Howard County Boom!

Born in Olney, Maryland, October 20, 1958. Attended Howard County public schools; Atholton High School, Columbia, Maryland; University of Maryland Baltimore County, B.A. (political science), 1981; University of Maryland School of Law, J.D., with honors, 1988. Admitted to Maryland Bar, 1988. Attorney. Smith, Somerville & Case, 1988-91 (legal assistant, 1984-88). Herwig & Humphreys, LLP (associate, 1991-96; partner, 1996-2003). Co-owner, Twin Knolls Title Company, 2006-08. Godwin Erlandson, MacLaughlin, Vernon & Daney, LLC, 2008-. Maryland Public Policy Conflict Resolution Fellow, Center for Dispute Resolution, University of Maryland School of Law, 2008. Member, Maryland State Bar Association (negligence, insurance & workers' compensation section); Howard County Bar Association. Member, Howard County Republican Central Committee, 1990-98 (chair, 1992-97; vice-chair, 1990-92). President, Howard County Republican Club, 1989-90 (vice-president, 1988-89). Delegate, Republican Party National Convention, 2012. Board of Directors, Economic Alliance of Greater Baltimore, 2015-. Robert H. Kittleman Life Achievement Award, Howard County Republican Central Committee, 2003. Outstanding Legislator of the Year, Maryland Business for Responsive Government, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011. Member, Grace Community Church, Fulton, Maryland. Married; four children.

In November 2006, Isiah Leggett was elected to a four-year term as Montgomery County Executive. He is the first African American to be elected to this public office. In November 2014 he was reelected by County voters, with winning over 65% of the ballots cast in each election. Isiah Leggett was the first African American to be elected to the County Council. Ike Leggett served four terms as an At-Large Member (1986 – 2002). He also served as the Council's President three times (1991, 1998, 1999) and as its Vice-President three times (1990, 1997 and 2002). As a Council Member he also chaired the Council’s Transportation and Environment Committee and served on the Education Committee. His other political service includes chairing the Maryland Democratic Party from December 2002 – December 2004, which involved working with local officials throughout the State of Maryland. Leggett was elected as president of the Maryland Association of Counties in January 2015. He holds four higher education degrees: Bachelor of Arts from Southern University, a Master of Arts degree and a Juris Doctorate degree from Howard University, and a Master of Laws from George Washington University. Ike Leggett graduated from Southern University in 1967 as a Distinguished Military Graduate. In 1981 he was selected as the Southern University Outstanding Alumni. He finished first in his class from Howard University Law School, graduating Magna Cum Laude. At the time of his Howard Law School graduation, he held the third highest academic average in the law school's history. In 1985 Leggett received the Outstanding Alumni Award from Howard University Law School. In earlier leadership experience he served as an infantry Captain in the United States Army. His tour of duty in the Vietnam War earned him the Bronze Star Medal, the Vietnam Service, and Vietnam Campaign Medals. As an administrative aide he specialized in small business concerns for Congressman Parren Mitchell of Maryland's 7th Congressional District. He also worked as a Social Security Administration claims examiner and as a staff attorney for the Department of the Navy. In 1977 Ike Leggett was selected as a White House Fellow, one of a small number of citizens selected from across the country for their exemplary civic, professional and educational achievement. This program assigns the Fellows as staff members to the President of the United States and Members of the Cabinet. After his term as a Fellow, the Board of Directors of the White House Fellows Foundation elected Leggett as its Treasurer. He served as a Professor of Law at the Howard University Law School from 1975 - 2006. He ran the day-to-day operations of the Law School as its Assistant Dean from 1979 – 1986. Ike Leggett lives in Burtonsville with his wife, Catherine, who is Vice President for Human Resources of the International City Management Association; ICMA is a non-profit company that assists retired public service employees with financial matters. His daughter, Yaminah, a bio-medical researcher, and her family live in Silver Spring. Ike is a member of the Resurrection Baptist Church of Olney.

