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Speakers and Panels

Steve Baile

Steve Baile

Chief Development Officer

Selig Enterprises

Jim Irwin

Jim Irwin

President

New City

Scott Jackson

Scott Jackson

CEO

Jackson Corporate Real Estate

Travis Garland

Travis Garland

Chief Development Officer

Portman Holdings

Gene Rice

Gene Rice

Founder

Vantage Realty Partners

Chris Bontrager

Chris Bontrager

Atlanta Business Unit Leader

DPR Construction

Kennedy Hicks

Kennedy Hicks

EVP, Investments

Cousins Properties

David R. Tennery
Moderator

David R. Tennery

Managing Director

JLL

Kenneth Kraft
Moderator

Kenneth Kraft

Partner

Parker Hudson

Chad Cook

Chad Cook

Founder

Quadrant Investment Properties

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.

Jim Irwin

President

New City

Jim Irwin is the President of New City, LLC and directs the company’s real estate development and consulting operations, as well as new business pursuits. Over the course of his career, Jim has been responsible for over $500 million of new investment around the United States.

Prior to founding New City, Jim served as a Senior Vice President at Jamestown Properties, leading the development of Ponce City Market, a 2.1 million square foot former Sears, Roebuck & Co. distribution facility that was originally constructed in the 1920’s. During its redevelopment, the project was one of the largest and most significant historic renovations underway in the United States.

Jim began his career in real estate working for Atlanta-based Barry Real Estate Companies. Among other projects, Jim managed the development of a FBI Regional Headquarters, a $60 million-build-to-suit project in Minneapolis, and Harrison Square, a 16 acre mixed-use development in Fort Wayne, Indiana, anchored by an 8,000 seat minor league ballpark associated with the San Diego Padres. Since it opened to the public, the ballpark has been named “best overall minor league baseball experience” in the country four separate years.

Jim earned a Bachelor of Arts from Dartmouth College, where he played football for four years. After college, he served as a legislative aide to two U.S. senators and a U.S. representative before returning to Atlanta to pursue a MBA with a concentration in real estate finance at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School. Jim and his wife, Elisabeth, have three young children.

Scott Jackson

CEO

Jackson Corporate Real Estate

JACKSON CORPORATE REAL ESTATE acquires and manages Class A and B office buildings in Atlanta. Founded in 2001, the firm offers extensive experience investing and operating office properties by combining an entrepreneurial approach to investing with an institutional approach to operating each investment. Jackson has built several diversified income portfolios in Atlanta and completed numerous joint venture investments with such notable investment partners as General Electric. Jackson leads and advises each investment partner in all areas of investment concern. The firm’s deep local knowledge, relationships and focus helps assure quality investments are made and maximum performance is achieved.

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.

Gene Rice

Founder

Vantage Realty Partners

Gene Rice is a native Atlantan who graduated from The University of Georgia with a degree in Consumer Economics. As a co-founder of Vantage Realty Partners, in 2007, Gene has built the business from the ground up, developing strong relationships with neighbors, business owners, investors and developers alike. His primary focus is to create value on projects that have a positive impact on the entire community.

Gene has forged a niche in tenant representation and site selection in the office, retail and restaurant markets. He also works with principals on investment properties ranging from retail centers to land and mixed-use developments.

Gene and his wife Isabel live in Virginia Highland with their two children. The couple is very active in their community, having founded the highly successful Zoo Atlanta fundraiser, Jazzoo (www.JazzooAtlanta.org) in 2008. In addition, in 2008 Gene and Isabel partnered with Catholic Charities to bring Adopt-A-Family to their parish, the Cathedral of Christ the King. Through this program, they have helped over 300 families in need each year during the Christmas season.

Gene is a member of the Atlanta Commercial Board of Realtors, International Council of Shopping Centers, YCR, Old 4th Ward Business Association, Christian Business Leaders, the Capital Group, JAZZOO Atlanta Board, and Adopt-A-Family.

Chris Bontrager

Atlanta Business Unit Leader

DPR Construction

Chris Bontrager is currently the DPR Atlanta Business Unit Leader. Chris has been with DPR since his days as project manager in 2000 and has been a Project Executive on the Atlanta's Leadership Team since 2014. Chris brings a wealth of construction experience with more than 3 million square feet of construction experience to his credit including construction in education, corporate office, senior living, retail and multi-family projects. Chris brings a communicative, can-do management approach to his role within DPR and fosters open, honest communication across the region, internally, among pre-construction, shared services, and operations, and externally, with subcontractors, owners and design professionals.

