2016 Development & Construction Forum

H. Jerome Russell, Jr. is president of Russell New Urban Development, the entity that leads the family’s real estate strategic direction and new business development focus. He oversees the company’s real estate portfolio and chairs the Herman J. Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs (RICE). In addition to real estate development, Jerome has experience in property management, beverage distribution, logistics and banking. Jerome serves on the boards of H. J. Russell & Company, Concessions International, LLC, RICE, the Georgia Historical Society, Central Atlanta Progress, the Urban Land Institute, and is a member of the Rotary Club of Atlanta, The Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, Tiger 21, and The Carter Center, among others.

Mark currently serves as a development officer for Hines in its Southeast region, with primary emphasis on new business opportunities in Georgia, the Carolinas and Tennessee. Mark is overseeing two mixed-use developments in Atlanta, GA with entitlements and potential developments totaling over 2.3 million square feet of office, 600 hotel rooms, and 75 thousand square feet of retail. Immediately prior to his role as development officer, Mark provided asset management oversight, leasing support and strategic guidance to a 6.6 million square foot portfolio of office properties located in North Carolina, Georgia and Florida. During his 20 year career with Hines, Mark has worked in Denver, CO, Louisville, KY, Cleveland, OH, Charlotte and Durham, NC and Atlanta, GA, serving on the leasing and management teams of 17 different assets representing more than 10.2 million square feet in aggregate with annual gross revenues in excess of $300 million. Mark has leased over 2.5 million square feet in tenant engagements and executed over $75 million in capital investments, with a proven track record of success in the repositioning and stabilization of troubled assets, as well as meeting or exceeding the financial goals of Hines’ clients. Mark is a graduate of St. Lawrence University and is an active member of various commercial real estate industry organizations, including Charlotte Center City Partners Development Committee. Mark is currently actively engaged in the 2016 Leadership Sandy Springs Class.

Randy Holmes joined Seven Oaks in 2006 as a Principal and is responsible for securing new business opportunities as well as the oversight of all asset management and development services for the firm. Upon joining Seven Oaks, Randy negotiated the successful acquisition of Riverwood 100, a 500,000 s.f. Class A office building in NW Atlanta on behalf of GEAM for a total investment in excess of $102 million, thus positioning ownership to take advantage of a dynamic recovering market. Since the acquisition, Seven Oaks has leased approximately 325,000 s.f. of new and renewal space achieving a 90% occupancy level and stabilizing the building. Randy also successfully assembled 11 acres of additional land adjacent to Riverwood 100 to be developed for up to 800,000 s.f. of Class A office, 90,000 s.f. of retail, a 160-room hotel and over 330 luxury residential units. Prior to joining Seven Oaks Company, Randy spent eight years in key leadership positions with Hines in Chicago, Columbus (Ohio) and Atlanta. At Hines, he successfully managed the development, financing, acquisition, disposition, and operations of over $500 million in commercial real estate. Randy was responsible for the overall development, asset management and investor relations of Perimeter Summit, a multi-phased, master-planned community ultimately featuring 3 million s.f. of Class A office space, 1,000 multi-family residential units, and accessory retail. Randy was the general manager responsible for the $154 million acquisition and ongoing asset management and investor relations of the 900,000 s.f. Atlanta Financial Center in Buckhead. During his tenure at Hines, Randy was also responsible for negotiating and closing over $300 million in leasing transactions. Randy received a BBA in risk management from the University of Georgia and an MBA from the University of North Carolina. He is a member of the Urban Development Mixed-Use Council (Green) of the Urban Land Institute and a member of the ICSC. He also is a former member of the Board of Directors of the DeKalb County Chamber of Commerce.

An expert in developing complex, large-scale mixed-use developments, John brings a passion for creating great places to Toro Development Company. Kelley leads all aspects of commercial development, applying a collaborative approach that blends creative thinking with technical expertise. With over 23 years of experience, Kelley has developed nearly six million square feet of award-winning projects with a combined valuation of more than $2 billion. Prior to joining Toro Development Company, Kelley served as Partner and Senior Vice President of Commercial Development at North American Properties where he led the mixed-use development platform for the company’s Atlanta office. During that time, he oversaw the ground-up development of Avalon, the $1 billion “urbanburb” in Alpharetta, and the iconic transformation of Colony Square in Midtown Atlanta. John graduated from Georgia Tech with a Bachelor of Civil Engineering degree and earned an MBA in Real Estate from the University of Georgia.

