Greater Baltimore Multifamily and Affordable Housing Summit

Keane is the former Planning Director of Baltimore City and a nationally recognized city planner. In his time at the Planning Department, he has established himself as a leader and partner for key stakeholders across the private and public sector, overseeing urban planning and design, land use and zoning, development, and capital budgeting, as well as the City's sustainability, food policy, and historic preservation offices. Keane has previously led the planning departments of four significant cities: Charleston, South Carolina; Atlanta, Georgia; Boise, Idaho; and Calgary, Canada. Leading these departments, Keane has been responsible for planning, housing, community development, and every other aspect of city development. Keane also brings extensive housing policy experience to DHCD. He has guided major policy initiatives such as rezoning projects to expand affordable housing, city permitting operations, and implementing protections from displacement for low-income homeowners. Keane has also worked closely on reorganizing city agencies and departments: while serving as Planning Commissioner in Atlanta, Keane led a holistic reorganization of both the departments for planning and housing, and as the head of Planning, Permitting, & Engineering in Charleston, Keane oversaw the consolidation of multiple city departments and offices. These efforts both made their respective agencies more effective and service-oriented. Keane holds both a Master of Science in Architecture and a Bachelor of Arts in Planning from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He also served as a Fellow at the University of Miami School of Architecture and on the adjunct faculty at the College of Charleston.

Mr Ernst Valery is a co-managing member of SAA | EVI and shares overall responsibility for the day-to-day operations and execution of SAA | EVI projects and relationships. Mr. Valery has successfully invested in and developed real estate in Maryland; Washington, D.C.; Pennsylvania; Virginia; California; and New York. For the past 16 years, he has been involved with development projects ranging from mixed-use, multi-tenant rental properties, single-family renovations and condominium conversions. Mr. Valery is the founder and president of SAA | EVI affiliate Ernst Valery Investments Corp. (EVI), a private, minority-owned real estate investment firm established in 2001. EVI invests in select underserved and undervalued key emerging domestic real estate markets, defined as urban transitional areas with high residential and retail demand. Mr. Valery has extensive experience in affordable and market rate housing development and investment, including providing due diligence capabilities and extensive skills in budget planning, design development, marketing, and the supervision and guidance of contractors, architects and engineers. He is responsible for the securing and structuring of financing, including expertise in securing Historic and New Markets tax credits. Mr. Valery is also active in social entrepreneurship and volunteer work, including a collaboration with a team of professionals and graduates from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Community Innovators Lab (MIT CoLab) as well as efforts at incubating businesses around the world that help alleviate poverty and increase the earning potential of low income individuals, families, and communities. Mr. Valery graduated from Columbia University’s Master of Science program in Real Estate Development. He also obtained a Master’s Degree in Policy Analysis and Public Administration and a Bachelor of Science degree in Urban and Regional Planning with a concentration in International Relations, both from Cornell University. Ernst is also a Mel King Community Fellow at MITs CoLab.

A lifelong Baltimore resident, Liz has spent more than fifteen years building community- focused partnerships and programs across the city. She currently serves as Director of the UniverCity District Partnership at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, where she is leading the implementation of UMB’s Vibrancy Initiative to strengthen connections between the university, downtown, and surrounding neighborhoods through strategic partnerships, placemaking, and community engagement. Liz previously served as Assistant Deputy Mayor for Community and Economic Development for the City of Baltimore, where she led cross-agency initiatives and collaborative efforts such as DowntownRISE. Prior to that, she was Director of External Relations at the Baltimore Metropolitan Council and held multiple leadership roles at Live Baltimore, including Program Director, where she helped launch Baltimore’s Birthday Bash and advanced resident recruitment and retention efforts. Her work has consistently centered on connecting people, places, and institutions to create shared opportunities and inclusive growth for all Baltimoreans. Liz is a proud alumna of the University of Maryland System, Go Retrievers! She earned her B.A. in Political Science from UMBC. Outside of work, you might find her at Lexington Market, cheering on the Orioles, or planning her next excuse to bring people together in celebration of Baltimore.

Andrew is head of acquisitions, development, sales & marketing for GL Capital. In these roles, Andrew 1) leads in the sourcing of new projects and due diligence process; 2) oversees asset redevelopment, construction and renovations; 3) manages the sales and marketing process to raise capital for acquisitions and dispose of assets for big payouts to investors. Andrew also is the co-founder of the property management arm of GL Capital, known as Stork Property Management. Andrew is responsible for business development. He focuses on growing the company, establishing policies that promote the company’s culture and vision, and leading the sales team. Finally, Andrew adds significant value to the company through his leadership in the disposition of existing assets and his success in running his own residential sales business with Keller-Williams Realty Centre. Prior, Andrew holds a Master of Art in Design from Maryland Institute College of Art and a Master of Business Administration from Johns Hopkins Carey Business School with a specialization in marketing. With a heart for mentorship, he has also worked as a volunteer for communities in Philadelphia and Baltimore and is dedicated to creating social impact through his charitable contributions.

Anthony Ragosta is a Sales & Business Development Manager with Metromont, one of the East coast’s largest and oldest precast concrete manufacturers. He responsible for development of market opportunities for precast concrete members including total precast concrete solutions for medium and high-rise buildings for projects within the DC-Baltimore-DelMar and PA regions. Anthony is a Professional Engineer and a Designated Design-Build professional who specializes in value engineering, preconstruction support and implementation of precast concrete. He actively works to educate architects, engineers, builders, and owners on the benefits of total precast concrete to generate aesthetic and resilient assets for Owners in the built environment.