Our Team
The right people. The right experience.
Fairlawn’s executive leadership team has over 100 years of combined experience doing what we do best—real estate investing, property management, development, construction, accounting, finance, human resources, and law. In total, we employ over 130 full-time professionals dedicated to ensuring the continued success of each of our properties from the ground up.
In particular, Fairlawn Capital's Investments Team scrutinizes each potential opportunity with respect to underwriting, risk management, physical due diligence, marketing, and operations—meaning our entire team is consistently well-prepared for the challenges of long-term property ownership.
Chris is a Partner and Co-Founder of Fairlawn Capital. Chris' focus involves overseeing the operations of both Fairlawn Capital and Fairlawn Real Estate, as well as developing and executing on the firm’s investment strategies.
He has been an active real estate developer since 2002, having acquired, developed, and managed over $600 million of multi-family, office, and retail real estate throughout the Midwest. Prior to founding Fairlawn, Chris served as Managing Partner at JSM, a family-owned company in Champaign-Urbana.
Chris began his career at Accenture Consulting in Chicago building financial IT systems for various clients around the globe. He earned his BS in Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering from Northwestern University.
Will is the Managing Partner and a Co-Founder of Fairlawn Capital and primarily focuses on managing the teams responsible for project underwriting, deal execution, asset management, and firm strategy. He is responsible for the selection, evaluation, and acquisition of new Fairlawn projects, and oversees the firm's asset management processes to ensure maximum portfolio performance.
Prior to co-founding Fairlawn Capital, Will practiced law for a large Maryland firm in the areas of real estate development, financing, and leasing. He also has experience working in accounting, finance, and marketing strategy for multiple entrepreneurial ventures.
Will received a Juris Doctorate from the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law, where he was an Associate Editor of the Maryland Law Review. He also received an MBA from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a BS in Accounting and Finance from Villanova University School of Business.
Jason is a Partner at Fairlawn Capital, and primarily focuses on sourcing equity capital for new projects, developing overall firm strategy, and facilitating the deal execution phase of Fairlawn's investment process.
Jason is also a Partner at the Champaign-based law firm Meyer Capel, PC. He served in the Illinois General Assembly for twelve years, ten of which were in the Illinois Senate.
He earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of Illinois College of Law and a bachelor’s degree from Illinois State University. Prior to law school, Jason served in the Illinois Army National Guard as an infantry soldier and was employed by Ernst & Young, LLP.
Gozen is Chief Operating Officer and Co-founder of Fairlawn. Gozen’s core focus is to integrate all aspects of our operations including investments, property management, asset management, marketing & sales, and finance & administration. As Co-founder, Gozen has been integral in taking the company from fewer than 10 employees and 400 units in 2015 to 140+ employees and 5,200+ units today. Gozen’s ultimate objectives are to ensure that the company’s successful management formula and culture are effectively deployed across all locations.
Maggie is the Vice President of Property Management for Fairlawn Real Estate. She is responsible for overseeing all property management activities related to Fairlawn’s diverse portfolio. As Fairlawn continues to grow, Maggie is primarily focused on developing and cultivating strong management teams and processes at the property level. Additionally, she oversees regional operations, collaborates on front-end project planning and design, and assists in strategic planning across the portfolio.
Prior to joining Fairlawn, Maggie was Director of Marketing & Public Relations for Regency Apartments and managed leasing & marketing for multiple student housing properties at The Scion Group. Maggie also previously served as a sergeant in the Illinois National Guard where she specialized in transportation and tactical operations.
Maggie earned a Bachelor of Science in Media Studies from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
BJ is the Project Manager for Fairlawn Real Estate and is primarily focused on project estimating, execution, management, and oversight. He is also responsible for conducting due diligence inspections, capital budgeting, scope of work preparation, contractor negotiations, quality control, and risk management.
He is experienced in managing renovations, fit-out construction, and ground-up development in both commercial and multi-family real estate. He provides day-to-day communication with the project team to ensure Fairlawn's projects remain on schedule and within budget.
Prior to joining Fairlawn Real Estate, BJ spent 10 years in the insurance industry as a structural and real property adjuster where he investigated, analyzed, and estimated property loss/damages and negotiated claim settlements. BJ earned a bachelor’s degree from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.
Marianne is the Associate Director of Asset Management for Fairlawn’s student housing portfolio. She provides asset management oversight for a variety of campus assets throughout the Midwest and focuses on market evaluation, pricing, financial modeling, and product management.
Marianne joined Fairlawn in January of 2020 as Senior Portfolio Manager, and spearheaded the launch of Smile Student Living--Fairlawn's dedicated student housing property management organization. Prior to that role, she provided private student housing consulting as owner of Illinois West Consulting Company, and spent 8 years as Director of Residential Property for JSM Real Estate--one of the largest student housing operators at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She earned her bachelor’s degree and MBA from the University of Illinois.
Audrey is the Director of Marketing & Sales of Fairlawn Real Estate. She is responsible for marketing strategy, analysis, and the sales process for Fairlawn Real Estate’s management company and portfolio of properties. She also oversees client account management, the leasing process, and the company’s brand positioning.
Prior to joining Fairlawn, Audrey was a Portfolio Sales and Marketing Manager for Cardinal Group Management, with a focus on student housing across the country. She has over 10 years of marketing management experience with a concentration on human capital.
Audrey earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Illinois College in Jacksonville, IL. Her degree concentration was in creative writing.
Matt is the Acquisitions Manager of Fairlawn Capital. He is responsible for the investment analysis, project underwriting, capital raising, and deal execution of new projects.
Prior to Joining Fairlawn Capital, Matt worked as the Senior Investments Analyst for The Habitat Company. During his time there, he primarily focused on analyzing and underwriting large-scale multifamily value-add properties and ground-up developments. He has assisted in the acquisition and closing of over $250 million of multi-family real estate.
Matt earned a Bachelor of Business Administration with a major in Finance from The University of Iowa.
Jon is a Development Associate with Fairlawn Capital and primarily focuses on executing the company’s real estate development projects. He collaborates with consultants and team members to plan, design, and realize new residential and mixed-use communities.
Prior to joining Fairlawn Capital, Jon worked as a design consultant before transitioning to the development side, and has worked for multiple residential developers. He received a Bachelor of Industrial Design from Carleton University and a Master of Science degree in Community & Regional Planning and Urban Design from the University of Texas at Austin.
Dylan is an Investment Analyst at Fairlawn Capital, where his primary focus is underwriting new investment opportunities. He focuses his efforts on financial analysis, risk assessment, and market research. Dylan joined the firm in June 2023 and was previously an intern during Summer 2022.
Dylan earned a Bachelor of Science from Indiana University, with a double major in Finance and Real Estate. During his tenure at IU, Dylan was actively involved in Kelley School of Business's Commercial Real Estate Workshop and Commercial Real Estate Club, which further honed his expertise in the realm of real estate.
Joe is Chief Financial Officer at Fairlawn Real Estate and is responsible for the management of the Finance and Administration functions within the company. His primary focus is on integrating the core functions of accounting, finance, debt and equity management, human resources, and information technology.
Throughout the course of his career, Joe has worked on over $5 billion of real estate and overseen portfolios across the United States. His experience encompasses a wide range of asset classes, with a focus on multifamily, student housing, and senior housing. Joe started his career in accounting and financial reporting functions before focusing on portfolio management, asset management, and capital strategy.
Joe earned an MBA with concentrations in Finance and Real Estate from Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management, a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting from Illinois Wesleyan University, and is a Certified Public Accountant.