Malaika Rivers is the Founder & President of Pontem Resources. She helps businesses and governments work together to imagine and build great places. She works with a wide variety of changemakers — from CEOs to city mayors — to find cost-sharing strategies for pressing development needs.

With a focus on transportation, mobility, connectivity, and placemaking, Malaika’s work builds physical infrastructure as well as sustainable organizations to support it. Having worked for and with real estate developers, consulting firms, governments, and planning organizations, she crafts strategies that bring vision, process, funding, and politics together to achieve healthy ROIs.

Malaika’s work includes the billion-dollar, sports-anchored, mixed-use development models of Centennial Yards (Atlanta Hawks) and The Battery Atlanta (Atlanta Braves). She is the foremost expert on Community Improvement Districts (CIDs). Having formed and led CIDs over decades, Malaika advises on how these development tools effectively channel infrastructure funding into commercial centers.

Malaika is a 100 Influential Women to Know, a Georgia 500, and a 25 Power Women to Watch. She received her B.S. from Virginia Tech and her C.M.E. from Harvard Business School. She frequently contributes to various media outlets and publishes forward-thinking reports, including how CIDs may be positioned at the forefront of smart cities and digital transformation.

Malaika’s drive to conquer challenging terrain for her clients extends to her personal life. Whether hiking mountains or exploring deserts, Malaika is in constant pursuit of the way forward.

Bob Voyles

Principal, Chief Executive Officer

Bob Voyles founded Seven Oaks Company in 2004 and is responsible for the strategic direction and deal sourcing for the company. Bob’s portfolio of projects at Seven Oaks and in his former position as Senior Development Officer at Hines, include the following:

Developed over 3 million SF of Class A award-winning, mixed-use and office-oriented development throughout metro Atlanta, Developed headquarters facilities for King & Spalding, InterContinental Hotels Group, MCI-SE Region, and HomeBanc, Acquired three Class A office projects totaling 1.7 million SF, and asset managed over 6 million SF of Class A commercial office, Developed land projects in Georgia, Tennessee and Florida totaling approximately 1,800 acres and nearly $1 billion in total development value, Structured finances of nearly $1 billion in real estate projects with institutional partners such as GEAM, GM Pension Trust, Calpers and GE Capital, as well as entrepreneurial partners such as The Brookdale Group, St. Joe and the DeMoss Foundation. Bob holds numerous positions in local civic, community and charitable organizations:

Perimeter Community Improvement District (CID) Board; Founder and Chairman (2004-2010), Georgia Regional Transportation Authority; Member; Chair, Land Development, Metropolitan Atlanta Chamber of Commerce; Board of Advisors Member, Cobb-Marietta Coliseum and Stadium Authority; Board Member; Chair, construction Committee, Metropolitan Atlanta CID Coalition; Co-Chair, Livable Communities Coalition; Board Member, Young Life-Africa; Board Member, Church of the Apostles; former Vestry Member and Church Warden.

Ms. Engel is an accomplished commercial real estate executive. Her broad strengths include business development and commercial real estate development, personnel management, sales management and product marketing. Ms. Engel’s leadership abilities have been recognized by organizations, corporations and foundations. She is the immediate Past-Chair of the Kennesaw State University Foundation and in 2011 Connie was named Executive in Residence for the Coles College of Business at Kennesaw State University. Previously she was President of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties of Georgia (NAIOP) and she is a Past President of Commercial Real Estate Women.

Ms. Engel additionally has a wide understanding of current issues, obstacles and opportunities facing our country in foreign policy and national security which she has received through her membership in and involvement with Business Executives for National Security. (BENS).

Ms. Engel is a Partner in the Atlanta Office Division of Childress Klein Properties and has been in charge of development and leasing at the prestigious Atlanta Galleria, for over twenty years. Responsibilities include lease negotiations (legal and economic issues), development and implementation of advertising, marketing strategy and preparation and implementation of the budgets for approximately 2,000,000 square feet of Class A office space in five high rise office buildings.

Ms. Engel has been frequently recognized as a leader in her industry. In 2010, NAIOP of Georgia honored Ms. Engel with the Award of Excellence for dedicated service to the commercial real estate industry. Twice she was the Top Producer in office leasing in the greater metropolitan Atlanta. In 2015, Ms. Engel was inducted into the inaugural Kennesaw State University Business School Hall of Fame in recognition of professional accomplishments, contribution and leadership in the community.

Ms. Engel’s community involvement responsibilities include being an elected Board Member in 1998 and Treasurer (2000 – 2008) of the Cumberland Community Improvement District, which is responsible for allocating a special property tax collected from commercial property owners for transportation and other improvements in Cobb County. The CCID has leveraged over $100 million of private assessments to over $1 billion in transportation and streetscape improvements.

In 2005, Ms. Engel was selected to serve on the Board of Trustees for Kennesaw State University, the third largest and fastest growing university in the state of Georgia. In 2006, she was asked to increase her involvement by becoming a member of the Executive Committee and in 2007 she became Chair of the Real Estate Committee. In 2008, the Real Estate committee spearheaded the purchase of 100 acres of land for future sports/stadium areas for Kennesaw State University. She has received the Erwin Zaban Award and the Clarice Bagwell Award from Kennesaw State University for outstanding contribution and leadership within the KSU Board of Trustees. In October of 2009 she was elected Vice Chair of the Foundation and in October of 2010 she was chosen Chair Elect of the Foundation. She became Chair of The Foundation in October 2012 and completed her term in 2014. Currently she is immediate past chair of the Foundation.

In 2011, Georgia Governor Nathan Deal appointed Ms. Engel to the Georgia Board of Dentistry, consumer representative.

