Raleigh Mayor Nancy McFarlane was first elected to Raleigh City Council in 2007 and served two terms before being elected Mayor in 2011 – she is currently serving her third term as mayor. She is only the second woman to serve as Mayor of Raleigh in the city’s history.

Mayor McFarlane is a graduate of the School of Pharmacy at Virginia Commonwealth University. A native of Virginia, she has called Raleigh home for the past 30 years. During that time she has worked as a pharmacist while raising her family; and in 2002 she launched MedPro Rx, Inc., an accredited specialty infusion pharmacy that provides medications and services for clients with chronic illnesses.

As a public servant, she has a reputation for advocating for the community whether that was improving our public schools, protecting neighborhoods and the environment, or supporting public transportation and the expansion of transit options.

As a top-tier American city, Raleigh frequently receives accolades and ranks at the top of “best of” lists. Under Mayor McFarlane’s leadership, Raleigh’s reputation as one of the best places to live, work and play in the county has only grown. As mayor, she has led efforts to expand public transit, update the city’s Unified Development Ordinance, protect our natural resources and environment, support small business and entrepreneurs, champion the Arts and was instrumental in the city’s purchase of Dorothea Dix Park – securing the property for development as a world-class destination park to be enjoyed by the public for generations to come.

Mayor McFarlane is also committed to partnering with other elected officials in Raleigh, the Triangle, and across the state to move forward issues of importance to municipal government. Mayor McFarlane is committed to maintaining Raleigh’s reputation as one of the best places to live, learn, work and play in the country; and in securing Raleigh’s future as a leading 21st century city.

Gary Chesson co-founded Trinity Capital Advisors in 2001 to acquire and develop office, industrial, and mixed-use assets throughout the Southeast. He oversees the firm’s office acquisition and development activities and is responsible for raising high net worth and institutional capital for investment throughout Trinity Capital’s portfolio. Investments are capitalized through Trinity Capital’s Value Fund series and through partnerships with many of the country’s top institutional investors. The firm has acquired or developed more than 15 million square feet of space totaling over $1.9 billion. Projects include some of the most successful workplace real estate properties in the Southeast, such as Perimeter Park, Ally Center, NASCAR Plaza, Perimeter Woods Business Park, Toringdon Office Park, and Westlake Business Park. Gary, a 26-year veteran of the commercial real estate industry, is also a co-founder of sister company Trinity Partners, which serves as Trinity Capital’s operating platform. Before founding those companies, he worked for Childress Klein Properties and focused on office leasing, development, and tenant representation. He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he frequently lectures at the University’s Kenan-Flagler Business School. Active in the community, Gary has served on the boards of the Urban Ministry Center, Alexander Youth Network, the Charlotte Rescue Mission, and Charlotte Family Housing. In addition, he’s active in Social Venture Partners, the Hopeway Foundation, Purple Stride Pancreatic Cancer Awareness, Running Works, The Relatives, and Thompson Child & Family Focus. He’s also a youth Sunday School teacher at Christ Lutheran Church.

John Kane founded Kane Realty Corporation in 1978. Today as its CEO, John has successfully led an organization that has developed sustainable mixed-use communities, regional malls, neighborhood and community centers, office buildings, hotels and health centers.

Kane Realty began work on its signature project, North Hills, in late 1999 with the purchase of numerous properties in Raleigh’s North Hills, embarking on a massive billion dollar redevelopment that now encompasses 165 acres. North Hills, a mixed-use, multi-block district known as Raleigh’s Midtown, is the recipient of numerous awards and accolades for its pedestrian-friendly and sustainable design which has made it one of America’s premier in-fill developments. Centrally located at the corner of one of Raleigh’s main thoroughfares and the I-440 beltline, North Hills is a destination of urban living, luxury hotel rooms, class A office space, premier dining, salons and day spas, high-end boutiques, a 14-screen movie complex, a state-of-the-art athletic club, and numerous gathering places.

John is a graduate of Wake Forest University with a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration. He is a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization, Chief Executives Organization and World Presidents’ Organization. John serves on the Economic Development Board of the NC Board, Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority, Duke Heart Center, Chairman of the Research Triangle Regional Partnership, NC Chamber, and Chairman of the Duke Raleigh Hospital Advisory Board and a Board member of Duke University Health System.

In 2004, John was recognized as Business Leader of the Year by Business Leader Magazine, received the Pillar Award by the Triangle Business Journal, the Impact Award by Triangle CREW, Developer of the Year in 2005 by TCAR, News and Observer “Top 10 to Watch in 2009”, 2009 Sir Walter Raleigh Award by City of Raleigh, 2010 Thad Eure, Jr Memorial Award from the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau which recognizes an individual that has made a major impact on the Wake County hospitality industry. In 2015 John received the ULI Triangle J.W.Willie York Community Builder Award, the Triangle Business CEO of the year award and the Triangle Business Person of the year award. The News & Observer named John the 2016 Tarheel of the year.

