Stuart Proffitt is a co-founding partner of Proffitt Dixon Partners, a multifamily development and investment firm with a focus on Class-A apartment communities in the Southeast. The Charlotte, North Carolina based firm has closed transactions valued at over $500 million since 2008 and has an active development pipeline in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. The firm also acquires and develops self-storage facilities, currently 4,000+ units and 500,000 sf of self storage projects are under way or owned.

The Proffitt Dixon team has over 50 years of combined urban residential, mixed-use, multifamily development and investment experience in the Carolinas, Florida, Georgia, Alabama and California. The team’s experience spans from the development of high rise urban projects to suburban multifamily, apartment acquisitions as well as value-add investments. Throughout their careers, the partners have developed more than 7,900 multifamily units valued at greater than $1.6 billion.

Prior to forming Proffitt Dixon Partners, Stuart was the vice president of mixed-use development at Pappas Properties in Charlotte, North Carolina and the director of development for Champion Development Group in Los Angeles, California. Stuart graduated from North Carolina State University, and earned his Master of Business Administration and Master of Real Estate Development from the University of Southern California.

Jeff is the Founder, Chief Executive Officer, and Co-Chief Investment Officer at T2. In these leadership positions, Mr. Brown is responsible for setting corporate initiatives, business development, operational oversight, and maintaining culture.

Prior to starting T2 in 2011, Jeff served as an Analyst at a Midwest-based family office followed by his tenure as President of a Midwest-based commercial real estate credit syndications company.

Jake is the Vice President of Development and Area Development partner for the Southeast region and

leads JPI’s development activities in Raleigh-Durham, Charlotte, and Nashville, including site selection,

due diligence, entitlements and design, as well as building out a core JPI team for these markets.

Jake received his BA from the University of Notre Dame and his MBA from UNC’s Kenan-Flagler

Business School. In his career prior to JPI, Jake has been responsible for over $1B in direct real estate

investment and development across multi-family, industrial, and mixed used assets.

Jake resides in Durham, NC and when not at the office he greatest joy in life is spending time with his

daughter Olivia.

A 2nd generation real estate investor. While spending nearly 30 years in the music

and audio entertainment industry as a performer, music director, mix engineer and

sound designer for Global Brands, Bands & Networks such as Shania Twain,

WarnerBros. Discovery & NASCAR, Brent has always kept a pulse on residential

investing thru flips, short-term rentals and new construction.

However, it was his passion for multifamily properties that led him to shift his focus

to apartment buildings and complexes. Thru constant education and mentors,

Brent has developed a deep understanding in identifying undervalued properties,

vetting lead sponsors and a passion to align investor’s financial goals with the

ideal asset.

Our approach to investing is grounded in a commitment to meticulous research

and due diligence. My belief that by taking the time to thoroughly analyze market

trends, potential risks, and investment opportunities, we can identify the most

promising multifamily properties and make smart investment decisions for us and

our investors.

In addition to his expertise in real estate, Brent is known for his strong

interpersonal skills and his ability to build lasting relationships with his clients and

partners. He takes pride in providing exceptional customer service and in working

closely with investors to understand their unique goals and objectives.

Today, Brent is a Co-General Partner in over 750+ units, and he continues to seek

out new investment opportunities that align with his commitment to delivering

superior returns for his investors.

Rena Marron is an accomplished multifamily operations leader with more than 25 years of

experience driving performance, operational excellence, and team development across large-scale

portfolios throughout the Southeast. She has held progressive leadership roles—most recently as

Director of Multifamily Operations, South with Southern Land Company, Senior Regional Property

Manager at Greystar, Regional Vice President with RPM Living, and Area Vice President at BH

Management—where she oversaw teams of up to 42 employees and portfolios exceeding 2,100

units across multiple markets. Her experience spans Class A highrise to Class C renovation assets,

lease-ups, stabilized communities, and complex valueadd strategies.

Rena is known for her hands-on leadership style, built on consistent communication, structured

coaching, and accountability. She has developed and mentored numerous Community Managers,

Service Supervisors, and Regional Managers into higher leadership roles. Her approach strengthens

financial and operational performance by aligning teams with clear expectations, detailed reporting

processes, and strong support systems. At multiple organizations, she achieved 100% on-time

reporting for monthly variances and annual budgets, improved digital footprints, enhanced customer

satisfaction, and increased compliance across all communities under her leadership.

