Power Series: Women of Influence in Commercial Real Estate

Sheila Johnson

CEO
Salamander Hotels & Resorts

Sheila C. Johnson is Founder and CEO of Salamander Hotels & Resorts (SHR), which operates a collection of properties along the east coast and in the Caribbean. SHR includes the equestrian-inspired Salamander Resort & Spa in Middleburg, Virginia, which has been awarded the distinguished Forbes Five Star rating. The collection also features Innisbrook in Tampa Bay, which is home of the annual PGA Valspar Championship; The Henderson, a luxury beach resort in Destin, Florida; the spectacular Hotel Bennett in Charleston, South Carolina; and Half Moon in Montego Bay, Jamaica, which is opening a new resort experience called Eclipse this fall, 2020. As Vice Chairman of Monumental Sports & Entertainment, Ms. Johnson is the only African-American woman to have ownership in three professional sports teams: the NBA’s Washington Wizards, the NHL’s Washington Capitals (2018 Stanley Cup Champions), and the WNBA’s 2019 World Champions Washington Mystics, for which she serves as President and Managing Partner. In 2017, Ms. Johnson was named on Forbes Magazine’s Top 50 America’s Richest Self-Made Women. WE Capital, a venture capital consortium to support and invest in female-led enterprises with a goal of promoting social impact and generating financial returns was spearheaded by her in 2016. She also serves on the board of the Greater Washington Partnership, which seeks to strengthen the region’s global position as a center for commerce and innovation. Ms. Johnson has long been a powerful influence in the entertainment industry, starting with her work as founding partner of Black Entertainment Television. She has served as executive producer of documentary and feature films, including The Butler, directed by Lee Daniels. Ms. Johnson is founder and chair of the Middleburg Film Festival, an annual celebration of independent films. The festival is dubbed by the Washington Post as “an itty-bitty Cannes…” and referred to by RogerEbert.com as “…the place to be during Oscar season”. It continues to attract Oscar worthy films such as Greenbook, La La Land and 2019’s Oscar winner Parasite. In 2006 Ms. Johnson was named global ambassador for CARE, a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty by empowering women because they have the unique power to help entire communities escape poverty. “Sheila’s I Am Powerful Challenge” was instrumental in helping raise funds for CARE’s important work. She served as a member of Accordia Global Health Foundation’s International Council, rallying support for the foundation’s efforts to overcome the burden of infectious diseases in Africa. A fervent supporter of education, the Sheila C. Johnson Fellowship at the Harvard Kennedy School supported a cohort of 50 fellows – emerging leaders dedicated to improving the lives of the underserved. As a board member of the Jackie Robinson Foundation, she created the Rachel Robinson International Fellowship program - providing the scholars the opportunity for international service and study abroad. Ms. Johnson endowed two chairs at her alma mater, the University of Illinois - School of Music. At the University of Virginia, the Sheila C. Johnson Center for Human Services was established to provide evaluation and treatment in various specialties of childhood development.

Roberta Liss

President, Southeast
Cushman & Wakefield

As the Southeast Regional President, Roberta Liss is responsible for Cushman & Wakefield’s entire business in the state of Florida, Atlanta, Nashville and the Carolinas. Roberta is responsible for transformation and growth, client relationships, talent development and performance management across the Southeast U.S. Prior to this role, Roberta served as President, East Region, overseeing all of Cushman & Wakefield’s business in one third of the US. She partnered with leaders in Chicago, Minneapolis, Boston, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, DC, Bethesda, and Tysons Corner offices to advance corporate strategic growth, transformation, and operational optimization initiatives. She joined Cassidy Turley/DTZ, a predecessor Cushman & Wakefield company, in 2015 and served as Managing Principal for the Washington, DC Metro Region, as well as the President of the Eastern Region for DTZ. Before joining DTZ, Roberta served as Executive Vice President of Leasing, Marketing and Acquisitions at BECO Management. Before joining BECO, she was Executive Vice President of CBRE in Washington, DC, where she was a tenant and landlord broker and led strategic planning efforts. She also has served as Director of Brokerage for Washington, DC, and Maryland at Trammell Crow Co. where she was a principal and led capital markets, tenant representation, agency leasing, retail leasing and tax appeal. During her 36-year career, Roberta has executed transactions totaling more than 30 million square feet of space, has transacted eight building sales, and has advised Fortune 100 companies, financial institutions, health care companies, institutional owners and private developers on real estate matters, transactions and strategic planning. Roberta received a Bachelor of Architectural Engineering degree from Pennsylvania State University, as part of the University's 5-Year Engineering Program.

Jodie McLean

CEO
EDENS

Jodie W. McLean is Chief Executive Officer of EDENS, one of the nation’s leading private owners, operators and developers of retail real estate. With a more than 25-year tenure at EDENS, she has been a key player in the company’s growth and expansion to its current marketplace leadership, capitalized by blue chip investors and assets valued at $6.5 billion. Jodie is responsible for EDENS’ strategy to move the portfolio to major urban centers and first-ring suburbs, creating a portfolio of assets that are the center of community life. She was named Chief Investment Officer in 1997, President in 2002 and CEO in 2015. Overall, she has been responsible for the development, redevelopment, acquisition and disposition of more than $20 billion in retail assets. McLean passionately believes that retail should evolve beyond a shopping experience, and advocates for connectivity to the communities surrounding the company’s retail centers. To ensure this, each EDENS development is crafted to serve as an authentic gathering place, including a unique merchandising mix and welcoming design elements, fostering a sense of engagement with its neighbors. McLean is Chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond and serves on several Board of Directors including Cushman & Wakefield (NYSE: CWK), Wofford College and Milhaus. She is also a Trustee of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and The Real Estate Round Table. McLean is a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network’s Liberty Fellowship, Class of 2009. A native of Chicago, IL, she holds a B.S. in Finance and Management from the Moore School of Business, University of South Carolina, and a degree from South Carolina Honors College.

Rebecca Owen

President, CEI Realty
Chief Legal Officer, Clark Enterprises

Rebecca Owen is a senior executive and attorney with over 20 years of experience investing in, developing, and managing $900 million in equity in a multi-billion dollar portfolio of commercial real estate for a large privately-held office, while managing the legal needs of a diversified investment company. Ms. Owen is a leader at Clark Enterprises, Inc., ranked by Forbes as one of America's top 100 largest private companies. Clark is a family owned business, headquartered in Bethesda, MD, with over $4 billion of Clark net asset value concentrated in real estate and construction. Ms. Owen serves as President of CEI Realty, Inc., the real estate investment business line, and as Chief Legal Officer of the parent company. Before Clark, Ms. Owen served as a real estate attorney at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP in Washington, DC from 1987 until 1994, and at Sheehey, Furlong & Behm in Burlington, VT from 1994 to 1995. Ms. Owen has the following external corporate board experience: -- Carr Properties: Board of Directors member from 2013 to current. Carr Properties is a $1.5 billion private office REIT with over 3.5 million square feet in the Washington, DC area. -- Columbia Equity Trust (formerly NYSE: COE): Board of Directors member of the initially private company, in 2005, to assist with the IPO process. Remained on the Board of Directors after COE's $180 million IPO in June 2005, until it was taken private in March 2007, with the guidance of Ms. Owen acting as COE's lead director of the independent take private committee. Ms. Owen has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Washington since 2006, having served as chairman of resource development. She previously served on the Board of Directors of the Make A Wish Foundation of Greater Washington. Ms. Owen graduated from the University of Chicago Law School and from Hamilton College, Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa.

Vicki Davis

President
Urban Atlantic

Vicki Davis is responsible for managing the acquisition, planning, design, and implementation of all Urban Atlantic projects, and asset management of properties that the company owns and its Mid-City Community CDE investment portfolio. With over 28 years of experience in real estate development, she formerly served as Deputy Director of the Maryland Housing Fund and Maryland DHCD -Division of Credit Assurance. Her experience also includes portfolio management for MNC Financial-South Charles Realty and multifamily development for Trammell Crow Residential. As President of Urban Atlantic Development, Ms. Davis has managed development of over $2 billion in real estate projects and asset managed over $4 billion in real estate investments. She has developed over 6,000 multifamily residential units and 600,000 commercial square feet for Urban Atlantic, including eight HOPE VI mixed-finance public housing redevelopment projects, as well as transit-oriented mixed-use projects.  Ms. Davis holds a MBA in Finance from American University, an MS in Engineering & Construction Management from University of Texas, and a BS in Civil Engineering from the University of Maryland. She taught for 12 years in the Johns Hopkins Real Estate MBA program and is a LEED AP.