Kennedy Hicks

EVP, Investments

Cousins Properties

Kennedy Hicks is the Executive Vice President of Investments for Cousins. In this role, she is responsible for acquisitions, dispositions, investments in development and portfolio strategy. In July 2020, Kennedy was also named Managing Director of the Atlanta market, overseeing the operations and business development for the Company’s seven million square feet within the city.

Prior to joining Cousins in 2018, Kennedy was a Managing Director with Eastdil Secured, a global real estate investment banking company. In this role, she was primarily responsible for advising and representing clients on equity sales or ventures for institutional office properties throughout the Sun Belt. During her tenure at Eastdil Secured, she was instrumental in securing and executing over $22 billion in office sale or joint venture assignments. Before joining Eastdil Secured, Kennedy was a Director of Finance with CBRE’s Southeast Office Investment Team.

Education:

B.B.A., University of Georgia Honors Program

Memberships and Civic Involvement:

Kennedy is a member of The Westminster Schools Alumni Board as well as the Atlanta Children’s Shelter Board.

David R. Tennery

Moderator

JLL

In his role, Mr. Tennery leads the JLL Southeast Capital Markets Office Investment Sales platform, and oversees client continuity and strategic value initiatives for investor office clients of the Firm.

Mr. Tennery has been in the commercial real estate business since 1982; moving from the finance and accounting field, to a project finance role with Texas developer, Vantage Companies. Prior to joining JLL, Mr. Tennery’s prior real estate experience focused on development, asset stabilization, and disposition. Over his 30 year real estate history, Mr. Tennery has served in leadership and production capacities including Principal, Regional Partner, Managing Director of Acquisitions and Dispositions, and Chief Operating Officer.

Kenneth Kraft

Moderator

Parker Hudson

Ken Kraft is the founder of the Parker Hudson Real Estate practice group. Over the course of his 40+ year career he has worked on billions of dollars’ worth of real estate transactions and more than 25,000,000 square feet of leases, in deals at all levels of complexity. His experience, judgment and reputation ensure that his clients are in the optimum position to achieve their objectives.

A former senior executive for Atlanta developer Taylor & Mathis and The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, Ken truly understands and is oriented to the business of commercial real estate. He represents owners, lenders, and developers in the purchase, sale, financing, and development of office, industrial, residential, and hotel real estate. In addition, Ken regularly represents clients in large national headquarters leases and leasing of retail locations throughout the United States.

Ken is steadfastly committed to seeing his clients’ deals through to a successful conclusion. The breadth of his experience over the commercial real estate landscape enables Ken innately to understand not only the needs of his clients, but also those of his clients’ counterparties, and thereby devise solutions that work without compromising client goals. One client described Ken’s leadership and creativity succinctly: "He cuts through the clutter" – Chambers USA 2017.

Chad Cook

Founder

Quadrant Investment Properties

Before founding QIP, Chad was Vice President, Acquisitions for Hillwood Investment Properties, where, from 2004 to 2012, he focused on development and acquisition opportunities in numerous markets nationally. In addition to helping lead the company’s acquisition team Chad coordinated over $1 billion in dispositions. He also played an integral role in the sourcing and structuring of numerous institutional joint ventures and development partnerships. Prior to joining Hillwood, Chad was a Director of Leasing and Dispositions with Emerson Partners, a Dallas based owner and operator of office and industrial properties.

Summary

Bisnow is pleased to announce our 2016 Atlanta State of Office. Find out what developers, owners, and investors have to say about new trends in the office market. What do millennials want? How is Class A space adapting to a changing workplace culture and new expectations for what it means to be “at work?” What does it take to make buildings competitive in today’s changing environment?

Come hear what's on the horizon from our all-star panelists, and learn their strategies to develop quality product and attract the top tenants. As always, expect plenty of coffee & networking before and after our panel discussion. 

Agenda

Time Activity
11:30 AM
12:30 PM
Networking & Coffee
12:30 PM
2:00 PM
All-Star Panel Discussion
2:00 PM
2:30 PM
Post-Event Networking

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