Los Angeles Power Women

Barbara Bouza

Managing Director, Principal
Gensler

Barbara is Co-Managing Director, Principal of Gensler Los Angeles and has been a global influencer for human wellbeing through design excellence. Gensler is widely recognized as the world’s leading design firm, with nearly 6,000 professionals networked across 48 offices in the Americas, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. Through her collaborative leadership style, Barbara brings strategic design management to highly innovative clients such as Netflix, JPL/NASA, Amgen and the City of Hope. As a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects and member of the AIA California Board of Directors, Barbara is the 2019 AIA Los Angeles Chapter President. Barbara was recognized by the Los Angeles Business Journal as the Executive of the Year: Women Making a Difference, and Real Estate Forum magazine as a Woman of Influence: California. Active in the community, Barbara is on the Board of Directors of Imagine LA, a leading not-for-profit dedicated to mobilizing the community to end the cycle of homelessness and poverty. She was an honoree for Girls Inc and is active with Dress for Success, National Organization of Minority Architects and Women Presidents’ Organization. Sought after for her expertise on health and wellbeing in the built environment, Barbara was featured on the internationally televised National Geographic Channel documentary, “Origins: The Journey of Humankind – Building the Future.” She was also highlighted in California Sunday Magazine for the December 2018 issue on “Home.” Barbara holds a Bachelor of Architecture degree from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona and studied in the Graduate Diploma Program at the Architectural Association in London. Barbara’s work has been published nationally and internationally.

Frances Anderton

Host, Producer
KCRW

Frances Anderton is host of DnA: Design and Architecture, a weekly radio show broadcast on KCRW NPR station in Los Angeles. For many years she produced KCRW's acclaimed current affairs shows, To The Point, and Which Way, LA?, hosted by Warren Olney. With producer Avishay Artsy she created Bridges and Walls, a series about the barriers and connections--both metaphorical and physical--shaping life in California today; it was supported by the California Arts Council. This led to a new series, airing summer 2018, called This is Home in LA: From the Tent to the Gigamansion (and Everything In Between.) Anderton also curates events and exhibitions; these include the architecture section of the 2010 California Design Biennial, Action/Reaction, at the Pasadena Museum of California Art; and Sink Or Swim: Designing For a Sea Change, a critically received exhibition about resilient architecture, shown from December 2014 to May 2015 at the Annenberg Space for Photography. She has served as correspondent for the New York Times and Dwell magazine. Her books include Grand Illusion: A Story of Ambition, and its Limits, on LA’s Bunker Hill, based on a studio she co-taught with Frank Gehry and partners at USC School of Architecture. Honors include the Esther McCoy 2010 Award for her work in educating the public about architecture and urbanism from USC School of Architecture’s Architectural Guild; she was SCI-Arc’s "Honored Guest" at its 2018 Main Event. Anderton was raised in Bath, England, and studied architecture at the Bartlett at University College London. She subsequently became associate editor of the Architectural Review. Her first assignment was life-changing: to produce a special report on new architecture in Los Angeles. Published in December 1987, this issue put a spotlight on the experimental design of Frank Gehry, Morphosis, Eric Owen Moss, Hodgetts & Fung and other West Coast talents. Anderton fell in love with LA, and moved there in 1991, becoming editor-in-chief of AIA/LA’s monthly publication L.A. Architect. After the 1992 Rodney King riots, KCRW radio station launched Which Way, LA?, hosted by Warren Olney, and Anderton determined to work on that show, setting her on a road that lead to DnA: Design and Architecture, which brings design alive with stories of how it shapes lives, in LA and beyond.

Reon Roski

Managing Director
Majestic Realty Company

Reon Roski joined Majestic Realty Co. in March 2007 as Senior Counsel. She was named Managing Director in September 2007 and is responsible for the company’s day-to-day operations and growth of the Majestic Realty Co. portfolio. A member of Majestic’s Board of Directors since 1997, she is the granddaughter of the company’s late founder, Edward P. Roski Sr., and the daughter of its current Chairman and CEO, Edward P. Roski Jr. Prior to coming in-house, Reon served as outside counsel to Majestic for more than 15 years. As a real estate attorney, she has handled many large, complex and innovating real estate transactions, averaging more than 18 million square feet of transactions per year. A graduate of the University of Southern California and Loyola Law School, she completed extensive studies abroad, including graduate school in China. Fluent in Mandarin, Reon worked for the Chinese government with respect to real estate matters. A recognized expert in real estate law, she teaches continuing legal education classes to other attorneys through CLE International and Lorman Education Services. Reon was named one of the “Women at the Top” by Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) and Bisnow’s LA Power Women. She is a member of YPO, a member of the Board of Leaders for the University of Southern California (USC) Marshall School of Business and a member of the Leadership Council on the Board of Directors of the Lusk Center for Real Estate at USC.

Jaime Lee

CEO
Jamison Realty

Jaime Lee is the Chief Executive Officer of Jamison Realty, Inc., the leasing and brokerage arm of the Jamison group of companies, which controls approximately 18 million square feet of commercial and residential properties throughout Southern California.  The privately-held, family-run business has been one of the largest office landlords in the City of Los Angeles for the past twenty-five years. Since 2014, it has quickly become the most active multifamily developer in Los Angeles as well, bringing to market over 2,000 units with an additional 5,000 units under development. Earning both BA and JD degrees from the University of Southern California, the Los Angeles native currently serves on the USC Board of Trustees. She is also a member of the Board of Councilors for the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, a Chairman member of the USC Associates and lectures regularly at the USC Gould School of Law, the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy, and the USC Marshall School of Business. She previously served as the 2017-18 President of the USC Alumni Association Board of Governors and the 2015-17 President of the USC Asian Pacific Alumni Association Board of Directors. She takes time to be involved with her high school alma mater, where she is a founding board member of Harvard-Westlake’s Korean American Alumni Network as well as its inaugural Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council. Jaime is also active in a number of civic, philanthropic, and industry organizations at the city, state, and community levels. Appointed by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, she was elected President of the Board of Harbor Commissioners for the Port of Los Angeles in April 2018, the largest container port by trade volume in the western hemisphere. She previously served the City of Los Angeles for four years as President of the Los Angeles City Employees’ Retirement System Board of Administration, which oversees the City’s $17 billion employee pension fund, and on the boards for the Industrial Development Authority and the Quality and Productivity Commission. She currently serves the State of California on the California Film Commission and previously served for seven years as a commissioner on the Speech Language Pathology, Audiology & Hearing Aid Dispensers Board. Jaime is active in the community as a board member of the Los Angeles Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games 2028, the Los Angeles World Affairs Council & Town Hall, and the Anderson Munger Family YMCA. Recognized for her professional and civic contributions, Jaime was named one of the 500 most influential people in Los Angeles by the Los Angeles Business Journal in 2018 and 2019. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and three children.

