As President and Chief Investment Officer of Avanath Capital Management, John R. Williams is responsible for portfolio acquisitions, capital formation, investor relations, and fund management. During his tenure, Mr. Williams has played an instrumental role in the firm’s acquisition of over $3 billion in assets, closing over $1 billion of debt, and raising over $2 billion of institutional capital.

Capital for the Avanath Discretionary Funds has been provided by some of the most prestigious endowments, foundations, and high-net-worth individuals from the United States, Europe, and Asia.

Prior to joining Avanath in 2012, Mr. Williams was Managing Partner, Capital Markets of Carmel Partners, Inc. (“Carmel Partners”), a real estate development and investment firm based in San Francisco. At Carmel Partners, Mr. Williams was responsible for capital formation, fund management, investor relations, joint ventures, credit facilities, and financing of all the firm’s investments.

Mr. Williams is a Governor of the Urban Land Institute (ULI), past Chairman of the ULI Silver Multi-Family Council, past Chairman of the ULI Orange County District Council, a member of the Executive Committee of the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC), and on the Advisory Board of the Duquesne University Business School. He is a frequent speaker at national real estate conferences sponsored by ULI, Harvard Business School, University of California-Berkeley, Stanford Business School, UCLA Real Estate Forum, and USC Lusk Graduate School of Real Estate.

A native of Philadelphia, Mr. Williams received his Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from Duquesne University in 1986 and attended the Executive Program at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design.

Tod Lipka holds an M.P.A. degree and an M.S. from USC. With forty years in managing

nonprofits, Mr. Lipka is a seasoned executive. He has been President and CEO of Step Up since

2001. In that time, Step Up has increased exponentially in its breadth of service operation and

expanded from one supportive housing project to over twenty-five projects. Step Up started

services originally in Los Angeles and now provides services throughout California including Los

Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside, Orange, Monterey, and Sacramento Counties as well as the

states of Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee.  Step Up is nationally recognized as a leading mental

health and housing provider to those who are chronically homeless.  Step Up was an early

adopter of the housing first model and Step Up’s work on motel conversion models was part of

the genesis of California’s innovative Homekey Model.  Called one of the best service providers

in the country, Step Up boasts a 98% retention rate of those who are housed.  Lipka is a

member of the Clinton Global Initiative and Step Up’s work was recognized and endorsed

personally by President Clinton in 2010, 2013 and most recently in September 2023 from the

main stage by Chelsea Clinton at the Clinton Global Initiative, as well as recognition by the late

Kobe Bryant and the Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation.  Lipka oversees all aspects of

the Step Up entity which includes permanent supportive housing, mental health services and

property management to 7,200 people in five states, most of which serve individuals with

serious mental health conditions and experiencing chronic homelessness. In the last two years,

Step Up has housed 2,285 persons who were homeless.  As an innovator and thought leader,

Lipka educates and advocates directly on behalf of the individuals Step Up serves through

sharing powerful personal stories from the field, increasing awareness and sharing best

practices in the area of mental health, chronic homelessness, and permanent supportive

housing through innovative public/private partnerships.

Aaron Thomas is the Senior Managing Director at Standard Communities, a national affordable housing developer. At Standard, Aaron assists the founders in their leadership of the firm while working with cities around the country on affordable housing solutions. Prior to joining Standard, Aaron was the President and CEO of Accelerator for America, a national nonprofit focused on capital solutions to economic insecurity. He is a graduate of Harvard College and received his MBA from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business.

Kristina Feller leads Development Management Services at DLR Group. She engages with developers and investors in the pre-planning, pre-project, pre-investment, and due diligence phases of real estate development initiatives and prospecting endeavors.

Kristina plays a vital role in driving informed strategy, financial resiliency, and scope quality that paves the way for design excellence by streamlining processes. With a wealth of experience in both the real estate development and financing industry and the design and construction industry, her background spans regional, national, and international projects. Her global perspective and expertise in varying approaches and financing mechanisms have proven invaluable in executing successful projects.

Andrew is a member of the firm's Land Use and Natural Resources Team. Andrew has extensive experience in representing developers in the land use entitlement process and related areas, including all aspects of planning, zoning, and environmental review, in cities and counties throughout California.

