Jessica Lappin is the President of the Alliance for Downtown New York. The organization manages New York City’s largest Business Improvement District (BID) and provides service, advocacy, research and information to advance Lower Manhattan as a global model of a 21st century Central Business District for businesses, residents and visitors. Lappin also serves as the President of its sister organization, the Downtown Lower Manhattan Association.

A lifelong New Yorker, and recent Crain’s “40 Under 40” honoree, Ms. Lappin has a distinguished record in civic life and public service. Since taking the helm of the Alliance in February 2014, Lappin has emerged as the voice of the downtown business community and ensured that the BID remains at the forefront of efforts to shape the neighborhood. Under her leadership, the Alliance has advocated successfully for incentives to improve the business climate, significantly expanded its free public WiFi network, received notable awards for both its marketing videos and redesigned website, instituted a district-wide solar-powered recycling program and helped secure nearly $100 million in resiliency funding for Lower Manhattan. Lappin has also led the organization’s economic development efforts to create a first-of-its kind innovation hub, work space and collaboration center called Lower Manhattan HQ.

Prior to her tenure at the Alliance, Lappin was elected to serve two terms in the New York City Council, representing the Upper East Side, East Midtown, and Roosevelt Island, and was praised by the New York Times for her “steely resolve, dedication, and energy.” She played a key role in bringing the CornellTechnion Applied Science and Engineering Campus to Roosevelt Island, oversaw the approval of over 20,000 new public school seats citywide and 5 new schools on the East Side, helped keep 100 senior centers from closing, expanded the city’s recycling efforts and spearheaded the successful development of four new waterfront parks. And, as Co-Chair of the Women’s Caucus, she authored a nationally recognized, landmark bill to protect women’s health and reproductive rights.

The Aspen Institute, a renowned international think tank, selected her as a Rodel Fellow in 2011. The Rodel program is focused on transcending political partisanship and addressing overarching questions of leadership and effective governance.

She also serves on the Steering Committee of the Association for a Better New York (ABNY) and the boards of the FDR Memorial and Four Freedoms Park, Battery Conservancy, American Skin Association, and as an Ex Officio member of New York City Center and NYC & Company.

Lappin lives in Manhattan with her husband and two sons. She graduated from Georgetown University, Phi Beta Kappa and Magna Cum Laude, and from Stuyvesant High School, where she was in the first class to graduate from its Lower Manhattan location.

ince joining Cushman & Wakefield in 1981, Ms. Stacom has distinguished herself as one of the leading brokerage professionals in the real estate industry. She consistently ranks among the firm’s top producing brokers including top 3 in the New York Region and top 5 worldwide over the last 10 years, and she was Cushman & Wakefield’s number one broker worldwide in 2004. Ms. Stacom was honored with the Real Estate Board of New York’s highest achievement….the 2011 Most Ingenious Deal of the Year (First Place Henry Hart Rice Award) for the leasing of One World Trade Center. Ms. Stacom has also been ranked top landlord broker in Manhattan based on total square footage leased and has been responsible for representing tenants in the top 10 largest office leases the last several years.

AWARDS & ASSOCIATIONS

A compelling testament to her dedication to the real estate industry and the communities in which she lives and works is the great number of awards Ms. Stacom has received. She is the recipient of Crain’s New York Business 100 Most Influential Women in New York City Business, Realty Foundation of New York honoree, “Woman of the Year” of the New York Executives in Real Estate (WX), and Real Estate New York and Real Estate Forum’s Women of Influence. She received Northwood University's Distinguished Women's Award for recognition of the enormous contribution she has made to communities, businesses, volunteer agencies, and public and private sector services worldwide.

Ms. Stacom serves the real estate industry as a Director of the Realty Foundation of New York; and a Member of the Real Estate Board of New York serving on the Ethics Committee. She is regularly called upon as an industry spokesperson by a wide range of media outlets. A believer in “giving back”, Ms. Stacom is a Director’s Circle Member and rotational Board Member of Girls, Inc., a national not-for-profit that draws upon prominent women in U.S. industry to support girls in their quest to become strong and independent women.

