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Speakers and Panels

Fireside Chat: The Future of Clearwater Development

Bruce Rector

Bruce Rector was sworn in as the 36th mayor of Clearwater, Florida in April of 2024. Since relocating to Florida in 2015 to serve as General Counsel for the Clearwater-based company, The Sports Facilities Companies, Mayor Rector has held a number of leadership positions and been involved in many organizations. Mayor Rector served as the Chair of the non-profit Jolley Trolley Transportation of Clearwater, Inc.; Vice-Chair of the city of Clearwater Community Development Board; Vice President of the Clearwater Beach Association; a board member of Ocean Allies; past Vice-Chair of the Clearwater Regional Chamber; past member of the city of Clearwater Charter Review and Affordable Housing Advisory committees; and Chair of the city of Clearwater Parks and Recreation Board. He is a 2017 graduate of Leadership Pinellas. He is a member of Calvary Church and the Clearwater Bar Association. He graduated in Fall 2019 Class from Clearwater Citizens Academy and has worked as a volunteer for many area organizations, causes and events throughout Tampa Bay. Mayor Rector’s extraordinary international experience has also shaped his leadership style, passion for community service and respect for diversity of experiences and opinions. He was the 58th President of Junior Chamber International (JCI), a 200,000-member organization of young leaders and entrepreneurs from 110 countries. In 2003, he traveled to nearly 50 countries as JCI World President and for a seven-year period as a volunteer JCI leader, he worked with thousands of leaders and communities across the globe. Mayor Rector's book, Monday Morning Messages: Teaching, Inspiring and Motivating to Lead (Xephor Press, 2005) enjoyed international success. With endorsements from best-selling authors Ken Blanchard (The One Minute Manager), Stephen Covey (The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People) and Jennifer Kushell (Secrets of the Young & Successful), the book has been used throughout the world as a leadership training resource. Born in Anderson, Indiana in 1963, Bruce attended the University of Kentucky where he worked as a student athletic trainer (sports medicine) assistant for Wildcats athletic teams. He also spent four summers and one full season working as an athletic trainer assistant to the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. Mayor Rector received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Kentucky in 1990, was admitted to practice before the Kentucky Courts, and practiced law there for 23 years. He has been an adjunct faculty member at Indiana Wesleyan University where he taught in the MBA program and a part-time professor at the University of Kentucky, where he taught in the graduate program in Sports Leadership. Mayor’s Rector’s son, Trevor currently lives and works in Clearwater.

Clearwater

Mayor

Bruce Rector

Mayor, Clearwater

John Farina

John M. Farina, president of U.S. Development, is a real estate developer with almost two decades of experience in real estate speculation, development and construction. Farina’s career includes a diverse portfolio of residential projects, ranging from urban infill luxury townhome developments to expansive, oceanfront mansions. Located in communities ranging from downtown Philadelphia to Brooklyn to oceanfront property in Palm Beach County, Florida, Farina’s projects always have the U.S. Development signature traits—quality and innovation. Over the past 10 years, Farina has built an impressive reputation around the country. In the Philadelphia real estate community, he has drastically improved the city’s landscape by redeveloping vacant and distressed parcels with his signature projects of high-end, luxury-designed homes and mid-rise builds. From 2007 through 2017, he led one of the largest redevelopment efforts Philadelphia has ever seen. In the course of his career, he has built more than 800 luxury homes and condominiums in 50 different complexes, heading one of the fastest growing companies in the industry. An expert in land acquisition, zoning, design-build, and construction implementation, John has brought his posh luxury styling to the forefront of the real estate market. Leading U.S. Development's team of more than 60 employees, Farina helped create its award-winning “Adagio” complex, which was featured in Philadelphia magazine’s “2016 Design Home” issue, with more than 30 pages of accolades and content. Adagio is one of the company’s most exciting achievements, and a stunning addition to the Philadelphia landscape. Delray Beach, Florida, is another area that Farina has focused on. His love for this scenic coastal town is the reason he decided to acquire several prime oceanfront-building sites there. One of these sites is the future home of Ocean Delray, the epitome of luxury oceanfront living, which will offer the high-end style and incredible amenities that U.S. Development is known for. Farina is a graduate of Rutgers University with degrees in environmental business economics and communications.

