Megan M. McGlinchey is currently the Executive Director of the Riverfront

Development Corporation of Delaware (RDC). In this role, she guides the creation of strategies and objectives to fulfill the RDC’s mission of creating economic vitality along the Brandywine and Christina Rivers, while enhancing the environment, encouraging historic preservation and promoting public access.

Through targeted and leveraged investments, RDC creates employment and

residential development while promoting education, the arts, recreation and

tourism. Over the last 22 years, the RDC has spearheaded a one billion dollar

redevelopment project along the Christina River that has seen an economic and

environmental wasteland transformed into a thriving business, residential and

entertainment center. Ms. McGlinchey has been a member of the RDC team for

the last 20 years and has held various roles within the organization, most notably

as Director of Operations and Deputy Director.

Ms. McGlinchey holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from the

University of Miami and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the

University of Delaware. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the

Delaware Zoological Society, the March of Dimes - Delaware Chapter, the Greater Wilmington Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Delaware Children’s Museum, and she is the Chair of the Board of Trustees for the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation. She is also the chairperson of the Governor’s Tourism Advisory Board. Ms. McGlinchey lives in Wilmington with her husband, Brian and daughter, Norah.

Jamie Vari is a Managing Director at JLL's Wilmington, Delaware office, where he specializes in landlord and tenant representation services for clients throughout Delaware and the greater Philadelphia region. He plans and implements complex acquisitions, consolidations, dispositions, alternative use and development strategies for corporate and institutional clients, playing a key role in some of the most significant leases and transactions across the Wilmington and greater Philadelphia markets. Beyond his professional work at JLL, Jamie is deeply involved in the community. Jamie is Chair of the 2026 Heart Ball event for the American Heart Association, and also actively participates in both the Commercial Industrial Realty Council (CIRC) and the Urban Land Institute (ULI).

Leslie started her real estate career at the Goldenberg Group, a regional mid-sized real estate development firm located in Blue Bell, PA, as an Associate Development Director. During her 7-year tenure, she was promoted three times ultimately achieving the position of Senior Vice-President of Development. Leslie led the development of a $50 million, 342,000 square foot shopping center, the largest single development in West Philadelphia and the largest development in a Federal Empowerment zone located in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In 2008, Leslie and her partner Gregory Reaves, established Mosaic Development Partners. Since its founding, Mosaic has developed over $54 million in real estate projects and has created over 200 construction jobs and 100 full-time jobs. Leslie is a graduate of Brown University and Villanova School of Law.

Mr. Robert E. Buccini is a Co-founder and Principal of The Buccini/Pollin Group, Inc. and serves as its Co-President. He serves as Executive Director of Mid Atlantic Hotel Portfolio Investors LLC. Mr. Buccini leads The Buccini/Pollin Group general non-hotel real estate development activity. Prior to co-founding BPG, Mr. Buccini was an Assistant Vice President for real estate development at the New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC). While at the EDC, his projects included the Times Square-Disney redevelopment project, Brooklyn’s Metro Tech, the city’s first information technology building, and the New York City Discovery Fund (a $50 million venture fund investing in New York City based technology companies). Prior to that engagement, Mr. Buccini was a Broker and Senior Analyst for Kenneth D. Laub & Company, a commercial real estate brokerage firm based in New York City. Mr. Buccini is Chairman of the Wilmington Housing Partnership, Director of The Rodel Foundation of Delaware, Treasurer of Opera Delaware and Chairman of Delaware State University’s Annual Campaign. Mr. Buccini received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Cornell University.

Emma Hawthorne is Vice President / CRE Lender at S&T Bank with 9 years of experience in CRE underwriting and relationship management/lending. At S&T Bank, she provides term, bridge, and construction loans (including all phases of acquisition, site development, and ground-up construction including residential subdivisions) to customers in Delaware and southern Pennsylvania. Emma began her real estate financing career in New York City underwriting CMBS and balance sheet loans for CIBC. After CIBC, Emma joined M&T as an underwriter and then a lender at M&T Bank here in Wilmington. Over the years, she has successfully underwrote and obtained credit approval for ~$730MM in real estate transactions and has booked nearly $200MM in new money real estate loans. Emma focuses on taking excellent care of her customers by critically analyzing their individual real estate financing requests as well as global portfolios. She strongly believes that a diligent approach and timely communication with customers and workplace partners yield the best outcomes for all parties. Emma is on the Board of Delaware Real Estate Women and is an advocate for Special Olympics Delaware. Emma earned her bachelor’s degree from Harvard University in 2013 where she was on the Division 1 field hockey team.

Joy A. Barrist offers a full range of commercial real estate law services involving the finance, acquisition, sale, lease and development of complex multimillion-dollar real estate projects throughout Delaware, Pennsylvania, around the country and internationally. She regularly represents banks and lending institutions, private equity firms, non-profit organizations, investors, developers, owners, landlords, and tenants.

Joy consistently represents both lenders and borrowers in various types of commercial real estate financing transactions, including acquisition, development and construction lending. Her experience also includes CMBS and mezzanine debt transactions, as well as municipal bond transactions. She handles finance and other real estate matters for all asset classes including multifamily, hospitality, office, retail, industrial, mixed-use, medical and education.

Joy represents financial institutions as lead lenders and participants in syndicated loan transactions. Her practice also includes the representation of lenders in workouts, financial restructuring, loan sales and the purchase of loan pool portfolios.

Joy’s practice also includes representations with respect to other real estate and general business matters such as easements, lot purchase agreements, sale and purchase of business assets and ownership interests in business entities, the formation of Delaware entities and the rendering of legal opinions in finance and other commercial transactions.

In addition to real estate finance, her experience extends to asset-based finance (including equipment, inventory and receivables financing), working capital lines of credit and various other complex commercial loan facilities.

She is a frequent speaker on topics of commercial real estate and in particular, real estate finance and construction lending.

The current edition of Chambers USA includes her in the top tier of Delaware real estate practitioners, highlighting positive client feedback: "She's a very fine attorney — a good technician and a good drafter." "Joy is top notch and her work is second to none."

Joy is actively involved in a number of community organizations in and around Wilmington, Delaware, including I Am My Sister’s Keeper, The Teen Warehouse, Inc., Jumpstart Wilmington, REACH Riverside and the Kingswood Community Center.

Joy is the vice practice group leader of the firm's Transactions and Corporate Counseling Group as well as chair of the firm's Women's Initiative