Phoenix Construction, Development & Design Summit

Founder and real estate entrepreneur, Susan Eastridge is the President | CEO of Concord Eastridge. With more than 30 years of experience in commercial real estate development, she has a solid track record of major development projects that include hospitality, conference centers, commercial offices, multi-family retail and special purpose facilities. After starting her first real estate firm in 1990, Susan went on to form Concord Eastridge in 2003, as a national public | private mixed-use development platform. Building and leading high-performance development teams that are skilled at delivering complex projects successfully, she advances operational excellence, establishes “win-win” relationships with government, institutional and industry partners, achieving the type of success that sustains growth and innovation. Susan, a trailblazer is recognized by the industry for structuring leading-edge public/private partnerships that focus on sustainable development practices and advances in building performance. Fostering a legacy of company growth, and with responsibility for Concord Eastridge’s national portfolio; more recently, Susan, has expanded business prominence in the southeastern and southwestern regions of the United States. Before serving as President | CEO, she owned and managed the Eastridge Companies, an education-focused real estate development firm and was Principal and Co-founder of ESI Corporation. She also served as Regional Director for BetaWest Properties at the start of her career in commercial real estate development. Prior to BetaWest, Susan was a commercial real estate broker for the firm of Marcus & Millichap in San Francisco. Susan completed her undergraduate education in Political Science and Economics, and post-graduate work in Business Administration, at Arizona State University, where she was the first woman to be elected as student body president in the history of the University. Her professional affiliations have included the Society of College and University Planners (SCUP), Council of Education Facility Planners International (CEFPI), Industrial Development Research Council (IDRC, now CORENET), National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP), and National Association of Corporate Real Estate Executives (NACORE, now CORENET). She is a member of the Urban Land Institute and currently holds an active real estate broker’s license in Arizona. She balances her time between regional offices in Virginia and Arizona and is a licensed Real Estate Broker in Arizona.

Chris is a Senior Managing Director and is responsible for new commercial and residential business opportunities, including new development, acquisition, management, and disposition in Phoenix, Arizona. His responsibilities include business strategy, master planning, deal structuring, contract negotiations, government relations, and tenant relations. In Arizona, Chris has successfully led the development of key assets such as Chandler Viridian (mixed-use), the Adeline (high-rise, multi-family), 100 Mill (high-rise office), Sentio (garden multi-family), Goodyear Crossing (industrial), and Nobella (single-family lot development). He has also led the effort to sell the Chandler Viridian office, the 24th At Camelback I & II office, the Adeline multifamily, and Sentio multifamily. Chris serves on the NAIOP AZ, Valley Partnership, Arizona State University Realty, and Mentor Kids boards. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance with a concentration in Real Estate from Arizona State University and a Master’s in Real Estate and Construction Management from the University of Denver.

In 2014 Brendan Morrow leaned into his 14 years of experience in construction, development, and design to establish Drive Development Partners. During his tenure as Director of the Western United States at The Wetiz Company, Brendan was responsible for overseeing the development, pre-construction, and construction processes for various stakeholders such as owners, developers, operators, non-profits, and investors. Over the course of ten years since founding Drive Development, Brendan has achieved remarkable success developing and building a wide array of projects including Senio, Multifamily, Hospitality, Student and adaptive reuse. He has collaborated with renowned industry-leading companies including The Freshwater Group, Avanti, Prevarian, and Cadence Senior Living. While also developing and repositioning a number of multi-family and restaurant projects as the ownership entity.

As Managing Director Alex leads the Development Team in all efforts in the Phoenix market. His responsibilities include sourcing investments, due diligence, acquisition, and creation and execution of development business plans. Alex oversees all points in the development process from initial concept and site selection through construction and, ultimately disposition. During his time at ViaWest he has developed over 4 MM square feet of industrial product, one retail build-to-suit, and played a key role in +/- 1.5M SF of value-add office and industrial projects. In addition, he has a background in multifamily and single-family residential projects with 12+ years of real estate investment, development, and construction management experience. He earned a B.A. in Business Administration with an emphasis in economics from Middle Tennessee State University as well as a Masters of Real Estate Development from Arizona State University (graduated Beta Gamma Sigma). He is involved with NAIOP and ULI. Originally from Nashville, TN, he now resides in Phoenix, AZ with his wife Ellen and two sons (Brooks and Lucas).