U.S. Development

President & CEO

John Farina

President & CEO, U.S. Development

Tourism, Economic Development & Growth Strategies

How the region can sustain unprecedented growth while tackling workforce demands, infrastructure needs, and a rapidly evolving market

Bemetra Simmons

Tampa Bay Partnership, CEO & President

Dr. Cynthia Johnson

Dr. Cynthia Johnson is the Director of Pinellas County Economic Development and the Executive Director of Pinellas County’s Economic Development Authority. Since 2000, she has been a leader in the organization and is a trusted advisor to businesses large and small, government agencies, policymakers, and community leaders throughout Florida. As an economic development practitioner, trainer, mentor, and educator, she has supported hundreds of individuals with the creation, retention, and expansion of their businesses. She specializes in partner relations, federal and state grants management and compliance, business and strategic planning, entrepreneurial development, finance, and small business innovation. Dr. Johnson has more than 23 years of experience in economic development and over 26 years in leadership training and development. She is a certified Master Economic Development Practitioner and manages a $12.2 million dollar budget and 35 employees. She is a proud graduate of Florida Memorial University, Miami, FL with a BS in Education and holds a Doctorate in Educational Leadership & Organization from Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale. She also holds a certification from Cornell University in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and advocates for public policies and business practices that promote inclusion and marketplace diversity. A recipient of numerous awards, and recognitions, Johnson was recently named to the Tampa Bay Business Journal Power 100 as one of Tampa Bay’s most influential leaders of 2022, 2023 and of 2024. She has also been honored as a Tamp Bay Business Journal’s Women of the Year, First Lady in African American History by the Woodson African American Museum of Florida in 2022, as ONYX Magazine’s 2022 Woman on the Move, as Girls, Inc., Outstanding Women in STEAM, 2024. In 2021, she was appointed as Honorary Commander to MacDill Airforce Base’s 927th Air Refueling Wing. She is also a member of the St. Petersburg (FL) Chapter of Links, Incorporated and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.

Pinellas County Economic Development

Director

Dr. Cynthia Johnson

Director, Pinellas County Economic Development

Buwa Binitie

Founder and CEO, Dumas Collective

Ari Ravi

Executive Vice President, RIPCO Real Estate

Santiago Corrado

SANTIAGO C. CORRADA is an accomplished, recognized leader with over twenty-five years of public service experience, with proven success in effectively and efficiently transforming the professional culture of many diverse institutions. His outstanding relationship building skills result in the resolution of highly complex issues through consensus. Corrada has the demonstrated ability to soundly and fiscally manage a convention center resulting in record surplus revenues. He has consistently elevated organizations to higher levels of productivity by empowering team members and stakeholders. Corrada is an intelligent, articulate, dedicated, loyal individual, driven to serve and deliver the highest, quality services. Santiago C. Corrada officially began his position as President and Chief Executive Officer of Visit Tampa Bay in May of 2013 where he is responsible for providing oversight of all agency activities, managing day-to-day operations, and assuring a smoothly functioning, efficient organization. He serves as main spokesperson for the tourism and hospitality industry; ensures stakeholders coordinated efforts in collaboratively increasing visitation to the destination while maintaining open lines of communication with all industry stakeholders. Corrada coordinates effective marketing and sales strategies ensuring maximum return on investment – so much so, that Visit Tampa Bay has received numerous marketing and public relations awards over the past decade, most recently bringing home four HSMAI Adrian Awards, these awards honor excellence in travel marketing. In addition, the industry is currently celebrating three consecutive record-breaking bed tax collection years. Corrada received HSMAI’s Top 25 Award for Extraordinary Minds in Hospitality, Sales and Marketing. He was also recognized as Hillsborough County’s Hispanic Man of the Year in 2013. With more than 20 years of public service and management experience, Corrada previously served as Chief of Staff for the City of Tampa. In this role, he coordinated and integrated the efforts of more than 50 City departments and divisions. In his tenure with city government, Santiago participated in bidding and hosting efforts for large meetings and groups including Super Bowl XLIII and the 2012 Republican National Convention. Additionally, during the Iorio administration, he served as Convention Center, Tourism, Recreation and Cultural Arts Administrator directly overseeing the day-to-day operations of the Tampa Convention Center, the cornerstone of Tampa's convention business. Prior to joining the City of Tampa in 2004 as Neighborhood Services Administrator, Corrada served as the Director of Parks and Recreation for the City of Miami and spent 17 years in the Miami-Dade County School System. His current Board Affiliations include The Florida Aquarium-Board and Executive Committee, Hillsborough County Hotel Motel Association-Board and Executive Committee, ReliaQuest Bowl, Arts Council of Hillsborough County, Hillsborough County Human Trafficking, Hillsborough County Cultural Assets, Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Tampa Bay Hospitality Alliance Board, Tampa Bay Sports Commission, Tampa Hillsborough Film and Digital Media Commission, USF CAMLS Health Professions Conferencing Corporation, Tampa Theatre, Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo-Board and Executive Committee, US Travel, Gasparilla Bowl. Corrada graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Miami with a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology and Exceptional Student Education as well as a Master's in Education.