Marianne Lowenthal

EVP, West Coast Acquisitions & Development
Combined Properties

Marianne Lowenthal directs all acquisition and development activity for both mixed-use and retail projects on the West Coast for Combined Properties. She joined the company in 2005 and has been responsible for developing and/or redeveloping: Lincoln & Rose, Commons at La Verne, Turnpike Shopping Center, Foothill Ranch Towne Centre, 990 Palm, Santa Monica and La Brea, Shops at Bear Creek, and the Terraces. Acquisitions during her tenure include: Brentwood Place, Studio City Place, Courthouse Shopping Center, land for Sunset Time, Kings Road, Parcel B in Culver City, and the Terraces. Current development projects are: Sunset Time, The Crown, and Culver City. Ms. Lowenthal has been in the development business for 28 years and has worked through complicated entitlements and design issues. In her previous position as Executive Vice President for Bond Companies in Los Angeles, she specialized in mixed-use development and was responsible for the first major mixed-use development in Hollywood CA which contained 300 residential units and 100,000 SF of retail. Prior to holding that position, she had equity investment and management positions as principal of her own business, Lowenthal & Company. There she completed the sale of 3.2 million square feet of office buildings in two high-rise mixed-use projects in Los Angeles, in addition to being project manager for the development of a 500,000 square foot mixed-use project in Burbank, CA. Ms. Lowenthal began her career at The Prudential Realty Group where she started in the development division and rose to become manager of the Western Region portfolio, totaling over 6 million square feet with a combined value in excess of $1.5 billion. Marianne Lowenthal received a B.A. in Political Science and an M.B.A. with concentrations in Finance and Real Estate, from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Kelly Farrell

President & CEO
CallisonRTKL

As President and CEO, Kelly sets the strategic direction for CallisonRTKL and has ultimate responsibility for the strength and health of the practice. A consummate leader who has mastered the lost art of getting things done, she has earned the respect of her colleagues and clients over her 20+-year career by being genuine and honest. She joined the firm in 2004 and has served as the Workplace Global Practice Group Leader and, more recently, Executive Vice President for Projects and Partnerships. She has been a member of the firm’s Executive Committee since 2016, where she has helped CRTKL navigate through a series of management changes and transitions. As a practitioner, she developed a reputation for working closely with her clients to generate solutions that are forward-thinking, sustainable and pragmatic. She is passionate about design and the impact it has on the world, the environment and, most importantly, the community.

Carla Christofferson

EVP, Chief Legal Officer
AECOM

Carla Christofferson is Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer for AECOM (NYSE: ACM), a premier, fully integrated infrastructure firm that designs, builds, finances and operates assets for governments, businesses and organizations in more than 150 countries. In this role, Ms. Christofferson oversees all aspects of AECOM's global legal function and leads its team of more than 200 lawyers, legal and compliance professionals and support staff. Her areas of responsibility include litigation, government affairs, ethics and compliance, SEC-reporting requirements, M&A and other transactional-related legal activities, and all legal support of global operations. Beyond her legal responsibilities, Ms. Christofferson oversees the risk management, IT security, security & resiliency and safety, health & environment departments. She is also a member of AECOM's Executive Leadership Team at the enterprise level. Prior to joining AECOM in 2015, Ms. Christofferson was Managing Partner at O’Melveny & Myers, LLP, in Los Angeles — a position she held since 2008. During her 22-year tenure at the firm, she represented clients in a number of industries, including power, energy and oil and gas. Ms. Christofferson has always been active in the Los Angeles community sitting on the boards of the Los Angeles Library Foundation and the Metropolitan YMCA. She was also co-owner of the Los Angeles Sparks Women’s National Basketball Association team from 2006 - 2014.

London Kemp

Director, Corporate Real Estate
Netflix

Sondra Wenger

Managing Director, Investments
CIM Group

Investments of CIM Group. Ms. Wenger has management responsibility for broker relations, and also sources real estate investments across CIM Group’s platforms. Prior to joining CIM in 2009, Ms. Wenger had an extensive career in real estate investments at firms such as Arden Realty under General Electric in the Western United States, Equity Office Properties, and MacFarlane Partners. Earlier in her career she was a Certified Public Accountant. Ms. Wenger earned a B.S. degree in Business with an emphasis in Accounting, graduating with honors from the University of California Riverside. She is a member of the Urban Land Institute, serves on the Executive Board for the Urban Mixed Use Development Council (Gold Flight), and is a mentor for the young leader partnership program.

Dani Evanson

Principal, Managing Director
RMA

Dani Evanson is a Principal and Managing Director of RMA. Together with executive management, Dani leads the firm’s strategic direction. Dani is responsible for capital raising, fund management and accounting, and investor relations. She co-manages RMA’s joint venture partner relationships and serves on RMA’s investment committee. Dani has over 20 years of experience in real estate with a background in acquisitions, dispositions and portfolio management. Prior to joining RMA, Dani was a Real Estate Director at a Los Angeles based family office. In that role, she had primary responsibility for investing and managing a $500 million real estate portfolio consisting of investments in commercial properties, investment funds, joint ventures and real estate operating companies. The portfolio included mixed-use, industrial, office, residential and retail assets. In addition, Dani served on the advisory board for two real estate investment funds. Dani holds a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Washington. She is a licensed CPA (inactive), CMA (inactive) and California real estate broker. Dani is a current member of the Entrepreneur’s Organization and 2017/18 Finance Co-Chair of the EO Los Angeles Chapter, City of Angeles and 2007 President, 2009 and 2012 Advisor Board Member of Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) – Los Angeles Chapter.

Amalia Paliobeis

Senior Director of Real Estate
Common

Amalia is a Senior Director of Real Estate for Common, the nation’s leading residential brand enhancing the quality of living for members and value of real estate for partners through convenience and community across the country. Amalia leads all of Common's Real Estate Partnerships on the West Coast, and has been instrumental in solidifying Common's 1,500+ bed pipeline in Los Angeles. Previously, Amalia worked at Regent Properties, a Los Angeles based investor/developer with over $1 billion in assets under management, focusing on acquisitions, fundraising, finance and portfolio management. Before Regent, Amalia worked at Barclays Capital, conducting financial analysis and investment reporting, and in Deloitte’s Merger and Acquisition Transaction Services group, where she performed due diligence for real estate transactions ranging from $100 million to $15 billion. She is on the Urban Land Institute's LA Leadership Council and is a Center Member of the USC Lusk Center for Real Estate. Amalia earned an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a BS from the University of Southern California.

