Javonni Butler is Vice President of Development and Western Region Lead at Evergreen Real Estate Group, where he directs the full lifecycle of mixed-use and affordable housing developments. He brings broad real estate experience spanning development, acquisitions, asset repositioning, entitlements, complex capital structuring, construction oversight, and community partnerships, with a focus on delivering catalytic projects that integrate residential, community, and commercial uses.

Over his career, Javonni has executed more than $500 million in real estate transactions, encompassing affordable and mixed-income housing, market-rate residential, and commercial assets. Prior to Evergreen, he worked with private family offices and a national real estate investment trust, gaining extensive experience in development, acquisitions, leasing, and asset management across diverse U.S. markets.

At Evergreen, Javonni leads the firm’s Western Region initiatives and oversees its Denver office, advancing high-impact projects that address pressing housing needs. He leverages innovative financing strategies—including Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC), Middle-Income Housing Tax Credits (MIHTC), Proposition 123 funds, HOME funds, Project-Based Vouchers, Capital Magnet Funds, and public-private partnerships—to deliver sustainable, community-centered developments.

Deeply committed to inclusive community development, Javonni serves on the boards of Impact Development Fund, Denver Park Trust, Grovewood Community Development, and The Fax Partnership. He is also a member of the Leadership Denver Class of 2025.

Blaise Rastello is a Vice President with UDG and has 20 years of experience in real estate development and finance, with expertise in affordable housing and community development. Prior to joining UDG, Blaise led the affordable housing development platform for Gilbane Development Company, where he oversaw and directed the planning, design, construction, and financing for a $3.5 billion affordable housing development pipeline. Blaise started his career investing in low-income housing tax credits with the Richman Group and has experience working with both non-profit and for-profit affordable housing developers. Blaise is graduate of the University of Arizona and The New School.

Rick engages communities from Denver to Antarctica to create enriching environments that promote efficiency and well-being. In doing so, he applies his highly collaborative approach to inspire and discover synergies between experts and stakeholders. An active mentor and educator, Rick is constantly investing in the profession’s next designers. In addition, Rick provides leadership to design review boards, schools and not-for-profit organizations like the Leukemia Lymphoma Society.

Luke oversees Shaw’s Preconstruction Team and leads the collaborative project development process with owners and architects. He manages Shaw’s extensive pipeline of projects through multiple offices in the Rocky Mountain Region. Luke’s approach is one of collaboration, offering cost-effective alternatives to clients’ most challenging problem: getting to the right price. Luke remains current on industry trends in cost, technology, methods of construction, and materials to meet owner expectations and ensure a consistent client experience while delivering world-class service. He is involved in numerous industry organizations, including the Downtown Denver Economic Council, the American Society of Professional Estimators, ULI, and NAIOP. A graduate of Colorado State University, Luke lives in the Denver Metro area.

Michael Leahey is the founder and CEO of Castlewood Partners. He is the State of Colorado's leading expert in Public-Private Partnerships for Workforce and Mixed-Income Housing, particularly in Rural and Rural Resorts. Michael leverages 25 years of experience with both traditional debt and equity sources as well as more creative financial structures. Michael's clients have included the State of Colorado, Summit County, Pitkin County, Colorado Outdoors, and LDG Development. Based in Boulder, Michael is passionate about travel, food, and public speaking.

Andy Peters helps clients assert and defend their property rights. Equally at home before city councils and the courts, Andy navigates complex entitlements processes, negotiates with governments, and delivers trial and appellate advocacy to achieve client objectives. His practice spans land use and development approvals, eminent domain and takings cases, and matters concerning constitutional rights, sign regulation, and fair housing guarantees. He also serves as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Denver’s Sturm College of Law, where he teaches Land Use Planning.

As a land use lawyer, Andy has represented individual homeowners to Fortune 500 companies across Colorado, with a growing emphasis in mountain jurisdictions. His projects range from single-property redevelopment approvals on the Front Range to crafting multi-year, multi-property agreements guaranteeing development rights in mountain resorts. As a litigator, Andy has represented a similarly broad range of clients before state and federal trial and appeals courts, as well as regulatory and administrative bodies. He has particular experience in disputes arising under the First, Fifth, and Fourteenth Amendments; Colorado’s state constitutional financing provisions; as well as the Fair Housing Act and Americans with Disabilities Act. Additionally, as part of his experience with sign law and First Amendment matters, Andy has helped local governments with review and redraft of their sign codes. He frequently writes and speaks about all of those topics as well.