Todd Ostransky holds the position of Vice President of Regional Development at IndiCap, where he directs the growth initiatives of the Phoenix office. His scope of responsibilities includes acquisitions, due diligence, development, and leasing industrial real estate projects within the Phoenix market. With an impressive 25-year tenure in the CRE industry, including over two decades focused on industrial development, Todd is recognized for his profound expertise across all development phases. Throughout his career, Todd has successfully overseen the delivery of more than 26 million square feet of industrial space, with 15 million square feet located within the Phoenix market. He has lead a team of 45 professionals and elevated annual revenue to $400 million in his role as Vice President of the Southwest Division for a national general contractor. Additionally, Todd has executed the expansion of an industrial distribution platform from a local initiative to a $600 million national program which included multiple national Fortune 100 companies. Todd is esteemed for his collaborative leadership approach, exceptional interpersonal skills, and his ability to develop high-performing teams. He provides strategic oversight during the development phase by skillfully balancing risk mitigation with financial performance to ensure successful project outcomes. He is involved in multiple industry associations including the National Associations of Industrial and OfficeProperties (NAIOP) and Society of Industrial and office Realtors (SIOR). His significant contributions to the industry have garnered him recognition in thePhoenix Business Journal’s “People to Know.” Todd holds a Bachelor of Science in Construction Management from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

An experienced leader with 22 years in the military and 15 years in the construction industry, Anna brings innovative ideas, creative solutions and client value to her role as Director of Construction. She serves as a resource for clients, partners and team members to ensure positive project outcomes that meet the expectations of all parties. Her responsibilities as Director of Construction include promoting and driving growth of her regional construction team, meeting customer service goals, supervising construction project management and field operations, and ensuring best practices of integrated project delivery, all while collaborating with other leaders to generate new Ryan development projects and third-party construction projects. Anna excels at clear communication, meeting deadlines, mentoring team members, problem solving and providing best value solutions.

Jake Schneider is a Project Executive based in Mortenson’s Phoenix office, where he leads complex, fast‑track projects and oversees high‑level project execution with creative solutions. Known for his collaborative leadership style, Jake partners closely with clients and project teams to clearly define goals, manage risk, and deliver exceptional results on time and within budget. With more than 15 years of construction industry experience, Jake has led some of Mortenson’s most high‑profile and technically demanding projects, including Arizona State University’s Mullett Arena, Kohler Vikrell Advanced Manufacturing Facility in Casa Grande, and Allianz Field in St. Paul. Since joining Mortenson in 2014, Jake's dedication, leadership, and problem-solving abilities continue to drive success across a diverse portfolio of projects, reinforcing Mortenson’s reputation for excellence in construction and project management.

Cassie Van Ess serves as Vice President of Business Development at Wespac Construction, where she drives strategic growth, builds client partnerships and mentors emerging talent. As the only female executive on Wespac’s leadership team, she also champions industry involvement through ULI Arizona, AZCREW, and NAIOP, while staying active in the Phoenix community through GPEC and volunteer work.

Tim Smith came to Arizona State University in 2004 and has progressively advanced in various roles during his tenure. Since joining the Facilities Management team Smith has been responsible for leading operational units including the Residential Services unit, serving as the Site Director for the Downtown Phoenix Campus and most recently serving as the Executive Director overseeing Site operations for all campus locations. Tim Smith brings over 20 years of professional experience working in higher education. As Smith advanced in facilities management he found success leading the insourcing of services for ASU starting with multiple student housing facilities and later for ASU’s Downtown Phoenix Campus. Most recently, he has focused on improving communication efforts with campus units and the capital renewal planning for the university’s infrastructure. Smith’s educational background includes a M.S. in Construction Management & Technology from Arizona State University, M. Ed in Counselor Education from Clemson University, and a B.A. History: Secondary Education from Buena Vista University. His professional credentials include earning a Certified Energy Manager (CEM) from the Association of Energy Engineers as well as a Certified Educational Facilities Professional (CEFP) from the Association of Physical Plant Administrators. His public service includes volunteer work with the Town of Gilbert serving as a board member and treasurer for the Town’s Arizona Public Facilities Municipal Property Corporation and volunteering for the HALO Animal Rescue.