Anu Rao

Vice President, Market lead – Los Angeles
JLL

Airport lounge for LAXSUL, 80,000 SF creative space for Team One, 120,000 sf office space for Deloitte, 100,000 sf technical and production space for DirecTV, and multiple buildings in the LinkedIn campus in Carpinteria. Her wide experience managing and building relationships with the consultants and integrators and her deep understanding of the technical and infrastructure requirements, makes her uniquely suited for managing and adding immense value to technical projects. Education and Affiliations Anu holds a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture and is a LEED Accredited Professional.

Jennifer McElyea

Senior Managing Partner
Watt Companies & Watt Investment Partners

Jennifer is a Senior Managing Partner and co-head of Watt Investment Partners, and is responsible for sourcing and executing real estate investment opportunities. Jennifer has nearly 20 years of experience in real estate investing with a emphasis on development, land use and the entitlement process. As such, she has spent considerable time at the intersection of finance, public policy, community engagement and law. More recently, Jennifer has focused on public-private-partnership opportunities and the use of innovative financial structures to address the affordable housing crisis. Prior to joining Watt, Jennifer was a Vice President at OneWest Bank where she managed a portfolio of distressed commercial real estate debt. From 2006 through 2009, Jennifer was a Vice President at Apollo Real Estate Advisors where she was responsible for West Coast acquisitions and completed the entitlement of a 1.0mm square foot development in Hollywood. Previously, Jennifer held positions at Arch Street Capital Advisors, an international real estate investment advisory firm, and at Deutsche Bank Securities in the Real Estate Investment Banking Group. Jennifer holds a Master of Real Estate Development from the University of Southern California and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and German Literature from the University of Virginia. Jennifer has been recognized as a “California Woman of Influence” by Real Estate Forum and “40 under 40” by Southern California Real Estate. She is a member of the Urban Land Institute, a guest lecturer at Loyola Law School and the University of Southern California, and sits on the Boards of the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce and USC Price Real Estate Affiliates. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two sons.

Martha Welborne

Senior Advisor
HR&A

For over 30 years, Martha has designed and delivered transformative projects by integrating public and private interests to improve cities. Martha Welborne is a nationally-recognized leader in urban development. Her exceptional career as a civic and organizational change-maker has spanned the country, with a focus on complex development and mobility management in Los Angeles. With experience in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors, Martha has spearheaded some of Los Angeles’ most innovative public transportation and revitalization projects in recent history—including the installation of the county’s first rapid bus lines and the redevelopment of the Grand Avenue corridor. Prior to joining HR&A, Martha was the Senior Vice President of Corporate Real Estate for the Walt Disney Company, where she oversaw all corporate real estate development, design, construction; asset and portfolio management; and facilities support and services. From 2010-2016, Martha served as the Chief Planning Officer at the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro). Responsible for planning the long-range mobility future of the county, Martha led a staff of more than 200 to accelerate the delivery of voter-approved projects funded by Measure R and execute strategic initiatives, such as the Master Plan of the historic Union Station property. From 2001-2011, Martha was the Managing Director of the Grand Avenue Committee, a public/private initiative involving both the City and County of Los Angeles to spur cultural and mixed-use private development on Bunker Hill in downtown Los Angeles, including the redevelopment of Grand Park. Martha began her career as an architect and planner, working on both individual building design and large-scale projects as an associate partner of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP and a principal of Sasaki Associates, Inc. She has served on the board of the Exposition Metro Line Construction Authority and as President of the Los Angeles Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. Martha is a former member of MIT’s Visiting Committee for the Department of Urban Studies and Planning, the Board of the Community Foundation Land Trust, and the Board of Councilors for USC’s School of Architecture and for KUSC. In addition to her role as Senior Advisor at HR&A, Martha will also serve as Project Director of LA Aerial Rapid Transit Technologies, LLC, the first permanent public transit link to Dodger’s Stadium since it was built nearly 60 years ago. Martha earned a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from the University of Notre Dame, and Master’s degrees in both Architecture and City Planning from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She was also a Loeb Fellow at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design and is a member of the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects.

Marcia Diaz

Head of US Debt Originations
PGIM Real Estate

Marcia Diaz is a Managing Director with PGIM Real Estate Finance, a position she has held since 2010. She leads the originations team and is responsible for overseeing the origination platform of commercial mortgage loans across all major capital sources and property types worldwide. Marcia is located in Los Angeles. Since joining the company in 1990, Marcia has served in various roles. Her experience includes working with Prudential Securities from 1997 to 2001, where she served as vice president in the Real Estate Investment Banking group, and participated in merger and acquisition assignments, private placements of debt and equity and public equity issuances. She was also an asset manager with Prudential Realty Group from 1995 to 1997, where she managed a 7 million square foot mixed-use urban commercial real estate portfolio and implemented strategies for identified assets. Earlier, Marcia worked with the company's Mortgage Asset Management Group, where she structured and negotiated problem loan workouts, bankruptcy strategy and foreclosures. Marcia began as an investment associate. Marcia received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Stanford University, and earned a Master of Business Administration degree from the Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley.

Lauren Faber O'Connor

Chief Sustainability Officer
City of Los Angeles, Office of Mayor Garceti

Lauren Faber O’Connor is the Chief Sustainability Officer for the City of Los Angeles. In her role she is driving the implementation of Mayor Garcetti’s newly released LA’s Green New Deal, a global model for local action to confront the climate crisis. L.A.’s Green New Deal is guided by four key principles: a commitment to uphold the Paris Climate Agreement; a promise to deliver environmental justice and equity; a plan to ensure every Angeleno has the ability to join the green economy; and a determination to lead by example within City government. To deliver accelerated leadership on sustainability, Lauren also builds collaboration including through Climate Mayors, a coalition chaired by Mayor Garcetti of over 400 US Mayors committed to US leadership on climate change and C40, an international network of cities raising the bar on climate action. Prior to joining the Garcetti Administration, Lauren served for four years as the West Coast Political Director for the Environmental Defense Fund in San Francisco. At EDF she worked on building successful strategies and constructive partnerships to win support for protecting and promoting climate, clean energy, land, water and wildlife. In 2010 Lauren was appointed Assistant Secretary for Climate Change Programs at the California Environmental Protection Agency, where she was dedicated to the design and implementation of California’s landmark Global Warming Solutions Act, AB 32. Prior to her work at CalEPA, Lauren served as senior director for Lighthouse Consulting Group in Washington, D.C., where she advised on comprehensive national climate change and energy strategies for domestic and international companies, and NGOs, and in particular, the U.S. Climate Action Partnership. From 2005-2009 Lauren served at the British Embassy as Senior Policy Advisor for climate change and energy. Lauren serves on the Board of the California League of Conservation Voters and previously the U.S. Department of Energy State Energy Advisory Board. She is a member of the Catto Fellowship for environmental leadership at the Aspen Institute and of the Truman National Security Project. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Earth Systems and Economics from Stanford University, and Master’s degree in Climate and Society from Columbia University.