Steve Malik is a visionary entrepreneur with three decades of health information

technology experience and a pioneer in patient portals, electronic health records, and

full risk managed care systems. He is also the chairman and owner of the North

Carolina Football Club based in Cary, NC. Malik bought the North Carolina FC in

October 2015, fulfilling a longstanding wish of the fans to bring the team under local

ownership.

Currently, Malik is Executive Chairman of Medfusion, a Cary, NC company he founded

in 1996 and re-acquired in August 2013. In 2010 following Intuit’s acquisition of

Medfusion, he became a Senior Vice President of Intuit, and President and General

Manager of the Intuit Health Group, the company’s fastest-growing business unit. He

led initiatives to strengthen the relationship between physician practices and their

patients by making communication and the ability to accomplish key tasks better,

easier, and more efficient. In 2010, he was a finalist for Ernst and Young Entrepreneur

of the Year.

Malik earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration with honors from the

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is also the principle in a venture capital

firm investing in software and environmentally friendly technology opportunities.

Billie Redmond is a native North Carolinian, growing up in the small

textile town of Eden. Billie founded TradeMark Properties, the

largest, woman-owned, boutique commercial real estate company

in the Triangle. TradeMark Properties provides leasing, brokerage

and property management services to their clients to maximize the

value of their real estate investments and business objectives.

Named one of the Top 20 CEO’s in the Triangle in 2016 by Triangle

Business Journal, Billie also received the Pillar Award at their 2015

SPACE Awards. Billie also received the 2011 Triangle Business

Journal Legacy Award, which recognizes leaders who have

helped shape the Triangle through their business and community

endeavors. She received the TCREW Impact Award, the first

women to receive the prestigious award. In 2006, Billie was named

Realtor of the year by the Triangle Commercial Association of

Realtors. She has received the Triangle Business Journal’s Women

in Business Award and the Lifetime Achievement award for Women

in Business 2008, been named to the Business Leader Impact list,

and been named Tar Heel of the Week by The News and Observer,

as well as being recognized as one of Business Leader Magazine’s

Women Extraordinaire. In 2005, Billie was inducted into the

YWCA’s Academy of Women for her efforts to empower women

and eliminate racism.

In May 2011, Billie completed 10 years of service to the WakeMed

Health and Hospitals Board of Directors, the last two as Chair. She

serves on the Board of Directors of Paragon Commercial Bank and

the Carolina Hurricanes Kid’s n Community Foundation Board.

Currently, she is Chair of the Governor and General Assembly

appointed Education & Workforce Innovation Commission, focused

on educational transformation across North Carolina.

She is a past chair of the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce

where she served an unprecedented extended term. She served

as the Co-Chair of the Wake County Citizens Facility Advisory

committee, evaluating the Wake County capital improvement

program and implementation strategies.

Billie is a member of Pleasant Grove Church and is the Assistant

Supervisor of the Children’s Program for Bible Study Fellowship

International. She is married and has three children.

Ed serves as President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Highwoods Properties, Inc., a $7+ billion, publicly traded Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT). He joined Highwoods in 1982, a year after graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration.

Ed held many titles before becoming CEO in 2004. His prior roles include positions such as asset management, director of development, division president and chief operating officer. Also, Ed was a partner of Highwoods’ predecessor company before its initial public offering in 1994.

In the CEO role, Ed has implemented a successful business strategy focused on four core principles: people, portfolio, balance sheet and communications. Throughout Ed’s tenure as CEO, Highwoods has averaged a total shareholder return of 12.8 percent per annum.

Other achievements include leading the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (NAREIT) as chair in 2016, an organization representing nearly $2 trillion worth of publicly traded U.S. REITs. He was also awarded the 2015 Triangle Business Journal’s CEO of the Year Award and Triangle Business Journal’s 2010 Pillar Award, which recognizes outstanding real estate accomplishments and community involvement efforts.

Gary Cline, AIA is the President and Managing Principal of Cline Design Associates, an integrated architecture, planning and interiors firm with offices in Raleigh and Charlotte. Cline Design specializes in the design of multifamily and mixed use communities throughout the Southeast and celebrates their 30th Anniversary this year. The firm has received numerous design awards and features in national trade magazines for their work on affordable housing, market rate apartments, senior living and student housing of all types.

