Pete Vilim Recognized by Crain’s Chicago Business as One of the Most Notable Nonprofit Board Leaders
(October 8, 2021 – Chicago, IL.) – Waterton, a national real estate investor and operator, today announced that Pete Vilim, Vice Chairman and Co-Founder of Waterton, has been recognized by Crain’s Chicago Business as one of the most notable nonprofit board leaders. This honor recognizes leading executives in Chicago who facilitated or led nonprofit work throughout their careers and for their philanthropic contributions.
“Pete made a decision a number of years ago to give back to an industry that has been good to him and focused his philanthropic efforts on homelessness and housing affordability. We are so proud to see his commitment recognized by Crain’s as he continues to work to make a positive impact on these causes.” David Schwartz, CEO and Chairman, Waterton.
Pete Vilim co-founded Waterton in 1995 with David Schwartz and after years in the value-add multifamily business, saw and felt a need to give back to the community and address homelessness. He slowly transitioned from running Waterton as a partner to channeling his energy into full-time philanthropy in 2017, and pivoted his focus toward causes including, but not limited to, affordable housing, homelessness prevention and employment training programs. He is based out of Waterton’s Chicago headquarters and participates on the firm’s Management, Investment and Valuation Committees.
“The growth and development of Waterton’s executive team provided me the opportunity to focus and coordinate Waterton’s philanthropic activities”, Pete said. “Our firm has significant resources of talent and expertise in delivery of service to our residents and investors. Now I get to channel those resources towards improvement of the communities we serve.”
As former Chairman (2015-2019) and current member of the Board of Directors (2011-2021) of All Chicago – Making Homelessness History, the Collaborative Applicant for HUD funding of homeless services in Chicago, Pete and the organization have achieved significant results. In 2020, through emergency financial assistance to individuals experiencing/at risk of homelessness, All Chicago served 5,296 households with grants totaling $7.6 million. In addition, All Chicago secured more than $70 million in federal funding for 143 projects and managed 12 lines of work driving forward Chicago’s progress in ending homelessness. In 2020, All Chicago was selected to lead Chicago’s Expedited Housing Initiative (EHI) to improve processes citywide to house people more quickly than before. Mr. Vilim also serves on the Board of Directors and is Chairman of the Finance Committee for the Housing Partnership Equity Trust (“HPET”), a social purpose real estate investment trust created by nonprofits to raise capital for affordable housing.
Bridge Communities, a non-profit transitional housing provider is another cause close to Mr. Vilim. He serves on their Property and Grounds committee and assists them in their acquisition of apartments to expand their mission. Additionally, Pete is on Advisory Councils for Mercy Housing Lakefront, a non-profit program-restricted housing provider, and Housing Opportunities for Women, a non-profit developer, owner, and operator of program-restricted housing for women.
“Pete has a passion for giving individuals and communities the tools they need to not just survive, but to thrive well into the future,” said Schwartz. “His dedication to philanthropy and making the world a better place inspires everyone at Waterton and across our industry.”
A feature profiling all of this year’s Most Notable in Nonprofits and Philanthropy honorees is online at LINK and in the October 11, 2021 print issue of Crain’s Chicago Business.
About Waterton:
Waterton is a real estate investor and operator with a focus on U.S. multifamily, senior living and hospitality properties. Founded in 1995, Waterton executes value add strategies and manages a national portfolio of multifamily, senior living and hospitality properties on behalf of institutional investors, family offices and financial institutions. Waterton is privately held and is headquartered in Chicago with regional teams throughout the United States. As of June 30, 2021, Waterton’s portfolio includes approximately $7.7 billion in real estate assets. Visit Waterton’s website: www.waterton.com.
