Kimberly Driggins is the Executive Director of the Washington Housing Conservancy (WHC). Launched in 2018, WHC preserves affordable workforce housing, prevents displacement, and promotes economic mobility, especially for moderate to low-income African Americans and other people of color. WHC is committed to creating thriving, inclusive, mixed-income communities throughout the D.C. region.

Ms. Driggins has an extensive background in urban planning and real estate development and prior to her appointment at WHC, she served as Director of Strategic Planning/Arts and Culture for the City of Detroit’s Planning and Development Department for three years. Ms. Driggins also served as Associate Director for Citywide Planning for the District of Columbia’s Office of Planning from 2008-2015.

Ms. Driggins is a nationally recognized expert in urban redevelopment and placemaking and has innovative projects in both Detroit and Washington, DC. She currently serves on the boards of PennPraxis, the National Landing Business Improvement District (BID), and was Board Chairperson for Gehl Institute from 2017-2019. She has a BA degree from Hampton University, an MPP from the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy. Ms. Driggins was awarded the prestigious Loeb Fellowship from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design in 2015

As Managing Principal of the Amazon Housing Equity Fund, Senthil is responsible for the

oversight, deployment and management of Amazon’s commitment of over $2 billion in below-

market capital, in the form of loans and grants, to preserve and create over 20,000 affordable

homes in Amazon’s ‘hometown’ communities: The Puget Sound region of Washington State,

the Arlington, VA/Greater Washington region, and Nashville, Tennessee.

Prior to Amazon, Senthil has served in a variety of real estate development leadership roles in

both the private and public sectors. As SVP, Real Estate Development & Capital Programs at the

District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA), Senthil led DCHA’s strategic portfolio

repositioning and rehabilitation efforts. He also served as Senior Director of Development

focused on the Union Market neighborhood in Washington, DC for EDENS – a firm specializing

in the acquisition, entitlement and development of mixed-use, urban infill, real estate projects.

Prior to EDENS, Senthil served as Director of Real Estate Development for the Government of

the District of Columbia in the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning & Economic

Development (DMPED) where he managed a multi-billion dollar portfolio of large-scale, mixed

use, public-private real estate development projects on behalf of the District — most of which

required the structuring and deployment of layered public financing tools such as Tax

Increment Financing (TIF), proceeds of securitized revenue bonds, capital budget funding and

real property tax abatements. Senthil began his real estate career as a real estate financial

advisory consultant with Jones Lang LaSalle’s Public Institutions practice in Washington, DC.

Senthil received an MBA as a John F. Connelly Foundation Scholar of Georgetown University’s

McDonough School of Business and holds a BA in Government/International Relations from

Georgetown University as well.

Stephen Morel is the Chief Executive Officer and was formerly the Chief Investment Officer of the Montgomery County Green Bank (MCGB). He comes to MCGB with a professional background in corporate and project finance, with a particular interest in the use of public and private funds to fill market gaps and catalyze investment into high impact sectors. Stephen brings his strong skills in financial management and project-related investment to MCGB in order to accelerate the deployment of programs and products towards achieving the Bank’s clean energy and energy efficiency objectives.

Prior to the MCGB, Stephen led a financial consulting company dedicated to connecting infrastructure developers with debt and equity financing sources. This role followed almost a decade of experience as an investment officer and project finance specialist for the Overseas Private Investment Corporation. Stephen began his financial career in investment banking at Taylor-DeJongh and Friedman, Billings, Ramsey.

Mr. Karim has served as President of Banneker since its founding in 2005. Banneker has grown from a boutique real estate development firm to a diversified, full-service real estate and construction firm specializing in facilities and construction management with federal, state and local clients.

Since its founding, Mr. Karim has been responsible for Banneker winning more than $30MM in contracts and overseeing the construction of more than $200MM in public and private projects. Prior to founding Banneker, Mr. Karim served as General Counsel for a Washington, D.C. based development company. Before that, he served as a Corporate Associate with a large New York law firm.

Mr. Karim received a Juris Doctor degree from Howard University where he was a member of The Howard Law Journal and a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering, also from Howard, where he became the first undergraduate student to serve two terms on the University’s Board of Trustees.

Julia Stevenson leads Langdon Park Capital's investment activities across the United States and has direct responsibility for the firm's acquisition strategies. Stevenson is deeply involved in sourcing, capitalizing, and structuring new investment opportunities. She is also responsible for growing and maintaining key relationships across LPC’s footprint. Stevenson sits on Langdon Park Capital's Investment Committee and is based in the firm’s Washington, DC office.

Stevenson has nearly two decades of experience in commercial real estate development and finance. Prior to joining Langdon Park Capital, Stevenson deployed capital for LISC Strategic Investments, the impact fund management platform for the Local Initiative Support Corporation (LISC). At LISC Strategic Investments she had a national footprint and established relationships across several affiliate and subsidiary entities of LISC during her tenure.

