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Speakers and Panels

Opening Keynote

Keynote

Calvin Ball

County Executive, Howard County

A Market Evolving

Howard County’s Economic Growth and Development Outlook

Janine Lind

Janine Lind is the President of Enterprise Community Development, the largest nonprofit affordable housing developer in the Mid-Atlantic and an affiliate of Enterprise Community Partners. In this role, she leads the Community Development division’s high-impact residential development, preservation, asset and property management, and resident services work and its $1.4 billion portfolio of 115 communities serving 24,000 residents. Lind is an experienced leader with an extensive background in community development and affordable housing, having led companies with portfolios ranging from 15,000 to 40,000 homes across 28 states, including substantial experience in the Mid-Atlantic. Most recently she served as MidPen Housing Corporation’s first chief operating officer, where she oversaw the organization’s work to develop and manage high-quality affordable housing in Northern California. Lind’s career includes leadership roles at Progress Residential, Cerberus Capital, Edgewood Management Corporation, Guardian Management, and WinnCompanies. Lind is the founder of the Permanent Supportive Housing Coalition, a Bay Area group of eight nonprofits focused on driving systems and policy change. She also is a board and advisory member of the Housing Partners Insurance Exchange and has been a member of the National Apartment Association and the National Multifamily Housing Council. She previously served as the vice chair of the Affordable Housing Management Association’s legislative and regulatory affairs committees. Janine holds an M.B.A. in real estate finance from Marylhurst University, a B.A. in marketing from the American College of Applied Arts, and has earned the reputable certified property manager designation through the Institute for Real Estate Management. She is an associate certified coach through the International Coaching Federation, a Gallup-certified strengths coach, and a recipient of the Harvard Kennedy School Executive Certificate in Public Leadership. She speaks fluent English and Dutch and is proficient in German.

Enterprise Community Development

President

Janine Lind

President, Enterprise Community Development

Jennifer Jones

Jennifer Jones has over 20 years of business and leadership experience in the private and public sectors. As Chief Executive Officer of the Howard County Economic Development Authority, Jennifer is responsible for being a catalyst for economic growth, supporting existing businesses, targeting new businesses, and working with stakeholders to set the vision and direction for Howard County that positions it as a regional, national, and international business location. In her years in the public sector, she has been an integral part of the Howard County business ecosystem, directly assisting and helping thousands of Howard County businesses who have grown to know and trust her. As a former Deputy Chief of Staff in Howard County Government, she worked collaboratively with the Howard County Economic Development Authority, the Chamber, and others, to devise millions of dollars in grant programs that ultimately helped thousands of businesses survive and thrive through the pandemic. She also led in accelerating opportunities through the pandemic. Leveraging federal funds, she quickly produced a strategy and executed new public and private partnerships so that Howard County was the first in the state to stand up county testing sites and mobile vaccination. Previously, Jennifer served as Vice President, Business Development at Live Nation, where she was responsible for business analysis and market expansion. She also worked with various other Fortune 500 companies, notably Sony and Universal Studios on international business development, and as a Manager at Ernst and Young, LLP, assisting middle market companies with their corporate finance needs. A Howard County native and graduate of Wilde Lake High School, she holds a Juris Doctor from Pepperdine University School of Law, a Master of Business Administration from Pepperdine University School of Business, and a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Purdue University.