Linda Rabbitt

CEO
Rand Construction

Linda Rabbitt founded rand* construction in 1989, and was one of very few female leaders in the industry at the time. She is still an active leader as Owner and Chief Executive Officer, and is responsible for setting the strategic vision for the entire organization. Linda provides executive direction, manages client services, and oversees all aspects of corporate and financial operations. Under her leadership, rand* has grown into one of the top general contractors in the DC metro area and has expanded on a national scale with licensure to perform construction services in over 26 states. Her knowledge of the industry and professional experience has enabled rand* to deliver award-winning work for a vast client base. With a focus on innovation, quality and customer service, Linda continues to be actively involved in the firm’s expansion and performance in all local markets, the cultivation of client relationships, and the management and oversight of company-wide strategic development.

Sherry Cushman

Executive Managing Director & Leader, Legal Sector Advisory Group
Cushman & Wakefield

Sherry Cushman has spent her nearly 30-year career exclusively advising tenants in the legal sector throughout the United States. She is headquartered in C&W’s Washington, DC office and travels the country working with law firms to develop long-term business and real estate strategies that support and fulfill their strategic business goals and objectives. Ms. Cushman’s focus is on implementing real estate solutions that closely integrate her clients’ business, financial and operational goals with a focus on profitability impact for single, multi-office and large portfolio users alike. As leader of C&W’s national Legal Sector Advisory Group, Sherry coordinates the group’s initiatives, national benchmarking, as well as serves as a Thought Leader and Chief Strategist to C&W law firm clients. The Legal Sector Advisory Group consists of over 100+ highly sophisticated law firm real estate advisors, who draw on multi-disciplinary teams of C&W professionals, to deliver strategic solutions specifically tailored for the legal industry. Ms. Cushman has represented law firms in over 12 million square feet of law firm prime lease, lease restructures/renewals, build-to-suits and base building negotiations. During her career, she has been the lead broker and/or team member in representing the real estate portfolios for numerous global, national and regional law firms. In 1985, Ms. Cushman began her career in commercial interiors, designing interior space for law firms. She transitioned her career in 1993 to commercial brokerage, specializing in tenant representation and incorporating her design expertise into developing real estate strategies for her clients. During her 30-year tenure, she served for nine years as a Corporate Managing Director at Studley and founded the company’s Law Firm Practice Group. She then spent a decade at CBRE as a Senior Vice President and was one of five founding members of its Law Firm Practice Group. Sherry’s tenure and extensive expertise provides her clients with unparalleled service and legal sector knowledge.

Nicole Urquhart-Bradley

President, Valuation & Advisory-Americas
Cushman & Wakefield

Nicole Urquhart-Bradley is President for Valuation & Advisory Americas. She is responsible for the overall leadership of the Valuation & Advisory (V&A) group in the Americas, overseeing 600 appraisers in 71 offices and driving the business objectives and activities of the operations. Valuation & Advisory offers six core services, including Appraisal Management, Diligence Advisory, Dispute Analysis & Litigation Support, Financial Reporting, Portfolio Valuation and Property Tax Services, along with 18 asset-class practice groups. In 2015, the Americas team valued over 50,300 properties valued at over $945 billion USD. Ms. Urquhart-Bradley began her commercial real estate career in 1988 when she was hired as an associate appraiser with Appraisal Partners, Inc. of Silver Spring, Maryland. In 1992 she was hired as a Senior Appraiser by Legg Mason Realty Group, Inc. of Baltimore, Maryland. In 1996 Ms. Urquhart-Bradley joined Joseph J. Blake & Associates, serving as an Assistant Vice president in the Washington, DC office and then as Vice President/Regional Manager in the Los Angeles office. In 2003 she joined Cushman & Wakefield of Washington, DC, Inc. serving as manager of the Washington DC office until mid-2004, when she was promoted to manager of the Mid Atlantic Region. In September 2009, her area of responsibility expanded to include the Northeast Region. In September 2010, her area of responsibility expanded to include the entire United States. In August 2016, her area of responsibility expanded to include the Americas. Ms. Urquhart-Bradley has performed appraisal and consulting assignments on various types of income producing properties including office buildings, retail centers (regional malls, life style, community, neighborhood, outlet centers and single-tenant buildings), warehouse and distribution facilities, residential subdivisions, multi-family properties (apartments and condominiums buildings), large mixed use properties, ski resorts, commercial land, golf courses, and special purpose properties. These assignments were typically intended for mortgage lending, corporate advisory services, off-balance sheet financing, acquisition/disposition consulting, tax appeal, litigation or rent arbitration use. Ms. Urquhart-Bradley received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from the University of Pittsburgh in 1988. Ms. Urquhart-Bradley has successfully completed all courses and experience requirements to qualify for the MAI designation. She has also completed the requirements of the continuing education program of the Appraisal Institute.

Wendy Feldman Block

Executive Managing Director
Savills

Powered by tenacity, Wendy Feldman Block, brings extensive experience working on a broad range of transactions in the Washington DC Metro area and beyond. She is an award-winning commercial real estate executive serving as an Executive Managing Director at Savills. Wendy is passionate about wellness in the workplace and was the first broker in the world to advise a client on achieving both WELL and LEED Platinum certifications. She is actively sought for her knowledge on the role of wellness in the workplace, all the more critical in the future post COVID world and has a new additional focus on ESG for tenants. In her over her 30+ year career, Wendy has completed sales and leasing transactions totaling in excess of 12 million square feet. Wendy has been recognized multiple times as one of the top producers in the country and received numerous professional accolades. Wendy has represented many of the Washington DC region’s premier associations and corporations, and many of the nation’s leading 200 law firms. Notable recent clients include FINRA, Farmer Mac, the City of Alexandra, Pillsbury, Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority, and Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. She has been an active mentor to countless people in the commercial real estate industry and taken leadership roles at many organizations including CREW DC, Iona Senior Services, Round House Theatre, Higher Achievement, the Tikkun Olam Women’s Foundation, and the March of Dimes Heroines Program. Wendy has received several awards for her community engagement including CREBA’s Brendan McCarthy Award, Jewish Woman International - Woman to Watch, CREW’s Impact Award and the Julien J. Studley award which recognizes one recipient for their role in corporate social responsibility.

Nina Janopaul

CEO
Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing

Nina Janopaul has been President/CEO of the Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing (APAH) since 2007. APAH is a non-profit, community-based, award winning, affordable housing developer. Ms. Janopaul oversees all elements of APAH’s real estate development, operations, advocacy, services, and governance. During her tenure, APAH has grown its portfolio to fifteen multifamily rental properties with 1360+ units, valued at almost $250 million with another 800 units in development. APAH is known for its nimble and effective real estate development, for pioneering innovative supportive housing partnerships and its community impact. Under Ms. Janopaul’s leadership, APAH has received numerous awards, including the Charles Edson award for best urban development in the country; the Urban Land Institute—DC’s best Housing project; Developer of the Year from the Housing Association of Non-Profit Developers; Best Nonprofit by the Arlington Chamber of Commerce and the Arlington Community Foundation’s Prize for Impact and Innovation. Before joining APAH, Ms. Janopaul was a principal at Capital Strategies Consulting, Inc. and provided services to a variety of organizations, including Enterprise Community Partners. Prior to 2000, she was the National Director of Development for Hostelling International – USA (formerly American Youth Hostels). Ms. Janopaul received a Bachelors of Arts Magna Cum Laude from Harvard University. She serves on the Virginia Housing Development Authority’s Northern Virginia Advisory Committee. She is a past President of HAND, a regional housing association and received the Virginia Housing Coalition’s 2013 Innovations in Leadership award.

Wendy White

Director
Goulston & Storrs

Wendy White is a Director in the firm’s Real Estate group, and Chair of the Real Estate Transactions group in the firm's Washington DC office. She concentrates her practice on joint ventures, development, acquisitions, dispositions and financings of commercial properties. Wendy has also represented clients on leases covering both single and multiple sites. Her practice includes transactions involving office, hotel, retail, multifamily and mixed use properties. Wendy's clients include public and private real estate investment trusts, local, national and international companies with investments in the US, as well as nonprofits. Wendy sits on the Boards of Directors of Chevy Chase Trust Company and MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. She is the General Counsel of The Economic Club of Washington DC; Treasurer of the International Women’s Forum of Washington DC; and a Member and Past President of Commercial Real Estate Women, DC Chapter. Wendy also sits on the Boards of Directors of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington and the Girl Scout Council of the Nation’s Capital.

Anitra Androh

Shareholder
Polsinelli

Anitra Androh represents clients in commercial real estate transactions involving the acquisition, disposition, financing, development, and leasing of office buildings, multi-family developments, retail shopping centers, and various mixed-use and mixed-income projects. She has extensive experience negotiating development agreements, construction agreements, construction management agreements, property management agreements, cost-sharing agreements, reciprocal easement agreements, and declarations of covenants, conditions, and restrictions. Her practice also involves the creation of condominium regimes and the negotiating and settling of warranty claims filed against developers by condominium associations. Anitra also regularly represents clients in the acquisition and financing of affordable housing projects.

