Jim Letchinger founded JDL Development in 1993 and to date, has developed more than 1,200 residential units with another 1,500 currently preparing to be in construction. 

He launched his development career with a conversion of a 1940’s Benjamin Marshall building at 210 E. Walton St. in Chicago where he transformed 21 apartments into five unique residential condominiums. Mr. Letchinger quickly became known as one of Chicago’s most creative and respected residential developers, specializing in urban development where his expertise in entitlement and infill design provides a significant competitive advantage. Mr. Letchinger is intimately involved in all aspects of JDL’s projects, from inception to completion. His hands-on approach has helped JDL survive a number of real estate cycles.

Mr. Letchinger is a graduate of the University of Michigan. A life long resident of the City of Chicago, Mr. Letchinger is married with two grown children.

Robert Stone has been with JDL Development since 2002, overseeing all financial and administrative functions of the company. Robert works closely with a variety of banks, equity partners and many other service providers to create the right financial structures for JDL's projects. Prior to joining JDL, Robert was a consultant in private investment and business turnaround/workout consulting.

For more then 10 years, Robert was 50% Owner, Chairman and COO of United Model Distributors, Inc, the largest wholesale hobby products distributors in the US. For 4 years, Robert worked as a consultant in the real estate, oil and gas and industrial ventures and was Vice President of The Jupiter Corporation for 5 years prior to his consulting work.

Robert began his career in private practice of law with a specialty in real estate development, hotels and security. Robert holds a BA from Miami University and a JD from University of Michigan.

Scott joined JDL in 2013, managing the design and construction process of all residential building projects. 

Prior to joining JDL, Scott was Vice President of Hines for fourteen years. At Hines, he managed the design and construction projects such as 191 North Wacker, One South Dearborn, 300 North LaSalle, 1225 Old Town and Wolf Point. Prior to Hines, Scott also worked as Project Director for Hardin Construction Group, and Vice President/Senior Project Manager for A. Epstein and Sons.

Scott began his career with Skidmore, Owings and Merrill with the responsibility of managing architectural/engineering teams and the financial performance of projects in the US, London, Korea, China and Hong Kong.

Scott has a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies from University of Illinois/Urbana and a Masters of Architecture/Structures Option from the University of Illinois/Urbana.

Shawn Ingall has worked with JDL Development since 2004. She is responsible for all marketing collateral, brochures, press releases and websites. She was also a consultant for Edelman Public Relations from 2004–2008. Prior to 2004, Shawn worked for General Growth Properties as a Senior Communications Manager where she executed media and marketing campaigns for major development projects. 

For several years, Shawn worked for the City of Chicago where she was the Public Information Officer for the Department of Purchases, Contracts and Supplies. Prior to this position, she was the Publicity Coordinator for the City's Department of Cultural Affairs. 

She has a B.A. from the University of Massachusetts/Amherst and a Masters Degree in Communications from Northwestern University.

Heather is the director of interior design at JDL, working closely with our clients to insure that their spaces are tailored exactly to their needs. She has over 10 years of experience working in luxury residential development. 

Prior to JDL, Heather was Interior Construction Coordinator for Lincoln Park 2550, where she managed all aspects of the interiors in collaboration with designer Darcy Bonner.

Prior to Lincoln Park 2550, Heather worked as Senior Design Manager for Centrum Properties, where she managed more than $24M of interior selections across seven major residential properties including The Montgomery and The Fairbanks. She collaborated with multiple architects and designers to maintain quality across all aspects of the project, from unit finishes to lobbies, common areas, and exteriors.

Prior to Centrum, Heather lead interior selections for the Rezmar Corporation and was Design Center Coordinator with Invesco Group Limited.

Ryan joined JDL Development in 2014.  He oversees project management including the design and construction of JDL’s residential towers, routinely collaborating with architects, engineers and a broad array of consultants.  

Previously, Ryan worked in Seattle as a Civil Engineer for Magnusson Klemencic Associates.  Signature projects include the National Mall in Washington DC, King Abdullah Financial District in Saudi Arabia and the Seattle boardwalk redevelopment. Prior work experience includes internships at Hines, Skidmore Owings and Merrill, Pickard Chilton and Mortenson.

Ryan was awarded a Bachelor of Science in engineering from Northwestern University.  He completed coursework with Harvard Business School and Kellogg School of Management.  He earned his MBA from Kellogg graduating with honors in 2018 with a major in Finance.

Ryan is an avid cyclist, runner and soccer player.  He is a founding member of a philanthropic cycling team, Riders of the Storm, which supports cancer research thru the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Doug joined JDL in 2018, managing the design and construction process of JDL’s building projects.

Before joining JDL, Doug was a Project Manager at Lendlease, where he worked on JDL’s No. 9 Walton project, as well as other projects including 625 W Division (Xavier Apartments), 845 W Madison Apartments, and a senior living project in Deerfield.

Doug began his career with Bechtel in Richmond, Kentucky working on the Bluegrass Chemical Agent Destruction Pilot Plant. He was responsible for managing schedule and cost for a $400 million blast-proof, purpose-built facility used to neutralize and eliminate the nation’s chemical weapons.

Doug holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Courtney Clauer-Bates began working for JDL Development in 2016, joining the Design Team for No. 9 Walton. As a design associate, she worked directly with our clients to customize and personalize their units, as well as helped manage and develop the finishes, selections and upgrades process.  

Prior to JDL, Courtney worked as an Interior Design Assistant and an Assistant Buyer for a local design firm, specializing in residential interior design and high end furnishings. She also worked at Holland and Sherry in the Merchandise Mart, focusing on textiles. 

Courtney attended school at San Diego State University in San Diego, California. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Relations. She lives in Lincoln Park with her husband and two dogs.

John joined JDL in 2017, coordinating design and construction on multi-family residential projects. He manages projects through from conceptual design to final completion.

Prior to JDL, John served as a Project Architect with Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture, managing new construction and adaptive reuse projects. He has experience with residential, retail, student housing and corporate office design and construction.

 He has a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies, Masters of Architecture and MBA from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and is a Registered Architect. John lives in River North with his wife, son and Irish Terrier.

Marek has been with JDL for over 18 years. He oversees construction of all of JDL’s custom single family homes as well as their smaller town home projects. Marek is responsible for overseeing the daily management of all subcontractors and their specific duties as well as the project design. He works closely with JDL’s clients to ensure the projects are a complete success.