Registration Questions

Call: 202-684-2034
Email: eventregistration@bisnow.com

Request Speaker Information

Speaker Topics

Tell us a Little More

In-person Event Covid-19 Guidelines

This event will be in-person and will follow local guidelines to ensure the safety of all attendees. We will have a capacity limit and it is highly likely this event will sell out. We will advise on any necessary precautions closer to the event.

Speakers and Panels

Development, Major Projects & Trends

Steve Baile

Steve Baile

Chief Development Officer

Selig Enterprises

Debbie Frank

Debbie Frank

Director of Transit Oriented Development

MARTA

Chris Faussemagne

Chris Faussemagne

Partner

Third & Urban

Chris Conrad
Moderator

Chris Conrad

Partner

Smith + Howard

Steve Baile

Chief Development Officer

Selig Enterprises

As Chief Development Officer for Selig Development Company, Baile oversees Selig’s commercial, residential, and mixed-use development platform. Co-founding Selig Development alongside Scott Selig in 2014, Baile is recognized as one of Atlanta’s leading developers whose dossier accounts for over 5,500,000 square feet of commercial, hospitality, residential and mixed-use developments and acquisitions.

Current projects include three new towers started in 2018, The Epicurean Atlanta Hotel, 40 West 12th Street (Condominiums) and 1105 West Peachtree (Office) plus street-level retail. The Works, a mixed-use 80+/- acre development on Atlanta's Upper Westside represent 1.5 million square feet of office, residential, retail and entertainment, 550 North Highland (residential) and two additional towers in Midtown round out Selig Development's current initiatives. Baile's ventures represent in excess of $2.5 Billion in the Atlanta Region since 2004.

A graduate of Auburn University, professional and civic associations include: National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP), Urban Land Institute (ULI), Atlanta Apartment Association and Board of Directors for the Midtown Alliance.

Debbie Frank

Director of Transit Oriented Development

MARTA

Debbie Frank is the Director of Transit Oriented Development at the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) in Atlanta, GA, managing the planning and implementation of the transit-oriented development program for the Authority. She is a real estate development and urban planning expert with over 25 years of success spearheading planning, development, and redevelopment initiatives for private for-profit and nonprofit organizations as well as the public sector in Alabama, Ohio, Tennessee,

and Georgia.

Prior to joining MARTA, Debbie served as managing partner of Urban Blueprint, a real estate

development and consulting firm in Nashville, Tennessee with a primary focus on mixed-use

development in emerging markets. Debbie also served as the executive director of the North Nashville Community Development Corporation, a nonprofit organization where she promoted the revitalization of the North Nashville community in partnership with Fisk University, Meharry Medical College, Tennessee State University, and the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce. She credits the years as a nonprofit executive and city planner in Nashville as the ideal foundation for her career in real estate development. As a city planner, she developed land use policies and neighborhood redevelopment plans or Nashville-Davidson County.

Debbie holds a Master of Community Planning degree from the University of Cincinnati and a Bachelor of Science degree in urban planning from Alabama A&M University. She is a member of the ULI Atlanta. While in Nashville, Debbie served in various leadership capacities with the Regional Transportation Authority, the Metro Traffic and Parking Commission, the Housing Fund, the Land Trust for Tennessee, the Nashville Civic Design Center, the Rotary of Club of Nashville, among other civic and nonprofit organizations.

Chris Faussemagne

Partner

Third & Urban

A native Atlantan and graduate of the Westminster Schools, Chris graduated in 1994 from Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia. He began his real estate career in 1998 with The Winter Group of Companies and then joined Weaver & Woodbery Company in 2000. In 2005, he formed White Provision Development Co. to acquire and develop the historic buildings at 14th Street and Howell Mill Road in West Midtown Atlanta into a 335,000 square foot mixed-use development that soon became a catalyst for new development in the area. Working with neighboring properties, Westside Provisions District was created to provide one of the Southeast’s top restaurant and retail destinations.

Chris joined Third & Urban in 2018 from Westbridge Realty Partners, which was formed in 2010 by the development partners of the White Provision Development Co. to continue focusing on adaptive re-use and urban infill projects as well as consulting on larger regional projects for institutional clients. In the fall of 2017, the company delivered a new historic adaptive re-use project in West Midtown called Stockyards, which has provided much needed office and entertainment space for the area.

Chris has won Development of Excellence awards from The Urban Land Institute (ULI), Atlanta Regional Commission, Atlanta Urban Design Commission and the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation for projects he developed. He is on the board of Upper Westside Improvement District, ULI Atlanta, and serves on various land use committees. Chris lives in the Buckhead neighborhood with his wife Katie and their two boys.

Chris Conrad

Moderator

Smith + Howard

Chris Conrad is a partner in the tax practice at Smith & Howard and is a leader on our real estate team.

