BuiltX Event Brings Built Environment Together 

With the announcement of the next EMDC BuiltX event coming soon, take a look back at the highlights from the first BuiltX event held earlier this year. 

Cook County is the second-most populous county in the country and home to both the City of Chicago and Northwestern University, and with such a dense population, the opportunities within the built environment are immense.  

Three Cook County Government officials recently took time to talk about those opportunities and the realities of their jobs with members of the public, as well as faculty, alumni, and current  students from Northwestern Engineering's Master of Science in Executive Management for Design and Construction (EMDC) program. 

The conversation was the first EMDC Built Environment Exchange (BuiltX), an idea forum and networking event for members of the built environment.  

EMDC will host several BuiltX events throughout the year, with each focused on a specific area of interest to EMDC students. 

"What I love about the BuiltX format is that each event is centered around an interesting topic that also provides a learning opportunity to the audience members," said Michelle Mittelman, assistant director for alumni and industry engagement from the Office of Professional Education, who helped organize the event. "In addition to the great conversation, BuiltX brings together members of the built environment sector to exchange ideas and form new connections." 

The first event, titled "What's on the Horizon for Cook County," featured:  

• Elizabeth Granato, bureau chief for the Cook County Bureau of Asset Management 
• Jennifer (Sis) Killen, superintendent of the Cook County Department of Transportation and Highways 
• Earl Manning, director of capital planning at Cook County Government 

EMDC adjunct faculty member Jacqueline Loewe moderated the conversation. 

The panelists discussed an array of topics, including choosing to forge a career in the public sector versus the private sector; implementing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives; and incorporating sustainability into all they do.   

More than 50 people attended the event, which was hosted in partnership with the Chicago chapter of the Construction Management Association of America. Kevin Nolan (EMDC '16), senior associate at STV, is president of the chapter. 

"Partnering with an affiliated group such as CMAA is a great way for EMDC to strengthen connections within the built environment community," Mittelman said. "We're looking forward to forging more partnerships as we develop future BuiltX events."