Andrew has spent over 15 years representing developers and public entities in processing administrative land use actions, including the negotiation and approval of numerous entitlement documents, development agreements, owner participation agreements, disposition and development agreements, subdivision approvals, conditional use permits, variances, and zoning and general plan modifications related to various projects. Andrew has been actively involved in a myriad of projects, including urban infill mixed use projects, master planned communities, residential and commercial condominium developments, commercial centers, and industrial developments.

Andrew has also worked extensively with clients developing projects located in redevelopment areas and subject to California's Community Redevelopment Law. Andrew has advised numerous clients regarding issues related to the elimination of redevelopment agencies by the State of California in conjunction with the 2011 state budget act, and compliance with post-redevelopment obligations, including issues related to the continued enforceability of existing obligations and compliance with agency reporting obligations.

As part of his entitlement practice, Andrew has advised clients on all aspects of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), including ensuring the adequacy of project specific Environmental Impact Reports and Mitigated Negative Declarations under CEQA.

In addition to representing developers in the entitlement process, Andrew has defended projects that have been challenged under CEQA and other California planning and zoning laws in both state and federal courts.

In addition to Andrew's legal practice, Andrew is a leading voice on land use related policy issues. Andrew has co-chaired the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation's (LAEDC) State and Local Policy Committee since its inception in 2011. This Committee has taken the lead on a number of important economic development issues facing Los Angeles County, including preservation of the California Enterprise Zone law, reforming CEQA, and preservation of job-producing land uses in the County. Andrew's Committee undertook an initiative to streamline and facilitate on-location filming by bringing together all interested stakeholders, including the California Film Commission, local jurisdictions, studios, and labor, to develop a new statewide Model Film Ordinance and related Best Practices. The California Film Commission adopted the Committee's work as the new model for the state, and a number of local jurisdictions have implemented the ordinance and best practices into law.

Prior to joining the firm, Andrew spent several years as an in house counsel at a Fortune 500 global biotechnical company, where he provided legal support on land use and real estate matters for the company's locations world-wide.

Prior to working in house, Andrew was an attorney in the real estate, land use, and appellate groups with a major Los Angeles based law firm where, he represented developers and public entities in land use and related matters.

In law school, Andrew served as Senior Research Editor for theUC Davis Law Review and following graduation, Andrew clerked for the Honorable Dean D. Pregerson in the Federal Court for the Central District of California.

Agnes Wong Nickerson has been in the role of Vice President for Business and Financial

Affairs & Chief Financial Officer since March 2019. An immigrant from Hong Kong,

she is a first generation college graduate. She is responsible for the management of the

Division of Business and Financial Affairs. Services provided by Business and Financial

Affairs to the campus community include budget, business and financial operations,

human resource management, risk management, public and environmental safety,

planning and construction of new facilities, oversight of auxiliaries such as KPBS

housing, parking and Aztec Shops. She has also been working closely on the

development of SDSU Mission Valley.

Prior to her current role, Agnes served as Associate Vice President for Financial

Operations at San Diego State University and other leadership roles at San Francisco

State University and Duke University Press. Prior to working in higher education, Agnes

worked as a finance professional and executive in private industries including the big

four accounting firms, Fortune 100 companies and startup companies.

Agnes Wong Nickerson attended the Chinese University of Hong Kong, University of

San Francisco and Duke University.

Scott Moffatt is an Executive Vice President with Lincoln Property Company’s San Diego market, where he oversees all business lines and investment activities for the region. With more than 7.5 million sq. ft. of office, retail, and industrial properties closed under his expertise to a total value of over $3 billion, Scott has established himself as one of the most experienced professionals in the real estate industry.

A San Diego native, Scott has a unique local knowledge that he uses to provide insights and strategies for clients to maximize their value. He has a consistent focus on providing top-notch customer service to the region’s clientele.

Prior to joining Lincoln, Scott was an Associate at TA Associates Realty focused on West Coast acquisitions. Additionally, he started his career as a Senior Associate for Colliers International’s San Diego office where he was awarded Rookie of the Year and Rising Star awards in recognition of his outstanding contributions during his tenure there.

Education

As Senior Vice President of Development, Mark Janda is responsible for new development activity in the Southern California region. He joined the company in July of 2012. Mr. Janda has more than two decades of experience in the multifamily and mixed-use development business. Prior to joining AvalonBay, he spent 12 years at The Irvine Company, where he managed the development of over 13,000 multifamily units, including some of the largest and most capital-intensive projects ever undertaken by the company.

