Dave Cocagne is President and CEO of Vermilion Development and is the firm’s principal. During his career, he has been involved in the development of office, retail, and medical office facilities across the Midwest, developments that have played a catalytic role in neighborhood revitalization.

He has particular expertise in crafting public/private partnerships and executing on complex, multi-faceted projects. Much of his career has centered on working with institutional tenants, in particular institutions of higher education and healthcare organizations. Under his leadership, his firm and its affiliates have developed and acquired over $200 million of real estate assets. In recognition of his work, Mr. Cocagne was named the 2012 Young Visionary by the Urban Land Institute’s Chicago chapter, and Crain’s Chicago named him to its “40 under 40” list for 2013.

Mr. Cocagne serves on a variety of not-for-profit boards, including the University of Illinois Alumni Association Board of Directors and the Board of Directors of the Chicago Area Council, Boy Scouts of America. He has served on the University of Illinois Board of Trustees, the Merit Board of the State University Civil Service System, the Campustown 2000, Inc. Board of Directors, the Vermilion Advantage Board of Directors, the Vermilion County United Way Board of Directors, and a variety of other civic boards.

Mr. Cocagne received a Bachelor of Arts in finance from the University of Illinois. He earned a Masters of Business Administration from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, graduating as a Palmer Scholar. He was awarded the Chartered Financial Analyst designation in 2004. He is currently enrolled in the Advanced Management Development Program at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design. He is a member of the Urban Land Institute, the CFA Institute, the Chicago Club, and the University of Illinois Alumni Association.

• MBA, 2008, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Palmer Scholar
• BA, 2000, Finance, University of Illinois, University of Illinois
• Advanced Management Development Program, Graduate School of Design, Harvard University

• 40 under 40, Crain, 2013
• Young Visionary, Urban Land Institute, 2012

Real Estate Development (REAL-444-0)
Taught by experienced real estate practitioners, this course introduces students to the dynamics of real estate development in the United States using examples and methodologies from past and current real estate projects. The creation of value and risks common to the development of real estate as well as leadership, decision making, financing, budgeting and marketing will be central themes running through the course. Students gain a thorough understanding of real estate development, from the inception of an idea to the design and construction of income-producing real estate. The student will also learn the importance and need for sustainable, environmentally sound development. The course will cover a number of actual real estate developments that the instructors have managed and will use case studies to illustrate each week's topic. Course materials include a real estate development textbook. Basic spreadsheet modeling skills required.