Dawn Becker

EVP & MD, Mixeduse Division
Federal Realty Investment Trust

Dawn Becker is Executive Vice President – Managing Director Mixed-Use Division of Federal Realty Investment Trust. In that capacity, Ms. Becker is responsible for directing the strategy and day-to-day activities of the Trust’s real estate portfolio. Ms. Becker also serves as the Trust’s General Counsel and Secretary with responsibility for all of the Trust’s legal matters. Ms. Becker joined Federal Realty in 1997, and was named Chief Operating Officer in 2010 and General Counsel and Secretary in 2002. Ms. Becker also advises the Trust’s Board on corporate governance issues and serves as a member of the Trust’s Investment Committee. Ms. Becker received a Bachelor of Arts in economics from Bucknell University and holds a Juris Doctorate from Stanford University School of Law. She is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers and the Urban Land Institute.

Sonia Khanna

Senior Director
CapitalSource

Sonia Khanna is a Director in the Commercial Real Estate Lending division of CapitalSource. Based outside of Washington, DC, Ms. Khanna leads the commercial real estate originations effort in the Mid-Atlantic region. Ms. Khanna joined CapitalSource in 2007, and is responsible for originating and structuring non-recourse, balance sheet loans for the firm. Ms. Khanna is also co-leading a platform for lending on data center real estate assets with the Leveraged Finance Group at CapitalSource. Ms. Khanna began her career in 2001 with UBS Investment Bank as a structurer on the Mortgage Backed Securities trading desk. Ms. Khanna holds a BA in Mathematics from Barnard College and an MBA in Finance from The Kellogg School of Management.

Stephanie L. Williams

President
Bozzuto Management

Stephanie Williams, President of Bozzuto Management Company and Operating Partner of The Bozzuto Group, has remained focused on providing extraordinary experiences to residents, clients, partners and employees of the company since joining the company in 2004. She directs the operations and an array of specialized initiatives for an apartment portfolio of 77,000 units across over 265 properties in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest and Southern regions. In 2017, Stephanie earned the Multi-Housing News Excellence Award for Executive of the Year, was named Minority Business Leader by Washington Business Journal and was honored as a member of Baltimore Business Journal’s Top 40 Under 40. In 2018, under Stephanie’s leadership, Bozzuto Management Company was awarded #1 Property Management Company by the National Association of Home Builders. Stephanie is Board member of the Real Estate Executive Council and an active member of the Urban Land Institute, and the District of Columbia Building Industry Association.

Elizabeth Cooper

Vice Chairman
JLL

Elizabeth Cooper has over 30 years of real estate experience as a top sales producer for over 20 years at Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL), and prior to that, as a real estate attorney for 10 years at Covington & Burling in Washington, DC. In addition to her real estate practice at Covington, she was one of the lawyers tapped to handle all real estate related matters for the firm. As Vice Chairman of JLL, she has negotiated more than 50 million square feet of office space around the globe, generating approximately $100,000,000 in revenue. She has dedicated her free time to mentoring the next generation of leaders in the industry; in particular, women. At JLL, she is the co-executive sponsor for the Women’s Business Network and sits on the Diversity and Inclusion Council. Since 2017, Elizabeth has co-chaired JLL’s Mentor Protégé program. This national program fosters cross industry and cross market collaboration to develop the next generation of leaders in the firm. Additionally, Elizabeth is the immediate past president of Commercial Real Estate Brokerage Association (CREBA) and continues as a member of the Executive Committee and Board of Directors. She is on the Board of the Nationals Youth Baseball Academy and is a member of the Economic Club of Washington, DC.

Susan Bourgeois

Executive Director
Rappaport

Janet Davis

SVP
Brandywine Realty Trust

Ms. Davis serves as Senior Vice President of Leasing of the Metro D.C. region of Brandywine Realty Trust, with primary responsibilities for new business development in the region. She previously served as Senior Vice President of Prentiss Properties with leasing responsibilities for the Mid-Atlantic region since 1985. Ms. Davis began her career in 1981 as a Leasing Agent with the Washington, D.C. office of Trammell Crow Company. She is a Past Chairman of the Northern Virginia chapter of NAIOP, a Past Chairman of The Franklin Square Association, a Past President of Commercial Real Estate Women, Inc. of Washington, D.C. (CREW), a member of the Economic Club of Washington, and past Board Member of Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance (NVTA), Leadership Washington, Jubilee Housing and Goodwill Industries of Washington, D.C., and is a Co-Chair of the Georgetown University Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Breast Cancer Research Fund. Ms. Davis earned her B.A. degree from George Mason University.

Olivia Byrne

Partner
K&L Gates

Olivia S. Byrne is a partner in the Washington D.C. office and a member of the firm’s Real Estate Investment, Development, and Finance group. Olivia spearheads the firm's U.S. Economic Incentives practice along with the Real Estate and Public Finance practices in the Washington, D.C. office. Olivia has successfully obtained economic incentives for clients on a national basis including the District of Columbia and has extensive experience drafting legislation for economic incentives. She represents clients in real estate projects relating to headquarters buildings, mixed use, retail, office, residential, manufacturing, warehouse, healthcare, hotels, restaurants, and sports arenas. Her real estate practice involves site location for many different industries, namely technology, broadcasting, manufacturing, as well as industrial, sports, and entertainment facilities and hotels. She and her team represent inbound companies from abroad as well as U.S. companies relocating or deciding to remain in place and expand. Her proven track record demonstrates proposals to certain corporations such as manufacturing in excess of US$100 million dollars in economic incentives. She served as lobbyist for The Advisory Board Company that won the “Game Changer Award” at the Washington Business Journal’s Best Real Estate Deal of the Year Awards in 2016. She focuses her practice on public policy, legislative counseling, real estate transactions, tax exempt bonds, New Markets Tax Credits (“NMTC”), Tax Increment Financings (“TIFs”), public/private partnerships, (including those with colleges and universities), and public finance including multifamily housing projects with low income housing tax credits and tax exempt bonds. She has completed financing transactions with NMTC allocatees for many mixed-use multifamily housing and office projects. She has also worked on numerous multifamily housing projects on a national, state, and local basis. She has also worked on infrastructure projects and other projects financed with TIFs. She also has extensive experience with real estate acquisitions and sales and the related real estate documentation and due diligence. She served as co-chair of its Washington D.C. Economic Partnership, with Washington, D.C.’s Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development. She has long-standing experience working with the District's Revenue Bond Program, Office of Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development. She has a strong commitment to the District and its youth, which is demonstrated by the projects she has completed. She is actively involved in the District's revitalization. She is on the Board of Directors for the D.C. Appleseed Foundation and she also co-chairs the D.C. Appleseed Special Education Project to assist children with special needs in the District’s public and private schools. In 2014, 2015, and 2016, she was selected by Super Lawyers as a top Washington, D.C. Lawyer in Government Finance. She was also named by the Washington Business Journal as a "2009 Top Washington Lawyer" Finalist in the Real Estate Transactions category. Her financing structure for the National Association of Realtors' US$40 million real estate transaction was also selected as the "Best Financing Deal of the Year" by the Washington Business Journal. Olivia represents many for-profit and not-for-profit organizations and assists them in acquiring real estate with tax-exempt and taxable bonds, construction loans, bridge loans, SWAPS, and NMTC. She also assists on many mixed-use projects and frequently helps structure complex financing transactions for organizations. In this capacity, she has more than 20 years of experience representing for profit and nonprofit organizations, including universities and colleges, museums, hospitals, nursing homes, schools and institutions for higher learning. She recently completed the financing for the D.C. headquarters of the largest trade association in the world. She also assists universities and colleges in their financing and real estate projects. Olivia also represents developers and corporations with real estate acquisitions, renovation projects, and public/private partnerships, as well as mixed-use retail/residential, entertainment projects, and office condominiums. She is one of the few lawyers who has successfully represented developers obtaining Enterprise Zone Bonds in the District of Columbia and TIFs in Maryland.

Sue Carras

Co‑Head Washington, D.C. Office
HFF

Ms. Carras is a Senior Managing Director and co-head of the Washington, DC office of HFF. With more than 35 years of experience in commercial real estate, she is responsible for overseeing debt and equity placement business of the office. Prior to HFF, Ms. Carras was a Principal and Managing Director at Sonnenblick Goldman where she served on the operating committee and head of the office in Washington, DC and Tampa, Florida. Earlier in her career, she completed credit training at Chase Manhattan Bank where she was a lending officer in the Real Estate Finance Division. She is a recipient of the Greater Washington Commercial Association of Realtors Top Financing Award and Top Sales Award for the Washington, DC Metro.

