Cesar Santoy

"Mr. Santoy, a licensed architect, has over 15 years' professional experience in architectural design, association management, and procurement services with not for-profit organizations. While at the United Neighborhood Organization (UNO), he assisted in developing and constructing their multi-campus, 160,000 square foot, $40 million school, which was completed in 2008. He also oversaw capital improvements for nine charter school campuses, representing over 500,000 square feet of building space and site acreage. Mr. Santoy is an alderman for the City of Berwyn (5th Ward) and a board member of Arquitectos – The Society of Professional Hispanic Architects and the City of Berwyn Coalition of Homes. He is also active in the American Institute of Architects, Metropolitan Leadership Institute and the Hispanic-American Construction Industry Association." "Cesar Santoy is the Executive Director of the Hispanic American Construction Industry Association (HACIA), an organization with 26 years of history advocating for the equitable participation of Hispanics in the Chicagoland construction industry. His vision for HACIA today is not only to maintain this impressive legacy, but to expand upon it and enhance the capacity of his community. Cesar is currently working to increase HACIA’s relationships in the private sector, as well as in the burgeoning suburbs of Chicago, many of which have more than doubled in Hispanic population over the past decade. He also wants to connect HACIA with more small businesses, in addition to the prominent enterprises that have helped the group become the powerhouse it is today. He envisions HACIA providing services to these upand-coming businesses to ensure they are able to succeed in the opportunities HACIA has helped create for them. “We can’t only be out there advocating for people,” Cesar says, “without also preparing them to succeed in those roles.” He adds, “I think our greatest challenge as a community is to ensure that there is an internal development taking place and that we are institutionalizing professional growth into what it means to be Hispanic... This doesn’t happen overnight, but it can happen in increments.” Cesar credits his own active involvement with civic and professional organizations as key to his success professionally. He includes MLI among these positive forces, saying that the program helped to put a historical backdrop to the work he does today. “The MLI really outlined a structure for us that has been employed over and over again by successful businesses, successful organizations and successful people,” he says. In addition to MLI, Cesar is also on the Advisory Board of Arquitectos, a Chicago-based nonprofit that connects Hispanic architecture students with experience and opportunities at local architecture firms."