Before joining Otten Johnson, Andy served as an appellate law clerk to the Hon. William W. Hood, III of the Colorado Supreme Court, and as an intern for the Hon. Monica Márquez, also of the Colorado Supreme Court. He began his career at a Denver-based public relations firm, where for several years he helped national and international clients manage their reputations before interested governments, competitors, and the public.

Outside the office, Andy enjoys skiing, mountain biking, and world travel with his wife and children, as well as maintaining a nearly decade-old Dungeons & Dragons game night tradition with friends.

Andy serves on the firm’s Marketing & Business Development Committee and is chair of the Recruiting Committee.

Andy oversees East West Partners’ Roaring Fork Valley office, which has been exclusively focused on developing Snowmass Base Village (SBV) since 2016. With an estimated build-out cost of $1B, SBV is one of the largest mountain resort village projects underway in the country, comprised of over ten buildings with residences, hotels, retail, restaurants, community amenities and more. Prior to establishing the Roaring Fork Valley office, Andy served as the CFO of East West Partners from 2011 to 2016. Andy started with East West in 2004 and was the lead Project Manager on the Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa. Andy began his career in resort real estate development in 2000 with Vail Resorts Development Company, after which he obtained an MBA and Master of Real Estate Development from USC before returning to Colorado to join East West. He is President of multiple HOA and Metro District boards and sits on the Town of Snowmass Village Marketing, Group Sales and Events Board. In his spare time Andy enjoys snowboarding, cycling, hiking, yoga and playing live music

Kyle Zeppelin is recognized as an innovative developer of communities in the urban core of Denver. Over the past decade, Kyle’s focus has been on transforming the underused, former industrial area of River North (RiNo) into a mixed-use neighborhood. Kyle has received recognition and multiple awards for his work at TAXI and The Source, and has successfully leveraged these projects into additional fronts in RiNo. TAXI has grown from what was originally an eight-acre site, to what is now a 28-acre mixed-use site complete with 9 buildings, over 100 businesses and over 100 residential units. Kyle’s vision for The Source market hall has expanded with the addition of a hotel. The Source Hotel will feature 100 design-forward hotel rooms, an expanded 25,000-square-foot market hall featuring signature restaurants and retail shopping, New Belgium Brewing’s first Denver brewery, and an eighth-floor rooftop complete with a pool, bar, and unobstructed mountain and skyline views.On a community level, Kyle’s broader social efforts are directed toward improving pedestrian and bike infrastructure and connectivity, advocating for the reclamation of the South Platte River in RiNo and meaningful design in Denver’s built environment. Kyle currently works closely with Comal Heritage Food Incubator (Comal) and Project VOYCE, both located on TAXI. Comal, operated by non-profit Focus Points Family Resource Center and in partnership with Zeppelin Development, provides women entrepreneurs from Globeville, Elyria and Swansea with culinary arts, business and language skills in addition to serving up some of the most authentic Latin American and Syrian cuisine in Denver. Project VOYCE is a non-profit organization that provides leadership programs for students in the underprivileged sectors of Denver and teach them how to combat challenges in their communities.

After completing his B.Arch. at Cornell University, Jeff Kovel signed on with a Portland-based firm called Architropolis, doing fast-paced projects for retailers and rock stars, most notably a Miami residence for musician Lenny Kravitz. Three years later Jeff started Skylab and has been a leading creative force in the dramatic evolution of Portland. Over the last twenty five years, he has made his mark at both street level in the city’s oldest neighborhoods and across the city’s nascent skyline. Skylab brings extensive experience turning bold ideas into innovative places . The firm's award winning work can be found in wildly different contexts. These range from remote heli skiing lodges to corporate campuses, urban infill projects to national retail rollouts, hotels and mixed-use commercial buildings to non-profit and public projects. Skylab’s innovation extends to their patented modular housing system called HOMB. Jeff’s entrepreneurial spirit has established and developed a studio that has successfully developed, designed, and managed the construction of projects across the US and in Canada. With Kovel there has always been a focus on a fresh approach — thinking smarter about materials, site, and the natural world to make iconic and lasting work. Led by experience and curiosity, Skylab turns bold ideas into innovative buildings with an integrated understanding of regeneration, a strong narrative concept, and design strategy.

