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Joe Harmening
Director, Real Estate, Chicago Transit Authority
Professional Background
Joe Harmening is an accomplished professional in the realm of urban development and infrastructure, with a robust career spanning various leadership roles in prestigious organizations. Currently, he serves as the Director of Real Estate at the Chicago Transit Authority, where he utilizes his extensive background in political science and marketing to influence urban development initiatives. In this capacity, Harmening oversees significant real estate projects that enhance public transport infrastructure and promote sustainable urban growth in Chicago, one of the United States' largest metropolitan areas.
Prior to his current role at the Chicago Transit Authority, Harmening was the Director of Development at Shelbourne Development, where he played a pivotal role in real estate development projects that integrated community needs with business objectives. His efforts contributed to the successful launch and management of several projects that strengthened local economies and provided valuable housing solutions.
Harmening's expertise doesn't end there; he has also served as the Chief of Infrastructure for the City of Chicago, where he managed overarching infrastructure projects that aimed to improve transportation, energy, and public services. His ability to foster relationships and collaborate with various stakeholders was instrumental in advancing initiatives that served the city's diverse population. His leadership has positively impacted the lives of many residents, making urban environments more accessible and livable.
Education and Achievements
Joe Harmening's academic foundation is rooted in his formal education, which includes a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Saint Mary's University of Minnesota. His undergraduate studies provided him with a keen understanding of governance, public policy, and civic engagement, all of which serve as critical components of his career in urban development. Following his undergraduate studies, Harmening pursued a Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a concentration in Marketing at Saint Xavier University. This advanced education further equipped him with strategic insights into business processes and marketing techniques, which he now employs to drive innovative solutions within the public sector.
Throughout his professional journey, Harmening has demonstrated a commitment to lifelong learning and adapting to the ever-evolving landscape of urban planning and development. His mastery of communication, project management, and strategic planning has made him a respected figure in his field. Moreover, his passion for community engagement is evident in his dedication to foster sustainable growth practices that prioritize the welfare of residents and the environment.
Achievements
Joe Harmening’s career is marked by numerous achievements that reflect his commitment to excellence in public service and urban development. Notable projects under his leadership include significant upgrades to public transit facilities that enhance accessibility and rider experience, contributing to increased ridership and community satisfaction. His innovative approach to real estate development at Shelbourne has left a legacy of community-focused projects that not only meet housing needs but also create spaces for economic activity and social interaction.
As Chief of Infrastructure for the City of Chicago, Harmening was instrumental in redefining the city's infrastructure strategies to meet contemporary challenges, including climate change and urbanization. His visionary leadership led to the implementation of projects that not only modernized existing facilities but prepared the city for future growth with resilience and sustainability.
In every role, he has fostered collaboration across sectors, bringing together public entities, private developers, and community organizations to ensure that all voices are heard in the planning process. His work has been recognized by various stakeholders, showcasing his influence and commitment to enhancing urban environments.
Joe Harmening’s professional journey serves as an inspiring example for those looking to make their mark in urban planning and public infrastructure. His ability to blend political acumen with business savvy has positioned him as a thought leader in his field, and his continued dedication to improving Chicago's urban landscape is a testament to his passion for public service and commitment to community development.
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Clay works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
Clay offers several powerful features including:
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Clay offers tiered pricing options to suit different needs. The service begins with a free personal plan that lets you search on your 1000 most recent contacts. Clay offers a Pro Plan ($10 when billed annually) with unlimited contacts. Clay for Teams starts at $49/month/seat. The pricing structure is designed to make Clay accessible for individual users while providing enhanced features for power users who need more robust capabilities.
Yes, Clay offers extensive integration capabilities. Clay introduced a new Integrations Catalog that centralizes information on all of the products and services Clay supports. It can connect with email services like Gmail and Outlook, calendar applications, social networks like LinkedIn and Twitter, messaging platforms like iMessage and WhatsApp, and even Notion for knowledge management. Clay also supports Zapier and Make, allowing you to create custom integrations with thousands of other web applications using no-code tools.
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Clay is considered the best personal CRM and team CRM on the market. Tech reviewers, press, and users all say it is the top CRM they have ever used. Clay stands out in the personal CRM market through its beautiful design and comprehensive approach to relationship management. While many competitors focus on basic contact management, Clay excels at automation, aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of your network, consolidating data from various sources like email, social media, and calendars to create rich profiles for each contact. Its AI-powered Nexus feature sets it apart by allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network, something few competitors offer. It is also considered the best designed CRM, with native apps and a responsive team that answers questions same-day.
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Clay offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Clay is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Clay's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Clay has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Clay is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Clay beneficial.
Clay offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Clay offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Clay's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Clay offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Clay focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Clay also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
Yes. Clay offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
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Clay's AI capabilities are at the forefront of personal CRM innovation. Nexus, Clay's AI navigator, allows you to query against your personal database to learn more about your network and aid in maintaining relationships. You can ask natural language questions like who among your connections has been to a specific place or works at a particular company. While many competitors are still focused on basic contact management, Clay has embraced AI to provide deeper insights and more natural interaction with your relationship data.
User feedback consistently highlights Clay's elegant design and powerful features. Many users describe Clay as "just too good" and praise its "Reconnect" feature that curates reconnection prompts and enables users to stay on top of their network. Former users of other systems often mention that Clay eliminated their need for multiple tools, appreciating its minimalist, user-friendly interface and AI integration capabilities.