Her strategic expertise includes portfolio optimization, asset repositioning, team building, HR issue

resolution, vendor relationship management, market evaluation, due diligence, and seamless

execution of property transitions. She has conducted and led due diligence for dozens of assets,

supported multi-market acquisitions, and partnered closely with clients and senior leadership to align

property performance with short- and long-term financial goals. Throughout her career, she has been

trusted to stabilize new markets, launch new teams, and support major clients with transparency,

communication, and consistent results.

Rena is also an active contributor to the multifamily community, serving as a certified trainer, mentor,

and committee member across organizations. She is a recipient of multiple leadership and property

performance awards, including Property Manager of the Year, AAGIE Apex Award nominations, and

recognition as a regional leader in community service and DE&I initiatives.

Driven, people-focused, and committed to operational excellence, Rena continues to champion

leadership development, high-performing teams, and exceptional resident experiences across all

assets she supports.

Karen Key is a Division President and leads the Southeast region for Asset Living’s conventional portfolio. She has worked in the industry for over 20 years, gaining experience and expertise in new developments and lease-ups, value-add and repositions, and build-to-rent housing at companies like RangeWater, ZRS, and Greystar. At Asset Living, her goals include driving property operations and assisting clients in evaluating existing and potential investments while cultivating a culture that fosters engaged team members.

Karen is an Executive Certified Property Manager (CPM) through the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM), past president of the IREM Georgia Chapter, 2022 recipient of the J. Wallace Paletou Award from the IREM Foundation, and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Hospitality Administration and Business Management from Georgia Southern University. When Karen is not in the office, she enjoys traveling, being on the lake, and trying new foods. A fun fact about Karen is that she is a Tennessee Volunteers fan.

Since joining national developer PMG in 2016, Brian’s role has expanded to include oversight of multifamily marketing and leasing, hotel F&B programs, investor reporting, corporate communications and operations, and serving as the Managing Broker for the PMG Residential sales team. Prior to PMG, Brian led business development for several venture-backed technology companies.

Lauren is a recognized leader in Nashville's urban multifamily market and leads one of the largest architectural teams as an Associate at Smith Gee Studio. With experience designing thousands of multifamily units, Lauren has been instrumental in taking several of Nashville's prominent projects from concept to completion. Her passion for creating livable spaces tailored to residents' needs drives her commitment to understanding the modern urban apartment dweller.

This dedication inspired her to create and publish The Living Lowdown, a bi-annual study that tracks and analyzes trends in Nashville's multifamily market. Through partnerships with local apartment management companies and the development of a resident user survey, Lauren provided clients with insightful market feedback, empowering them to make informed design decisions.

Emily Trapani is a tech business leader with over 15 years of experience, including more than 8 years in leadership at Google, creating and executing sales strategies and innovation for technology products and services. As the Head of Retail at Google Fiber, she oversees strategy, innovation and operations in retail and other non-traditional sales and service experiences for the company's high-speed internet offerings.

She has an invariable track record of delivering results and growth for Google Fiber and its parent company, Alphabet Inc., by developing and managing various sales channels and partnerships, including B2B, B2B2C, multifamily, direct, indirect and nontraditional. She is also an author and a futurist, who has published two books and a podcast on technologies and industry trends. She is passionate about empowering women and underrepresented groups in technology and STEM, and volunteers as an instructor and facilitator for several Google programs and initiatives.

Jennifer is a dynamic leader with over 17 years of sustainable development &

operations experience focusing on performance-driven results. As an executive

with international real estate firm Lendlease for 12 years, she led development

and sustainability teams to achieve successful project outcomes in world class

developments, master planned communities and public private partnerships.

She is the CEO and Managing Partner of Urban Campus and Core, a

development and real estate advisory firm focused on helping clients explore

new opportunities, expand existing capabilities, and optimize their real estate

footprints. As a Nashville native and graduate of Vanderbilt University, Jennifer

has deep roots in the community and has a vested interest in creating inclusive

and sustainable growth through innovative community developments.

Over the course of her career, she has developed innovative partnerships to

design award winning sustainable developments, unique community led real

estate projects, and transformational mixed income communities.

Matt leads strategic initiatives for CBC, including oversight of business performance and growth, as well as sourcing development and preservation opportunities. With over 20 years of experience, Matt’s expertise in leading high-performing, revenue generating teams and building strong external relationships help drive CBC’s growing presence in the affordable housing space.