Kathleen Briscoe

Partner, Chief Capital Officer
Dermody Properties

Kathleen S. Briscoe is the Partner, Chief Capital Officer of Dermody Properties and has primary responsibility for all aspects of the company’s business related to its capital strategy and execution. She is a member of the Company’s Executive Committee and Investment Committee and brings with her over 30 years of experience in the institutional real estate investment management business. Prior to joining Dermody Properties in March 2018, Ms. Briscoe held senior consulting and management positions at a number of real estate investment companies, including Arixa Capital, Cordia Capital Management, LLC, Institutional Real Estate, Inc. and Crosswater Realty Advisors. Ms. Briscoe has also served as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Investment Officer for real estate at Cordia Capital Management, overseeing approximately $100 million of commercial real estate investments per year throughout the Western U.S. (2013-2016), Chief Investment Officer for IDS Real Estate Group in Los Angeles (2009-2011), and Managing Director and the Head of the Los Angeles office for Buchanan Street Partners (2007-2008). From 1987 to 2007, Ms. Briscoe was a Shareholder at Lowe Enterprises, a real estate investment, asset management, and development company, where she managed the firm’s investment clients, was Key-Man on a value-add private REIT, managed several portfolios, and served on the Executive Committee and as a voting member of the Investment Committee. Ms. Briscoe received a B.A. from Dartmouth College and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. Ms. Briscoe is an Independent Director for Griffin Capital, Resmark Equity Partners, LLC, and Crescent Capital SPAC. Ms. Briscoe is a council member of the Urban Land Institute, an Editorial Advisory board member for Institutional Real Estate, Inc., a member of PREA and the Capital Markets Affinity Group, and a member of AFIRE, NAIOP, and the National Association of Real Estate Investment Managers. She is also a member of the National Association of Corporate Directors.

Margaux Rotter

VP, Development West
BLVD Hospitality

Margaux Rotter was introduced to real estate development while working with the construction team on ACE Hotel Los Angeles. She has worked with development firm BLVD Hospitality, for 4 years and oversees projects as Vice President of Development. BLVD’s Los Angeles hospitality projects include ACE Hotel, Soho Warehouse, Hoxton Hotel and CitizenM. Margaux’s background is in architectural engineering, she received a degree in Civil Engineering Building Science from the University of Southern California. Margaux currently acts as development manager or owner’s representative on numerous hospitality projects in Los Angeles for new and existing boutique and lifestyle brands.

Alla Sorochinsky

CFO
Cypress Equity Investments

Alla Sorochinsky is the Managing Director of CWP and is responsible for acquisitions, financing and asset management. Since 2001, Alla was the Chief Financial Officer of Cypress Equity Investments where she developed and managed the company's asset repositioning and financial reporting infrastructure. Alla oversaw all aspects of the company, including acquisitions, finance, asset management and dispositions. Previously, Alla was the financial controller of several publicly traded technology companies. Alla graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles, with a degree in International Economics and received a Master's degree from the University of Southern California. Upon graduation Alla joined BDO Seidman LLP where she received her CPA license.

Tonja Boykin

COO
Weingart Center

Tonja Boykin joined the Weingart Center in 2016 to serve as its Chief Operating Officer. Tonja has 28 years working as a high-performing nonprofit management executive with national and regional expertise in building/optimizing organizational processes, measurement systems, and infrastructure to maximize business results in philanthropy, resident programs and permanent and affordable housing development industries. She is a skilled strategist who transforms strategic plans into workable solutions and benchmarks performance against key operational targets/goals. Tonja is recognized as a national leader in community organizing, program development and strategic initiatives focused on the hardest to serve populations including families, youth, seniors, and individuals experiencing homelessness or at risk of losing their housing. Prior to joining the Weingart Center, Tonja served as the Chief Operating Officer for Skid Row Housing Trust and the Regional Director of Philanthropy for Mercy Housing California. Tonja’s career with Mercy Housing began in 2001 and she served in various regional and national capacities throughout her fourteen year career there. Her early working life began as a program liaison in Mayor Richard Riordan’s office for L.A.’s Best After-School Enrichment program. She was also a Program Director at the Weingart Urban Center YMCA and a Senior Development Associate at Netzel Associates prior to joining Mercy Housing. Tonja studied at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, Pacific Oaks in Pasadena California, and the Fashion Institute Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles, California.

Laura Stumm

Senior Managing Director
NGKF

Laura Stumm is a managing director with Newmark Knight Frank in Los Angeles and a lead member of Newmark Knight Frank's West Coast capital markets investment sales team, led by West Coast President Kevin Shannon. Since joining the Shannon Team in early 2011, Ms. Stumm has worked in various aspects of the investment sales process, including operations, marketing, analytics and brokerage. She has participated many of the West Coast's highest profile dispositions, contributing to over $25 billion in brokered transactions by the team since 2011. Ms. Stumm's dedication, professionalism, work ethic and attention to detail make her an essential member of the Shannon Team. Ms. Stumm has a bachelor's degree in finance from the University of Notre Dame. She lives with her husband and son in Manhattan Beach.

Val Achtemeier

EVP, Capital Markets
CBRE

Valerie K. Achtemeier (“Val”) is an Executive Vice President at CBRE Capital Markets in the Debt & Structured Finance Group. Based in Los Angeles, Ms. Achtemeier leads a team in placing debt and equity on commercial real estate throughout the United States. During her career, she has originated more than $32 billion of commercial real estate loans and joint venture equity transactions. Ms. Achtemeier has an extensive network of long-standing debt and equity relationships including life insurance companies, banks, debt funds, CMBS lenders and investment banks. Since joining CBRE in 2009, Ms. Achtemeier has established a predominately institutional client base and a strategic focus on sourcing debt and equity capital for industrial, office and retail projects. Ms. Achtemeier has developed an expertise as one of the leading mortgage brokers nationally for industrial and logistics portfolios and single tenant financings as well as for larger loan transactions. Prior to joining CBRE, Ms. Achtemeier was the Director of Capital Markets at Majestic Realty Co. where she raised debt and equity capital for industrial, office, retail, and hotel/gaming properties throughout the United States. Earlier in her career, Ms. Achtemeier gained institutional and investment experience at the Principal Financial Group (1987 – 1996). The Achtemeier team is “full service” with detailed underwriting, closing, and analytical capabilities as well as strategic expertise to structure and negotiate the full capital stack including senior mortgages, B-notes, mezzanine debt and joint venture equity.