Prior to The Irvine Company, Mr. Janda spent three years with The Macklowe Organization in New York, where his responsibilities included acquisition, finance, and development of the company’s multifamily, office and retail investments in Manhattan. He held an earlier position with Landauer Associates in New York, where his assignments included economic modeling, portfolio valuation projects and the underwriting of several REIT IPO’s. Mr. Janda started his career as a structural engineer, designing structural systems for large-scale projects, including Denver International Airport.

Mr. Janda holds a Master of Science degree in Real Estate from New York University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Architectural Engineering from Kansas State University. His professional affiliations include the Urban Land Institute and the California Building Industry Association.

Amanda Schultz received a Bachelor of Architecture degree with a minor in Sustainable

Environments from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, and is now

Executive Vice President at Ferguson Pape Baldwin Architects. With 18 years in the

industry and 17 years at FPBA, she specializes in design for life science, higher

education, municipal, and hospitality market sectors, leading design teams that deliver

$50 million in construction annually with $270 million on the books.

As the Principal-in-Charge and Architect of Record on the first phase of the SDSU

Mission Valley Innovation District with LPC West, LEED Accredited Professional and

Designated Design-Build Professional, Amanda is passionate about sustainable design,

lean construction, and high-performance teaming.

In her free time, Amanda enjoys spending time with her family (doing whatever keeps

her 4-year-old occupied), playing the piano, and traveling.

Christina brings over 15 years of experience working with stakeholders across the development cycle to optimize design and delivery while maximizing asset value and end user experience. Prior to joining the Edgemoor team, Christina spent nine years developing projects around the world for Walt Disney Imagineering.

Christina holds a Master of Business Administration from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Tufts University.

Marc Kersey is a Senior Vice President at Clark Construction who partners with clients to realize their vision. After spending more than three decades working for Clark, Marc knows what it takes to deliver high-profile, high-value projects. He is a seasoned contractor who understands industry trends and the issues that affect project cost and schedule.

His breadth of experience includes office, residential, entertainment, government, and mixed-use projects. Marc’s portfolio includes award-winning work such as the United States Courthouse, Los Angeles, Caltran’s District 7 Headquarters, LA Live and Microsoft Theater, and the LA Convention Center expansion.

In addition to his extensive experience working in LA County, Marc is well-versed in design-build and public-private partnership (P3) delivery methods. He is currently providing executive oversight for the $400 million design-build contract for the Long Beach Civic Center. This massive undertaking is being delivered under the P3 model and will revitalize 22 acres of downtown Long Beach.

Marc Kersey has a bachelor’s degree in Building Construction from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

Brian is an experienced architect who brings a wealth of knowledge to the design and planning of municipal and public safety projects. His work with communities across the country has honed his ability to lead teams of design professionals as well as guide municipalities from project inception through close-out.

The collaborative approach that Brian embraces yields design that is authentic and meaningful to each client. By understanding how to balance the conceptual and technical aspects of a project, Brian fosters design that exceeds expectations. His leadership has resulted in numerous award-winning projects and work that is at the forefront of law enforcement design.

Victoria (Tori) Taylor is the President & CEO of Project Finance Advisory, Ltd. (“PFAL”). She has over 20 years of experience in the infrastructure and project finance industry and has personally led the execution, analysis, and management of over $30 billion worth of infrastructure transactions using project and traditional financing. PFAL provides advisory services to government clients and to the private sector. PFAL provided advisory services to Garden Grove for the Civic Center Revitalization Project and acted as financial advisor to the successful bidders for the Howard County Courthouse P3, MBTA's Automated Fare Collection System P3, the Kansas City International Airport New Terminal, and the University of Kansas Campus Expansion P3. PFAL is an independent financial advisory firm that is a certified WBE.

John T. Cooke was named Assistant CEO, leading the Asset Management Division for Los Angeles County in August 2021. Managing Los Angeles County’s asset portfolio of approximately 4,400 owned buildings encompassing 65 million square feet, 7 million square feet of leased space, and a Capital Program of roughly $6 Billion. Before this, Mr. Cooke served as Regional Commissioner of the General Services Administration’s (GSA) Public Buildings Service, Great Lakes Region. In that post, he headed the U.S. real estate operations in the region’s six states (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin) and was responsible for a property portfolio comprising 35 million square feet of offices and workplaces in nearly 1,009 buildings owned or leased by GSA.