Chris works closely with real estate companies, providing comprehensive services for the business and the owner(s), with an understanding that the goals and challenges of each are intertwined. Whether from the perspective of the developer, broker, property manager, leasing agent, or tenant representative, his guidance on real estate decisions is given in a larger context, incorporating all involved.

Chris received his BBA in Accounting and Master of Accountancy from the University of Georgia. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants.

Atlanta Construction Market Analysis

Jeff Garrison

Jeff Garrison

Principal

SJC Ventures

Travis Garland

Travis Garland

Chief Development Officer

Portman Holdings

Ben Bunyard

Ben Bunyard

SVP

Choate Construction

Nick Sanfilippo

Nick Sanfilippo

SVP

Franklin Street

James Tomak
Moderator

James Tomak

Principal

Smallwood

Jeff Garrison

Principal

SJC Ventures

Jeff Garrison’s passion is to create dynamic, community-changing retail centers that encompass connection, walkability and activation. He believes development should drive neighborhood engagement and bring people together for experiential shopping and dining. His key strengths lie in shaping the future of a community layout and thoughtfully converting urban infill into thriving neighborhoods that benefit residents in meaningful ways. Jeff is a partner at S.J. Collins Enterprises and has been with the company since its 2007 inception. He handles the intricate mechanics that bring a vibrant development property together – from locating new sites, building tenant relationships and communicating with neighborhood groups to hiring contractors and shepherding the project to its final phases.

Over the past decade, he has developed more than 5 million square feet of retail and mixed-use space across the country. Current projects include The Interlock, an award-winning $450 million mixed-use center rising in Atlanta’s West Midtown neighborhood, and Southern Post, a multi-use property soon to transform a much-needed section of Roswell, Georgia.

Jeff graduated magna cum laude with degrees in real estate and speculative finance from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. He holds a Georgia real estate license and is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers. He currently serves on the board Mount Vernon Presbyterian School, where his children attend school. Jeff lives in Atlanta with his wife Jennie. The two have three children.

Travis Garland

Chief Development Officer

Portman Holdings

As Chief Development Officer, Travis Garland oversees the day-to-day business across all asset classes at Portman, playing a key role in shaping strategy, executing transactions, and driving the development of new and existing product types.

Previously, Travis served as Managing Director of Office at Portman, where he led transactions totaling over $4 billion in gross value, including leasing, operations, and dispositions. He is an active member of NAIOP and ULI. His achievements have earned him recognition as a NAIOP “Top Producer” in 2014 and 2018, as well as the #2 Producer in 2016, 2020, and 2021. He was also named one of Real Estate Forum’s 40 Under 40 in 2014 and has been recognized as a CoStar Power Broker from 2013 to 2021.

Travis holds a B.B.A. in real estate from the University of Georgia and is a licensed Broker in Georgia and North Carolina. He has been active in commercial real estate since 2005.

Ben Bunyard

SVP

Choate Construction

With nearly 30 years at Choate, Ben has managed a wide variety of projects and teams. As Division Manager, he establishes and oversees the execution of Atlanta’s short- and long-term business strategies.

Nick Sanfilippo

SVP

Franklin Street

Nick Sanfilippo serves as Senior Vice President of Project Management for Franklin Street. In this role, he leads the firm’s project management division, which provides comprehensive development and construction services for both investor and occupier clients, nationwide. Mr. Sanfilippo has nearly 20 years of experience in building and leading project management teams, while consistently creating value for his clients ranging from new developments to redevelopment projects to programmatic store opening rollouts.

Throughout this career, Mr. Sanfilippo has completed over 30 million square feet totaling nearly $1 billion worth of development across the United States. He brings preconstruction and construction operations expertise in estimating, value engineering, bid procurement and final cost analysis.

Before joining Franklin Street, Mr. Sanfilippo successfully led a team of project managers for DDR Corp., covering a region of Southern, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic states, as well as Puerto Rico, which made up over half of the company’s portfolio. While serving in this Senior Director position, he completed projects totaling over $120 million and nearly 2 million square feet of tenant buildouts and ground-up construction across multiple markets and product types.

Mr. Sanfilippo is a prominent member of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and has previously served as the Chairman of ICSC’s Next Generation Chair Committee. He is also active with the Buckhead Club and the Association of Young Real Estate Professionals.

Mr. Sanfilippo earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Georgia and a Master of Business Administration in Real Estate from Georgia State University. He is a licensed Real Estate Salesperson in Georgia.

James Tomak

Moderator

Smallwood

Jim has over 29 years of experience in the A/E/C Industry with a focus on the construction phase of projects. He has been a key member of many successful teams in various sectors such as Office, Hospitality, Mixed Use, Multifamily, Institutional, and Industrial.

