Executive Team

Chief Executive Officer

Joy Aruguete

Ms. Aruguete has served as the Chief Executive Officer of Bickerdike Redevelopment Corporation for 26 years. She leads this 54-year-old award-winning nonprofit community development corporation whose works hasincluded: the development of 2,060 housing units, including 154 single family homes, with an additional 207 units under construction 731 apartments under development; resident-involved property management of 1,194 rental housing units; management of over 90,000 square ft. of commercial space across eight sites; the performance of minor repairs in over 700 households; the development of hundreds of jobs for community residents; and the development of hundreds of community leaders.rnrnMs. Aruguete provides leadership in efforts to ensure effective policy, capacity and resources for affordable housing and community development in Chicago and nationally through her active engagement. She is an active Board member of the Chicago Rehab Network, and currently serves as board President. Ms. Aruguete also serves on the Board of the Chicago Housing Trust (formerly Chicago Community Land Trust), and was appointed to serve as President of the board in 2020. In 2021 Ms. Aruguete was appointed to the Cook County Land Bank Authority.rnrnIn May 2018 Ms. Aruguete received the Outstanding Community Leader Award by the Association of Fundraising Professionals Chicago Chapter. In 2009 Ms. Aruguete was presented with the 40 Who’ve Made A Difference Award by Business and Professional People for the Public Interest. Ms. Aruguete has been active in the nonprofit sector for over 30 years. She received her Masters Degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She also holds a Certificate in NonProfit Management from Roosevelt University, and an Illinois Real Estate Managing Broker License.

VP of Asset Management

Michael Burton

Michael Burton oversees the long term sustainability efforts for all of Bickerdike’s properties, including 1,194 affordable housing units in 145 buildings and over 70,000 square feet of commercial space. His duties encompass capital planning and improvements, commercial leasing and long term property preservation including recapitalization, refinance, partner exits and green retrofits. Michael has worked at Bickerdike for 22 years and formerly led the organization’s housing development efforts. Michael brings a wealth of housing industry experience to Bickerdike. For six years, Michael served as the Training and Technical Assistance Coordinator at the Statewide Housing Action Coalition (SHAC), where he was a consultant to affordable housing developments throughout Illinois. Prior to SHAC, Michael was the Cooperative Housing Program Director at Peoples Housing, where he oversaw the conversion of an affordable rental housing project to a tenant-owned cooperative. As a volunteer, Michael provided technical assistance to launch two student cooperative houses at the University of Chicago. Michael is an organizer and leader of numerous grass roots initiatives. He is a founder of Chicago Bike Winter, the Zoning for Transportation Equity Coalition and the Logan Square UFO Club. He is lead singer and guitarist in the band Urban Spaceman. Michael has guided five Sierra Club wilderness service trips in the Rocky Mountains and has led bike tours in South America. He has travelled in more than 35 countries and is the founding brewer of La Cascada Brewery in Banos, Ecuador. Michael holds a M.S. in Human Administration from Spertus College in Chicago and a B.A. in English and Economics from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Joy Aruguete

Awilda Calderon

Michael Burton

Yolanda Cruz

Shawn Andrea Long