Matt is an alumnus of Leadership Nashville and was a Nashville Business Journal 40 Under 40 award recipient. An active member of the community, Matt is heavily involved in the Urban Land Institute and is a board member for Habitat for Humanity and Valor Collegiate Academies. He also serves on the board of Catholic Charities where he and his family actively volunteer.

Reed Lower is an experienced real estate development manager and a dedicated advocate for affordable housing and community development in Nashville. Committed to sustainability and high-quality design, he leads impactful projects that prioritize long-term affordability and meaningful community benefits. To date, he has helped develop and manage $259 million in projects encompassing 740 multifamily units. He is an active member of Greenways for Nashville and the Urban Land Institute and serves as an adjunct mentor for the Real Estate Developer Academy (RED), a collaborative initiative with Amazon, ULMT, and Nashville State. Reed’s notable achievements include securing large-scale funding through strategic partnerships and grants, as well as successfully navigating complex development processes.

Brad is the CEO and Founding Principal of Shapiro & Company Architects, a residential architecture firm

with offices in Memphis, Nashville and Dallas. Shapiro & Company is dedicated to partnering with developers to

deliver timely and profitable projects. In the last several years, the firm has completed over 6,000 units

and $1 billion worth of construction in leading cities such as Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville,

Chattanooga, Charlotte, Tampa, and more across the Southeast. Brad is responsible for the overall

direction of the company as well as establishing the vision and design of the projects. Brad specializes in

designing residential solutions that solve livable and cost-savvy issues. Brad graduated from the

University of Arkansas’ Fay Jones School of Architecture in 1985 and currently serves on the University

of Arkansas’ Dean’s Circle. He is also an active participant of numerous national and regional

associations such as AIA, Congress for the New Urbanism, ULI, Institute of Classical Architecture and Art,

West TN Home Builders Association, National Apartment Association, and NCARB.

Israel Brown is the CEO and Founder of Essayon Construction Group. Essayon is a service-

disabled veteran and minority-owned General Contractor, and wood framing specialty

contractor based in Marietta, Georgia established in 2012. Essayon holds 8(a), SDVOSB (Service

Disable Owned Small Business), MBE, AABE, and DBE certifications. Under Israel’s guidance, the

firm works across numerous market sectors in the Southeast with expertise in the multi-family

and commercial industries working with developers, investors, and other general contractors

with over 4,700+ multi-family units constructed. Israel is responsible for general supervision and

control of all business affairs of the company determining corporate growth strategies to

position the company to excel in a dynamic industry and marketplace.

Prior to founding Essayon, Israel served as an estimator and project manager for Brasfield and

Gorrie General Contractors (B&G) and as Combat Engineer Commander for the Georgia Army

National Guard (OIF 08-09). He led the 848th Engineer Company (Sapper) into combat during

Operation Iraq Freedom with the mission of conducted Route Clear and Route

Reconnaissance in Iraq, Baghdad. Israel was awarded the Bronze Star for his heroic and

meritorious achievements and actions against an enemy of the United States.

After a tour in Iraq, Israel was highly recruited by the Georgia Army National Guard’s

Construction Facility Management Office (CFMO). He decided to accept a position with the

Department of Defense and the CFMO as a Director to further develop his leadership. With this

new position, Israel oversaw 178 facilities in the state and carried the responsibilities of

construction facility management for the engineering, design, government estimates, and

construction management and execution for all Georgia Army National Guard buildings. In 2012,

he left the Department of Defense to start Essayon Construction Group to add value to

developers as well as other general contractors in the private sectors, public sectors, and

government agencies.

Israel faithfully served and was a donor to Good Samaritan Health Center of Cobb, where he has

served as a board member for three years, and its mission is: “to spread the love of Christ by

providing quality healthcare to those in need.” Israel is a life learner and a strong advocate for

continuing education and personal growth. Israel received his Bachelors in Construction

Management from Georgia Southern University. In 2015 and 2016, Israel attended Tuck School

of Business at Dartmouth. While in 2019, he attended Stanford University Graduate School of

Business. Israel is also a founding member of Executive Peer Vistage Group 04792. He has also

recently completed the ICIC Building for Growth program in 2023 to gain further insights in

business development and progressive strategies to succeed in business. Is also a community

football coach for North Cobb High school where he serves on the player development team

helping young student athletes develop into leaders.

