Parker Champion is the Chief Operating Officer and a Partner at Champion Real Estate Company. Los Angeles-based Champion Real Estate Company was founded in 1987 and has consistently achieved annual above-market returns by identifying and maximizing niche opportunities before its competitors. Parker runs the daily operations while heading Champion’s high yield and value add cash flow investment activities. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Policy, Planning and Development and a Master in Real Estate Development from the University of Southern California. He is a licensed California Real Estate Broker and a member of the National Multi-family Housing Council and the International Council of Shopping Centers.

As Chief Operating Officer, Natalie plays a direct role in formulating and executing the company’s strategy, and oversees its Acquisitions, Asset Management, Marketing, Investor Relations, Human Resources and Capital Markets activities.

Prior to joining MJW Investments, Natalie served as Senior Vice President at Entrada Partners, where she was responsible for all acquisitions, financings and dispositions. During her four-year tenure, Entrada’s portfolio size nearly tripled.

Before Entrada, Natalie was a Director in the acquisitions team at Rexford Industrial Realty (NYSE: REXR), where she completed fifteen acquisitions and was responsible for all asset dispositions. She also held the position of Senior Asset Manager at Colony Capital and worked in Wells Fargo’s REO Group; in each of these roles she managed nationwide portfolios comprised of 100+ commercial real estate owned (REO) assets and nonperforming loans across all property types. Natalie also served as Assistant Vice President in the finance group at Lowe Enterprises, closing over $800 million in loan transactions. She began her career in UBS Investment Bank’s Real Estate, Lodging & Leisure Group, focusing on M&A transactions and private equity placements.

Currently, Natalie is President of the UCLA Real Estate Alumni Group. She is also an active member of the Urban Land Institute, where she sits on the Multifamily Council. She is affiliated with several philanthropic organizations, including the Israel Democracy Institute.

Natalie received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Barnard College at Columbia University (Summa Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa), and a Masters in Business Administration from UCLA Anderson School of Management (Dean’s List).

Jeff Connell is the Associate Vice President of Capital Planning, Facilities, and Construction at Long Beach City College (LBCC), where he leads strategic planning, capital construction, facilities operations, and infrastructure development to support the college's long-term growth and sustainability. With extensive leadership experience in higher education, K–12 education, government, and environmental management, Jeff previously served as Chief Operations Officer for Poudre School District and Executive Director of Facilities, Operations, and Transportation for Robbinsdale Area Schools. He also spent 20 years with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, specializing in environmental compliance, regulatory enforcement, and sustainability, while earning a law degree to strengthen his expertise in environmental policy and regulatory compliance. Recognized for his strategic, forward-thinking leadership, Jeff is committed to operational excellence, sustainable campus development, and creating facilities that support student success and institutional goals.

Dr. Keith Curry is the President of Compton College and CEO of the Compton Community College District. Dr. Curry is responsible for overseeing all departments and functions of Compton College and the District and serves as secretary for the CCCD Board of Trustees. He brings an abundance of energy and innovative ideas to Compton College, along with a wealth of experience as a postsecondary education administrator.

Dr. Curry co-founded and chairs Black Student Success Week. He currently serves as chair of both the National Panel on Black Student Enrollment and the Black Student Enrollment Expert Advisory Committee. He was a member of the California Alliance for Open Education Steering Committee and the University of Southern California Racial Equity in Guided Pathways Commission Task Force.

His recent honors include 2024 Diverse Issues in Higher Education – Diverse

Champion Award. Dr. Curry earned his doctorate in educational leadership from the University of California, Irvine, and a bachelor’s degree in American studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Senior Vice President-Development, Student Living with The Michaels Organization (Michaels), leading the company’s public-private partnerships with higher education institutions in California, by bringing nearly 20 years of real estate development and finance experience including the development of large-scale housing and dining facilities that utilized public-private partnership (P3) delivery models. In addition to delivering P3 real estatement development projects on-campus, Raoul is the company's leader for off-campus student housing development in California.

As executive vice president of the West region at Shawmut Design and Construction, a leading $2 billion national construction management firm, Skalaski sets the strategy to ensure continued growth, executional excellence, and technical expertise. Under his leadership, the region—including the LA, Irvine, and Las Vegas offices—builds some of the most complex, iconic, and innovative spaces in the ground-up commercial, hospitality, education, life science, sports venues, and retail sectors. With 25 years of experience in the construction industry, Skalaski’s previous roles include vice president and director of operations, managing teams nationwide. He is a member of the Los Angeles Advisory Board for The Posse Foundation, on the ULI LA Leadership Council, and is an active member of LAEDC and LABC.

Amy is the Director of Education for Suffolk’s West region, leading education market strategy, client engagement, and long-term growth across K–12 and higher education. She partners directly with Owners and stakeholders to understand project goals, funding constraints, and campus priorities, translating those needs into effective project strategies. She builds long-term, trust-based relationships with institutional clients and industry partners that drive repeat engagement and strong partnerships. She collaborates closely with preconstruction and operations teams to support early planning, risk mitigation, and value optimization, bringing deep market insight to help deliver predictable outcomes for education clients.

Vincent Polhemus is Senior Business Development Manager at Clark Pacific, a leading design-

manufacturer-builder of prefabricated building systems. Vincent’s experience in prefabricated building

systems spans 20 years in Southern California and includes unitized curtainwalls, window walls,

aluminum panels systems, architectural precast concrete, thin-shell concrete and GFRC. Starting as a

project manager for a glazing contractor, Vincent moved to Preconstruction in 2016, and has worked on

award winning projects throughout California, including the California New Natural Resources Building

in Sacramento, 510 S Vermont in Los Angeles and One Westside in Los Angeles.

Ileana Holguin is the Executive Director of Operations for The PENTA Building Group, where she leads complex construction projects throughout Southern California across the higher education, healthcare, civic, and public works sectors. With more than 27 years of industry experience, she is recognized for delivering successful projects while building strong partnerships with clients, design teams, trade partners, and project staff.

Ileana provides executive oversight from preconstruction through completion, leading teams through collaborative delivery methods including Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR), Design-Build, and Progressive Design-Build. She is known for aligning project goals, budgets, schedules, and stakeholder expectations to drive successful outcomes.

In addition to project leadership, Ileana plays an active role in business development, strategic planning, and client engagement. She works closely with public agencies, educational institutions, healthcare organizations, and community stakeholders to develop solutions that create lasting value for the communities they serve.

A passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion, Ileana has dedicated her career to mentoring emerging professionals and creating opportunities for women and minorities in construction. She has served on the Board of Directors for the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) Los Angeles Chapter, is an active member of the Construction Management Association of America and is a founding member of the Women Working Together (WWT) network.

Known for her collaborative leadership style and commitment to excellence, Ileana is dedicated to developing strong teams, investing in people, and helping shape the future of the construction industry.