Jacqueline Waggoner

VP & Market Leader
Enterprise Community Partners

Jacqueline Waggoner is vice president and Southern California market leader for Enterprise Community Partners, Inc. She oversees Enterprise’s affordable housing, community development, investment and strategic programs from the state’s Central Coast to San Diego. Jacqueline started with Enterprise in 2005. During her tenure, she has advanced capital solutions, intellectual resources and capacity building tools to achieve Enterprise’s strategic and production goals, leading to more than $300 million in Enterprise investments locally. She has worked with the city of Los Angeles, banks and nonprofit developer partners to create local funds for affordable housing, advocate for low-income families and support Enterprise’s vision of providing communities of opportunity. Jacqueline serves on the 10-member Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) Commission, the agency’s governing board, appointed by Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas in February 2017, and chairs LAHSA's Ad Hoc Committee on Black People Experiencing Homelessness. She is also a member of the County of Los Angeles Tenant Protections Working Group. Jacqueline serves on the board of directors of the Southern California Association of Nonprofit Housing (SCANPH), a membership organization that supports the production, preservation and management of affordable homes. She is on the board of governors of the California Housing Consortium and a board member for the Los Angeles Business Council and Restore Neighborhoods LA, Inc. Jacqueline serves on the steering committees for LA Thrives, a collaborative advancing equitable transit-oriented development, and LA Funders' Collaborative, a network promoting healthy, equitable and sustainable communities. A Los Angeles native, Jacqueline has a bachelor’s degree in sociology and a master’s degree in urban planning from UCLA. Her experience in commercial real estate lending spans more than 20 years. Before joining Enterprise, she was vice president for community lending with Wells Fargo Bank in Los Angeles.

Priscilla Fraser

Executive Director
MAK Center

Rachel Howitt

President, CFO
NAI Capital

NAI Capital president and CFO Rachel Howitt has been working in commercial real estate for more than 25 years. She says the most rewarding aspect of her career is "inspiring other women to break the glass ceiling." When Rachel first began working for NAI Capital, there were only two women brokers. There are now 41, including an executive managing director who runs the Palm Desert office. Rachel is proud of the women at the firm and her own ascent as president. She is happy to have the opportunity to represent NAI Capital, the largest independently owned full-service commercial real estate firm headquartered in SoCal, she says. She sees consolidation in the industry as one of the challenges, since many firms have merged into "large, impersonal firms where company culture is supplanted by a 'Wall Street' mentality." Competition for talent also is challenging, and barriers for new brokers in the business are high, particularly for women, Rachel says. Her advice for women looking to enter the industry is to find mentors, take advantage of training opportunities, be prepared and "most importantly, be yourself." Rachel enjoys going to the Thermal Club racetrack with her sports car for a rush of adrenaline. She also supports the Navy Seal Foundation and is a member of the board of the UCLA Ziman Center for Real Estate.

Christy Castillo Butcher

SVP, Programming
SoFi Stadium & Hollywood Park

Tunua Thrash-Ntuk

Executive Director
LA LISC

Monique Davis

Founder
ACCESS

Monique’s extensive experience in varied private-sector industries provides her with a unique lens to oversee her current not-for-profit responsibilities. Previously, she served as Human Resources Manager for Drybar, a successful startup concept with over 70 locations nationwide. Weathering the challenging environment of the financial industry, from 2007-2013, Monique held Human Resources and operations positions of increasing responsibility at Morgan Stanley; Mountain LTD (an AT&T provider); and Equator, LLC (now Altisource). She enjoyed an 8-year career at H&R block as Director, Administration & Human Resources where she earned six sigma and project management certifications and was recognized by the Gallup Organization as a Top Tier (3%) nationwide leader. Monique began her career with Disney, leading their Human Resource and Training Programs. A native of Los Angeles, she holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Management and Organizational Leadership and is a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach & Consultant (StrengthsFinder 2.0) through the Gallup Organization. As an advocate for affordable housing, in addition to being a member of several housing-focused organizations within the greater Los Angeles area, Monique was an early adopter of a nationwide partnership with Habitat for Humanity which allowed for strong community alliances focused on housing. Her history in the financial sector brought the opportunity for Monique to work on several HUD initiatives including Hope Now, an initiative to facilitate maintaining homeownership during the economic real estate recession. Monique started at the Trust as a Chief Administration Officer where she designed and administered programs, procedures, and guidelines to align the workforce with the strategic goals of the organization. With a comprehensive background in Human Resources and corporate administration, Monique understands compliance requirements, HR laws, and has the confidence and ability to make tough business and personnel decisions when necessary. Monique is a listener; she identifies and learns how challenges are affecting her organization and she solves complex problems with oftentimes simple solutions. She is adept at shifting mindsets and cultural standards in a proactive and positive way; taking what has been done well and maximizing it to become even better. Working to end homelessness Monique was recognized by US Bank, in conjunction with People magazine, for her work with Skid Row Housing Trust. As the Chief Community Officer she partners with multiple entities for purposes related to advocacy and ambassadorship for the homeless community and the 2000 Skid Row Housing Trust residents housed in one of their 26 buildings. She advocates for the homeless community in efforts to address the disparate impact of homelessness in the African American, Women, LBGTQI, and previously incarcerated communities. Those efforts address policies specific to these communities. Monique addresses the needs of these communities by providing suggested legal or policy changes at the appropriate government level and finds “This work, in particular, the most rewarding because I feel I am truly having a positive impact and helping to change lives for the better.” Under Monique’s leadership as the Chief Community Officer, Skid Row Housing Trust is constantly improving internal organizational effectiveness while diligently working to transform Los Angeles into a community where everyone has a home. Monique has led these efforts by placing an emphasis on client service & expectations, identifying opportunities, streamlining processes, and enhancing personal & professional accountability. Monique has also established a strategic direction based on creating a culture of learning and training which has resulted in significantly improved employee and client engagement and optimism.