Jill Homan

President
Javelin 19 Investments

Jill Homan is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of OPZ Capital. Ms. Homan has more than 15 years’ experience in real estate acquisitions, dispositions, development, financing, asset management and leasing totaling over $450 million in total capitalization. Ms. Homan oversees OPZ Capital’s real estate investments and fund operations. Prior to founding OPZ Capital, Ms. Homan was President of Javelin 19 Investments, a real estate investment firm with more than $200 million in investments and transactions. At Javelin 19, Ms. Homan was responsible for sourcing, underwriting, structuring, and executing new investment opportunities. Further, she oversaw day-to-day operations of the company. Ms. Homan previously worked as vice president for Perseus Realty, where she was responsible for acquisitions, underwriting, and assisting in the capitalization of ongoing projects. She assisted in the formation and structure of a discretionary GP investment partnership, managed its investor relations, and performed market and competitive property analyses. Ms. Homan has extensive political and policy experience, having worked on Capitol Hill as a legislative assistant and press secretary, and she currently holds elective office and senior party leadership positions. Ms. Homan is LEED® accredited professional and a member of Commercial Real Estate Women DC (CREW DC). She has been a featured speaker and received recognition at events with DCBIA, CREW DC, Bisnow, and DCA Live. Ms. Homan serves on several non-profit boards, including the Board of Visitors for Duke University’s School of Public Policy, and co-chairs the Duke University’s alumni organization in the metro Washington, DC region. Ms. Homan resides in Washington, DC.

Maureen Dwyer

Director
Goulston & Storrs

Yolanda Cole

Senior Principal
Hickok Cole

Yolanda is the Senior Principal and owner of Hickok Cole Architects, a large commercial architecture and interiors firm located in Washington, DC. She has over 25 years of base building and interior design experience in a variety of project types from large-scale, mixed-use developments to small commercial interiors, both around the world and in the region. She is widely recognized for her leadership in the region’s business community and for her work on many award-winning projects in the commercial/corporate, government, and institutional markets. Prior to joining Hickok Cole Architects as a partner, Ms. Cole was a partner with Arlington-based LyrixDesign, which merged with Hickok’s firm to become Hickok Cole. LyrixDesign was one of the top 25 woman-owned and interior design firms in the region. She began her career with New York-based Kohn Pederson Fox Associates (KPF), where she was a senior designer of large-scale high-rise office buildings. While with KPF, Ms. Cole served as senior designer for the 1.2-million square-foot Chifley Tower in Sydney, Australia, where she lived for two years; and the award-winning Capital Cities/ABC headquarters in New York.

Catherine Jones

Executive Managing Director
Cushman & Wakefield

Donna Shafer

Managing Director
Cityline Partners

Donna, a founding member of Cityline Partners, is responsible for Cityline’s strategic planning, and for oversight of the company’s day to day execution of its business plan. Prior to Cityline, Donna was affiliated with West*Group for several years, first as the CEO of Park*Crest, and then as Executive Vice President for West*Group. Prior to her tenure at West*Group, she was General Counsel and Vice President of Real Estate for Opus East, and a partner with the law firm of Hazel & Thomas, now known as Reed Smith. Donna serves on the Board and Executive Committee for George Mason University Foundation, and chairs the Foundation’s Real Estate Committee. She is also on the Board of New Hope Housing and a member of the Urban Land Institute Executive Committee, and the Urban Land Institute Trends Committee. Donna earned her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Virginia, and her Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law.

Allison Prince

Director
Goulston & Storrs

Allison Prince is a zoning, land use, real estate development and historic preservation attorney. She represents commercial and residential developers, colleges and universities and institutional and non-profit organizations as they build, expand and redevelop buildings across the District of Columbia. Allison presents before virtually every public forum in the District of Columbia, including the Board of Zoning Adjustment, the Zoning Commission, the Historic Preservation Review Board and the Commission of Fine Arts. Additionally, she is experienced in working with foreign governments. Clients are drawn to Allison's sophisticated experience, collaborative approach and honed negotiation skills. Her long-term experience with land use in Washington DC and governmental agencies help her to quickly identify ways to streamline the approval process. Chambers USA recognizes Allison as "extremely knowledgeable and really good at pushing the ball forward and getting issues resolved."

Phyllis Liebman Brill

VP
MRP Realty

Phyllis Liebman Brill has over 20 years of construction management experience working for both commercial real estate developers and contractors in the DC Metropolitan area. She is responsible for the design, permitting, purchasing and construction of interior build-outs and cap ex projects within the MRP portfolio. Phyllis has a B.A. in English from SUNY Binghamton and a Masters in Interior Design from Mount Vernon College (now part of George Washington University). She is also a LEED accredited professional. Phyllis has been an active member of the DC Chapter of Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) for over 13 years. She has served on the Executive Committee and on the Board of Directors. Phyllis is currently the 2017 President of CREW DC.

Kimberly Wachen

Partner
Arent Fox

Kimberly Wachen advises major publicly traded corporations, investors and lenders on the structuring, negotiating and closing of complex real estate, finance and corporate transactions. Her approach to practicing law is to partner with her clients and deliver high quality work under tight deadlines while being sensitive to costs. She is recognized as one of the top real estate lawyers in the country by Chambers USA, Legal 500, and leading industry publications. She is a partner in the firm’s business department and real estate group, and chairs the firm’s hospitality industry practice group.

Susan Riel

EVP & COO
EagleBank

Susan G. Riel has over 35 years of experience in the commercial banking industry. She has been an employee of EagleBank from before it opened its doors in 1998, from day one. EagleBank is now the largest bank by stock market capitalization headquartered in the State of Maryland and its most profitable. It is the largest local community bank (measured by assets and by deposit market share) in metropolitan Washington, DC. EagleBank maintains a very significant portfolio of commercial real estate loans and is the largest SBA bank lender in metropolitan Washington. These achievements have occurred under Susan’s leadership and watchful eye. We have grown from a dozen employees to being over 475 strong. Our asset size stands at over $7 billion. Ms. Riel is currently Senior Executive Vice President - Chief Operating Officer of the Bank, and Executive Vice President of the Company. She was formerly Executive Vice President - Chief Operating Officer of the Bank and Chief Administrative Officer, and previously served as Executive Vice President - Chief Operating Officer of Columbia First Bank, FSB from 1989 until that institution’s acquisition by First Union Bancorp in 1995. In the past seven years alone, Susan has overseen a core conversion, the rollout of mobile banking, a fifteen-fold expansion in residential lending volume, a merger with Virginia Heritage Bank and the continued expansion of EagleBank into Northern Virginia, and the relocation of corporate headquarters. As a charter employee of EagleBank, she has seen – and done - it all. In 2017, Susan was elected to the Board of Directors of Eagle Bancorp, Inc., the publicly-traded holding company of EagleBank. She serves as a senior staff liaison to the Compensation Committee and is personally involved in every committee of Eagle Bancorp and EagleBank.

Elaine Clancy

Former Director-Leasing, GSA
SVP, Lincoln Property Company

Elaine Clancy, formerly the director of leasing for the National Capitol Region at the General Services Administration, is the Senior Vice President – Government Services Group for Lincoln Property Group. In this capacity, Ms. Clancy will lead Lincoln’s efforts to increase services provided to government tenants. Ms. Clancy will be based in the Washington, D.C. office and will lead a national team focused on providing services to federal, state or local governmental agencies or to landlords with those tenants in their buildings. Services may include leasing and strategic advisory services for sales or financing. Ms. Clancy has more than 20 years of experience in real estate leasing, development, financing and investment banking. Prior to working for the GSA, Ms. Clancy served as managing director for Celtic Capital Management, as managing director for investing and portfolio management at Choice Hotels, and as senior vice president for real estate investment banking at Ferris Baker Watts. She also worked as senior vice president in real estate investment banking at Friedman, Billings, Ramsey and Company.

Jennifer Bognet

Principal
Bognet Construction

As Senior Vice President, Jennifer is responsible for many strategic and operational aspects of the company including client relations, business development, marketing and communications, human resources, and community outreach. In this role she continuously works to improve and enhance our project delivery system, with a relentless focus on complete client satisfaction. Prior to joining Bognet Construction, she worked in the software industry in both sales and systems engineering for Oracle Corporation and Marriott International. Jennifer is very active in commercial real estate organizations such as Commercial Real Estate Women and was the 2014 President of the DC Chapter. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from the Smeal College of Business at the Pennsylvania State University and a Master of Science degree in Information Systems from George Mason University.

Debra Lacy

President
Lacy, Ltd.

Betsy Karmin

Partner
Morris, Manning, & Martin

Betsy Karmin is a Partner in the firm’s Real Estate Practice where she concentrates on a broad range of commercial real estate transactions, including financing, development, restructuring, acquisitions, sales and leasing. Betsy represents landlords and tenants in office and retail leasing, including ground leases and multi-floor office leases, as well as lenders and borrowers for complex construction and permanent financing. She also represents a national franchiser in structuring complex air rights and redevelopment projects and has extensive experience in equity investing for institutional investors in senior living, hospitality, office and retail assets. Betsy previously served as President of the Washington, D.C. chapter of Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW). She currently serves on the Board of Directors of Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company and on the Board of Directors of Goodwill of Greater Washington. Betsy is also a member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and D.C. Building Industry Association (DCBIA).

