Originally from Long Island, New York, Alex Blandeburgo has called Tucson, Arizona, home since 1995. He began his career at the University of Arizona in 2002 and currently serves as Housing and Residential Life’s Executive Director and Chief Housing Officer.

Over the past 22 years, Alex has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to enhancing the on-campus student experience. He has overseen over $100 million in renovation projects, the addition of more than 2,800 new student beds, and significant improvements to the health, safety, and support services for resident students.

A former Army Intelligence Officer, Alex served in the Army, Army National Guard, and Army Reserve for over 27 years, including a one-year deployment to Iraq in 2008. He retired from the Army Reserve in 2013 as a Lieutenant Colonel. Alex is a graduate of the Army Command and General Staff College and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management and Human Resources from Park University.

Justin Earl serves as Managing Director of Development and Acquisitions at Redstone Residential, where he oversees all development efforts across the company. With nearly 20 years of acquisitions and development experience, Justin has worked across multifamily, student housing, office, retail, industrial, and single-family sectors.

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.

Dr. Deanna Villanueva-Saucedo serves as Associate Vice Chancellor overseeing the Center for Excellence in Inclusive Democracy (CEID) at Maricopa Community Colleges. A native Arizonan, she spent over a decade in community outreach roles with Mesa Community College and Mesa Public Schools. Before entering education, Deanna worked in municipal government and began her career coordinating youth programs and Hispanic ministry for a local church.

She holds a BA in Psychology, a Master of Public Administration from Arizona State University, and a doctorate in Community College Leadership from Kansas State University. Deanna is a 2014 graduate of the Flinn-Brown Civic Leadership Academy and a 2012 recipient of Valle del Sol’s Profiles of Success Leadership Award. An engaged community member, she also enjoys spending time with her family and caring for her home menagerie, which includes three dogs, two tortoises, backyard chickens, and a potbelly pig.

James (Jim) Kossler joined GCU in 2019 after serving 26 years in the United States Air Force, retiring as a colonel. As a career civil engineer officer, Kossler served two tours in Southwest Asia and commanded three times at the squadron and group level, including the 56th Mission Support Group at Luke Air Force Base (AFB) in Glendale, Arizona. During his time at Luke AFB, Kossler provided oversight and direction for six squadrons encompassing facilities management and construction, logistics, transportation, recreation, lodging, human resources, procurement, security and law enforcement, fire department, emergency management, housing, mail center and communications.

In his role at GCU, Kossler oversees campus development, facility management and construction, environmental health and safety, transportation and emergency management. Kossler received a Master of Science and Master of Arts in Management from the Air Force Institute of Technology and Webster University, respectively. He earned a bachelor’s in architecture from the University of Notre Dame in 1992 and is a licensed architect in Illinois and Arizona.

Zach Feldman is a Partner at Aptitude Development, one of the nation’s leading student housing development firms. He leads the company’s new development platform, overseeing the sourcing and underwriting of opportunities nationwide, as well as pre-development, entitlement, and design efforts. Aptitude currently owns or has under construction approximately 5,000 student housing beds, with an additional $400 million of projects expected to break ground over the next 12 months.

Prior to joining Aptitude, Zach founded ENJOI 77 HOLDINGS shortly after graduating from college and remains actively involved in the business today. ENJOI 77 Holdings is a private investment company focused on residential development and venture capital investments across a range of sectors.

Outside of his professional endeavors, Zach is passionate about philanthropy and community engagement. He is an active supporter of Best Buddies, a global nonprofit organization dedicated to ending the social, physical, and economic isolation of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities

Benjamin Ayers, AIA, NCARB is an award-winning architect with more than 22 years of experience leading civic, cultural, workplace, healthcare, and education projects. His work has received over 30 design awards including three National AIA Design Awards. Known for his process-driven design approach, he excels at integrating innovation, sustainability, and client vision to deliver transformative projects that enrich communities.

A leader in both practice and community, he currently serves as Chair of the City of Mesa’s Planning and Zoning Advisory Board and has held multiple leadership roles with the American Institute of Architects. Beyond practice, he has taught design studios at Arizona State University and participated as a juror and lecturer nationally, shaping the next generation of architects. He is committed to building lasting partnerships, advancing design excellence, and contributing to the growth of vibrant, resilient communities.

Born and raised in Alabama, KK graduated from Auburn University with an undergraduate degree in Building Construction and a graduate degree in Architecture. She started her career in single family residential in 2009 before moving to California with Clark Construction Group in 2013 after graduate school. KK completed Highland Hospital Acute Care Tower in Oakland, CA and United Airlines Tenant Improvements Projects at SFO before relocating to Pullman, WA to build the award winning Washington State University The Spark: Academic Innovation Building. KK moved to Seattle, WA in 2017 and is currently managing Clark's University of Washington projects. When they aren't traveling, KK and her girlfriend spend their spare time in West Seattle with their three dogs.

Orion brings over 25 years of architectural design and project management at Todd & Associates. With extensive experience in hospitality, student housing, multifamily, and affordable housing projects. Orion is dedicated to collaborating with clients to provide creative design solutions that embrace and enhance communities. Orion takes pride in collaborating with all design team members and promoting a team-oriented approach. As a Studio Director at Todd & Associates, he oversees all aspects of the project - from the start of initial design through construction completion and final delivery of his projects.