Leanne Tomar

Managing Principal
LT Executive Search

Dana Trujillo

CEO
Excelerate Housing Group

Anita Paryani Rice

First Vice President
IPA Capital

Monique King-Viehland

Executive Director
LA County Development Authority

Monique King-Viehland is the Executive Director of the Los Angeles County Development Authority. As Executive Director, she oversees over 580 full-time employees and an annual budget in excess of $600 million. Mrs. King-Viehland previously served as Deputy Executive Director, and Acting Executive Director. She is the first woman and African-American to take the helm of the nearly 40-year old agency. Prior to joining the agency in 2015, Mrs. King-Viehland was Director of the Department of Housing & Economic Development for the City of Trenton, New Jersey. Under Mrs. King-Viehland's leadership, the Department managed the planning and development activities of the City government and created and administered a variety of programs and services, ranging from developing affordable housing to recruiting businesses to locate in the City of Trenton. During her tenure with the City, Mrs. King-Viehland was credited with breathing new life into the housing and economic development pipeline, including working to secure millions of dollars in tax credits for mixed-use development and attracting new commercial and industrial businesses. Mrs. King-Viehland was principal and founder of Obsidian Development, LLC, a real estate development firm specializing in residential and mixed-use development projects. She is also the former Director of Area Development and President of Campus Gateway Development, Inc., (CGD) a subsidiary of the New Jersey Institute of Technology, which focused on utilizing campus development efforts to facilitate community revitalization in the City of Newark. In 2012, she was recognized for her efforts, as #44 in the NJBIZ “Power 50” in Real Estate. Mrs. King-Viehland has nearly twenty years of experience in housing, community and economic development, primarily in the area of community building and neighborhood revitalization. She has been integrally involved in the development of hundreds of single- and multi-family affordable housing, mixed-income, and mixed-use developments. In September 2009, Mrs. King-Viehland was inducted into the State of New Jersey's Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission inaugural “Academy of Leaders” in recognition of her commitment to and passion for contributing to society in the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King. Mrs. King-Viehland is a 2010 Leadership Trenton Fellow, a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., a former member of the Greater Trenton Initiative, a former member of the New Jersey Future Board of Trustees, a former member of the YWCA Board of Trustees, a former member of the I Am Trenton Community Foundation Board of Trustees, and a former member of the Trenton Downtown Association Board of Directors. In 2008, Mrs. King-Viehland was featured in “If I'd Known Then,” a book by bestselling author Ellyn Spragins. In the book, Spragins asked extraordinary women under forty to “write letters to the girls they once were, filled with the advice and insights they wish they'd had when they were younger.” In 2004 she was honored as a WQED Public Broadcasting & Pittsburgh Magazine “40 Under 40” Award recipient, which recognizes 40 talented individuals under the age of 40 who are making a positive impact on the region's development and a Coro Women in Leadership Designee. Mrs. King-Viehland has a Master of Science in Public Policy and Management from the H. John Heinz III School of Public Policy and Management, Carnegie Mellon University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Smith College, Northampton, MA where she graduated with honors. She resides in Rowland Heights, CA with her husband, Brian Viehland and her two children, Sekou and Zora.

Michele Low

VP, Real Estate
Clear Channel Outdoor

Michele Low is the Vice President of Real Estate for Clear Channel Outdoor, a publicly traded outdoor advertising company in the United States. In this role, Michele leads the real estate team and oversees the strategic and tactical decision making for the real estate portfolio of over 8,000 traditional and digital assets across Southern California. Prior to Clear Channel, Michele had an extensive 20 year career in the retail real estate industry where she had overall responsibility for the deal generation, site selection and negotiation for retailers such as McDonald’s USA, Supervalu, Big Lots, Factory 2-U, and McDonald’s Canada. During her career, Michele has closed over 300 different real estate transactions in the twelve western states of California, Oregon, Washington, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Hawaii. Such transactions ranged from real estate capital committee approval of new store locations, store relocations, ground leases, land acquisitions, entitlements, build-to-suit development, land dispositions, NNN leases, subleases, strategic lease renewals, lease buy-outs, early lease terminations, easements, land assemblage, as well as construction and store layout and design. Michele has served as an industry mentor for the International Council of Shopping Centers. She has also been a speaker on real estate matters at events sponsored by the International Council of Shopping Centers, Commercial Real Estate Women, USC Price School of Public Policy and Urban Planning, REAP Los Angeles and the Association of Corporate Real Estate Executives of Southern California. She has also been recognized for her volunteer work at Cedars-Sinai Hospital. Michele is a board member of the UCLA Ziman Center for Real Estate. Michele holds a Master of Business Administration from the Anderson School of Management at the University of California at Los Angeles and a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Urban Land Economics from the University of British Columbia. She is also a licensed real estate broker in the State of California. Michele lives in Palos Verdes, California with her husband and their two sons.

Vicky Schiff

Founder, Managing Partner, & COO
Mosaic Real Estate Investors

Mrs. Schiff is a Founder and Managing Partner of MREC Management, LLC and serves as the functional COO of Mosaic and is a member of the Investment and Executive Committees. Vicky’s investment career began in the early 1990s as an acquisitions and diligence executive for Summit Commercial/Highridge Partners in Los Angeles, where she worked on approximately $1B in transactions. Vicky is a career entrepreneur, co-founding five firms since 1996 including a real estate investment and development company with over 100 employees in the self-storage industry; a $400M+ institutional real estate fund of funds with a sub-strategy of supporting women and minority emerging real estate firms throughout the US; a national boutique investment banking firm which raised over $6B from institutional investors for top-tier real estate and private equity firms around the world. In 2010, post global financial crisis, she founded Oro Capital Advisors to create value for investors acquiring commercial real estate debt and distressed assets in target markets across the United States acquiring and managing industrial, retail, office and multi-family properties. Vicky previously served a three-year term as a Commissioner for the Los Angeles City Employees’ Retirement System and has served on the board of two publicly traded and 2 family owned real estate related companies. In addition, she has served on several not for profit Advisory Boards including the Rogert Toigo Foundation, various YPO boards, and the USC Lusk Center of Real Estate. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Southern California and a Master’s in Business Administration from The Anderson School of Management at UCLA.

