PBC Executive Director Erin Lavin Cabonargi

As the Executive Director of the Public Building Commission of Chicago, Erin Lavin Cabonargi leads an agency that oversees the development of facilities for clients such as the City of Chicago, the Chicago Public Schools, the Chicago Park District, the Chicago Public Library and the City Colleges of Chicago, among others.

Prior to being appointed the Executive Director of the PBC, Lavin Cabonargi was the Director of Planning and Design for the Commission, responsible for the development and execution of policies and procedures pertaining to facility design, including sustainable design practices. In concert with her clients, she assisted in the selection and acquisition of property and was responsible for the development of project scope, schedule and budget parameters.

Lavin Cabonargis qualifications are well suited to these assignments, as evidenced by her accreditations, experience and education. Her professional experience extends to both private and public sector work, most recently for the Chicago Public Schools, (CPS) where she served in a similar capacity while developing a capital program to construct 24 new school facilities. While at CPS, Lavin Cabonargi helped to develop sustainable design strategies for implementation on various design and construction projects. Prior to her experience in the public sector, she worked as an architectural designer, project manager and project director on various building types, with a focus on financial institutions.

She received her Bachelor of Environmental Design from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, whose program is accredited by the National Architecture Accrediting Board and offers a focus in sustainable design. She received a Master of Architecture degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. As a masters candidate at UIUC, Lavin Cabonargi served as a teaching assistant for undergraduate architecture design studios and also served as a materials researcher in the Building Research Council, testing thermal capabilities and energy efficiency of building products and materials. She was awarded the Edward C. Earl Prize for her Graduate Design Thesis and received a scholarship to study at the Technische Universität München which is renowned for its focus on sustainable design. Lavin Cabonargi is a LEED accredited professional (LEED AP) as certified by the United States Green Building Council and has attended Registered Energy Professional training as provided by the City of Chicagos Department of Construction and Permits.