Purnima Kapur is Harvard University’s inaugural Chief of University Planning and Design. She

oversees Planning and Design for all of Harvard University’s Campuses in Cambridge, Allston,

the Longwood Medical Area as well as Harvard’s long range, and multi-phased work in Allston.

She is a visiting faculty member at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design and has also served as

an Adjunct Professor at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and

Preservation (GSAAP).

Purnima has more than 25 years of experience in the New York City Planning Department,

culminating with her appointment as the Executive Director of the City Planning Department,

where she oversaw all land use planning and policies for the City of New York’s neighborhood

planning studies, economic development, and resiliency initiatives. Purnima is one of the key

architects of New York City’s groundbreaking Mandatory Inclusionary Housing regulation.

Under her leadership, the city adopted five Integrated Neighborhood Plans in four boroughs, as

well as an innovative plan for the redevelopment of Greater East Midtown. Prior to that

Purnima was a key player in the redevelopment and transformation of Brooklyn for over two

decades, leading high-priority and transformative projects, including the development of

Greenpoint-Williamsburg, Downtown Brooklyn, and Coney Island among other neighborhoods.

Over the years, Purnima has also provided consulting services on planning and development

projects in several US Cities as well as internationally.

Purnima holds a master’s degree in City Planning and Architecture Studies and a Master of

Science of Architecture Studies from MIT. She also holds a Bachelor of Architecture from the

School of Planning and Architecture Delhi.

As Co-President, Mahmood is responsible for co-managing Leggat McCall Properties and identifying new business opportunities. As a senior principal in the firm, he is a member of LMP’s Investment Committee and Executive Committee.

During the past 30 years with Leggat McCall Properties, Mahmood has had an active role in more than $2 billion worth of investment and development activities. Prior to his current role, he held the position of Chief Operating Officer for the company and was responsible for LMP’s third-party, fee-for-services activities, which were in excess of 14 million square feet of real estate. Prior to that, Mahmood was the Senior Vice President of Leggat McCall Properties, directing the Company’s Mid‑Atlantic development activities from Washington, D.C.

Mahmood is currently acting as a real estate advisor to several institutional owners, including Harvard University, Northeastern University, Tufts University and The First Church of Christ, Scientist on a wide range of strategic and transactional real estate matters.

Prior to joining Leggat McCall Properties in 1983, Mahmood worked in general contracting and civil/structural consulting in the Boston area.

Gautam Sundaram is a Principal at Perkins&Will and the Global Practice Leader for Campus

Planning. With a background in architecture and landscape architecture, he brings an

interdisciplinary approach to planning, emphasizing collaboration across disciplines.

For more than 25 years, Gautam has redefined how the firm approaches campus planning for

higher education. Addressing today’s complex challenges—declining enrollments, advancing

academic pedagogy, and fostering partnerships—he champions a rigorous, data-driven process

that engages diverse viewpoints and skill sets, channeling creative energy toward optimal

solutions. The results are data-informed framework plans that are bold, transformative to

student learning, and redefining campuses of the future.

His experience includes collaborations with national and international institutions, including the

University of Virginia, Georgetown University, the University of Kansas, the University of

Alabama, and Wentworth Institute of Technology. The University of Kansas 2024 Campus

Master Plan, one of his recent projects, received SCUP’s National Honor Award for Excellence

in Planning.

Jennifer Schultz is a partner at the law firm Nixon Peabody, LLP, and the Leader of the Nationwide Real Estate Development Team. Jenn specializes personally on large-scale complex mixed-use development in and around the Boston area, Worcester, and Providence, RI. She and her team have successfully permitted over 10 million square feet of development over the last 6 years, including over 4 million square feet of lab/R&D space. Nixon’s national development team includes more than 26 lawyers and professional staff across seven offices.

Leanne Peters is responsible for leading the development and management of ongoing campus wide planning, project definition and campus systems; programming; capital project development from concept through project execution; ongoing research and communication of best practices; coordination and co-operation with local, state and federal government and other partners; and development of space inventory and other campus archives. She leads a talented project management and planning group comprised of architectural, engineering, construction, design, planning and facilities information systems professionals.

Jonathan Hernandez is a seasoned engineering geologist with over 15 years of global experience in geothermal project development. He began his career in 2010, leading geoscientific surveys and geothermal drilling campaigns across North, Central, and South America, Southeast Asia, and East Africa. His early work focused on utility-scale geothermal power generation, where he developed deep expertise in subsurface characterization, resource assessment, and high-temperature drilling operations.

Today, as Director of Geoscience at Brightcore Energy, Mr. Hernandez brings that same rigor to the commercial and industrial sectors, spearheading the development of geothermal heat exchange systems. He serves as a subject matter expert in geoscience, drilling, and thermal modeling, helping to advance sustainable energy solutions through innovative ground-source heat pump (GSHP) technologies. His leadership bridges technical excellence with strategic execution, supporting Brightcore Energy’s mission to decarbonize the built environment.

John, an equal majority owner of SGA, spearheads the firm’s architecture practice, encompassing the life sciences, academic, commercial, technology, and residential markets. Known as a design innovator and thought leader, John leads many of the firm’s valued client relationships. Using his creativity, knowledge and strong communication skills, he has generated award-winning design concepts and has achieved public approvals for SGA’s largest and complex projects.

With over 16 years at SGA, John oversees the firm’s large-scale projects in both urban and suburban settings. He plays a major role in master planning, conceptual design, and the entitlements process, welcoming opportunities to present the perspective of clients to generate consensus among communities, municipalities and key stakeholders.

John’s talent for placemaking and architectural innovation has broadened recognition for SGA’s approach to design. Within the firm, John is a champion for design and an advocate for SGA’s culture, with an ongoing focus on fostering a supportive environment where people can thrive and grow as design professionals.

John received a Bachelor and Master of Architecture from Virginia Tech. Outside of the office, he spends time with his wife, two sons, and dog Brenna, who is a lab mix. He and his family enjoy traveling, the beach, and sports – they support Boston’s pro teams, his sons’ youth teams, and their alma maters, Virginia Tech and Ohio State.