Winell Belfonte

Partner
CohnReznick

Winell Belfonte is a partner in CohnReznick’s Affordable Housing and Not-for-Profit and Education Industry practices. She serves as the partner in charge of the Firm's New York office affordable housing practice. In this capacity, she is the lead service provider and business advisor to her clients and accountable for the dissemination and implementation of technical issues for affordable housing and not-for-profit clients. Winell has 30 years of experience providing services to a broad range of clients. Her extensive experience comes in the areas of audit, accounting, and tax for not-for-profit and for-profit clients including real estate developers, investors, syndicators, contractors, and property managers, as well as charities and foundations. Her business advisory expertise includes strategic planning, the design and implementation of internal control structures, financial analysis, budgets, regulatory compliance, and investor requirements. As a frequent speaker, Winell has become well known for her technical expertise. She has spoken to many not-for-profit and affordable housing audiences and graduated from a nine-month community leadership program with Leadership of Greater Washington in 2010.

Meghan Altidor

Partner
Nixon Peabody

Meghan Altidor represents nonprofit and for-profit developers in acquiring, constructing, rehabilitating and operating affordable housing developments around the country.

Catherine Heath

CEO and Managing Partner
HYL Architecture

Catherine Heath is the Founder and CEO of HYL Architecture, providing vision and strategy and overseeing all operations of the firm out of both offices in Washington, DC and New York, NY. Catherine is recognized as a design leader by her industry peers, elected to the International Interior Design Association's College of Fellows in 2021. Her design career has included a leadership role on some of the most notable corporate headquarters, law firm, and government agency projects in the US and abroad. Catherine has worked at scales ranging from 1,000 to more than 4 million square feet. Projects under her direction have won more than 30 design awards and been published in numerous design and business books and periodicals. She was featured in the book Women in Design published by Interior Design Magazine, and was included in the Built By Women exhibit at the National Building Museum. Catherine has established herself as an international leader in law firm workplace strategy. She is also highly valued for her abilities to dissect complex programs and help craft buildings from the inside out. She has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the ABA Journal and has been published in Legal Management. Catherine holds a MArch degree from University of Pennsylvania and a B.S. Arch degree from the University of Virginia. She is a licensed architect in DC, VA, MD, DE, PA, IL and NY. Outside of the office, she is heavily involved in CREW (Commercial Real Estate Women), and will be President-Elect of the 600 member DC Chapter in 2024. In 2017, Catherine won the CREW Annual Achievement Award, and in 2011 she was Co-Chair of Programs for the CREW National Convention. HYL Architecture is a full service boutique architecture firm. HYL designs work environments that help individuals succeed and organizations soar. The firm’s focus is on creating destination workplaces and renovations to the buildings in which they are located. HYL’s expertise in the operational and cultural issues that drive real estate decisions for corporate, and professional services clients is sought

Polly Donaldson

Director
D.C. Department of Housing & Community Development

Polly Donaldson has served as the Director of the DC Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) since January 2, 2015. As Director, she oversees 180+ employees, 14 program areas and manages an operating budget of over $250 million to preserve and produce rental and homeownership opportunities for District residents while leading the charge of revitalizing underserved neighborhoods. The Director is well-known in DC affordable housing circles and has had great influence throughout the city. Her nonprofit career spans over 27 years, with senior management experience in homelessness, affordable housing and international community development. Prior to joining DHCD, Donaldson served as the Executive Director of the Transitional Housing Corporation (THC) for over 10 years and THC Affordable Housing, Inc., since its founding in June 2005. Under Donaldson’s leadership, THC was on the front lines addressing the city’s housing crunch, working with churches, charities and other nonprofit groups to produce and support affordable units for the formerly homeless. Donaldson served on the DC Interagency Council on Homelessness in 2009 and was re-appointed in 2013. She is the former board president of the Coalition for Nonprofit Housing and Economic Development, an umbrella group of affordable housing developers. In 2012, she also served on the Comprehensive Housing Strategy Task Force assembled by former Mayor Gray. In 2014, Mayor-elect Muriel Bowser named Donaldson as the co-chair of the Transition Team’s Affordable Housing Committee. Donaldson served as the chair of Mayor Bowser’s Affordable Housing Preservation Strike Force. Donaldson has lived in the Mt. Pleasant neighborhood in Ward 1 for over 24 years. In the late 1990s, she was elected and served as the chair of the Mt. Pleasant Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 1-E. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in social and behavioral science from The Johns Hopkins University.

Barbara Anne (B.A.) Spignardo

Senior Counsel
Shapiro, Lifschitz & Schram

Barbara Anne ("B.A.") Spignardo is a member of the firm’s Real Estate and Business groups. She focuses primarily on real estate transactions and finance, as well as business and commercial transactions and lending. Before joining Shapiro, Lifschitz & Schram, she was an attorney with Locke Lord LLP in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office. B.A. has focused on real estate law since beginning her practice in 2002. She has represented lenders, borrowers, developers, sellers and institutional investors in sophisticated, high-dollar commercial real estate transactions including hotel, multifamily, assisted living, office and retail properties. Her work includes origination and servicing of construction and development loans, debt and equity financings, acquisitions, and dispositions. In addition, B.A. has worked on the review and negotiation of commercial leases and the analysis and negotiation of management and franchise agreements. She also is experienced at conducting corporate governance work, including drafting and reviewing corporate resolutions and officer certificates. Passion. B.A. is passionate about her work in the real estate sector – taking raw land and creating something useful for people, especially structures that encourage travel and exploration. She notes that the core of real estate work is land and relationships. As a “people person,” B.A. particularly enjoys building relationships and working closely with her clients to bring a vision to fruition. Early in her academic endeavors, B.A. found that she was most interested in discovering all of the facts, understanding various views in determining an outcome and working through to the best resolution. This, combined with her love of travel, led to her finding the perfect career in real estate law. Solutions. Partnering with her clients to ensure the most favorable outcome in any transaction, B.A. is a savvy negotiator and staunch advocate. Examples that illustrate her work include: • Assisted in representing multifamily developers in the origination of mortgage loans secured by apartment projects in Colorado and Texas. • Represented a shopping center owner in the refinancing of multiple mortgage loans secured by regional retail centers in Fairfax County, Virginia. • Represented a property owner and lender in sale and seller financing of a resort hotel in Arizona. • Originated a $35 million refinancing loan for an existing full-service hotel and golf course in Fort Worth, Texas. • Originated a seven-figure interim loan for refinancing a brand-name hotel, including a New Market Tax Credit component and construction loans for the construction of two brand-name hotels, each transaction involving the same principals and lender, which closed in rapid succession. • Represented a lender in a construction loan for the construction of an office/warehouse space pre-leased by the GSA/State Department in Lorton, Virginia. • Involved with forbearance in connection with a $10 million letter of credit facility and $4 million equity facility cross-defaulted and cross-collateralized, including land parcels and assignments of proceeds from various purchase and sale agreements as additional security. • Represented special and master servicers in connection with assumptions, modifications, restructurings, workouts and enforcement actions of securitized and non-securitized mortgage loans. • Represented lenders in foreclosure and enforcement proceedings with respect to mezzanine and mortgage loans and equity pledges in various jurisdictions, including enforcing guarantees and realization upon real and personal property collateral. • Represented lenders and agents in a variety of modifications, restructurings, inter-creditor negotiations and workouts.

Olivia Millar

Principal
Collective Architecture

Olivia joined Collective in 2016 when she merged her firm with CA. As the Principal-In-Charge of Operations Olivia ensures that appropriate resources are allocated to the project and that the project parameters are being considered at all stages of the effort. Olivia guides the team from beginning to end, oversees coordination of the extended team, and supports the project team as required. Olivia received her Bachelor’s Degree in Graphic Design and Masters in Interior Design from George Washington University where she was a Presidential Art Scholar.

Mary Jo George

Partner
Ballard Spahr

Mary Jo George is the Practice Leader of Ballard Spahr's Housing Group. Ms. George focuses primarily on multifamily and senior facility real estate finance transactions. She is especially experienced in FHA insurance, Ginnie Mae mortgage-backed securities, and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac conventional and bond credit enhancement programs.