Kevin McAndrews is Atapco Properties’ President and has primary responsibility for Atapco’s development and investment strategy and execution. He joined Atapco in 2002 as Vice President of Acquisitions and Development and was promoted to President in 2011. Kevin began his career with Trammel Crow Company in Texas in 1983 and has held senior management positions with Philadelphia’s Toll Brothers, New York’s The Harlan Company and ran his own commercial real estate company for five years. His experience throughout his career has covered a broad spectrum of commercial real estate investment and development activity. Kevin holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Brown University and Masters of Business Administration degree in Finance from the University of Chicago.

Greg Fitchitt joined The Howard Hughes Corporation (HHC) as Vice President, Development in 2013. In 2014 Greg relocated to Maryland to focus on the development of Downtown Columbia, a 14 million square foot mixed use development plan to transform the suburban town center of the acclaimed master planned community into a 21st century urban village. Most recently Greg led the efforts over the past 2 years resulting in the Howard County Council’s approval in November 2016 of a $90 million TIF for public infrastructure and a comprehensive plan for affordable housing in Downtown Columbia. Before joining HHC, Greg completed nine shopping center redevelopments as a developer for Westfield on the west coast, including leading the development efforts for Westfield UTC in La Jolla, CA, obtaining entitlements for a $1.0 billion LEED Gold mixed-use revitalization, and completing the $180 million first phase in 2012. Together the Westfield projects completed under Greg’s direction represented over $530 million in investment. Greg holds a BA in Philosophy from Pomona College and an MBA from UCLA. In addition to his professional activities, Greg served for ten years on the boards of non-profit affordable housing developers in California. He currently serves as president of the Downtown Columbia Partnership and on the Howard County Chamber of Commerce board. Greg lives in Ellicott City with his wife Cristiane and their two young children.

Stephen grew up in Harford County, Maryland to wonderful parents and with two siblings. He attended the University of Maryland College Park and in between his freshman and sophomore year began work for The Stavrou Companies in order to pay for the remaining college tuition. He began as a construction laborer for Stavrou Construction and Assistant Project Developer for Stavrou Development, and worked nearly full time while attending College Park with a full schedule each semester. He quickly excelled in the organization and became Vice President of the development and construction companies and oversaw the day to day operations, while at one time managing over 50 employees, and creating new development opportunities. In the Fall of 2013 Steve created Foundation Development Group and currently serves as its President. Foundation Development Group will continue to focus on developing multi family, senior, townhome and single family home communities. His role encompasses all aspects of the development, construction, ownership and asset management process. Stephen is active in the Maryland Affordable Housing Coalition as a member of the Development Committee and Legislative Committee and is Chair of the Anne Arundel Affordable Housing Coalition. Stephen currently lives in West River, Anne Arundel County, Maryland with his wonderful wife and four children.

As a Executive Vice President/Principal with MacKenzie Commercial Real Estate Services, LLC, Chris Bennett specializes in office and industrial sales and leasing, as well as commercial development. Operating from the company's Maple Lawn office, Chris works with tenants and landlords throughout Maryland but primarily in Baltimore City/County, Howard, Anne Arundel, and Prince George's counties. Chris joined the MacKenzie Companies in 1993 as a property manager. In this capacity, he was responsible for the management of over 500,000 square feet of office and retail projects throughout Baltimore County. He was also responsible for such diverse projects as the Annapolis City Marina, a marina and office building complex in the heart of Annapolis. Prior to this experience, Chris worked as a general contractor for several years. Through his multi-faceted property management and development experience, Chris retains the rare quality of having an owner's perspective of real estate, which is of great benefit to the client, whether they are the tenant or landlord.

​Neil Greenberg is the Chief Operating Officer of Somerset Construction Company (www.SomersetConstruction.com), which is a developer of large mixed-use communities, including the Annapolis Junction Town Center in Howard County, MD (www.AnnapolisJunctionTownCenter.com).