Jennifer Jennings was born in Southern California but has called Arizona home for over 17 years. She began her career in property management in 1998 working for a developer of Section 42 tax credit apartment Communities for seniors, combining traditional and historic tax credits to bring affordable housing to underserved populations in rural areas. During this time, she oversaw construction management, draw requests, financial reporting, LIHTC reporting and selection and oversite of the Property Management Company. In 2007 she moved into property management. Jennifer worked onsite, managing multiple properties and was the portfolio manager/ controller of a single-family rental portfolio. During this time, she was responsible for auditing properties, property financial reporting, third party owner reporting, office management, staff management, maintenance and account auditing. Before coming to NAC, she managed over 600 units ranging from single family homes to small apartment communities. She was responsible for 42 separate property owners and oversaw their portfolios through rental, rehab and sale. She prepared all monthly and annual reports, marketing material, rental material/leases, company, and rental policies. In 2019, Jennifer joined Native American Connections to oversees and supports the onsite property management team. She was responsible for all leasing, maintenance, capital improvements, staffing, documentation, oversaw compliance and city/state reporting for all NAC properties. She oversaw and supported the case management team on the permanent supportive housing (PSH) sites. She also provided oversite and supervision to NAC’s Compliance and Asset Management department. Jennifer now oversees the Real Estate Development for new development and existing properties and the supervises the Asset Management department for Native American Connections.

Brian Cassidy, AIA is the President of CCBG Architects, Inc. with studios in downtown Phoenix and San Diego. He has been involved in many adaptive reuse, and mixed-use high-density housing projects in greater Phoenix, including more than 12,000 new apartment units. This work includes a diverse body of warehouse renovations that are breathing new life into our city. Brian passionately advocates to build Phoenix into a world class city in which to live, work, worship and play. He is a graduate of Arizona State University, and is the Chair of the Phoenix Warehouse District Council, which promotes and brands the District in concert with a series of creative volunteers and businesses.

Vicente (Vince) Ruiz serves as Development Manager within Trammell Crow Company’s Phoenix Business Unit. In this role, Vince oversees all aspects of commercial property design, due diligence, municipal approvals, and construction. Specific responsibilities include working with internal and external clients in selecting, managing, and contracting with design and construction teams together with third-party consultants, developing construction cost estimates for project budgets, and administrating projects from site selection through preconstruction, construction completion and closeout, and tenant improvement activity during lease-up. Vince brings more than 17 years of experience in civil engineering design and construction to the TCC team. PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE Trammell Crow Company – Phoenix, Arizona – 2019 to Present • Development Manager David Evans and Associates – Phoenix, AZ – 2013 to 2019 • Civil Engineering Project Manager, P.E. Wood Patel and Associates – Phoenix, AZ – 2012 to 2013 • Civil Engineering Designer, E.I.T. Durrant Group, Inc. – Phoenix, AZ – 2008 to 2012 • Civil Engineering Designer, E.I.T. Brooks Engineers and Surveyors, Inc. - Phoenix, AZ - 2006-2008 • CAD Designer, E.I.T. PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS & COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP) Trammell Crow Company Community Impact Initiative CBRE HOLA, Phoenix Chapter Leader CBRE DEI Steering Committee Wildcat Dad’s Club EDUCATION & CREDENTIALS Florida State University, Bachelor of Science, Civil Engineering LEED Green Associate

Justin Neagle is the Chief Storyteller at Spot Migration, a managed IT and cybersecurity firm focused on the construction industry. They partner with AEC companies to help them modernize their technology, reduce risk, and build scalable systems that support long-term growth and valuation. With deep roots in the built world, Justin is also the co-host of the Building Scale Podcast, which is ranked in the top 5% of podcasts globally. He sits down with construction, architecture, and engineering leaders to find out how they have built scale in their businesses by unpacking the stories of real growth challenges. He is also a co-founder of the National Construction Board of Influence (NCBOI), a national leadership community designed to connect and elevate construction leaders through events, peer groups, and collaboration. Justin’s work sits at the intersection of construction, technology, and leadership, helping firms turn IT and cybersecurity into strategic assets that fuel performance, protect margins, and support sustainable growth.