Prior to LISC, she was Vice President of Investments at Banneker Ventures, a Black-owned real estate company based in the DMV. Her responsibilities included underwriting support to development managers, capitalization of development deals, and oversight of the company's overall cost of capital and debt strategy. Stevenson’s primary role as VP of Banneker Capital (a to be formed related entity) required her to establish the foundation for an impact-focused investment management platform. Prior to Banneker, she was a senior Portfolio Manager in the Commercial Real Estate Group at Eagle Bank, where she oversaw a $400 million portfolio of commercial real estate loans and underwrote debt transactions across all property types and stages of development: construction and pre-construction, commercial, multifamily, single-family, land development and bridge financing. She began her career in commercial real estate development as an Assistant Project Manager for Gotham Development (based in DC and Baltimore) before joining Howard County Housing (now Department of Housing and Community Development) as an Associate in Development Finance and Project Management.

Stevenson serves as a Director on the Boards for the DC Chapter of Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) and African American Real Estate Professionals (AAREP). She is also an active member of the National Multifamily Housing Council and an engaged supporter of the Urban Land Institute. Stevenson received her Masters of Science in Finance from Johns Hopkins Carey Business School and her Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies from Brown University.

As the Director of Investments, Mr. Startt is responsible for overseeing the financial performance of Jair Lynch’s sponsored investments and fee-for-service third party client projects. Mr. Startt’s responsibilities include evaluating investment and acquisition opportunities, site and financial analysis, structuring transactions, negotiating term sheets and project documents with debt and equity providers, and managing due diligence, closing and ongoing compliance on assigned projects. Mr. Startt also has significant experience in obtaining project entitlements and approvals, and leasing of both retail and office properties. Mr. Startt serves on the company’s internal investment committee.

Since joining Jair Lynch in 2001, Mr. Startt has overseen the acquisition and development of more than 6.8MM square feet of apartments, office, retail, and community assets valued at more than $3.2MM. Mr. Startt oversaw the acquisition, development, leasing, sales, and stabilization of the Kelvin Apartments and eNvy Condominiums at Half and N Streets SE, Washington, DC, including the lease-up of 55,000 square feet of retail space in a high-energy entertainment corridor. Mr. Startt also led Jair Lynch’s efforts as a member of Vision McMillan Partners to develop the multifamily and retail components of the 25-acre historic McMillan Sand Filtration Site. When completed, McMillan will include more than 500 mixed-income apartments, 90,000 square feet of retail including a full-service grocery store, more than 1M square feet of medical office, 146 townhomes, a 17,000 square foot community center, and 8 acres of parks and open space.

Currently Mr. Startt is overseeing the development of the 600 block of Rhode Island Ave NE, Washington, DC into more than 400 Class A apartments and convenience retail, the redevelopment of 899 Maine Ave SW, Washington, DC into more than 500 Class A apartments and 15,000 square feet of retail, and the master planning for the renovation and redevelopment of the 1,334-unit Barcroft Apartments in Arlington, Virginia.

Maria is a transformational leader and technical expert in the real estate and construction risk management industry with 20 years of combined experience and proven background as an engineer, underwriter, risk manager and broker leading enterprise risk management and insurance programs to mitigate business risks including execution and implementation of organizational policies.

Maria’s approach is consultative and strategic. She leverages her unique combination of technical expertise to identify and treat risk, and create customized solutions that improve performance and transform operations for Contractors and Project Owners.

Maria takes the time to develop a deep understanding of her clients’ needs and operations via risk assessments and evaluate options to transfer and manage their risk. During her career, Maria has played a pivotal role in leadership changes in the organizations she has served.

Maria has been a strategic risk advisor on over 500 infrastructure, institutional, industrial, healthcare, commercial, power generating and real estate projects. Maria is a bilingual presenter and negotiator of real estate and construction risk management

and insurance topics with work experience in organizations across North America, Latin America, and Europe with exposure to cross functional teams with multiple nationalities. Prior to her risk management career, Maria worked as a bridge hydraulics design engineer.

Joseph LeMense is the managing director of community development & nonprofit banking at United Bank, the largest headquartered community bank in Greater Washington. With over 40 years of experience, LeMense guides the Bank’s nonprofit business development and lending initiatives throughout the Bank’s markets in eight states and the District. He focuses on providing personalized financial solutions to mission-based organizations involved in community development, affordable housing, education, social services and trade associations. LeMense joined United Bank in 2004, most recently serving as a senior vice president of commercial banking. In this role, he developed and managed long-term lending relationships, primarily in the nonprofit, biotech and government contracting industries. LeMense’s areas of expertise include tax exempt bond finance, tax increment finance, Property Assessed Clean Energy (“PACE”) financing and Low Income Housing Tax Credit (“LIHTC”) and New Market Tax Credit (“NMTC”) financing. A fifth-generation Washingtonian and fourth-generation graduate of Georgetown University, LeMense is a board member of the Jubilee Housing Advisory Board and a former mayoral appointee to the D.C. Public Charter School Credit Enhancement Fund Committee. He is an active volunteer and advisor with the Georgetown University Alumni Club of Washington, D.C. as well as a guest lecturer at Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business. A 2015 graduate of Leadership Montgomery, Joe was also a charter member and past president of the Metro Bethesda Rotary Club.

