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Jennifer Jones

Jennifer Jones serves as the Corporate Operations Manager at FLATS®, overseeing company-wide operational initiatives and leading cross-functional processes that drive property performance and organizational efficiency. She brings extensive experience in property operations and financial oversight, with a specialized focus on building scalable systems and strengthening operational controls across the portfolio. Jennifer holds a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from Western Michigan University and is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Industrial and Organizational Psychology, applying evidence-based workplace practices to enhance organizational effectiveness and execution.

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Dan Volz

Dan oversees the overall operational and financial performance of our Downtown portfolio. Dan is also the chair of the Operations and Financial Committees. He previously worked for Greystar as a Regional Property Manager for their Owned Asset value add and new development portfolio in the Midwest. Additionally, Dan has served 10 years in the Army as a Healthcare Specialist (Medic). In his spare time Dan volunteers through the National MS Society, and have been the show manager for MS Sucks concert for the last 3 years, partnered with the Accelerated Cure Project. 

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Gina Fortune-Harmon

Gina will be overseeing the operations of our national portfolio and management of residential properties, responsible for driving operational excellence across all FLATS communities nationwide. Having been active in the industry for 40 years, Gina spent the last 8 years as the Vice President with The Habitat Company, leading the operations and management of their market-rate business line. Gina holds multiple industry credentials—including Certified Property Manager (CPM®), Accredited Residential Manager (ARM®), and licensed managing broker in both Illinois and Minnesota. Gina is currently the President of the Chicagoland Apartment Association, where she has been an executive member of the board for the last 8 years.

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Katie Meier

Katie oversees marketing for FLATS®, leading brand and marketing strategy across its national portfolio. She brings over two decades of multifamily experience, most recently leading an in-house creative team responsible for the corporate brand, multiple nest brands and portfolio-wide marketing at a publicly traded REIT. Previously, she spent 17 years at a large national REIT, shaping marketing for new developments, military housing, and a large nationwide portfolio of stabilized communities.

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Nick Pinto

Nick Pinto is the Regional Property Manager, responsible for overseeing property operations and finances in the Chicago FLATS residential portfolio. Nick collaborates closely with onsite management, construction, and limited partners to ensure property stability and achievement. With over 10 years of multifamily housing industry experience, Nick has spent 7 years advancing with the FLATS team. Nick obtained a BA in Advertising & Public Relations from DePaul University and also serves as a commissioner in the Uptown SSA Organization.

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The Wabash Lights

Public Art Installation

Photographed At: THE LOOP SERVICE PUBLIC ART

Social: WEB | THEWABASHLIGHTS.COM INST | @THEWABASHLIGHTS

WHAT WAS YOUR INITIAL INSPIRATION FOR THE WABASH LIGHTS ART INSTALLATION?

We took a ton of inspiration from symbols that are used to represent entire cities. For example, the fleur de lis for New Orleans. We wanted to understand what people thought those symbols were for Chicago and we kept hearing, the “L” over and over. From there, we wanted to understand how we might transform an iconic piece of infrastructure into a platform for expression; something that everyone who lives in or visits Chicago could feel like they had a hand in creating.

HOW DID YOU TWO MEET?

We met right after graduating from college (Seth from DePaul, Jack from Columbia) taking classes at The Second City.

IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT IS THE VALUE OF PUBLIC ART?

Public art has many different types of value– and that value can be different from person to person. Its value can be historical, emotional, symbolic, representative, fun, whimsical, somber… We both enjoy art that is expressionistic and open to interpretation and would like to see more public art that checks those boxes.

WHAT ROLE DOES TECHNOLOGY PLAY IN THE WABASH LIGHTS INSTALLATION?

Technology plays a huge role in our project. In fact, the project wouldn’t exist without it. The layer of technology we have implemented, allowing for control of the lights via texting and through mobile apps over the internet, has been the foundation for what we believe will be the first-ever open-source piece of public at in the world. Our plan is to eventually roll out an API that would allow anyone in the world to develop for the platform.

HOW DO YOU FORESEE FUTURE GENERATIONS INTERACTING WITH THE WABASH LIGHTS AND WHAT HOPES DO YOU HAVE FOR THE PROJECT IN THE FUTURE?

We tend to think 5-10 years into the future… we can only hope, at this point, that once the project is installed that it might remain up in perpetuity. We’ve designed the project infrastructure to allow for iteration (see above answer) so our dream would be for it to be in a continual state of transformation. Hopefully in 40 years, it will continue to surprise and delight and Chicago will be a safer, more beautiful and dynamic place because The Wabash Lights still exist.

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WE WANTED TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE MIGHT TRANSFORM AN ICONIC PIECE OF INFRASTRUCTURE INTO A PLATFORM FOR EXPRESSION.

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WE BOTH ENJOY ART THAT IS EXPRESSIONISTIC AND OPEN TO INTERPRETATION AND WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE PUBLIC ART THAT CHECKS THOSE BOXES.

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THE LAYER OF TECHNOLOGY WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED, ALLOWING FOR CONTROL OF THE LIGHTS VIA TEXTING AND THROUGH MOBILE APPS OVER THE INTERNET, HAS BEEN THE FOUNDATION FOR WHAT WE BELIEVE WILL BE THE FIRST EVER OPEN-SOURCE PIECE OF PUBLIC AT IN THE WORLD.

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HOPEFULLY IN 40 YEARS, IT WILL CONTINUE TO SURPRISE AND DELIGHT AND CHICAGO WILL BE A SAFER, MORE BEAUTIFUL AND DYNAMIC PLACE BECAUSE THE WABASH LIGHTS STILL EXIST.