Gregg directs the company’s development and acquisition activities in the Raleigh Durham market. Gregg has been active in the Raleigh/Durham marketplace since 1988 and has developed and acquired a large variety of office, flex, and urban mixed use projects. He graduated with a B.A. in history from Hamilton College in Clinton, New York, and received his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School in Boston. Gregg is active in a number of organizations and nonprofits, as well as a guest lecturer at Kenan Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina and is a frequent speaker at regional forums.

John Warasila is the founding Principal of Alliance Architecture, established in 1995. He has over 20 years of extensive experience in architecture, interiors, project management, and real estate development. His technical expertise combined with his strong background have enabled him to be extremely effective in developing design concepts that respect strict budget and scheduling requirements. John directs the efforts of small and large scale projects, leads design teams and works closely with clients.

Ari Abramson is a Vice President of Acquisitions for Continental Realty Corporation. CRC, headquartered in Baltimore and founded in 1960, is a full-service commercial real estate investment company which owns and manages a diverse portfolio of apartment communities featuring nearly 10,000 units and retail centers consisting of more than 3.5 million square feet of space. In his role, Ari focuses on multifamily acquisitions and dispositions throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions, manages broker/owner relationships, and oversees the underwriting and due diligence process. In Baltimore, Ari lead CRC’s acquisition of Browns Wharf, a 104,000 sf adaptive re-use waterfront property in Fells Point. Prior to joining CRC, he held positions at Alex. Brown Realty, Stifel Nicolaus, Townsend Capital, and Legg Mason. Ari has a B.A. in Business and Economics from Muhlenberg College and a M.S. in Real Estate from Johns Hopkins University, Carey Business School. He is active on numerous community councils and committees focused on real estate in Baltimore.

Susan Newman is managing director of real estate services for Greystar, and oversees a portfolio of assets

located throughout the Carolinas. Active in the multifamily industry since 1981, she has extensive expertise

in property operations, new construction, lease ups, and business development. Susan has been involved in

rehabilitation projects, asset repositioning, student housing, distressed property management, and property

acquisitions and dispositions. Most recently, she served as the senior vice president of the Southeast

Division for Riverstone Residential Group before joining Greystar during the 2014 acquisition. Susan holds

real estate broker-in-charge designations in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. She is an active

member of the Triangle Apartment Association, and has served on various multifamily committees. Susan

earned a bachelor’s degree in business management from Gardner-Webb University.

oe is responsible for Grubb Properties’ commercial division including leasing, property management, and maintenance. He has worked in many facets of commercial real estate over his two decades as a real estate professional, and has experience in development, brokerage and asset management. Joe has completed more than 2.7 million square feet of commercial development valued over $350 million together with over $125 million in brokerage transactions. He serves on Grubb Properties’ investment committee, which reviews and approves all new investments and business plans. Joe joined the company in 2016 after fourteen years with American Asset Corporation, a diversified commercial real estate company, where he was an executive vice president overseeing the Raleigh, North Carolina office. Prior to that, he worked for the Trammell Crow Company and Faison in Atlanta, Georgia. Joe received a Bachelor of Science from Indiana University and Certificate in Building Construction from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He is also a LEED Accredited Professional.

Joe currently serves on the NAIOP Raleigh Durham Board and is an active member of NAIOP, TRAOBA and ICSC. He is a past Board member for Second Chance Pet Adoptions and serves on the Finance Committee of St. Michael’s Episcopal Church.

Tom Fritsch serves as Senior Managing Director of the CBRE Raleigh and

Triad offices. As the senior executive, he is responsible for managing the

company’s overall operations. His major responsibilities include the

company’s financial performance, business development, and strategic

planning. Mr. Fritsch oversees all operations in the Triangle and Triad

regions along with their expansive portfolio of services inclusive of

brokerage, tenant representation, property management, investment sales

and corporate services. Since joining the company in 2013, Mr. Fritsch has

overseen the successful completion of over 5,400 transactions with a value

of over $17.3B.

In addition to supporting the company, Mr. Fritsch is involved with several

organizations in the community. He currently serves on the NAIOP Board of

Directors for the Raleigh-Durham Chapter, the Board of Directors for the

WakeMed Foundation, and the Board of Advisors for the NCCU Real Estate

School. He has also been a member of the Raleigh Chamber Board of

Directors and NAIOP’s National Board of Directors, as well as a former

President of TRAOBA and the NAIOP Raleigh-Durham Chapter.

Background

Mr. Fritsch has more than 25 years of commercial real estate experience,

having also worked for Highwoods Properties where he managed several

departments and completed more than 350 office lease transactions, totaling

over 3.3 million square feet.