Kathy Allgier

Executive Director
CREW

As a business executive and consultant, Kathy creates and implements critical business operations solutions for commercial real estate companies in Metro DC. With nearly four decades of experience, she understands the drivers, constraints, trends and unique value in our submarkets, product types and fee services. She has been responsible for revenue producing divisions in property management, asset management, construction, development, leasing and sales ranging from $25M to $100M. A graduate of Cornell University with an MS from American University, Kathy is also an alumna of some of the very best companies in commercial real estate, including Donohoe, MRP Realty, CBRE, JLL, and Spaulding & Slye. Kathy has served since 2019 as Executive Director for CREW (Commercial Real Estate Women) DC – the largest chapter in the global network. CREW is transforming the commercial real estate industry by advancing the achievements of women through leadership development, business networking, and support for their career journey. CREW DC’s vision is to sustain a diverse and inclusive membership that nurtures belonging, cultivates connection, fosters growth, celebrates difference and develops leaders in commercial real estate. All are welcome to join.

Suzane Reatig

Principal
Suzane Reatig Architecture

Suzane Reatig, fellow of the American Institute of Architects, and 2016 Kea Distinguished Professor at the university of MD, has received numerous national and international awards, and has been extensively discussed by her peers, the architectural community and press. She has been featured in publications such as the Washington Post, New York Times, and Architectural Record. Suzane Reatig, FAIA founded her practice in 1989. Exploring new interpretations of urban infill housing. Reatig’s buildings address the changing needs and real demands of city dwellers. With many projects located in the Shaw neighborhood of Washington, DC, Reatig’s work demonstrates the powerful effect architecture can have on transforming and reviving a neighborhood. In 2015 Reatig published her first book, A Clear View: How Glass Buildings in the Inner City Transformed a Neighborhood

Barbara Mackin

President, CREW DC
SVP, Citizens Financial Group

Marnique Heath

Principal
STUDIOS Architecture

Marnique joined STUDIOS Architecture’s Washington, DC office in 1998. As Principal she oversees an innovative design practice with a diverse client base, including District and Federal government, law practices and financial firms, foreign entities, educational and non-profit institutions, and a myriad of corporations. Marnique is highly valued for her efforts to promote the firm’s involvement in sustainable design and for her leadership on complex projects that integrate sustainability across a wide range of design platforms including planning and studies, new buildings and workplace interiors. She has led the design of living buildings, carbon-neutral retrofits, and LEED certified projects of all levels. Significantly, Marnique helped develop the Anacostia Waterfront Corporation’s sustainable design guidelines, and managed the design of several of STUDIOS award-winning projects including the net-zero energy Kingman Island Environmental Education Center and the Washington Canal Park, which achieved LEED platinum certification. Marnique’s passion for sustainable design is apparent in her efforts to create active and healthy corporate workplace environments. Most recently she led the design of the interiors of the new headquarters for The Association of American Medical Colleges, a non-profit organization that represents medical schools, teaching hospitals, and academic and scientic societies, and also administers the MCAT exam. The new 250,000 SF build-to-suit headquarters was designed to create a dynamic experience that enables a new collaborative model of working; one that promotes health by encouraging staff to move throughout the building, and facilitates interaction between AAMC staff and AAMC’s constituency. She recently lef the design of the new headquarters for Urban Land Institute, the design of which has helped transform the operations of ULI by facilitating connections between staff and members; encouraging activity, mobility and transparency; and providing a flexible and adaptable platform for change over time.

Sarah Knutson

COO
Akridge

Sarah Knutson is the Chief Operating Officer for Akridge. She is responsible for the leadership and direction of internal company functions, as well as a member of the Akridge senior management team. Her responsibilities include overseeing daily operations and providing strategic oversight of property operations, marketing and communications, general counsel, information and technology, human resources, and office administration. Since joining Akridge in 2005, Sarah has developed a comprehensive understanding of the company by dedicating herself to various concentrations within the organization. Sarah began her career at Akridge as a member of the Development team; Initially focusing on interior Client construction management, then moving to base building construction, and ultimately to development management. Sarah has worked on several noteworthy projects including, 7550 Wisconsin Avenue, The Preserve at Westfields, Gallery Place, and the Homer Building. Sarah has managed all aspects of the development cycle including entitlements, design, marketing, construction, tenant fit-out, and disposition. In 2013, Sarah further increased her responsibilities by joining the Management Committee, which focuses on internal corporate operations. Sarah has over fifteen years of experience in real estate related fields. Before joining Akridge, she worked for Carr America in Dallas, Texas and the Clair Company in Portland, OR. Sarah is a member of both the DC/Maryland and the Virginia chapters of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP). She is also a member of the DC/Maryland chapter’s Board of Directors. Sarah earned a Bachelor of Science from Duke University, where she majored in both Mechanical Engineering and Economics.

Kaleena Francis Lee

Senior Development Manager
Jair Lynch Real Estate Partners

Ms. Lee is a Senior Development Manager at Jair Lynch Real Estate Partners specializing in complex urban mixed-use development projects including financing, zoning/entitlements, design, permitting, construction, leasing, and disposition. Since joining Jair Lynch in 2003, Ms. Lee has provided development and construction management expertise on multiple projects for investors and a distinguished list of public, private, and non-profit clients. Ms. Lee is currently managing The Heritage at Old Town redevelopment which will include the construction of 598 new apartment homes in two new buildings including 140 affordable homes through the federal Housing Assistance Program (“HAP”), along with site improvements of Wilkes Street Public Park. Concurrently, Ms. Lee is managing the development of a 2.14-acre assemblage located directly adjacent to the Rhode Island Ave Metro station and the Metropolitan Branch Trail, with the Greater Mount Calvary Baptist Church. The assemblage includes 590 new apartment homes and is designed to uphold high quality standards, include innovative green construction elements, and deliver a truly unique, signature destination. Recently, Ms. Lee completed The Kelvin and eNvy at 1250 Half Street SE in the heart of the vibrant and burgeoning Capitol Riverfront neighborhood, just steps away from the main gate to Nationals Park. The iconic building includes 439 luxury apartments and 60,000 square foot of entertainment destination retail. Ms. Lee also recently finished managing the revitalization of the 600 block of H Street NE, delivering not only 307 Class A apartment above 10,000 square feet of retail but also creating an authentic and creative residential community with of neighborhood-serving retail called ANTHOLOGY DC. Ms. Lee also oversaw the extensive renovation of a fully leased 80,000 square foot office building with prime retail spaces. In addition to managing revitalization and renovation efforts, Ms. Lee provides development management services to third party clients that require her expertise in balancing limited budgets, varying scopes of work, and delivering projects on time.

Merrill Hoopengardner

President
National Trust Community Investment Corporation (NTCIC)

As President of NTCIC, Merrill directs fundraising and acquisitions opportunities, develops and implements overall strategy and new lines of business for the company and coordinates governing board/staff relations. Merrill joined NTCIC in 2016, bringing 19 years of experience in community development finance that includes the structuring and closing of over $1 billion utilizing Historic, New Markets and Low Income Housing Tax Credits. Before joining NTCIC, Ms. Hoopengardner was a Principal at Advantage Capital Partners, a finance company that specializes in using public-private partnerships to raise venture capital and small business capital for investments and loans in underserved areas. At Advantage, Merrill raised over $100 million per year in state and federal NMTC funds that were used to provide access to capital for small businesses nationwide. Merrill began her tax credit career with the law firm Nixon Peabody LLP, where she represented a number of prominent community development entity, investor and project sponsor clients. Merrill received her bachelor’s degree and law degree from Duke University. She is a member of the Novogradac Journal of Tax Credits Advisory Board, the Board of Directors of the New Markets Tax Credit Coalition, the SunTrust CDE Advisory Board, and the Banc of America CDE Advisory Board.

Bari Nichols

SVP
Lincoln Property Company

Kristi Smith

Executive Vice President
JBG SMITH

Kristi Smith serves as the Executive Vice President, Development, of JBG SMITH. Ms. Smith has over 15 years of real estate development and investment experience. She oversees a development portfolio consisting of DC and MD office and residential projects and has overseen two large GSA build-to- suit projects in Rockville, MD. Prior to joining JBG SMITH in 2010, Ms. Smith was with CIM Group as an Investments Associate.  She also worked at Clark Realty Capital as a Development Executive. Ms. Smith is a NAIOP DC l MD board member and sits on its Leadership Committee. She is also a board member of DCBIA, Friends of White Flint, and the White Flint Sector Plan Implementation Advisory Committee. Ms. Smith holds a B.S. in Commerce, The McIntire School of Commerce at The University of Virginia and an M.B.A. with Distinction, Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

Melanie Stehmer‑Townsend

Director, Leasing U.S. Office Division
Brookfield Properties

Melanie Stehmer-Townsend has been with Brookfield Office Properties since 2009. A member of the leasing team, Melanie currently oversees the Washington DC office and retail portfolio for Brookfield helping to create and maintain value within the assets. Melanie began her career in commercial real estate at Trammel Crow, overseeing the business operations of their Mid-Atlantic division, transitioning to a more hands on role within the leasing teams prior to working directly within a tenant rep team while at CBRE. Melanie is currently on the Board of Directors for CREW DC and an active member of CREBA and Bethesda Cares. Melanie obtained her Masters of Finance at the University of Maryland and lives in Bethesda with her husband and 3 daughters.

