Bey is the author of the much-praised book Southern Exposure: The Overlooked Architecture of Chicago’s South Side (Northwestern University Press, 2019), which showcases his architectural photography and social commentary.

Bey’s previous positions include stints as director of media and government affairs for the Chicago office of SOM, executive director of the Chicago Central Area Committee, and deputy chief of staff for architecture and urban planning under Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley from 2001 to 2004.

Bey is also an adjunct professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology College of Architecture.

He graduated from Chicago Vocational High School where he prepared for a career as a printing press operator, but decided to go to college and pursue a career in journalism after receiving praise from a teacher about his writing.

[5] Bey developed the exhibit into a full-length illustrated book about South Side architecture published in October 2019 by Northwestern University Press.