Before this appointment, Mr. Cooke was the Cook County Asset Management Bureau Chief, responsible for directing the county’s real estate, facilities, and asset management programs. He also helped execute the county’s 10-year, $1.9 billion capital program, including capital repairs and new construction of office, medical, correctional, and warehouse facilities. Finally, he directed a 2013 Chicago Innovator Awards finalist team, which negotiated $60 million of guaranteed energy performance contracting for Cook County.

While in the private sector, Mr. Cooke simultaneously led nine project teams involved in new mixed-use developments with an aggregate budget of more than $350 million. He also provided asset management services for the daily operations of Chicago Public School Facilities.

Mr. Cooke, formerly an Illinois licensed real estate broker with a Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) designation, holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Florida A&M University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Notre Dame. Recognized in 2014 by the Chicago Defender as one of the city’s 50 African American Men of Excellence, Cooke has developed and managed complex commercial initiatives and strategic programs for private real estate firms and local government.

As Senior Vice President of Development Management with TCC, Andrew is primarily focused on public private partnerships, his current projects are with the Los Angeles County and Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital. Andrew’s primary responsibilities are related to project execution, including; design management, project permitting, and construction management. With a passion for the built environment and a multi-disciplinary background spanning general contracting, architectural design, and building trades, Andrew provides key support to the vertical phases of development within the SoCal – Los Angeles market. Prior to joining TCC, Andrew served as a Preconstruction Estimator with Lendlease Los Angeles, where he was instrumental in the pursuit and planning of multiple high-rise residential construction projects across the Los Angeles region, totaling over $1 billion in combined project value. Andrew also spent 5+ years working on custom home projects as both an Architectural Designer and a Carpenter.

With more than 28 years of experience designing, leading, and executing innovative architecture and urbanism projects in the U.S. and abroad, Michael brings his passion for design and his expertise as a forward-thinking and collaborative leader to his role as a global leader of Gensler's Culture & Museums practice. An accomplished and award-winning architect and educator, Michael was formerly a Partner with Coop Himmelblau, Vienna, Austria, and Director with REX, New York, where he gained a unique understanding of the international market and global design culture while working to deliver world-class architecture. A Design Director in Gensler's Los Angeles office, Michael has served as a member of the design faculty at the Southern California Institute of Architecture, the University of Southern California, and has been an invited speaker at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Forum for Architecture and Urbanism.

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As an experienced land use lawyer, Elisa Paster is a committed advocate for her clients, guiding and assisting them with development and environmental approvals, planning and placemaking. She specializes in navigating complex entitlement and environmental processes across California, including Los Angeles, West Hollywood, Culver City, Long Beach, Glendale, Beverly Hills, Orange County, the unincorporated County of Los Angeles, and Northern California. Elisa is involved in all aspects of the development process: assisting in due diligence stages, strategizing on development and redevelopment of land, processing applications and overseeing environmental compliance (CEQA/NEPA), representing clients in front of public bodies, including appellate bodies, and defending the entitlements in litigation.

Elisa regularly represents private developers in development of hotels and large-scale developments, mid- size developers in transformative urban mixed- use projects inside and outside former redevelopment areas, and a wide variety of property owners in the Coastal Zone. An important part of Elisa’s practice involves working with affordable housing developers and streamlining the process for these projects. She has consistently taken on complex land use challenges, big or small, and provided the necessary level of advice and guidance to get the job done through effective legal advocacy, strategic advice and personal relationships. Whether a project involves strategic advisement or a full environmental and planning process, Elisa’s extensive range of experience in land use and environmental law is an asset to her clients.

Before law school, she worked as a planner for five years and she is well respected in the professional planning community. Her previous “behind the counter” experience allows her to think creatively about legal issues and provides clients with a unique perspective.

Elisa is a long time Boardmember of Menorah Housing, a provider of low-income senior housing, and the past president of the Westside Urban Forum. She is former member of the City of Santa Monica Planning Commission and a frequent speaker at law, real estate and planning conferences. She is a frequent guest lecturer for Urban Land Institute panels as well.

Elisa is admitted to practice law in Missouri, New Mexico and California.