Cortez A. Carter has more than 18 years of experience in real estate finance, from conventional lending to the most complicated tax-exempt bond financing and low-income housing tax credit deals. His expertise in real estate is the result of several key positions, including Vice President & Division Head of Community Development Lending at the Harris Trust & Savings Bank, and Assistant Vice President in Commercial Real Estate at BancOne, where he is credited with pioneering the bank’s redevelopment lending activities in the Chicago market.

As Coordinator of Economic Development with the City Treasurer, Cortez was responsible for a $60-million portfolio of City of Chicago investments.  In all, he has loaned in excess of $150 million, designed several housing and business lending programs and personally developed more than 180 units of affordable housing.  His civic positions include serving on the board of directors of the Chicago Board of Appeals, Property Tax Appeals Board, Chicago Association of Neighborhood Development Organizations, the Chicago Community Loan Fund, The Redevelopment Advisory Council, Greater Auburn Gresham CDC and others.  Cortez is a graduate of the University of Illinois in Organizational/Industrial Development.