Caitlin Shelby is the Director for the Raleigh-Durham office of Wood Partners. In this role, she manages the sourcing, financing, and development of multifamily communities in eastern North Carolina and Virginia.

Prior to joining Wood Partners, Ms. Shelby managed nearly 2 million square feet of development for Boston Properties and The JBG Companies in Washington, DC. Ms. Shelby began her career working in corporate finance and project management at the New York City Economic Development Corporation.

Ms. Shelby received her MBA from the University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School, with a concentration in Real Estate Development and Real Estate Finance. She graduated from Fordham University with her BS in Business Administration. Ms. Shelby is a member of the UNC Kenan-Flagler Leonard W. Wood Center for Real Estate Studies Advisory Board, ULI Regional Initiative Council for the Carolinas, and ULI Women’s Leadership Initiative Steering Committee for the Triangle.

In November 2018, Nish transitioned from her role as a venture banking analyst (with Square 1 Bank) to form Lennox and Grae, Inc. (CRE investment firm). LGI has raised $29.2M in combined equity and debt to acquire and redevelop nearly 135,000 sf of commercial real estate in the historic downtown corridors of Durham, NC and Rocky Mount, NC. With a vision to "buy it , and build it" she formed Lennox and Grae Construction, Inc. in November 2020 to expand in-house service offerings for commercial construction management and general contracting. The firm has secured $49.8M in combined public and private partnerships.

As President of Taft Development Group, Mike McCarty oversees all budgeting, design, entitlement, planning, underwriting and construction for TDG’s residential and commercial developments. Since 2008, he has successfully developed more than 4,000 multifamily units throughout North and South Carolina with another 1,200 in development.

Mike is a native of Greenville, N.C. (currently resides in Raleigh, NC) and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a minor in Health Policy Administration from Wake Forest University. Mike has previously served on the Board of Uptown Greenville, Pitt County Development Commission (Vice-Chairman), and is currently the Chair of the North Carolina Locksmith Licensing Board. He is also a member of the Triangle Chapter of the Urban Land Institute and the Charlotte Area Apartment Association. In his spare time Mike is also holds a North Carolina Real Estate License as a Broker-In-Charge and is a founding partner of Pitt Street Brewing Company in Greenville, NC.

Anthony Smithson manages ongoing development and construction activities at Grubb Ventures, including many of our award-winning multifamily communities and mixed-use commercial projects.

He began as an Investment Analyst and Project Manager for Grubb Properties, where he managed the repositioning of several office portfolios and the development and construction of multifamily communities in North Carolina. Prior to transitioning into commercial real estate, Anthony worked as a structural engineer, designing office buildings, mixed-use developments, multifamily communities, and retail centers.

In 2011, Anthony earned his MBA, with majors in investment finance and real estate, from Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts, and he holds a B.S. in civil engineering from the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. He is also a member of the Urban Land Institute, currently serving on its Innovation in Housing Council, as it works to address affordable housing in local communities.

Since 2005, the team at SouthPark Interiors has dedicated themselves to seamlessly merging design and branding within commercial properties across the United States. As Director of Sales, Audrey Robinette is tasked with seeking distinctive design opportunities for SPI’s team of creatively driven, process oriented, and results focused designers. SouthPark Interiors offers custom-tailored interior architectural designs, custom furniture and procurement solutions, and branding services for all commercial spaces. SouthPark Interiors has transformed over 250 multi-family and student housing properties across the

nation. Along the way, the SPI team has set trends and forged lasting partnerships with developers, management teams, and more.

With over 35 years in the commercial construction industry Ronnie Brouillard has held positions from Superintendent to Project Manager on projects ranging from base building, tenant interior and K-12 public schools. As Director of Business Development at Chesapeake Contracting Group, Ronnie oversees the company’s expansion in various market sectors and geographic areas, with a current emphasis on the Raleigh/Research Triangle region. He is responsible for cultivating new relationships, brand promotion and creating new business opportunities.

Nick is a Principal of VELA Development Partners with over fourteen years of experience developing urban mixed-use and multifamily projects. Before co-founding VELA, Nick was a Vice President of Development for Cordish Companies where he was responsible for overseeing entertainment district and multi-family development projects, including One Light and Two Light in Kansas City, as well as One Cardinal Way in St. Louis. Nick was responsible for the development of these and other projects from the ground up; from incentive negotiation, to entitling, to unit mix and programming details, to training and overseeing the leasing and property management teams. Nick began his career at Simpson, Thacher, & Bartlett as an associate attorney. Nick graduated from Princeton University with a Bachelor’s degree before earning a JD from the University of Virginia School of Law.

Kyle Bailey is the operations lead with responsibility for Swinerton’s Raleigh office. Swinerton is an ENR Top 20 National General Contractor serving Multifamily, Hospitality, Healthcare, Education, Aviation, Office, Corporate Interiors, and Renewable Energy markets with 20 offices across the US. A Senior Project Manager with over 10 years of experience, Kyle manages a diverse portfolio of projects stretching across 500,000+ square feet of space throughout the Triangle, allowing for a significant increase in Swinerton’s capacity to serve its clients in the area. He brings experience from working as an owners representative as well as a construction project manager, and his leadership, process-driving management style, and sound technical knowledge have benefitted his projects and clients as he continues to successfully build a high-performing Division in the Raleigh area with a backlog of anticipated work of over $40M in 2023. Kyle is highly motivated and driven to form and maintain partnerships, working in collaboration with project teams to leverage a transparent process, new technology, and progressive delivery systems to achieve project success. Kyle holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Construction Engineering Management from Oregon State University.

With more than 20 years of experience in the telecommunications industry, Ryan Loftus serves as the Executive Vice President of Business Development at Hotwire Communications. His primary area of expertise lies in multi-family tenant environments. Ryan is known for his passion, success, and performance-driven approach, and boasts a proven track record of establishing enduring strategic partnerships with Fortune 100 and 500 companies. Throughout his career, Ryan has played a pivotal role in the launch and implementation of various cutting-edge technologies, including high-speed internet, digital and high-definition video, IPTV, DVR, extensive fiber deployments, small cell, and home security.

Drawn to the expansive creative opportunities in workplace design, Anne Bradley has been leading interior design teams for a range of corporate industries for over two decades. Anne's designs shape the spaces within an office and reinforce the energy and experience of the company's brand and culture—while also conforming to building codes that keep inhabitants safe.