Lindsay Dunn

SVP, Real Estate
City National Bank

Mimi Liu

EVP, Finance & Accounting
Rising Realty Partners

Kathryn Schloessman

President, CEO
LASEC

Schloessman leads LASEC’s strategic efforts to bring major events to Los Angeles and partners with the City to host a successful experience, ensuring their desire to return in the future. She is also responsible for overseeing and managing the organization’s day-to-day operations. Under Schloessman’s leadership at LASEC, Los Angeles is confirmed to host mega sporting events such as NCAA Men’s West Regional in 2018 & 2020, NFL’s Super Bowl in 2022, College Football Playoff National Championship Game in 2023, and is a Candidate Host City for the FIFA World Cup in 2026. LASEC works closely with major entertainment award shows such as the GRAMMY Awards. LASEC also hosts four annual events aimed at bringing LASEC board members and community supporters together with industry leaders: Dodgers All-Access, Lakers All-Access, LASEC Golf Classic at The Riviera Country Club and NFL All-Access. Prior to joining LASEC, Schloessman was a 13-year veteran of CB Commercial (now CBRE), the largest commercial real estate company in the United States. As managing officer of CB Commercial’s Downtown Los Angeles office, she was responsible for business development, operations and management of the L.A. region’s office professionals and oversaw CB Commercial’s community relations efforts. Schloessman also served as marketing director for CB Commercial’s Western Division and has more than 10 years of experience as lead broker for major lease transactions in the Downtown L.A. market. Schloessman currently serves on the advisory board of the USC Sports Business Institute and is an active member of Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO). Schloessman holds a Bachelor of Science degree in business from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.

Suzanne Lee

Managing Director
Cushman & Wakefield

Suzanne Lee is a Managing Director in Cushman & Wakefield’s Los Angeles office, and focuses on tenant representation and investment sales. For over 14 years, Suzanne has been a passionate advocate for her clients. By applying creative strategies and rigorous analysis, alongside a vigorous, hands-on approach to managing transactions, Suzanne guides clients in structuring real estate solutions in support of organizational values, business operations, and financial goals. Before joining Cushman & Wakefield in 2012, Suzanne served as Vice President with Transwestern. Suzanne also worked at Trammell Crow Company (now CBRE) and Colliers International. Prior to entering commercial real estate, Suzanne was a marketing and product development executive in the technology industry.

Lindsey Sage

Director, Business Development
Tangram Interiors

Lindsey Sage, a Michigan native, graduated from Kendall College of Art & Design and started her career as an interior designer for Tangram Interiors in Los Angeles. She was quickly promoted into a design leadership position where she led the development of designers and supervised project schedules and workloads while mentoring the team to ensure department and company progress. She inevitably became engrossed in the architectural and design community through her partnerships with outside firms on many successful projects and through this, found a passion for collaborating with industry professionals. After four years working in the design department, she transferred into business development working for Tangram’s Studio team. Here she was successfully connected to the brand reaching a wide audience; forging new client and influencer relationships where she shared her passion for co-design with the local design community. Lindsey created and managed a strategic sales plan to primarily focus on architects and designers specializing in creative office design to co-design furniture solutions to seamlessly harmonize with the overall design of the corporate office. She successfully increased sales annually and earned the annuity business of significant entertainment organizations in Los Angeles. Leaving Los Angeles in 2013 to be back in Michigan, Lindsey continued her career with Custer where she was the Vice President of Strategic Accounts with a focus on leading strategic planning and development for Custer Annuity and Strategic accounts; and coordinating employee training and development with all Custer INC departments. She redefined the new business development direction implementing a new sales model to improve brand visibility and increase lead identification. Lindsey then developed and launched a new customer relationship mapping system to promote sales tracking through identification, qualification and increased win rate. In early 2016, she was a Graduate of Leadership Grand Rapids, was recognized as one of Grand Rapids Most Influential Women and nominated for 40 under 40 Business Leaders by the Grand Rapids Business Journal. In December 2016, Lindsey returned to SoCal and Tangram in a Sales Leadership role. Her focus is on managing and growing strategic sales initiatives through New Business, Tangram Annuity and Strategic Accounts for new business development teams in Los Angeles and Orange County. Her intended alignment of customer expectations with Tangram capabilities in early identification and qualification support partnership and sustain account success; leading strategic planning and development of vision initiatives for the organization, she promotes continuous improvements on customer experience and full service integration. She was a Graduate of Leadership Los Angeles in 2017 and continues to support community development through participation in funding projects and leveraging networks to build awareness and increase contributions annually.

Anne Fletcher

Managing Principal, Los Angeles
HOK

Anne Fletcher leads HOK Los Angeles as Managing Principal, where she is responsible for the strategic direction and overall performance of the multidisciplinary practice. As an architect with over two decades of project management and design experience, she has led teams through significant projects including dozens of mixed-use, hospitality, residential and transportation projects. Anne has a unique ability to guide teams in translating client priorities, expectations and requirements into elegant, efficient and buildable design solutions. Anne is active in the Urban Land Institute (ULI) on the National Urban Development Mixed-Use Council (UDMUC-Red) and was a ULI Los Angeles Women’s Leadership GROW mentor for 2018. She is an active member of the LAX Coastal Chamber as well as on the Executive Board of the LAEDC and the LABC. She is also a member of HOK’s Global Board of Directors and Management Board. Before relocating to Los Angeles in late 2017, she ran the HOK New York mixed-use practice and led The New LaGuardia Airport Masterplan, guiding the complex design and implementation of over $9.5 billion of simultaneous redevelopment, while directly reporting to the Governor.

Cathy Orquiola

VP, California
PCL

As vice president for PCL’s California Buildings, Cathy is responsible for the successful business operations and overall performance for the nearly $1 billion district, consisting of the Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Diego offices. Cathy began her career with PCL in 1998 and holds a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering from Florida Institute of Technology. Whether constructing a building or leading a district, Cathy recognizes that people are the key distinguishing factors in every accomplishment. For two consecutive years, Cathy has been named by the Los Angeles Business Journal as one of LA’s Most Influential Leaders and was recently recognized as one of the Most Outstanding Women in Construction & Design.

Pamela Touschner

Senior Principal & California Regional Lead
DLR Group

Pam is a member of the firm's senior leadership team and California Region Leader. Based in Los Angeles, she is responsible for operations of the Los Angeles, Riverside, Sacramento, and San Francisco offices. "At the age of 12, I knew I wanted to be an architect. I was told that as a girl, it might be better if I consider something else. This feedback only strengthened my resolve." Pam is an award-winning architect with expertise in delivery of civic and institutional facilities, including the Mead Valley Library, Indio Teen Center, Alan M. Crogan Youth Treatment and Education Center, and the Riverside Convention Center. A passionate proponent of the architecture profession, she has held numerous AIA leadership positions at the local, regional and national levels, including president of the AIA California Council and Inland Empire chapter of the AIA, and as California regional director for AIA.

