About Altierra

In 1989, Jonathan founded Altierra when he was still a student at Loyola University in Chicago. Since those early days, when he would juggle construction projects with classwork out of his dorm room, Jonathan has been at the helm of hundreds of projects throughout Chicagoland and the Midwest. In that time, he has developed a reputation as a top professional adept innavigating the myriad stumbling blocks that can derail a project at various points between blueprint and finished product.

Jonathan enjoys the many facets of the business and applying what he learns from others’ perspectives to strengthen a project. From design to value engineering to problem-solving, Jonathan takes pride in delivering reliable, exceptional work that stands the test of time. His roots in construction date back to when he was 9 years old, and his parents allowed him to design the family’s remodeled kitchen in Oak Park. Later, as a freshman at Oak Park and River Forest High School, he began working for his older brother’s remodeling company. Midway through high school, he managed the high school workforce for a local residential rehabilitation company.

Jonathan enjoys traveling internationally, playing a variety of sports (he was on the Loyola soccer team), sailing on Lake Michigan, and spending time with family and friends. Another passion is helping his wife, Heather, with her business. A former educator, Heather suffered a severe aschemic stroke in 2011. Though significantly limited in her ability to speak, read and write, she has developed an inspirational art career as proprietor of HMK Watercolors and HMK Living.

With a history at Altierra that began in 2007, Mae’s dual role as staff accountant and office manager is marked by detail-oriented, well organized professionalism. As staff accountant, she handles all the accounting and financial reporting responsibilities for Altierra and its joint ventures. She is also its office manager, organizing and implementing the office policies and procedures, preparing payroll, performing human resources duties and assigning and monitoring clerical functions.

Her detail-oriented, well-organized approach stems from over 28 years of accounting and management experience in the fields of banking, lending, construction and real estate development. Early in her career, she was also involved in managing the day-to-day affairs of five desktop publishing stores and several other businesses in the Philippines and helped develop and implement systems for accounting.

Mae’s interests include baking, watching action adventure movies and music. She has a musically inclined family. Her husband and son are both involved in musical bands and she sings and performs with them occasionally. A native of the Philippines, Mae earned her bachelor of science degree in accounting from Polytechnic University of the Philippines where she graduated with honors.

Since 2006, Slawek has played a pivotal role for Altierra, first as a supervisor and more recently as a project manager who thrives on guiding on-site construction activity. He has played an instrumental role in a wide array of developments, including Clarence Square Townhomes, Garden Grove Townhomes, SoHo, Chicago Beverage and 40 Ashland. From negotiating fair cost estimates with subcontractors to collaborating well with architects, engineers and other professionals, Slawek helps ensure that projects are done on time and within budget.

One of Slawek’s strongest assets is his ability to coordinate the various trades required to bring a project from conception to completion. That skill flows from his extensive work in the construction trades. After starting out as a laborer while a teenager, Slawek moved up to carpentry, and then supervisory positions rehabbing houses and apartment buildings. Off the clock, Slawek’s full-scale renovation of his family’s bungalow, as well as his zest for woodworking and fixing everything from car engines to furnaces, reflect his hands-on creative passion.

An adrenaline-sports junkie, from jet skiing in the Chicago area to snow skiing in the West, Slawek especially enjoys riding his motorcycle and dirt bike. Born in Poland, Slawek moved with his family to the U.S. when he was in grade school. He resides in Oak Park with his wife and their two children.