Ms. Stacom has a passion and commitment for learning and development. She is a founder of ire@l, a real estate program in the business college at Lehigh University. She personally chaired the program which has enrolled more than 1,000 students since its inception in 2009. In recognition of her commitment and many years of service to Lehigh University, as well as, Greenwich Academy, Ms Stacom has received prestigious Alumni Awards from both organizations.

Ms. Stacom serves on the Board of Trustees at Lehigh University where she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Finance.

ASSIGNMENTS

Ms. Stacom serves Cushman & Wakefield as an Executive Vice Chairman. During her 32-year career, Ms. Stacom has been responsible for executing in excess of 40 million square feet and some of the largest and most complex leasing, sales and corporate finance transactions. Most recently, as exclusive leasing agent for One World Trade Center, one of the world’s most iconic office buildings, she secured media giant Conde Nast as the anchor tenant for its 1, 200,000 sf headquarters. Ms. Stacom has managed and leased Class A office space for some of the most prominent owners and investors of real estate in New York. Among them are SL Green, Morgan Stanley, RXR Realty, Paramount Group, Sheldon Solow, The Prudential Insurance Co., Blackstone Real Estate Advisors, , Glorious Sun, Simone Development Companies, Landis/Normandy, L&L Holding Company and RREEF.

Ms. Stacom is best known by her clients for her creativity, exceptional service and ability to structure unique transactions. She has represented a cadre of high-profile tenants both nationally and globally including Lazard Freres & Co. LLC on its 448,572 square foot corporate headquarters lease at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, Bank of America, The Bank of New York (BNY Mellon), Colgate-Palmolive Company, J. & W. Seligman & Company, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Visiting Nurse Service of New York (VNS), Gibson, Dunn, & Crutcher, The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Remy Cointreau, USA, and Expedia, Inc.

Bruce Blum has thirty two years of principal-oriented, leadership experience within private and public hotel platforms that have capitalized early upon emerging lodging trends and sector cycles. Prior to co-founding GB Lodging, he was a partner at The Chartres Lodging Group, LLC, among the nation’s largest hotel private equity investment groups where he was instrumental in the company’s aggressive portfolio growth, capital raising, asset management and advisory activities for ten years while serving as Managing Partner of Kokua Hospitality, LLC, its property management affiliate. Prior to Chartres Lodging's formation, he served as CEO of Doral Hotels & Resorts, nine years as a private company and then as its President for three years, while a division of NYSE listed MeriStar Hotels & Resorts, predecessor to InterstateHotels & Resorts. Blum has been instrumental in the capitalization/recapitalization, acquisition, development, asset management and/or sale of numerous hotels including several iconic hotel and resort properties. Bruce graduated from the Florida International University (FIU) School of Hospitality and Tourism Management with honors, was awarded the FIU Torch Award and FIU Medallion of Honor by its Board of Trustees for exemplary professional and civic endeavors. Bruce also serves on its School of Tourism Management’s Advisory Board and is Task Force Leader, Real Estate Master’s Program Development. He is also a member of the New York Hospitality Council and Doral Arrowwood’s Board of Directors.

Norman Sturner is a founding Principal of MHP Real Estate Services and serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of the firm.

Mr. Sturner has engaged in all aspects of the New York real estate market, including project acquisition, management and brokerage. He is responsible for the firm’s acquisition and disposition activities and has acquired and sold more than 150 properties with an aggregate value of more than 12 Billion dollars.

Recently, Mr. Sturner was honored again by The Commercial Observer as one of the 100 most powerful people in New York Real Estate.

Norman Sturner is an approved Receiver by The New York State Office of Court Administration (OCA).

Mr. Sturner is a Board Member of: Real Estate Board of New York, Grand Central Partnership, New York Realty Foundation, Jewish Braille Institute and Association for a Better New York.

Morris’s main responsibilities are commercial asset management and growth for JEMB Realty. As such, he oversees assets and acquisitions in the United States. He provides overall leadership to JEMB property management teams in the New York Region and is involved in the development of new projects, based on input from the operational side and customer appeal aspect. An integral part of the corporate team, Morris provides innovative vision to the company. Introduced to the industry early in his youth, he has acquired broad experience in real estate property management. This in-depth understanding enables him to envision a more strategic and creative approach while exercising sound judgment in identifying and evaluating opportunities for value creation. At JEMB, we promote a team-based culture, solid leadership and the continued fostering of strategic relationships with leading partners.