Ms. Engel graduated from the University of Iowa with a B.A. in Communications and an area of concentration in Public Address. She is an MBA graduate of Kennesaw State University’s Coles College of Business.

Ms. Engel’s interests include golf and flying: she is a certified multi-engine pilot of 18 years. Ms. Engel has been married to Pete Watson for over twenty-five years and has three children: Jacqueline Watson Grech, Esq.; Sarah Oddsen DeCaro, M.D.; and Ellis Watson, a graduate of the University of Georgia.

Pat joined Ackerman & Co. in 2003, bringing a unique blend of finance, entitlement, transaction and mixed-use development experience to the firm. Pat focuses on build-to-suits, sales, development and new acquisitions. Recently, he entitled and sold land for 350 apartments at high watermark pricing in the Central Perimeter submarket of Atlanta.

Currently, Pat is overseeing the future development of over 2 million square feet of office, retail, condominium and hotel combined on several key sites in Central Perimeter. He plays an integral role in creating and maintaining profitable joint venture partnerships for development and acquisitions. He has led acquisition teams that has purchased 500,000 square feet of office in Central Perimeter and has added over 2 million square feet of entitlement through successful rezoning.

Before Ackerman, Pat worked with Trammell Crow Company where he managed build-to-suits throughout North America. He also worked with one of Atlanta’s premier commercial builders, managing and estimating several landmarks projects in and around Sandy Springs and Central Perimeter.

Mike Plant is in his 15th season with the Atlanta Braves, and in 2018 was

named President and CEO of Braves Development Company. Plant joined the

organization as Executive Vice President of Business Operations in November of 2003.

As part of the Braves executive leadership team, Plant was instrumental in the Braves’ efforts to secure and

oversee construction, leasing, financing and management of SunTrust Park and the adjacent mixed-use

development, The Battery Atlanta, which opened in Cobb County in April 2017.

Plant joined the Braves after having served as Executive Vice President of Turner Sports since February 2002.

In that position, he was in charge of the day-to-day operations of the division, a $500-million acquisition,

promotion and production company that at the time broadcast approximately 1,200 hours of sports programming

on various Turner networks.

Before becoming Executive Vice President of Turner Sports, Plant was President of Ted Turner’s multi-sport

event, The Goodwill Games, and Vice President of Events for Turner Sports. He was responsible for the overall

direction and management of The Goodwill Games, as well as all sports properties acquired by Turner Sports.

Prior to joining Turner Sports, Plant was Owner and President of Medalist Sports, a full-service sports

marketing company he founded in 1988. Medalist Sports created and operated premier professional cycling

events in the United States and China. In addition, Plant was the Associate Executive Director of the United States

Cycling Federation in Colorado Springs, Colo., from 1986 to 1988 and the Executive Director of the Canoe and

Kayak Team from 1985 to 1986.

Plant was a member of the 1980 U.S. Olympic speedskating team in Lake Placid, NY, and a six-time member of

the U.S. World Championship speedskating teams. Since 1980, he has been appointed to numerous committees

and boards for the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC), the U.S. International Speedskating Association, International

Cycling Federation, and USA Cycling. Plant served on the Atlanta Committee for the 1996 Olympic Games (ACOG)

Board of Directors and the Board of Trustees for the Salt Lake City Olympic Bid Committee for the 2002 Winter

Games.

Plant served two eight-year terms on the USOC’s Board of Directors and Executive Committee (1984-1992 and

2003-2011). He was Chairman of the USOC Athletes Council, and Chairman of the Athlete Performance Group

(1992-1996). Plant was President of USA Cycling, the National Governing Body for Olympic cycling, from 1995 to

2002, and is the current President of U.S. Speedskating.

Internationally, Plant served on the International Cycling Federation’s (UCI) Executive Committee for 20 years,

and was President of three different commissions. In 2009, Plant was elected U.S. Olympic Chef de Mission for

the Olympic team for the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games.

He and his wife Mary have two daughters, Erika and Maddie, and a son, Drew.

Jeffrey S. Fuqua is the founder of Fuqua Development, LP. He was previously Board Member, Partner & President of The Sembler Company. In his nearly 25-year tenure there, Fuqua developed in excess of 14 million square feet in over 80 projects valued at $4 billion. During Jeff's tenure with Sembler, The Atlanta Business Chronicle named The Sembler Company Top Developer for eleven consecutive years since 2000. Major real estate projects include The Prado, Town Brookhaven, Edgewood Retail District, Lindbergh Plaza, Perimeter Place, Lenox Marketplace in Atlanta. In Florida, Fuqua developed Legacy in Palm Beach Gardens, and Boynton Beach Town Center.

Michael Blair joined the RangeWater Real Estate team when the company was founded in 2006. Michael served as Managing Director of Development before transitioning to his current position as Chief Operating Officer in 2017. Michael’s focus is centered on the organization, communication, operational performance and efficiency of the firm, as well as improving processes for planning and execution among all divisions of the company. Since his arrival at RangeWater, Michael has helped to successfully grow the development team into a highly proficient unit of 20 development and construction professionals. Under his leadership, the development team executed 28 new projects totaling 9,000 residential units and counting.

Michael’s extensive leadership and project management experience have proven to be valuable assets for RangeWater. He forged strong and productive relationships across the company through his previous role, and his prolific background in construction and design helps him oversee and offer valuable insight into the successful planning, execution and completion of each project the firm develops.

Michael holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering from Vanderbilt University and a Master of Science degree in Construction Management from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He is a member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). A native Atlantan, Michael supports all of the local sports teams, especially the Braves and Falcons, and also coaches numerous youth sports. Michael enjoys playing tennis and spending time and traveling with his wife, Krissie, and children Ben, Will and Jane Brooks.