Nicole has been working in real estate law for more than 20 years, and has experience managing transactions with as many as 276 properties in a

single portfolio, as well as has expertise with handling $1.5 billion deals.

These are just some of the many credentials that Nicole Ament brings

to her role as Brownstein’s Real Estate Department chair—and to her

clients’ projects, every day. Focusing on land use, development,

financing and disposition, she spearheads transactions featuring

complex portfolios and large single assets. Nicole draws on diverse

experience navigating complicated development and land use issues,

to ensure her clients across the nation—from hotels and healthcare

facilities to ski resorts and fitness clubs—maximize opportunities.

Previously, she served as the chair of the firm’s Hospitality, Resort &

Recreation industry group and, in 2018, was named one of Bisnow’s

Denver Power Women for having a significant impact on the business

and commercial real estate industries, and helping propel cities and

communities forward.

Elena is a dedicated planner and landscape architect with a commitment to enhancing community development through innovative concepts. With experience spanning municipal master plans to intimate parklets, she excels in collaborative environments, utilizing strategic thinking and effective communication to navigate challenges. Since joining Norris Design in 2003 and relocating to their Mountain region office in 2008, she has successfully grown the office and expanded its expertise in rural and mountain resort communities.

With a robust background in planning and design, she effectively navigates the complexities of development in sensitive environments and political landscapes. Her diverse project experience spans affordable housing, resorts, infill and redevelopment, downtown revitalization, and sustainable design integration. Through a collaborative approach, she builds consensus among mountain communities in Montana, Utah, and Colorado, addressing shared developmental challenges.

Rebecca (Becky) has been with OZ since 1998. She is the President of the OZ Board of Directors, leads the company’s Resorts + Hospitality practice, has previously served as the Managing Partner, and has worked on nearly every prominent ski resort in the Western U.S. and many notable urban boutique hotels and restaurants across the nation.

The projects Becky has led throughout her career reflect her extensive experience in placemaking. She has a unique background in resort development and an inherent understanding of the best way to create vibrancy and bring a vision to life—whether in an urban setting, the mountains, or by the sea. In addition to her work with clients, Becky always takes time to serve as a mentor to OZ staff.

Becky received a Bachelor of Architecture from Iowa State University in 1993 and a Master of Architecture from Cornell University in 1995. She holds an architectural license in more than 35 states, is an NCIDQ-licensed interior designer, and is a LEED-certified BD+C. She is also an active member of several national industry councils and boards, including the ULI National and Colorado Resort Development Councils. She is the chair of the ULI Colorado Impact Awards, a WLI mentor, and sits on the AIA Denver Advisory Council.

Chuck Harmon is the spirited Mayor of the City of Idaho Springs CO and is a dedicated leader with a knack for transforming his city into an even greater place to live, play and explore. With over 30 years of proud homeownership in Idaho Springs, Chuck is a local through and through, championing improvements that benefit residents and visitors alike.

As a Gaming Impact fund Commissioner with the state of Colorado, Chuck ensures gaming revenues are used wisely, leaving a positive mark on communities statewide. His entrepreneurial spirit shines through as a former owner of one of Colorado’s premier airliner parts manufacturer-a testament to his knack for innovation and success.

But Chuck isn’t all business! When he is not shaping the future of Idaho Springs, he’s indulging his adventurous side outdoors. Whether treasure hunting, hiking the rugged trails or casting a line for some fishing, Chuck embodies the adventurous Colorado lifestyle.

Rachael Richards has served in elected office for over 30 years as a Pitkin County Commissioner,

City Council member and once again as Aspen Mayor. Working with many partners- she’s been a

champion of affordable housing, mass transit, childcare, the arts, and the protection of public

lands and water resources, all to support a healthy community in balance with a resort economy.

Creating the Healthy Rivers and Streams Fund with a 1/10 of a cent sales tax to protect the Roaring Fork

watershed

Spearheading efforts to build a Recreation Center with pools, Ice rink, climbing tower and the Youth

Center

Securing the Red and Yellow Brick schools for childcare, recreation, non-profits and the arts

Passed the first marketing bed tax to support the Aspen Chamber Resort Association

Supporting Affordable Housing at Burlingame Village, the Truscott addition and many other projects

Working to protect residential neighborhoods and manage growth through Short Term Rental codes

Leading RFTA from a locally funded agency to valley-wide funded Regional Transportation Authority

Improving mobility options to reduce congestion and provide improved transit services.