Jim has extensive experience in all aspects of the construction industry and focuses on the construction phase of projects. His broad perspective and understanding of the principles and procedures required

for successful construction projects enables him to proactively assist all parties to achieve common

goals.

Jim is detailed oriented and has the ability to focus on the true priorities of a project and completing them timely. He professionally engages and works with the contractor on each project to encourage the

construction of the final product as it was designed.

Keynote

Jerome Russell
Keynote

Jerome Russell

President

H.J. Russell & Company

TJ Ulam
Opening Remarks

TJ Ulam

Regional Sales Director - Southeastern US

SageGlass

Sabine Apollon-Lopez
Keynote

Sabine Apollon-Lopez

Senior Director, Project & Development Services

Cushman & Wakefield

Kenisha Robnett
Moderator

Kenisha Robnett

EVP

ReMax Commercial

Jerome Russell

President

H.J. Russell & Company

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.

Sabine Apollon-Lopez

Senior Director, Project & Development Services

Cushman & Wakefield

Sabine Apollon-Lopez is a Project Management Director in Cushman & Wakefield's Atlanta office with more than 25 years of diversified experience in corporate architecture, design, and project management. She delivers a multitude of design and construction services, including new construction, tenant improvement, mission critical facilities, strategic portfolio planning, program management, and move management. Ms. Apollon-Lopez has successfully executed small to multi-million dollar projects with her progressive experience managing multiple projects entailing a wide range of types, scopes and budgets.

Prior to joining Cushman & Wakefield, Ms. Apollon-Lopez was a Senior Vice President at Colliers International. Additionally, she has experience on both the client and service provider side with past roles at major companies including Studley, Time Warner, and Blue Cross and Blue Shield, enabling her to have a unique understanding and respond exceptionally to her client's needs to deliver outstanding results.

Kenisha Robnett

Moderator

ReMax Commercial

Kenisha has been in the Commercial Real Estate Industry since 2006 with undergraduate degrees in Chemistry and Spanish, and a Master’s Degree in Real Estate Development. She spent 5-years as a Tenant Rep with UGL-Equis, (a company who has since merged with Cushman & Wakefield), and it was there, that she became known as a tenacious negotiator for end-users of space. Kenisha later transitioned to Corporate Real Estate at Walmart headquarters, where she was responsible for an $8 Billion portfolio and conducted lease negotiations, excess land sells, and helped to develop new stores.

In 2017, Kenisha returned to full-time brokerage and joined RE/MAX Commercial in Atlanta, Georgia She is a CCIM, and in 2019 became one of the first black female CCIM Course Instructors in the institute’s history. She serves on the Georgia CCIM Chapter Board, and is passionate about paving the way for others. She was influential in establishing the CCIM/ REAP Mentorship program to promote diversity within commercial real estate, and assist these new professionals within their first few years in the business. She has also been a mentor with the Atlanta Commercial Board of Realtors for over 2 years.

Kenisha is an educator, and very active within her community. Annually she is a guest lecturer in the Georgia State University’s real estate program and at an Atlanta public high school; therefore, due to her industry proficiency, and community service, she was nominated for WLI’s 2021 Leaders Award. She was also named “Broker of the Year” and a 2020 CRE Woman of Influence by GlobeStreet; and in 2019 she was a recipient of the Connect Media’s "Women in CRE Award;" recognized as a Regional and National Leader in the Industry.

Why This Matters

What you'll learn:  

  • How are Atlanta developers dealing with rising construction costs?

  • How are developers and architects shifting gears to incorporate new building amenities following the pandemic? 

  • What new construction methods, financing strategies, and building designs should the Atlanta CRE community be aware of? 

How You’ll Do More Business: Learn about the biggest projects in 2021 from top developers, and construction companies. Gain key insights from our panel of experts about their development challenges and successes, site selection, construction costs and financing, and emerging trends.

Who Attends: Developers, government officials, brokers, general contractors, and more.

Why You Should Attend: Bisnow events bring together the biggest power players in the industry to identify opportunities, build your network and expand your business. With the largest audience of commercial real estate professionals in the world, no one knows how to help your business more than us.

Agenda

Time Activity
11:30 AM
12:45 PM
Pre-Event Networking
12:45 PM
1:15 PM
Keynote Fireside Chat
1:15 PM
2:00 PM
Development, Major Projects & Trends

Gain key insights on upcoming Atlanta development activity. Learn who's building and new tactics developers are putting to the test.

2:00 PM
2:45 PM
Atlanta Construction Market Analysis

Learn how the Atlanta CRE community is reassessing how they do business to ensure profitability given the rising cost of construction.

2:45 PM
3:00 PM
Post-Event Networking