Jodi Meade

Principal
Avison Young

Avison Young principal and Automotive Properties Group national director Jodi Meade's mother inspired her to choose her career path and learn the business. Jodi says her mother, Norma J. Meade, was a trailblazer who founded a commercial real estate company in Beverly Hills in the 1980s that developed regional shopping centers across the US. Since then, Jodi has forged her own path, creating the only nationally recognized, woman-led automotive properties group within the world’s largest commercial real estate company, CBRE, in 2004. When she joined Avison Young two years ago, Jodi launched the firm's Automotive Properties Group. Recruiting professionals that “reflect our diversity of clients” is an ongoing challenge, she says. “It is also important to create work environments that accommodate the different generations represented in the workforce today. Jodi says “finding the key to bridging the talents each generation possesses is the difference between a good company and a great one.” Women, in particular, should not give up on pursuing what they really want; you must to see it to be it, Jodi says. In her spare time, she enjoys snow-skiing, continual advancement of her second degree black belt in TaeKwon Do, surfing, golf and wine collecting.

Stella Debibi

Partner
Debibi Strategic Partners

Stella Debibi, founder of Debibi Strategic Partners, based out of Los Angeles, develops strategic client relationships, project opportunities, as well as promoting her clients nationally. At DSP, amongst her clients and firms that she has worked for are CREFC, EisnerAmper and Nadel Architects, just to name a few. Prior to forming DSP, Debibi was the National Sales Manager for Koss Resource, an online real estate networking platform with over 300,000 active members. In addition to representing her clients in a business development capacity, Debibi has produced many real estate events, including several prestigious Real Estate Principles dinners.

Kimberly Stepp

Principal
Stepp Commercial

Kimberly R. Stepp continues her 21-year career in commercial real estate, serving as Co-Founder and Principal at Stepp Commercial. Kimberly has been honored and recognized by the community, her peers and industry professionals with numerous awards, including #1 multifamily broker in Santa Monica from 2010-2016. In 2017, Kimberly has been recognized as a nominee of “Women of Influence” by the RE Forum and featured in “Who’s Brokering LA” in the LABJ. In 2016, she was named one of the “Top 50 Women in Commercial Real Estate in Southern California,” and has been nominated as an “Executive Of The Year” finalist with Bisnow for six consecutive years from 2011-2017. Prior to merging her team with Stepp Commercial’s firm in 2015, Stepp was the Senior Managing Director at the Charles Dunn Company and ranked as a Top Broker, earning a place annually in the prestigious Charlie’s Club for achievements. Kimberly leads a team of brokers at Stepp Commercial that specialize in the sale and exchange of Multi-Residential Commercial Real Estate in Santa Monica, West Hollywood, and prime Westside markets; performing at list to sell ratio of 98.5%. Her decades of experience as an industry leader and her reputation for hard work, accountability, and commitment to excellence are the values she maintains daily.

Jan Karl

VP
Morley Builders

Jan Karl spearheads Morley’s project development initiatives and marketing team bringing over 20 years of experience in real estate, development, and construction. Her focus is on guiding the company to its next era of successful high performance building through smart, strategic growth. She serves as Immediate Past President of the Los Angeles Headquarters Association, is a board member of the Los Angeles Business Council and Co-Host of the LABC Architectural Awards. She is a board member of Habitat for Humanity as well as the City of Hope LARE Council and actively participates as a past board member of the Urban Land Institute and CoreNet. She is also an active Host with Women on Boards 2020. Jan holds a Bachelor of Science from Iowa State University and an MBA from Villanova University. She also holds a Masters of Corporate Real Estate designation, is a California Real Estate Licensed Professional and is a LEED AP.

Monique Lawshe

Executive Vice President
GHC Housing

Ms. Lawshe joined the company in 2002 and is responsible for providing leadership to the acquisition and development team. She has extensive experience with the use of low-income housing tax credits, multi-layered financing structures and HUD project-based rental programs, as well as conventional financing. While at GHC, Ms. Lawshe has been responsible for the acquisition and financing of approximately 15,000 units exceeding $750 million dollars in value. Ms. Lawshe has more than 20 years of experience in real estate development and finance. Prior to joining GHC, Ms. Lawshe served as the chief executive officer of A Community of Friends (ACOF), a Los Angeles-based nonprofit development organization. Under her leadership, ACOF produced approximately 800 units in Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties, and raised more than $100 million in capital from private and public sources. Ms. Lawshe obtained an MBA, with a concentration in real estate finance, at the Anderson School at UCLA and a bachelor of science in industrial management/industrial engineering from Purdue University.

Michele Shams

President & CEO
Koury Engineering

Michele has set out to develop Koury into the most reliable testing and inspection firm in Southern California. During her 12-year tenure with Koury she has served in several capacities including Accounting Manager, Corporate Controller and CFO. Mrs. Shams was most recently name CEO of Koury in October 2018. Michele is highly involved with the day-to-day operations of the company and works closely with the entire Koury team to ensure exceptional service, reliable results, information our clients can trust and people that make a difference.

Alina Mardesich

Senior Vice President
George Smith Partners

Ms. Mardesich joined the George Smith Partners family in 2017 with over 25 years’ experience in commercial real estate in the areas of new business development, asset management, loan workouts and most notably loan originations. Alina’s well rounded experience includes funding over $2.5 billion at Fremont Investment & Loan, working with Oaktree Capital Management’s Real Estate Debt Fund and managing a $300 million portfolio of distressed loans at US Bank during the downturn for the Archon Group. Alina boasts a stellar track record in originating highly structured complex real estate transactions with an expertise in ground up development in all asset classes including retail, office, industrial, multifamily, hospitality, student housing, master-planned community and urban mixed-use. Alina is most notably recognized for pioneering the financing of the adaptive re-use/artist loft conversion movement early in the last cycle with over $500 million funded in the Downtown Los Angeles Arts District. Alina saw the opportunity in DTLA long before the large institutional and foreign investors came in. Alina also funded over $350 million in master-planned community infrastructure development loans in Southern California that despite the economic downturn, performed through the down cycle due to her diligent underwriting and structuring. At George Smith Partners, Alina’s 25+ years of relationships and strong brand in the real estate community will allow her to bring best-in-class sponsors, middle market and up and coming developer/operators together with capital sources covering the full capital stack. A native of Los Angeles, Alina is first generation American and received her undergraduate degree from the University of Southern California. Alina is a community leader with former involvement as a Girl Scout Troop Leader in Redondo Beach and a volunteer art docent/teacher in the Torrance Unified School District. Recently named as a Woman of Influence in LA Confidential Magazine (April/May 2018 issue), Alina is also very involved in Gen Next, a nation-wide in invitation-only venture philanthropy group based in Southern California, and Ambition, an entrepreneurial program for underserved youth. Alina is an avid recreational beach volleyball player and backpacker spending several weeks each year in the Sierras and the Sequoias as well as a closet painter and musician composing music for both piano and guitar. Alina resides in Palos Verdes, California with her three children.