Increasing Open Space and Trails funding to prevent development on Smuggler and Sky Mtn Park

Keeping residents and businesses safe and secure during the Pandemic years

Past Chair, Colorado Association of Ski Towns (CAST)

Past Chair of the Water Quality and Quantity Committee of the Northwest Council of Governments

Received Roaring Fork Conservancy’s ‘River Conservator of the Year’ award

Past member of Colorado Counties Inc and National Association of Counties Public Lands Steering

Committees and the Colorado Municipal League Policy committee.

Received ‘Dedication to Constituents and Colorado’ award from peers at Colorado Counties Inc.

Co-founder and Co-Chair of Counties and Commissioners Acting Together (CCAT)

Past Club 20 Board of Directors and Executive Committee, the Voice of the West Slope

Received Club 20’s ‘Bridge Builder’ & ‘Outstanding Service to the People of the West Slope’ awards

Graduate, Harvard JFK School of Leadership for Senior Executives in State and Local Government

Participant in the UC Denver Rocky Mountain Program, the Aspen Institute Executive Seminar, and

American Leadership Forum (ALF)

Kelly began serving on Breckenridge’s Town Council in 2019, becoming Mayor Pro Tem in 2022 and was elected to Mayor in 2024. She has loved working for the Breckenridge Town Council for the last 5 years. Her goals as a community member, a working parent and a biologist align perfectly with the community’s vision to find the harmony between a quality of life for residents and a quality of place for visitors. Kelly enjoys skiing, rafting and camping with her family and friends and is committed to maintaining the delicate balance of a working mother of 3, partner to her husband Reed, while making time to give back to a town she loves.

Travis Coggin is serving his second four-year term on the Vail Town Council and his first term as Mayor Pro Tem after his re-election in November 2021.

Travis moved to Vail in 1988 from Washington, D.C. and attended Red Sandstone Elementary and Minturn Middle School before graduating from the Vail Mountain School in 1998. Travis attended the University of Colorado at Boulder where he received an undergraduate degree in International Affairs and Political Science as well as an MBA with an emphasis on Real Estate and Finance.

While on Town Council, Travis has focused on strengthening the Vail community by supporting the acquisition and development of deed restricted homes for locals, supporting local schools and small businesses. In 2019 Travis championed the idea of a new community focused event, the Vail Social. The annual community event hosts 600+ community members from throughout the valley for a potluck dinner in downtown Vail.

Travis has served on multiple community boards including the Vail Economic Advisory Council, Eagle County Regional Transit Authority (alternate member), Bravo! Vail, Vail Local Marketing District (alternate member), the Vail Local Housing Authority Subcommittee, as well as the Vail Community Relief Fund where he worked to direct the $500,000 of Town Council allocated relief funds to support our community’s medical and behavioral health, housing and food relief needs.

Professionally, Travis is involved with real estate planning, brokerage, investment, development, and construction both locally and nationally. Travis is a part-time member of the Vail Ski Patrol and an active volunteer throughout the community. Travis is a former member of the Vail Valley Young Professionals Association and he served as the organization’s president from 2014-2017. Outside of work, Travis can be found exploring the Vail Valley on hikes, bike rides and backcountry skiing.

With a decade of residency in Summit County, Nina has developed a profound appreciation for the Summit County's unique attributes and the challenges it faces. Her tenure has provided her with invaluable insights into the needs and aspirations of her fellow residents. Nina was appointed to the Board of County Commissioners in September of 2023.

Nina's commitment to community service is exemplified by her active involvement in Summit County's various organizations and special interest groups. As a dedicated member of the Silverthorne Art Board, The Lower Blue Planning Commission, The Cycle Effect, High County Veterans Adventures, and Blizard Tecnica's IDEA team. She has witnessed the transformative power of the community involvement in enriching the community's culture and fostering a sense of belonging.

In addition to her community involvements Nina's philosophy in leadership comes from her commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Her work on the Board of Blizzard Tecnica's IDEA team, and various panel engagements has equipped her with the skills to foster an inclusive and welcoming environment. No voice is too small. To problem is insignificant. Effective leadership in DEI not only promotes fairness but also leads to more innovative and equitable solutions for the community's challenges.

Nina is eager to contribute her passion, expertise, and commitment to Summit County's continued success. Nina resides with her Partner, and two rescue pups -- Bandit and Osa -- North of Silverthorne Town Limits.

Nina's pronouns are she, her, and hers.