Jill Tompkins Goubeaux

SVP
CBRE

Ms. Goubeaux has over 29 years of experience in Commercial Real Estate in the Washington Metropolitan Area. She has an expertise in commercial leasing and a fundamental understanding of the complexities that have emerged in commercial real estate, due to major shifts in the social environment, technological advancements, and the business landscape. Ms. Goubeaux is a member or CREW, Northern Virginia NAIOP, CREBA and serves as a board member of the Arlington Real Estate Group and is President of the Board of Directors for the Ballston Business Improvement District. Ms. Goubeaux is also involved in multiple philanthropic organizations.

Candace Chazen

SVP
Fidelity National Title Insurance Company National Commercial Services|D.C

Candace Chazen is Senior Vice President, Director of Commercial Sales for Fidelity National Title Insurance Company, National Commercial Services |D.C., “FNT,NCS|D.C.”, a member of Fidelity National Financial, Inc., FNF Group (NYSE: FNF) “FNF” 1 Candace implements and supports sales strategies to generate business from new-to- company customers and to increase business from existing customers. Since 2007, when Candace joined the FNT, NCS|D.C. operation (formerly CLTIC), she has generated over $26,000,000 of Premium dollars to the Company. Over the years, Candace has been active in CREW, DCBIA, NAIOP, the District of Columbia Land Title Association and the Maryland Land Title Association. As a leader of FNT, NCS, D.C.’s Philanthropic Contributions and Community Giving, Candace has spearheaded and organized FNT, NCS, D.C.’s Annual Holiday Gift Drives for families of Jubilee Support Alliance, contributions to the Capital Food Bank and office clothing drives and quarterly kitchen volunteer participation at Miriam’s Kitchen. In addition to the above, Candace is the liaison between the FNT, NCS, D.C. and community organizations. These organizations include but are not limited to: Boys and Girls Club of Greater Washington, Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing, Habitat for Humanity, Higher Achievement, Lombardi Cancer Fund for Women, the National Capital Area Council, Boy Scouts of America and Miriam’s Kitchen. Candace received her undergraduate degree from University of Wisconsin, Madison and Juris Doctor from the University of Maryland. Candace is a member of the Maryland and District of Columbia Bar Associations

Rebecca Jones

Founder & Principal
RD Jones

Her real love for hospitality design and her passion to create fabulous yet functional spaces was the true motivator to establish RD Jones & Associates in 1996. Rebecca has more than 30 years of specialized experience in Hospitality, restaurant and multifamily interior architecture and design. A true Texan at heart, she received her BFA degree from Texas Tech University and studied at Parsons School of Design in NYC. She spent 12 years working in New York with a sole focus on Hospitality before starting her name sake firm. As owner and principal of the firm, she continues to set the design direction and tone for all interior projects. Her experience in all types of renovation and new construction influences not only the creative process but the functional and operational process which she believes are the essential foundations of good design. Rebecca strives to create cutting edge design that is timeless. She has chosen for the firm to be sized appropriately so she can maintain her hands on style in oversight and development of RDJA projects. Her personal attention allows the firm to retain the high level of design and detail that the company is noted for. Rebecca desires to individually craft each environment, creating captivating architecture and décor. Most important to RDJA¹s mission is to create value for each project, embrace the clients needs, adhere to the projects budgetary constraints and build long term working relationships.

Laurie Ballenger

General Counsel
Donohoe Companies

Michelle Kilby

President & CEO, MKAssociates
Immediate-Past President, CREW DC

Michelle is President, CEO and co-founder of MKAssociates, Inc., a commercial real estate due diligence firm. Her concentration is focused on the operational and contracting aspects, as well as the business development components of the company. She routinely meets with top executives within major corporations from all disciplines involved in commercial real estate transactions and diligently works to oversee that clients are satisfied by fulfilling MKA’s motto of “Make Us Part of Your Team” at the closing table for complex commercial real estate closings. This success is apparent by MKA’s client base which includes numerous Fortune 500 Companies, continued growth, various awards and national recognition within the commercial real estate community. Michelle served as the 2016 President of the CREW DC and is a Corporate Committee Member of the Women Presidents' Education Organization. She is also on the Corporate Committee of The Trust for The National Mall and involved in the Women's Business Enterprise National Council.

Mandi Wedin

VP
Washington REIT

Ms. Mandi L. Wedin joined Washington REIT in 2015 as Senior Director, Asset Management, Office Portfolio. In 2016, Ms. Wedin assumed responsibility for the retail portfolio along with a portion of the office portfolio located in Washington, DC. Prior to joining Washington REIT, Ms. Wedin was a Vice President at ASB Real Estate Investments, working on the investments and the client services team. From 1998 to 2006, Ms. Wedin worked on the Asset Management team at Kennedy Associates Real Estate Counsel, responsible for assets located across the country. Ms. Wedin graduated with a Master of Science in Real Estate from the John Hopkins University, and graduated summa cum laude from the University of Alaska Fairbanks with a Bachelor of Business Administration in International Business and a Bachelor of Arts in Foreign Languages – French and Russian. Ms. Wedin is a board member of CREW Washington DC and Commercial Real Estate Brokerage Association of Greater Washington, DC.

Alice Haase

co-Founder
CastroHaase

Alice Haase co-founded CastroHaase PLLC in June 2012 where she focuses her practice on real property tax assessments and land use matters. She represents a broad range of clients, including local and national developers and entities – commercial, retail, industrial and residential – as well as nonprofit organizations. Ms. Haase’s real property valuation and land use practices have taken her into numerous Virginia jurisdictions and the District of Columbia. As counsel to property owners of office buildings, hotels, apartments, and undeveloped land, Ms. Haase has successfully prosecuted reductions in tax assessments at the department and board levels as well as at mediation pursuant to litigation cases. Ms. Haase has also secured approvals for land entitlements, including rezonings, special use permits, special exceptions, subdivisions and site plans for a wide variety of projects, including hotels, residential subdivisions, and offices. Among her recent cases are the approvals of special exceptions to permit a non-profit organization to locate its headquarters to the historic Evermay estate and operate a social impact incubator at the historic Halcyon House, both in Washington, DC. Prior to her law career, Ms. Haase’s extensive real estate experience included real estate appraising in the state of Tennessee and Commonwealth of Virginia and brokerage, also in Virginia. That specialized background and knowledge provides her clients with a unique, combined practical and legal approach that has proved effective, persuasive and extremely valuable, particularly in her tax appeal and condemnation practice areas. In the past, Ms. Haase was at Holland & Knight where she served as a co-coordinator of Holland & Knight’s Women’s Initiative program. Active in the fight to combat cancer, in October 2010, she introduced the inaugural program for the firm’s “Crusade Against Cancer,” which featured a broadcast presentation by a world-renowned cancer researcher to every firm office. Ms. Haase is a member of CREW DC where she was elected to the Board of Directors in 2015. For several years she has served on various committees in support of the annual Lombardi Gala, to benefit the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center in Washington, DC. In the past she also was the chair of the Capital Breast Care Center’s Advisory Committee in Washington, DC, serving women who might not otherwise have access to care. Before CastroHaase PLLC and Holland & Knight, Ms. Haase worked at Walsh, Colucci, Lubeley and Walsh in Virginia where her practice also focused on land use and zoning, land use litigation, tax appeals, condemnation and general real estate matters.

Tanja Castro

co-Founder
CastroHaase

Tanja H. Castro is a co-founder of CastroHaase PLLC and is included in the 2013, 2014 and 2015 editions of Washington, DC & Baltimore’s Best Lawyers. Her practice is focused in the areas of commercial real estate valuation and taxation issues, including property tax assessment appeals. She advises clients on minimizing their real estate tax obligations. Ms. Castro is experienced in reviewing, analyzing and obtaining reductions in the assessments of all types of commercial properties including office buildings, hotels, apartment buildings, retail properties and mixed-use properties in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. She has experience in litigating appeals from the administrative levels through appellate courts in the local jurisdictions. She has participated in over 70 trials involving assessment appeals, and won reductions in all but one of them. Ms. Castro also handles real estate tax exemption matters for non-profit real estate owners in the District of Columbia. Her clients include associations, religious organizations, and foreign governments. Ms. Castro has extensive litigation experience in real property disputes and probate matters. She has litigated eminent domain cases, decedent’s estates, and conservatorships for the elderly. In addition, Ms. Castro has served as court-appointed conservator for several elderly individuals and guardian for several children. Ms. Castro was selected to serve on the D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue Advisory Group to represent commercial property owners on tax policy in the city. She is a member of the Superior Court Tax Rules Committee, which re-wrote the rules of procedure for the Tax Division of the District of Columbia Superior Court. Previously, Ms. Castro held several leadership positions within Holland & Knight. She was co-coordinator of the Holland & Knight Women’s Initiative for the Washington D.C. office. She also served as Treasurer of the Holland & Knight D.C. Political Action Committee. Ms. Castro was a member of the Steering Committee of the D.C. Practice Specialty Team of Holland & Knight. After law school, Ms. Castro practiced law with Amram and Hahn, PC for 14 years as an associate then partner. She was Managing Partner of the firm from 1988 to 1999.

