Recognized as one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the nation, R. Donahue (Don) Peebles Jr. is Founder, Chairman, and CEO of The Peebles Corporation.

In an era where social responsibility and inclusion are often seen as buzz-phrases, Mr. Peebles is actively influencing change and creating opportunities that positively impact communities, through Real Estate investment and development. The Peebles Corporation is among the leading privately held real estate and development companies in the United States, with a multi-billion dollar project portfolio, spanning key markets in the nation including: New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Miami, Philadelphia, Charlotte and Washington D.C. Mr. Peebles and The Peebles Corporation's uniqueness is guided by the company’s own principles of Affirmative Development (TM) to empower women and minorities in closing the wealth gap – with the aim of developing not just land or buildings, but also opportunities for people.

Mr. Peebles is an industry leader in large scale real estate development through Public-Private Partnerships. Through construction excellence, sustainable materials, historic preservation and innovative design, every project is strategically selected to achieve transformative results for the company and community.

Mr. Peebles is an avid supporter of mentoring underprivileged youth to expose them to the value of entrepreneurship. He is the former Chairman of the Board of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, is on the Board of Directors of the YMCA of Greater New York, was a two-time former member of President Barack Obama’s National Finance Committee, and the former Chairman of the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Mr. Peebles is a frequent guest commentator on CNBC, CNN, FOX News and FOX Business Network. He has written two books entitled The Peebles Principles and The Peebles Path to Real Estate Wealth, which provide the fundamentals for individuals striving to succeed in real estate. The books articulate Mr. Peebles optimism and belief that everyone’s career goals are achievable. Growing up as a child raised by a single parent, in a middle-class home, to achieving multimillionaire status by the age 27, Mr. Peebles believes that dreams really can come true.

Mr. Sykes currently serves on the following Boards; The Natixis Loomis Sayles Funds Board of Trustees, Apartment Investment and Management Company (NYSE:AIV), The Eastern Bank Board of Advisors & Risk Management Committee, The Federal Reserve Bank of Boston External Diversity Advisory Board, Real Estate Executive Council (Former Chairman & Emeritus), The City of Boston’s Civic

Design Commission, The Urban Land Institute’s New England Advisory Board and NAIOP Massachusetts Board Management Committee.

Previously, Mr. Sykes served on the following Boards: Ares Commercial Real Estate (NYSE: ACRE) Board of Directors & Compensation Committee, The Federal Reserve Bank of Boston Board, 2008-2014 (Chairman 2012-2014, Audit Committee, Business Practices Committee), Capital Crossing Bank Preferred REIT Board of Directors (Acquired by Lehman Brothers Bank), 2004-2009, Bank Boston & Fleet Community Bank Board of Directors 1994-2004, ICON Architects Board of Directors, 2004-2006, Mr. Sykes also served on the Board of Overseers for Beth Israel Hospital, Children’s Hospital, Boston University Medical Center and Brigham & Women’s Hospital Osher Center.

Mr. Sykes is Managing Director of Accordia Partners, LLC, a Boston based real estate investment and development company. Accordia executes large scale public-private real estate projects with a goal of financial and socially responsible investing success.

Previously, Mr. Sykes was the head of an urban investment, development and redevelopment commercial real estate equity fund for select institutional investors called Urban Strategy America Fund, L.P. The Fund was a true “triple bottom-line fund” focusing on investment returns, economic development and environmental sustainability. Mr. Sykes is responsible for the supervision of the partnership equity placement, the identification of investments and the day-to-day business operations of the USA Fund.

Kirk Sykes combines his professional training and hands-on experience in the areas of finance, investment, development, design and construction to create customized responses to the complex issues of urban real estate development. His approach is grounded in the bottom-line driven perspective gained during his tenure as Chairman of The Federal Reserve Bank of Boston and various other for-profit and non-profit board affiliations. Mr. Sykes acts as an Advisor to Basis Investment Group, a commercial real estate debt investment platform, where he provides strategic guidance and input on mezzanine debt and preferred equity investments in connection with construction loans.

Mr. Sykes has been a speaker at Harvard University Business School & Kennedy School of Government, University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business, MIT Sloan School of Management and Center for Real Estate, Cornell University Real Estate Program and The League of Historical Cities of the World Conferences in Japan, Turkey and Australia.

