Team

Wendy A. Berger is the CEO of WBS Equities, LLC, a real estate development firm she founded in 2004. WBS Equities, LLC specializes in sale leaseback transactions with food manufacturing and food distribution companies. The company executes sale leaseback transactions, ground up construction to suit and renovate to suit transactions. In her role as CEO, she has built a national reputation as an expert in constructing and renovating extremely complicated food manufacturing facilities and structuring complex transactions. WBS Equites has distinguished itself from its competitors by having a very long-term hold strategy for owned assets. This long-term hold strategy creates a more partnership like and less transactional relationship with its Tenants.

Wendy’s reputation in the food real estate world is well known. She is sought out as a frequent speaker on structuring sale lease back transactions and construction of specialized food and beverage real estate projects.

Wendy has over 35 years of business leadership, having co-founded and an early employee of four companies which have grown dramatically in short periods of time, including employee #10 at Orbitz, the travel web site. Wendy has shown her leadership capabilities in building and leading high growth companies with a focus on financial strength as a foundation for supporting growth. Through her public company experience and non-profit board experience, Wendy has developed her expertise in corporate governance and compensation matters.

Most recently, Wendy served on the Board of Directors of Green Thumb Industries (CSE: GTII) (OTC: GTBIF) (www.GTIgrows.com) for 9 years, from 2015 through 2024. Wendy served as Compensation Committee and Executive Committee Chair and served on the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors.

Wendy began her career at American National Bank, now part of JP Morgan Chase, as a middle market lender. This gave Wendy a durable foundation in risk assessment, structuring transactions, financial and credit analysis, and the primacy of customer relationships to building longer term business relationships. Wendy then pivoted from commercial lending to working in a third-generation family real estate business, Berger Realty Group (BRG). While at BRG, Wendy focused on implementing tenant retention strategies and cost reduction strategies which resulted in dramatic increases in valuation of the company’s assets. At BRG Wendy worked across asset classes including Class A and B multi-family, industrial, and retail.

Wendy thrives in working with explosive growth companies, those looking to transform their businesses and with complex regulatory issues. She is also uniquely qualified to work with companies for whom real estate is not their core business but for which real estate plays a key role. Wendy believes that among her most valued skills are risk assessment and helping organizations manage rapid rates of change. This has been key to taking on leadership roles with high growth companies.

Wendy holds a B.S. in Finance from Syracuse University (cum laude) and an MBA from Northwestern University Kellogg Graduate School of Management. Wendy has guest lectured as an expert on the Cannabis industry at Stanford University, The University of Chicago Booth School, and Kellogg. Wendy is a graduate of Leadership Greater Chicago and the Wexner Heritage program.

Wendy is currently the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Secure Community Network (SCN) a non-profit which manages the physical and cyber security of the Jewish Community across North America. Wendy has also served on the Board of Directors of the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Chicago for 23 years; she currently serves on the Executive Committee. She has held numerous leadership positions including Campaign Chair and Chair of the Jewish Community Relations Council. Wendy serves on the Board of the Chicago Public Library Foundation, on its Executive Committee and Chairs the Governance Committee. Wendy is a member of The Economic Club of Chicago, The Chicago Network and previously was a TEDx event organizer for three years.

Wendy is an avid Triathlete who has completed 43 Olympic Distance Triathlons and 13 half-marathons.

Wendy is proud to now call herself a TED speaker, her talk is available on the TED web site or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tirTJQVO1dE

Ben joined WBS Equities in 2014 with an extensive accounting background. Prior to joining, Ben spent four years as a public accountant, most recently with Ernst & Young, LLP. At Ernst & Young, Ben served multiple manufacturing and transportation clients, both public and private. He focused on analyzing companies’ financial statements, accounting strategies, estimates and processes. At WBS Equities, Ben is responsible for underwriting, project management and investor relations.

Ben earned his Master of Accountancy and B.S. in Business, Accountancy from Miami University.

Working with start-ups and partnership-based organizations, Heather has over twenty-five years of experience across a broad spectrum of development ventures. She began her career in San Francisco in the real estate and pharmaceutical industries.

At WBS Equities, Heather is responsible for financial operations, partnership accounting, and investor reporting. She earned a B.S. in Finance from San Jose State University and holds her CPA license in Illinois.

Dean Kelley has over 25 years of experience in commercial real estate development. He has been involved in projects ranging from grocery stores to liquid asphalt terminals.

Dean began his career in Chicago Illinois as a Commercial Banker at Harris Trust & Savings Bank. He worked in various roles at Harris from 1984 to 1990.

In 1990, Dean started working for Abbott Land & Investment Corp. At Abbott Land, Dean has been involved in the master planning and developing of more than 1,500 acres of land and the construction of more than 1,000,000 square feet of commercial buildings.

Dean received a Master’s in Management from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School at Northwestern University and a Bachelor’s in Economics from Northwestern University.

Howard Wedren has been working in the Chicagoland real estate community for the last 21 years. He has been involved with the development and leasing of a variety of real estate including office, industrial, parking and retail properties.

Howard began his commercial real estate career in 1994 after joining Fifield Realty Corporation as an associate. At Fifield, Howard was actively involved in the development and leasing of over 2,000,000 square feet of class A office buildings in the Chicago Metropolitan Area. After Fifield, Howard joined Chicago, Illinois based Montero Partners, Ltd., a commercial real estate investment firm, as Principal.

In November of 2006, Howard founded Dayton Street Partners LLC, a commercial real estate investment and development firm based in Chicago, Illinois. The firm is focused on the acquisition and development of key infill industrial and office projects throughout the City of Chicago.

Howard holds a bachelor’s degree in Regional Development from the University of Arizona.

Jeff Smith has over 30 years of experience in commercial real estate. He has been responsible for design, financing, development, and construction of over $200 million in commercial and industrial real estate projects. He has used various contracting methods to complete these construction/development projects. He has executed over $100 million in real estate transactions. His responsibilities also includes entitlements and land planning.