Mr. Allman joined Regent Partners in 2006 and currently serves as a Principal on the Office Leasing and Development Team. His primary role consists of leasing activities and strategies for Regent Partners’ developments and acquisitions, as well as supporting acquisition efforts for office properties. Prior to Regent Partners, Mr. Allman spent three years at Bullock Mannelly Partners specializing in multifamily investment sales as well as debt and equity financing for office and retail projects across the Southeast. Mr. Allman obtained his BSBA degree from the University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill with a specialty in finance. He currently is a member of ULI, NAIOP, REGA, and is a licensed real estate agent in Georgia.

James Puckhaber, AIA, leads Gensler Atlanta’s new Commercial Office Buildings practice. He is a licensed architect with 20 years of experience in design, project management and construction. His work includes a broad range of building types that include award winning cultural, institutional, higher education and high-rise office buildings. James partners with his clients to understand their business needs and to capture and translate those needs into the overarching design vision. He ensures that all of his projects are executed to the highest standard of design excellence. James has been quoted on his work and design trends in the Atlanta Business Chronicle and is an active member of ULI Atlanta. James earned his Bachelor of Architecture from Georgia Tech and his Master of Architecture from University of Michigan.

Mark McLauthlen is the Director of Business Development for Honest Buildings mid-Atlantic region. He is an experienced software director and specializes in working with real estate owners to create operational efficiencies through technology. Mark has been with Honest Buildings for two years and he's excited to be a part of the continuous growth of CRE tech.

Bill Morrison joined Portman’s development team as Vice President of Construction. Bill is a native of Decatur, Georgia and grew up in Gwinnett County. He graduated from Georgia Institute of Technology with a BS in Building Construction and has an MBA from Emory University’s Goizueta Business School. Bill holds the Certified Construction Manager (CCM) and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional (LEED AP) designations and has been associated with 18 LEED designated projects during his 25 year career. Bill started his career with a mechanical contractor then moved into general contracting with Holder Construction. He has worked in owner’s representation and development roles with Carter & Associates, Emory University, Jones Lang LaSalle, and most recently with Skanska where he was Vice President of Operations. Bill currently lives in Druid Hills with his wife, 2 daughters, and golden retriever. He serves on several committees with the College of Architecture at Georgia Institute of Technology and is involved in several civic organizations in the area. When not working, Bill enjoys traveling, hiking, kayaking, and spending time with his family.

Scott Cannon is Executive Vice President of Operations for South Carolina and Georgia. In his role Cannon, a Georgia native, oversees all office functions in Georgia and South Carolina, including the implementation of management control systems, the preparation of value management studies, project cost estimates and field activities. Cannon brings more than 19 years of construction experience, having spent his entire career with Skanska. Most recently as the senior vice president of Skanska’s San Antonio, Texas operations, Cannon contributed to the success of projects such as the Tri-Service Research Laboratory and the Ambulatory Care Center at Lackland Air Force Base.

Joe Pella is the Senior Vice President and Market Manager for the Georgia Commercial Real Estate Team based in Atlanta. In this role, he is responsible for delivery of SunTrust’s platform of tailored products, services and financial solutions to privately owned commercial real estate developers and investors in Georgia. Joe began his banking career with SunTrust in 2006. Prior to his current role, he was the Group Vice President and Team Leader for the Residential Homebuilder Group of CRE, responsible for providing financial solutions to private homebuilders within the SunTrust footprint. Joe has also held various roles and responsibilities in Special Assets and as a Relationship Manager in the Residential Homebuilder Group. He is an active member of the Urban Land Institute – Atlanta and former co-chair of the Programs Committee. He is also a Board Member of the Midtown Alliance. Joe is a graduate of the University of Georgia with dual Bachelor of Business Administration degrees in Real Estate and Risk Management & Insurance. He is married with two young children.