Visit Tampa Bay

President & CEO

Santiago Corrado

President & CEO, Visit Tampa Bay

Bethanie DeRose

EVP, Consulting, Hunden Partners

Moderator

Rachael Kratz

Associate, Gunster

A Developer's Playbook - Major Projects & The People Who Bring Them to Life

A breakdown of the full development cycle, emerging submarkets, and strategies for building smarter in a rapidly changing landscape

Nick Haines

CEO, The Bromley Companies

Graham Tyrrell

Graham Tyrrell is Senior Vice President of Multifamily Development for Kettler and head of Kettler’s Florida office. During a 29-year career in multifamily housing, Mr. Tyrrell has developed over 30 projects in six states and the District of Columbia. Prior to joining Kettler, Mr. Tyrrell was Vice President at Archstone where he was responsible for such notable multi-family projects, such as Avalon First and M, 100 K Street and Avalon Arlington North. Mr. Tyrrell joined Kettler in 2013 and is currently overseeing Kettler’s Florida development pipeline; including the 6MM SF Gasworx mixed-use development in the historic Ybor City neighborhood of Tampa. In his time at Kettler, Mr. Tyrrell has successfully managed a number other large, mixed-use developments and led development for several award-winning communities, most notably: · Market Terminal, Washington DC – 1.4MM SF PUD in the Union Market district of Washington DC with 550 apartments and 225,000 SF office building in the first phase, together with a new public plaza. · The Mile, Tysons, VA – 3MM SF master plan to redevelop a suburban office park in Tysons, VA to approximately 3,000 units, office, retail and a five-acre signature park. · Reed Row – 132-unit boutique apartment building in the Adams Morgan neighborhood of Washington, DC. National Apartment Association Excellence Award 2018. · Highgate at the Mile – 395-unit apartment building in Tysons, Virginia. AIA Design Excellence Award 2020. Mr. Tyrrell earned a BSc (Hons) in Property Valuation and Finance from The City University, London, UK and a Masters in Estate Management from Birmingham City University, Birmingham, UK. He is a Member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and on the Executive Board of ULI Tampa Bay. He has previously served as a Board Member of the NoMa Business Improvement District in Washington DC, the City of Charlotte Historic District Commission and participated in various ULI Product Councils.

KETTLER

SVP

Graham Tyrrell

SVP, KETTLER

Brian Stathers

Project Executive, Suffolk

Byron Torres

Senior Director, Apprise by Walker & Dunlop

Moderator

Ed Carey

Principal, CLA

Why Tampa & St. Pete Need a Master Plan

Top developers explore how the region can overcome fragmented planning and seize the moment to shape a more integrated urban future

