Officers
Ariel Goldfarb, President
Ariel is founder of Concentric Growth Partners, a decision design consultancy that applies design principles to the processes through which information, experience and expertise are brought together and evaluated. He brings more than 20 years of experience in research, marketing and strategy, both in the U.S. and overseas. Prior to founding Concentric, Ariel co-founded CurtisAlan Partners in 2003, a research and brand strategy consultancy.
Ariel is currently an adjunct lecturer at Northwestern University’s Segal Design Institute within the McCormick School of Engineering, where he teaches about the role of customers and brands in innovation. Previously, he served on the faculty of Northwestern’s Medill School for 12 years, teaching Brand Equity Management in Chicago, San Francisco and London. He is a recipient of the 2010 Faculty Teaching Award and holds a bachelor’s degree from UC Berkeley and a master’s degree in Integrated Marketing Communications from Northwestern University.
A resident of Evanston since 1999, Ariel is particularly interested in ensuring Design Evanston represents the full breadth of design disciplines, especially those that shape residents’ everyday lives, and in expanding the relevance, awareness and impact of design across the broader Evanston community. His afflictions include slow cycling, espresso in all its forms, and baking pizza and sourdough.
James Michaels, Vice President
James is a licensed architect, occasional artist, writer, and active member of the Evanston community. With more than 35 years of experience practicing architecture nationally and internationally, he brings a broad perspective to the design and evolution of our built and urban environments.
He is currently an Associate Principal at Goettsch Partners in Chicago, where he is a leader in the firm’s multifamily residential practice. His professional experience includes leadership roles at Solomon Cordwell Buenz (SCB) and 18 years at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), where he served as a Studio Head and senior design leader. His work has focused extensively on multifamily housing, mixed-use developments, and the design of complex urban environments.
James holds a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Detroit and a Master of Architecture from the University of Michigan, where he also taught architectural design and history.
James is particularly passionate about housing, urban design, and sustainable approaches to community living. He believes thoughtful architecture and urban planning play an essential role in creating vibrant, enduring, and livable communities.
Paula Bodnar Schmitt, Communications
Paula is the owner and creative director of Bodnar Design, an Evanston-based boutique design firm specializing in holistic brand identity creation, and execution in print, packaging, signs/spaces and digital media.
Prior to establishing Bodnar Design, Paula spent nearly a decade designing for an iconic brand – Crate and Barrel. During its heavy expansion years, she lead large-scale design initiatives and helped staff, organize, train and manage the in-house department.
Paula earned her BA in Design from the University of Notre Dame and returned for a period on the visiting faculty to teach Typography and the Professional Practice of Design. She is currently pursuing a Certificate of Historic Preservation at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
A resident of Evanston since 2003, Paula has served on the City’s Sign Review and Appeals Board. She lives in a landmark home (an ongoing, hands-on design project), with her husband and two children.
www.bodnardesign.com
Robert Natke, Treasurer
Robert E. Natke is UrbanWorks’ Vice President and, as the firm’s technical director, oversees project quality control and document coordination. His efforts ensure that UrbanWorks’ projects are programmatically functional, maintainable, and provide serviceable life cycles. Rob is also responsible for business operations, staffing, staff development, construction administration services and business development.
Rob holds both a professional degree in architecture and a Master of Business Administration specializing in finance and marketing from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Prior to joining UrbanWorks, Rob planned and designed projects in the adaptive re-use, laboratory, manufacturing, office and religious architecture market segments. Additionally, he directed design, construction and planning departments at several Chicago area major private universities as well as a Fortune 500 corporation and has served as a part-time adjunct faculty member at the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT). www.urbanworksarchitecture.com
Jack Weiss, Director Emeritus
Jack’s professional career spans a period of nearly sixty years. Since forming Jack Weiss Associates in 1977 he has directed over 400 major projects ranging from printed communications and visual identity programs to signage and wayfinding systems.
Jack is a fellow and past president of The Society of Typographic Arts www.typographicarts.org. He is a co-founder, past president, and director emeritus of The Chicago Design Archive www.chicagodesignarchive.org. He is a founding member, past president, and director emeritus of Design Evanston. He was a former chairman of the 27 Chicago Designers.
Jack has served on the design faculties of the Institute of Design, IIT and Columbia College Chicago. He received a BS with distinction from the Institute of Design, IIT, and a BFA and MFA from the School of Art & Architecture at Yale University. He was honored as a Life Master by IIT in 1992. In 2025, Jack received the City of Evanston Preservation Commission’s Cultural Ambassador Award.
www.jackweissassociates.com