Mr. Sykes attended the Harvard University Business School, Owners and Presidents Management Program, the MIT Center for Real Estate Development Commercial Development Executive Program and the L’Ecole Polytechnique in Paris, France. He earned his Bachelor of Architecture from Cornell University.

Dara Kovel is the Chief Executive Officer of Beacon Communities LLC, a privately owned real estate firm that develops, acquires, invests in, and manages a wide range of multi-family housing with properties throughout New England, New York, and the Mid-Atlantic. The company currently owns over 135 communities with approximately 20,000 homes, including a variety of affordable, mixed income and mixed-use projects. Beacon has nearly 50 years of history creating and maintaining award-winning residential communities that serve a diverse cross-section of society that make enduring contributions to the vitality of the cities and towns where they are located.

Dara began at Beacon in 2015 as President of Beacon Communities Development LLC, overseeing all development activities for Beacon Communities. Dara has been actively involved in the development of affordable housing her whole career. Prior to her joining Beacon, she was Vice President and Chief Housing Officer at the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority (CHFA) where she oversaw all multifamily lending and tax credit allocation activities, as well as the homeownership programs.

Before working at CHFA, Dara ran the New England office of Jonathan Rose Companies, a New York-based, green, real estate development and investment company. Her previous work was with Mercy Housing California, where she ran the Southern California office and developed affordable housing throughout the state of California.

Dara currently serves on the Urban Land Institute’s Terwilliger Center’s Workforce Housing Board and Boston Advisory Council, the CEDAC Preservation Advisory Committee and the Board of Dwight Hall at Yale. She holds a BA and MBA from Yale University.

Matt Grosshandler, Bald Hill Builders' VP of Operations, has more than 28 years of residential and commercial building experience. Matt is responsible for providing senior-level management and oversight to all Bald Hill Builders' projects, aligning project operations with company goals. Matt is a past President and Executive Board Member of the Friends of Hebrew Senior Life, where he is a Trustee and serves on the Real Estate Task Force. Through his work with Hebrew SeniorLife, Matt has actively been involved with the development of several Affordable Housing projects, currently the St. Therese Residences in Everett, MA. As a leader in adopting new building solutions, Matt was invited to participate in a study with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' Department of Housing to consider modular construction as a more widely accepted practice. Under Matt's tutelage, BHB was recognized as one of "Boston’s Best and Brightest Companies to Work For" in 2021, as well as "Boston Business Journals Largest Women-Owned Business" in 2021. Matt has earned both a Bachelor of Science in Building Sciences and an MBA from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY. He is a LEED Accredited Professional as well as a Certified Passive House Builder and OSHA 10 trainer. In addition, Matt was named one of New England's Top Young Professionals by Engineering News-Record.

As a Principal at PCA, Laura is responsible for the design of the firm’s most high-profile projects, from multifamily housing (affordable, senior living and market rate) to retail and complex mixed-use developments. She enjoys the complexities involved in the adaptive reuse of historic buildings or a mixed-use project, finding new ways to fit everything into an impossible site - especially in an urban setting.

Laura excels at achieving consensus – managing complex approvals processes and helping community groups contribute their input to the design of the next great addition to their neighborhood. A graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (Bolivia), and member of the AIA and CREW, Laura brings a high level of versatility and organizational skills to each new commission. In addition, Laura leads PCA’s internal Sustainability Group as well as the firm’s initiatives as a Just Organization.

Jay Ierardi is the Partner in Charge of the Architectural Code Consulting Practice at AKF, an award-

winning firm specializing in innovative design solutions for the built environment. He is highly

experienced in fire safety and code consulting for new construction, interior renovations, changes in

use, and additions to existing buildings in accordance with the applicable state codes to resolve

compliance issues of varying complexity. His expertise includes mitigating code compliance issues with

the design team and authorities having jurisdiction for low-rise, mid-rise, and high-rise mixed-use multi-

family projects. He excels in resolving code-related discrepancies that arise with novel construction

techniques in new construction and the fire and life safety challenges during renovations of residential

facilities.

Jay regularly participates in industry panels and is published in trade journals. He is a certified special

inspector for fireproofing, firestopping, and tall mass timber structures. Jay is also an active member of

the International Code Council, National Fire Protection Association, and Society of Fire Protection

Engineers.