Casey Ellison

CEO, Ellison Companies

Christopher Bowen

Chief Development Strategist, RD Management

Ken Stoltenberg

Principal, K.D. Keller Development

Christopher Bicho

Mr. Bicho is the President and Founder of The Landings Real Estate Group. The Landings Real Estate Group is an owner and operator of commercial real estate executing development, construction, and property management functions in the residential multi-family, single-family, office, and retail sector. Landings Real Estate Group is headquartered in Newport, RI with over 100 employees and operates more than 1,900 multi-family residential units Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, and Florida with an asset value more than $350 million and owns and operates commercial retail and office properties located in Newport, Rhode Island. In addition to the multi-family portfolio, Landings Real Estate Group has developed a boutique luxury lodging portfolio with an estimated value of $50m in Newport Rhode Island comprised of 27 properties and 168 rooms and is developing a one-hundred-acre site in Portsmouth, Rhode Island with 91 single – family homes and a 48 unit Assisted care facility. LREG also executes approximately $10M of construction and is a registered General Contractor in the State of Florida and Rhode Island. Currently, LREG is developing 270 units in Jacksonville, Florida, 104 Units in Tampa, Florida and has two developments in the approval stage in St Petersburgh, Florida. Over the past 17 years, Landings Real Estate Group has delivered above market returns to of more than 20% to its investors. At its founding back in 2007, our capital base started with institutional investors and has migrated towards high-net-worth individuals as the company has purchased the interests from original institutional investors and has supplemented the capital stack with high-net-worth investors in some assets. The future of LREG is setup to leverage the democratization of real estate investing. In 2016, we launched the investor platform IMS that allows the accredited investor to take advantage of no fee and transparent real estate investments in the multi-family sector without the middleman advisors taking a portion of the investors returns. Prior to founding the Landings Real Estate Group in January 2006, Mr. Bicho was a real estate development and financial professional and served as Chief Financial Officer for Picerne Military Housing a/k/a Corvias from 1992 to 2005. In 1993, he initiated a new multi-family housing business in the Northeast region for Picerne targeting the development of affordable housing utilizing Low Income Housing Tax Credits and 1997, he founded a new division to acquire, develop, construct, and manage family housing for the US Army under the Military Housing Privatization Initiative. As one of the founders of the military housing division, he developed and executed a business plan that achieved the initial goal to acquire 20,000 homes two years ahead of schedule and created an organization that expanded from four employees to 500 employees located across the country. Mr. Bicho lives Portsmouth, RI with his family and holds an M.B.A. in Corporate Finance from Boston College (1992) and B.S. in Business Administration from University of Rhode Island (1989).

Landings Real Estate Group

President

Moderator

Christopher Bicho

President, Landings Real Estate Group

Opening Remarks

Douglas Sullinger

Chief Executive Officer, Vendita.AI

Why Attend Tampa State of the Market

Why this Matters:

Tampa Bay is at a critical crossroads, booming with unprecedented growth, record-high investment and transformative developments, yet missing a cohesive vision to ensure long-term success. Developers are eager to break ground, create connected districts and invest in the future, but rising capital constraints, land assembly challenges and a lack of city planning support are creating hurdles that could stall progress. This event will boost the economic development in the region, and also serve as a call to action for the region’s top developers, investors and city leaders to explore: Where to find capital, how to invest wisely, where development opportunities are strongest and what it will take to create a long-term plan for Tampa and St. Pete’s urban future.

Are we building a connected, future-ready city — or just piecing together one-off projects with no lasting impact? Join the conversation that will shape the next generation of development in Tampa Bay.

What You Will Learn:

Tampa Bay’s Growth Trajectory: What’s driving expansion, and where is the market heading?
Talent Pipeline & Workforce Dynamics: How is Tampa attracting and retaining the workforce needed to sustain growth?
Emerging Development Hotspots: Which areas are seeing the most opportunity, and where does the region need more focus?
The Future of Growth: Discover the key infrastructure improvements, policy changes and public initiatives that will support Tampa’s rapid expansion and ensure sustainable long-term development.
Key Projects & Pipelines: Hear from the region's top developers on how they approach their developments, and what projects are on the horizon.
Discover Where the Best Development Opportunities Are: Find out which asset classes and submarkets are offering the highest returns — and how to navigate rising construction costs and regulatory hurdles.
Capital Markets: Creative financing solutions, and where to find the right debt.
Why Tampa Bay Needs a Vision for Growth: Discover how developers are struggling to assemble land and build connected neighborhoods in the absence of a city-led master plan — and what must be done to ensure long-term, strategic urban growth.

