institute of Certified Planners
- American Planning Association, Member
- APA Illinois Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, Member
- Licensed Real Estate Broker, Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR)
- National Association of REALTORS®
“Celebrating successes, learning from failures, and focusing energy on what matters most can go a long way toward making positive change in our communities.”