Leslie has over twenty years of affordable housing, commercial, and community development experience in the private, public, and non-profit sectors. Currently, she serves as the CEO of Madison Park Development Corporation, one of the largest community development corporations in Massachusetts. Leslie’s community development experience includes asset management, acquisition, planning, financial feasibility, financing, design, and construction for residential, commercial, and mixed-use properties previously with the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation. In her role at the as Program Developer at the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development, she assisted public housing authorities with mixed-finance, private affordable housing, and non-residential development. She also brings housing and commercial lending and investment experience from her work as a loan officer with the Massachusetts Housing Partnership Fund, Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation and as a Principal Advisor at Recap Advisors.

Leslie currently serves on the boards of the Children’s Investment Fund, the Boston Preservation Alliance, and the loan committees of the Life Initiative and the Massachusetts Housing Investment Corporation. She is a former board member of Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation, HomeStart , and the Boston Employment Commission . She resides in Roslindale with her three children.

Gayle Manganello is Senior Vice President, Manager of Origination within the Tax Credit Services group at PNC Bank, NA (“PNC”). She has been with PNC for 21 years. Gayle began her career at PNC as the relationship manager for the New England region and eventually became team leader of the Northeast and Midwest team. As Manager of the Origination group, Gayle is responsible for overseeing PNC’s national platform involving the origination of nearly $1.3BB of equity and debt opportunities in low income housing tax credit developments. Gayle is also a PNC-Certified Women’s Business Advocate.

Gayle has been in the affordable housing industry for 32 years where she has worked exclusively on structuring investments. Prior to joining PNC, Gayle worked for First Partners, Inc. and Boston Capital Partners – both privately held real estate investment companies.

Gayle has participated on numerous industry panels and in industry organizations. She is a current board member of Catholic Charities Merrimack Valley, a former board member for NYSAFAH and Women’s Institute for Economic Development and a current mentor for the Urban Plan program of ULI.

Gayle holds a BS in Mathematics and an MS in Finance from Boston College.

Mr. Kenneth F. Wille, CEO: Professional Engineer licensed in multiple states and based in NY, Building Performance Analyst, LEED AP, Certified Energy Manager, and Green Building Engineer with the Association of Energy Engineers. Mr. Wille was involved in developing HUD Green Mark to Market requirements and qualifications following participation in HUD Green Retrofit Program. A seasoned construction consultant with over 5,000 construction loan monitoring inspections, 1,000+ Property Needs Assessments and 100+ energy audits under his utility belt. Mr. Wille has been numerous boards, podcasts and panels and is a published author with an educational building inspection series available on the KOW YouTube channel.

Andrea Joy Campbell was first elected as the District 4 Boston City Councilor on November 3rd, 2015, representing primarily the neighborhoods of Dorchester and Mattapan, as well as parts of Roslindale and Jamaica Plain.

On January 1st, 2018, at the start of her second term, Councilor Campbell was unanimously elected Boston City Council President by her colleagues. She is the first African-American woman to serve in this role.

Born and raised in Boston, and educated in all Boston Public Schools, including Boston Latin School, Councilor Campbell went on to graduate from Princeton University and UCLA Law School.

Councilor Campbell continues to focus on issues of public safety and criminal justice, affordable housing, and racial equity initiatives. As Council President, she has worked to ensure that the Council is accessible and transparent by securing funding for a professional development fund to bring the entire Council, including staff members, through racial equity training.

William “Wil” H. Catlin, Jr. is Partner and Managing Principal of Boston Realty Advisors, where he oversees the Commercial Leasing Division, as well as the overall strategic growth of the firm. Wil has an innate ability to translate business objectives and corporate culture into an effective environment that yields productivity and creativity.

Mr. Catlin leads a group of client-centric professionals in both tenant representation and agency leasing. Since 2017, the Commercial Leasing Division has leased over 1.5 million square feet, establishing Boston Realty Advisors as the market leader for the TAMI office sector and specialists in navigating gut rehab commercials projects throughout Greater Boston.

Mr. Catlin is an active member of NAIOP and the Greater Boston Real Estate Board (GBREB). He is on the board of Love Lane Therapeutic Horseback Riding Program, The Tremont School and part of the Menlo College Alumni Association.