Todd D. Brown is well-known for his client focus, detailed knowledge of the people and processes affecting land use and for delivering successful results in a timely, predictable manner. Leonard Greenberg, Greenhill Companies, notes, "Todd has represented our land use interests in Bethesda, Wheaton, Rockville and North Bethesda for 25 years, and we have had outstanding success." In addition to the successful outcomes Todd has gained for real estate developers and builders, he has secured land use authorization for private schools and other not-for-profits, individual and business clients before local and state administrative and legislative bodies having jurisdiction over land use and real estate development. James Gentile, of The National Labor College, said, "Todd's help in securing special exception and subdivision approvals for our 65,000 square foot conference center, 85 bed dormitory and new dining facility in Silver Spring was invaluable. He managed the process seamlessly and kept us apprised of the progress throughout each phase of the project." Todd regularly guides individuals, local, regional and national clients and their technical consultants through complex legislative, master plan, zoning, subdivision, site plan, forest conservation, historic preservation and permitting processes to successful outcomes. He also helps clients before Boards of Appeals and has a noteworthy record of success in gaining approval for special exception (conditional use permit) applications, zoning variances and administrative appeals; and before the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission on issues concerning public water and sewer service; and the courts on appellate matters. In addition to his land use work for his land developer clients in the area, Todd has gained land use approval, often through Special Exceptions, for major expansions for private schools and not-for-profit institutions in Montgomery County, Maryland. In Howard County, Maryland, Todd has drafted and gained approval for millions of square feet of office and retail development and for over 5,000 residential units and more than 600 hotel rooms slated for development over the next decade. Todd has been honored with inclusion on both the Maryland and District of Columbia Super Lawyers listings, which recognizes the top five percent of attorneys in the area. He has received Martindale Hubbell AV (highest) rating and is recognized as a Top Rated Lawyer in Land Use and Zoning designation. He has held leadership positions in many local Chambers of Commerce, Urban Advisory Boards and industry groups.

Christopher B. Leinberger is a land use strategist, teacher, developer, researcher and author, balancing business success with social and environmental sustainability. Mr. Leinberger is currently: The Charles Bendit Distinguished Scholar and Research Professor & Chair, Center for Real Estate and Urban Analysis Founding Partner of Arcadia Land Company, a New Urbanism and transit-oriented development firm Leinberger has written two book, The Option of Urbanism, Investing in a New American Dream and Strategic Planning for Real Estate Companies, and contributed chapters to 15 other books, most recently Routledge Companion to Real Estate Development and Suburban Remix (Island Press). He has written for The New York Times, The Atlantic, Washington Monthly, American Conservative, Urban Land, Development, etc. He was voted one of the “The 100 Most Influential Urbanists” in a poll conducted by Planetizen, the urban planning web site, in 2017.

Before joining the Authority, he was the Director of the Carroll County Department of Economic Development, where he spent over six years guiding business development, business retention, workforce development and tourism. Before that, Larry spent almost seven years with the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development, where he held several positions including managing the statewide regional office system. Major accomplishments include launching a regional business retention program and playing a key role in coordinating and facilitating major expansion projects in the Baltimore Region. Larry also spent seven years in management in a Fortune Global 500 manufacturing firm and three years as a manager of a small business. From 2013 to 2015, Larry served as the President of Maryland Economic Development Association (MEDA). Currently he serves on the MEDA Board of Directors and is President of the MEDA Foundation. Larry holds a Master's Degree of Business Administration from Loyola University, Maryland and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management from the University of Maryland. He earned Certified Economic Developer credentials in 2009.

As a market president for United Bank, Steve is responsible for the management and operation of all bank offices in the Suburban Maryland area, including client relationships and new business development. Prior to this role, Steve was a commercial lender with United for 13 years, working with international, national and local real estate developers who focus on multifamily development, retail, office, residential homebuilding and industrial properties. He also serves on the board for the Catholic Charities Golf Classic and is involved in the corporate work study program with Don Bosco Cristo Rey high school, which allows students to apply classroom learning to the workplace.