The Grumman|Butkus Associates team was saddened by the sudden passing of our colleague Inna Gorelik on April 30. Inna had been a member of the firm since 2000 and held the title of Project Engineer.
Her training included Associate in Science and Bachelor of Science degrees from Byelorussian Polytechnic Institute (now called Belarusian National Technical University) in Minsk, Belarus. She later received training in AutoCAD and Revit, and she held the Autodesk Revit MEP Professional Mechanical and Electrical credentials.
Inna had extensive mechanical engineering experience in the healthcare, higher education, science/technology, government, and commercial building sectors. During her 20-year-plus tenure at GBA, she made a significant contribution to improving the energy efficiency of diverse facilities in northern Illinois and the wider Midwest.
Engineering design projects on which Inna was a key team member included ventilation upgrades at the BP Research Campus in Naperville, IL; the new St. Alexius Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Hoffman Estates, IL; a central plant for NorthShore Highland Park (IL) Hospital; the Education Building and the Rice Plant Science Center at the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe, IL; an ICU expansion and patient tower build-out at Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, IL; a major HVAC upgrade project at Advocate Trinity Hospital in Chicago; an ICU addition at Advocate South Suburban Hospital in Hazel Crest, IL; and multiple steam infrastructure projects at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL.
Recent award-winning work included the new Outpatient Pavilion at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, IL; renovations and complex HVAC upgrades for two engineering buildings at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana; and a chilled water plant supporting new manufacturing capability for animal pharmaceuticals firm Zoetis, in Kalamazoo, MI.
Chad Luning, President of GBA-Illinois, offers this remembrance:
“Inna was a wonderful person, and GBA was lucky to have her as part of our family for nearly 22 years. She loved her work and was always striving to improve her technical knowledge and skills. She took the initiative to learn Revit, completing an extensive self-study course and becoming a Revit Certified Professional in 2017, before Revit was as widely used as it is today.
“Inna would never say no to anyone asking her for help, regardless of the day, hour, or how much other work she had on her plate. She enjoyed helping people and contributing to the successful completion of projects small and large.
“Inna was eager to go to project sites, bringing her laptop to mechanical rooms and utility tunnels, spending hours documenting complex systems, and developing incredible three-dimensional models that will be an invaluable resource for years to come.
“Inna loved taking her lunch break to walk along Evanston’s lakefront in almost any weather. Sometimes she walked alone, sometimes with a colleague. She could usually be found in the kitchen afterwards, fixing a healthy snack.
“Inna made GBA a nicer place in every way. She will be missed and always remembered.”