Howard County Economic Development Authority

CEO

Jennifer Jones

CEO, Howard County Economic Development Authority

Jim Lighthizer

James Lighthizer is the Founder and Managing Partner of Chesapeake Real Estate Group, LLC (CREG), a leading full-service commercial real estate investment and development firm headquartered in the Baltimore-Washington region. Since founding the firm in 2004, Mr. Lighthizer has led CREG through the acquisition, development, and asset management of more than 45 properties totaling over 8 million square feet of industrial, office, self-storage, and retail space across the Mid-Atlantic. Under his leadership, CREG has built a reputation for executing a disciplined investment strategy focused on value-add, build-to-core, and speculative development opportunities. Mr. Lighthizer brings more than 37 years of experience in commercial real estate. Prior to founding CREG, he spent 16 years at CBRE, where he rose to the rank of Senior Vice President and Partner and was consistently among the firm's top producers nationally. During his tenure, he advised institutional clients such as RREEF, Ohio Teachers, Invesco, Opus, First Industrial, and LaSalle Advisors. He was also a recognized leader within CBRE’s National Global Logistics Practice Group, representing major occupiers across the country. At CREG, Mr. Lighthizer has spearheaded some of the region’s most significant industrial transactions. Notable highlights include acquiring and developing Brandon Woods 3, a 1 million square foot ecommerce project occupied by Amazon and Best Buy. Port 95 Logistics, a 1 million square foot development at the Port, converting a 600,000 sf Unilever manufacturing facility. Baltimore Crossroads @95, a 240-acre business park with 1.5 million square feet of planned development. His brokerage business from CBRE carried over with his representing General Motors in the $33 million sale of its 182-acre Baltimore Van Assembly Plant to Duke Realty and he also played a pivotal role in GM’s acquisition of land in White Marsh, Maryland, for its 800,000 square-foot Allison Transmission Plant. Throughout CREG’s history, Mr. Lighthizer has forged strategic capital partnerships with premier institutions including The Carlyle Group, USAA, Prudential Real Estate Investors, EverWest Investors, TA Advisors, Atapco Properties, and others. These relationships have been instrumental in growing the firm’s portfolio and expanding its presence along the I-95 and I-81 corridors in Maryland, Washington D.C., Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Virginia. Mr. Lighthizer holds a Bachelor of Arts from Mount St. Mary’s College (Class of 1988) and completed formal sales and corporate service training with CBRE/USC. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, he is a graduate of Gilmour Academy.

Chesapeake Real Estate Group

Principal, Managing Partner

Jim Lighthizer

Principal, Managing Partner, Chesapeake Real Estate Group

Bill Jautze

Assistant Vice President, Leasing, St. John Properties

Peter Engel

Executive Director, Howard County Housing Commission

Kristi Simon

President & CEO, Howard County Chamber of Commerce

Moderator

Phillip Dodge

Executive Director, Downtown Columbia Partnership

Why You Can't Miss This Year's Howard County Event

What You’ll Learn:

The economic, demographic and policy trends shaping commercial real estate in Howard County
How the county’s high-income population, strong schools and strategic location continue to attract residents and employers
Why life sciences, healthcare, multifamily and mixed-use development are gaining momentum
How Downtown Columbia and other redevelopment efforts are reshaping the county’s commercial landscape
Where the next investment and development opportunities are emerging across the county
How planning frameworks, transportation access and infrastructure investments influence development decisions
The challenges developers face including land constraints, entitlement timelines, construction costs and financing conditions

Why This Matters:

Howard County sits at the center of one of the East Coast’s most powerful economic corridors, positioned between Washington, D.C. and Baltimore. As demand grows for housing, research space, retail amenities and walkable communities, the county is entering a new phase of strategic development and redevelopment. Major projects and districts are already helping shape this next chapter, including the continued evolution of Downtown Columbia and the vibrant mixed-use environment emerging in the Merriweather District. At the same time, development momentum continues along key corridors such as the Route 1 Corridor, while established employment and mixed-use hubs like Gateway Overlook and Maple Lawn attract companies, residents and retailers seeking high-quality suburban environments.

With major employers expanding across technology, healthcare and research sectors, understanding how these projects, planning priorities and market fundamentals intersect will be critical for developers, investors and occupiers looking to capitalize on Howard County’s continued growth. Join Bisnow as we convene developers, investors, public leaders to explore where Howard County’s market is headed, the projects shaping its future and the opportunities emerging across one of Maryland’s most competitive real estate markets.

For questions, recommendations, comments, press inquiries, or if you are interested in sponsoring, please email Ian Wheeler at ian.wheeler@bisnow.com. To request disability-related accommodations, please contact sabrina.cole@bisnow.com no later than seven business days prior to the event.

Venue

Doubletree by Hilton Columbia
5485 Twin Knolls Rd
Columbia, MD 21045

Ballroom/Floor: Atrium + Baltimore/Washington Ballroom

Parking Information:

Complimentary Self-Parking

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Agenda

Time	Activity
8:00 AM 9:00 AM	Registration, Breakfast, and Networking
9:00 AM 9:15 AM	Opening Keynote: Calvin Ball
9:15 AM 10:15 AM	A Market Evolving: Howard County’s Economic Growth and Development Outlook Howard County stands out as one of the region’s most stable and desirable commercial real estate markets, supported by a highly educated workforce, strong public planning and proximity to both Washington, D.C. and Baltimore. The continued evolution of Columbia is driving new mixed-use and residential opportunities and employers are expanding across technology, healthcare and life sciences. Hear from local leaders and developers about the economic forces shaping Howard County’s real estate landscape, the role of master-planned communities and development in future growth, and how the county is balancing thoughtful planning with the need to accommodate housing, jobs and new commercial space.
10:15 AM 11:00 AM	Closing Networking

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