As Managing Director at Alliance Residential, Stephen Keller is responsible for sourcing and executing new development opportunities in the Tennessee market. His duties include site selection, negotiating land purchases for development, capitalization, and managing the entitlement and design processes. Since joining Alliance in 2019, Stephen has been involved in the execution of over 1,500 multifamily units in the Atlanta and Nashville markets. Prior to joining Alliance Residential, Stephen was a part of the Debt and Structure Finance team at CBRE helping to source over $500 million in debt and equity for multifamily, office and industrial products across the Southeast. Mr. Keller graduated from the University of Alabama where he earned a B.B.A. in Finance with a concentration in Real Estate.

Noah Randall is a real estate executive with more than a decade of experience in multifamily development across the Southeast. He is a Managing Partner at South City Partners, where he oversees the firm’s development activities and helps lead investment strategy, capital sourcing, and the long-term strategic growth of the development platform.

Prior to joining South City Partners, Mr. Randall was a Partner at Alliance Residential, where he led the firm’s Southeast Division and oversaw all investment, development, and construction activities for the Atlanta and Nashville offices. During his tenure at Alliance, he was involved in the development of approximately 4,600 apartment units across a range of product types, including garden, mid-rise, and mixed-use communities, representing more than $1 billion in total capitalization.

Mr. Randall holds a B.B.A. in Finance with a concentration in Real Estate from the University of Alabama.

Simcha Ward joined the Crescent Communities team in 2022 as a Director of Development in the Charlotte, NC market. Simcha oversees the development of multifamily communities in North Carolina and Middle Tennessee from concept to disposition.

Prior to joining Crescent Communities, Simcha was a Senior Development Manager with Laurel Street Residential where he secured over $100MM in public financing commitments that contributed to the development of over 500 units of affordable housing in North Carolina and Georgia using a combination of local, state, and federal incentive programs. Additionally, Simcha worked for Wisznia | Architecture+Development as a Development Project Manager and CallisonRTKL as a Senior Designer.

Simcha attended Tulane University where he received both a Bachelor and Master of Architecture degrees and serves on the Dean’s Advisory Council. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Greater Charlote Apartment Association and is a member of the Urban Land Institute where he sits on the Rethinking Southern Cities Council. Simcha is a licensed architect and member of the American Institute of Architects.

Jake Muse is a Senior Vice President with Trammell Crow Company (TCC) in Nashville, Tennessee and with High Street Residential, TCC’s residential subsidiary. In this role, Jake is responsible for sourcing and executing new multifamily development opportunities throughout the Nashville region.

Prior to joining TCC, Jake held various senior positions at Cypress Roots Development, Blackburn Communities, and The Blackburn Group, where he led or was heavily involved in developing more than 3,250 multifamily units totaling over $1 billion.

With nearly 20 years’ experience working in the development and construction industry, Matt blends his leadership, energy, entrepreneurship, and team building acumen with a healthy balance of micro and macro management across all businesses under the LG Group umbrella to create lasting value for the company and clients we serve.

As COO, Matt is constantly pushing and challenging his teams. His oversight of all company operations, including all phases of the development process, ensures exceptional output while maintaining unparalleled culture and opportunity. Externally, Matt connects with clients, partners, architects, and investors to ensure LG delivers for all involved.

Matt grew up in Naperville, Illinois and graduated from Purdue University with a Bachelor of Science in Construction Engineering and Management. If not enjoying his home in the Bucktown neighborhood of Chicago with his wife and three young children, Matt can be found enjoying the outdoors, often skiing, golfing, hiking, or fishing in Sawyer, Michigan and Big Sky, Montana.

As a Principal and EVP of Business Development at CSDG, Hal is responsible for

CSDG's design and management of firm projects, from site-specific design to large-

scale mixed-use and resort developments worldwide. In 2010, Hal founded the Planning

and Landscape Architecture studio at CSDG, shaping its vision and expanding its

capabilities in master planning and sustainable design. With over 25 years of

experience, Hal specializes in resort, mixed-use, and master-planned communities,

bringing a strategic approach and a talent for leading multi-disciplinary teams to create

projects with distinctive character and lasting impact. A recognized leader in Middle

Tennessee, he is an active member of the Tennessee Economic Development Council and has served on several boards, including the Nashville Civic Design Center and ULI’s Nashville District Council.