Jessie Barter

Founder
Charger Ventures

Barbara Schaefer McDuffie

Managing Director
Baker Tilly

Barbara Schaefer McDuffie, managing director of business development in the Tysons, Va. office, has been with Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP since 2007. Barbara began her commercial real estate career in 1982, providing commercial real estate services to corporate office users and the institutional real estate community.

Usha Chaudhary

President & COO
Kettler

Usha serves as President and Chief Operating Officer of Kettler, overseeing all aspects of the organization. She is responsible for developing and implementing the company’s strategic plan, and continuing Kettler’s growth in the metropolitan Washington, D.C., region, the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions. Usha earned a bachelor’s degree in English literature from St. Stephen’s College in New Delhi, India and a World Executive MBA from George Washington University in Washington, DC. She has also completed graduate programs and is an alumna of the Stanford University Graduate School of Business and the Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management. Prior to joining Kettler, Usha was Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of The Pew Charitable Trusts. She was also Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at The Washington Post, and Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at United Way of America. Prior to that, she was with Freddie Mac in a number of executive positions focused on strategy, operations, and risk management. Usha has served on several for-profit and non-profit Boards. She is currently on the Board of Nathan Associates, an international economic consulting organization. She is a strong advocate for education and is a supporter of a number of charitable organizations geared toward bettering youth through structured enrichment programs. Just a few of her philanthropic involvements include serving on the Boards of India International School, a well-established Northern Virginia Indian American education and cultural center and a recent start-up called RENEW (Reform Education for a New World). Usha was a 2016 Honoree of the Women Who Mean Business and was awarded Non-Profit CFO of the Year for Innovation in 2007.

​Maureen "Mo" Bryant

Vice President
Korth Companies

Lisa Mallory

CEO
DC Building Industry Association (DCBIA)

Lisa has extensive private, nonprofit, and public sector leadership experience. Under her leadership, DCBIA is now at its highest level of organizational membership and has focused on partnering for results with other major organizations. Previously, Lisa was the Director of the DC Department of Employment Services where she had responsibility for overhauling one of the most troubled agencies netting millions of dollars in savings, increasing customer service, and dramatically decreasing the unemployment rate in DC. Lisa was SVP at ICF International and prior SVP at the Fannie Mae Foundation. She served the Clinton White House as a member of the SES as Chief of Staff to Vice President Al Gore’s National Performance Review, Special Assistant at HHS and Counselor at SSA and has worked for the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee and several federal Independent Counsels. Lisa began her career in the hospitality industry. She obtained a BS in Business and Technology from the University of Maryland, MBA in International Business/Marketing from George Washington University and PhD in Public Administration and Leadership from Walden University. Lisa has completed numerous senior leadership programs at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and Kennedy School of Business and was trained by the Coaches Training Institute and is a Linkage Inc. certified Master Coach. Lisa is a member of Leadership Greater Washington’s Class of 2007 and serves on the board of the DC Chamber of Commerce, the Washington DC Economic Partnership, Ingenuity Prep Charter School and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta’s Affordable Housing Council. Lisa is a native Spanish speaker and is conversational in Italian, Portuguese and French.

Susan Weber

Chief Marketing Officer
Walker & Dunlop

Susan Weber, chief marketing officer, is responsible for developing and driving Walker & Dunlop’s marketing strategy as well as oversight of all marketing activities including advertising, communications, media relations, public relations, and event planning. Ms. Weber joined Walker & Dunlop in September 2004 and served as the executive assistant to the Chairman & CEO and marketing director. Prior to joining the Company, Ms. Weber served as the investor relations manager for Whitehall Jewelers and worked for the Illinois Department of Revenue for 11 years. Beyond the Company, Ms. Weber served on the board of directors for Georgetown Ministries from 2014-2016, a non-profit organization who seeks lasting solutions to homelessness one person at a time. Ms. Weber is a charter member of the Marketing Leaders of DC™ and Marketing Leaders of Atlanta™ exclusive CMO peer communities based in Washington, DC and Atlanta, GA, respectively. Ms. Weber earned her Bachelor of Arts in education from Governor’s State University.

Ilene Baxt Boorman

Shareholder
Wilkes Artis Chartered

Ilene Baxt Boorman provides legal representation in the management and appeal of Virginia real estate tax assessments before both the administrative boards and Virginia courts. She has assisted numerous property owners in the appeal and reduction in assessed values of office, retail, industrial, hotel, multi-family, and vacant properties. Her experience includes the appeal of assessments in all Northern Virginia jurisdictions and the greater Richmond and Tidewater areas. Ilene has taught many seminars and written numerous articles on real estate tax valuation and the management of real estate tax assessments. She co-authored a chapter for The Property Tax Deskbook, published by The American Bar Association. The chapter is entitled “Virginia Real Property Tax.” She is a member of the Northern Virginia Building Industry Association (NVBIA), Apartment and Office Building Association (AOBA), International Association of Assessment Officers, and the Virginia Association of Assessing Officers. She has served on various committees of both NVBIA and AOBA. Ilene also provides eminent domain representation throughout Virginia. Some of her recent work focused on condemnation associated with Metro and Wilson Bridge takings. She is a member of the Commonwealth of Virginia Bar, the D.C. Bar, and a former member of the American Inns of Court. Ilene is also an active member of the American Property Tax Counsel (“APTC”), an affiliation of leading property tax lawyers and law firms in the United States and Canada. Ilene holds a Bachelors of Business Administration with an emphasis on finance from the George Washington University and a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center.

Sadhvi Subramanian

Senior Vice President
Capital One

Sadhvi Subramanian is a Senior Vice President in Capital One’s Commercial Real Estate Group. She is responsible for Capital One’s commercial real estate activities in the District of Columbia, including construction loans, term loans and lines of credit to local funds and developers. Prior to joining Capital One, Sadhvi worked for Crown Capital Corporation, an investment bank in St. Louis. She started her career in New Delhi as an art and food service entrepreneur. Sadhvi has served as President of the Washington, D.C. chapter of the Commercial Real Estate Women and is a member of the Urban Land Institute Advisory Board for DC. She is a board member of the Real Estate Lenders Association DC and was on the Women’s Leadership Institute Steering Committee for DC. Sadhvi is also the Co-Chair of the Luncheon Committee for the Trust for the National Mall and the Boys and Girls Club of DC. A certified public accountant, Ms. Subramanian holds a Bachelor of Science in Business from the University of Delhi and a Masters of Business Administration from Washington University in St. Louis, MO.

Peggy Jeffers

Executive Vice President
Apartment and Office Building Association of Metropolitan Washington (AOBA)

Margaret "Peggy" Jeffers is Executive Vice President of the Apartment and Office Building Association (AOBA). Peggy directs a staff of 13 and an over $3 million budget in support of the Association's owners and managers of over 322,000 apartment homes and 214 million square feet of office space in the Washington Metropolitan area. During her tenure, the subsidiary corporation, the AOBA Alliance, Inc., was formed and employs two full time staff. AOBA is federated with the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) and the National Apartment Association (NAA). Peggy earned a law degree from American University’s Washington College of Law and is a member of the DC and Maryland Bar.

Amy Carbins

Partner
DLA Piper

Amy Carbins works with real estate clients in structuring, negotiating and executing complex commercial real estate transactions. Amy advises owners, developers, investors, lenders and tenants in acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures, financings, restructurings, leases and other matters related to commercial real estate. Her experience includes transactions involving office buildings, hotels and resorts, shopping centers, mixed-use projects, multi-family and industrial properties. Amy’s clients appreciate her focus on creating practical solutions for complex problems with careful analysis and an emphasis on mitigating risk. Amy advises lenders and borrowers in construction, bridge and permanent financings. Her finance experience includes multi-jurisdiction/multi-property portfolios, preferred equity and mezzanine debt, CMBS and syndicated debt arrangements and other structured finance transactions. She also advises clients on leasing and asset management matters for office, retail and industrial properties including work with landlords and tenants on headquarters leases, single-tenant buildings, new construction leasing and representation of landlords owning large, multi-state portfolios. Prior to relocating to Washington, DC, Amy spent several years in the firm's San Francisco office.

Susan Williams

Managing Principal, DC & Atlanta
HOK

Susan Williams, AIA, LEED AP, is the managing principal of HOK’s Washington, D.C., and Atlanta offices, a member of the firm’s executive committee, HOK board, operations committee, and the leader of its management and managing principals boards. Susan, who joined HOK in 1985, has led a wide variety of projects across the U.S. and overseas.