Who Attends:

Ryan Companies, Gilbane Development Company, Samuels & Associates, St. John Properties, Ram Realty Advisors, Stoneweg US, ZMR Capital, Whitestone Development Partners, Proceed Real Estate Group, Spectrum Companies, BendiRoad Development, Lapin Development, Zenlofts, LCC, Smith & Associates Real Estate, Tandem, LD&D, Willis Companies, Vollmer Real Estate Investments, Stadler Development, Pinellas County Government, Bank of Tampa

For questions regarding content, speaking and sponsorship opportunities please email our Event Producer, Elizabeth Herrgott, at elizabeth.herrgott@bisnow.com. To request disability-related accommodations, please contact ariel.fromm@bisnow.com no later than seven business days prior to the event.

Venue

Hilton Downtown
211 North Tampa Street
Tampa, FL 33602

Ballroom: Palma Ceia Ballroom and Galleria Foyer

Parking Information:

Hotel valet at $30/day
Fort Brooke City Garage at $3 per hour up to $15 per day

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Agenda

Time	Activity
8:00 AM 9:00 AM	Registration, Networking, & Breakfast
9:00 AM 9:10 AM	Opening Remarks
9:10 AM 9:30 AM	Fireside Chat: The Future of Clearwater Development
9:30 AM 10:15 AM	Tampa Bay Tourism, Economic Development & Growth Strategies Tampa Bay is experiencing unprecedented growth, attracting businesses, talent, and investment at a rapid pace. But with expansion comes challenges. How can the region sustain this momentum while addressing workforce needs, infrastructure demands, and shifting market dynamics? Join us for a deep dive into Tampa Bay’s economic future, and hear directly from the leaders shaping the next phase of growth.
10:15 AM 10:30 AM	Networking Break
10:30 AM 11:15 AM	A Developer's Playbook - Major Projects & The People Who Bring Them to Life Tampa Bay’s development boom is in full swing with more cranes in the air day after day. This panel brings together top developers and industry leaders to discuss the development process from start to finish. From investment and financing through the construction and development. What developments are making the most impact? How they are being positioned for success, which submarkets are primed for growth, where demand is shifting, and strategies for optimizing efficiency, managing costs, and delivering projects in today’s evolving market.
11:20 AM 12:05 PM	Why Tampa & St. Pete Need a Master Plan Tampa Bay’s most influential developers, the visionaries behind the city’s most beloved districts, are facing major roadblocks as they try to build cohesive, connected neighborhoods. Land assembly takes a decade, city planning lacks long-term vision, and outside developers are coming in to build one-off projects that don’t contribute to the city’s future. If Tampa Bay doesn’t act soon, the opportunity to shape a truly integrated urban landscape could be lost. This panel gathers leading developers and city officials to discuss how to fix this before it’s too late.
12:05 PM 12:20 PM	Post-Panel Networking

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Call:	202-684-2034
Email:	eventregistration@bisnow.com

Tampa Bay State of the Market

Economic Growth, Development Outlook & the Vision Needed to Shape The future of the region

Speakers and Panels

Fireside Chat: The Future of Clearwater Development

Bruce Rector

John Farina

Tourism, Economic Development & Growth Strategies

How the region can sustain unprecedented growth while tackling workforce demands, infrastructure needs, and a rapidly evolving market

Bemetra Simmons

Dr. Cynthia Johnson

Buwa Binitie

Ari Ravi

Santiago Corrado

Bethanie DeRose

Rachael Kratz

A Developer's Playbook - Major Projects & The People Who Bring Them to Life

A breakdown of the full development cycle, emerging submarkets, and strategies for building smarter in a rapidly changing landscape

Nick Haines

Graham Tyrrell

Brian Stathers

Byron Torres

Ed Carey

Why Tampa & St. Pete Need a Master Plan

Top developers explore how the region can overcome fragmented planning and seize the moment to shape a more integrated urban future

Casey Ellison

Christopher Bowen

Ken Stoltenberg

Christopher Bicho

Opening Remarks

Douglas Sullinger

Why Attend Tampa State of the Market

Venue

Agenda

Sponsors

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