Scott heads McGuireWoods’ Land Use Practice Group and is a

leader in the Northern Virginia land use and development field. Scott’s

practice focuses on land use and development issues in Northern

Virginia, where he assists developers and landowners in navigating

the land use entitlement process, including obtaining rezonings,

special exceptions, special permits, variances, and comprehensive

plan amendments.

Scott’s creative and entrepreneurial approach to land use helps add

value to client’s development projects. Throughout the land use

entitlement process, Scott works to maximize development potential

for his clients in a cost-effective and timely manner. In addition to new

development, he also assists clients in amending existing

development approvals to more closely align with changing market

conditions. Additionally, Scott has experience navigating the approval

process for repurposing of existing buildings and historic structures.

Prior to obtaining his law degree and joining McGuireWoods LLP, he

was an urban planner assisting developers and advising local

governments on a wide range of land use and development issues.

Scott also volunteers for a variety of community organizations and

serves as a volunteer Cub Scout leader.

As President of Bozzuto Construction Company, Mark Weisner leads the strategic direction of the organization. Since joining the Bozzuto team in 2005, Mark has been instrumental in developing business with new and repeat clients. His expert insight and recommendations on construction planning, scheduling, budgeting, and technology have greatly contributed to Bozzuto Construction’s expansion into new product types, geographic markets, and delivery methods—helping grow the company’s project portfolio to more than $7 billion.

Dr. Gina Merritt is an award-winning, experienced real estate developer specializing in

community development. She has been involved in over 8,000 units of housing in various stages

of development, managing the entitlement process, structuring and securing the required

financing, managing the design, and the overall construction process.

Dr. Merritt has expertise in managing large development projects with complicated

financing and ownership structures. She has also underwritten over $4.0 billion in real estate

transactions. Her real estate development expertise includes mixed-use development,

apartments, condominiums, single-family homes, and public-private real estate transactions.

NREUV's recent real estate advisory engagements include consulting for the University of

Virginia on its Affordable Housing Initiative and consulting for the Charlottesville

Redevelopment and Housing Authority on their Sustainability Study. NREUV is also managing

over $300M in development for its own account.

Project Community Capital®(PCC), an award-winning economic empowerment platform,

was founded by Dr. Merritt in 2008 and redesigned in 2021 to include the Collective Impact

Model. PCC is an innovative platform that bridges the social capital required to connect

residents and businesses of underestimated communities with employment and economic

opportunities. PCC works with developers, contractors, and public agencies to place individuals

in construction and permanent employment. PCC also hosts Heighten the Hustle™, an

entrepreneurship accelerator that helps stand-up businesses that operate informally within a

neighborhood we serve with our real estate projects.

Dr. Merritt earned a BBA from Howard University, MBA from the Darden School at the

University of Virginia, and a Doctorate in Social Innovation at the University of Southern

California. Dr. Merritt's recent industry recognitions include the Stevie Award for Changemaker

of the Year-Race, Baltimore Business Journal's Leaders in Diversity Award 2022, Enterprising

Women of the Year Award 2022, and the Social Innovation Summit Award-Economic

Empowerment 2022. She resides in Baltimore, Maryland, with her husband and daughter.

A founding member and owner of SCG Development and its affiliated company Stratford Capital Group

(the “Company”), Steve is responsible for the management and oversight of the Company’s property

development activities. Committed to developing high quality affordable and workforce housing to

support healthy, diverse communities, the Company has participated in the capitalization and

development of over 290 properties comprising 35,000 apartment units across 45 states. SCG

Development has active development projects in 12 states and maintains offices in Tysons, Virginia and

Peabody, Massachusetts.

Steve is a frequent panelist at industry events and guest lecturer at various colleges and universities. He

is a graduate of the University of Richmond with a bachelor’s degree in finance and holds an MBA from

The George Washington University. Steve is a 35-year resident of northern Virginia and currently lives in

Vienna with his wife, 3 kids and a dog.

Stephanie Farrell is a Principal at Torti Gallas involved in a range of project types including residential, mixed-use, affordable, and senior living. She has extensive experience with urban infill projects where stakeholder involvement is key to the successful implementation of a complex building. Stephanie is responsible for the concept, entitlement, and schematic design phases, as well as development of construction documents, the supervision of construction document teams, coordination of engineering documents and specifications, and the management of construction phase services.

Stephanie received her Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Notre Dame and is a Registered Architect in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. She is also a LEED BD+C accredited professional.

Ryan Riel has worked in Commercial Real Estate with EagleBank for more than 20

years and currently oversees the Bank’s $5 billion CRE lending portfolio. Throughout

his tenure, he has worn multiple hats and participated in originating more than $6

billion in real estate transactions of various types across the DC region. Since

February 2025, in addition to CRE Lending, Mr. Riel oversees more than 200

employees across retail banking, small business lending, loan and deposit

operations, and information technology.

Mr. Riel sits on the Board of Directors of the EagleBank Foundation, and on the Board

for George Mason University’s Center for Real Estate Entrepreneurship. He is a

current Trustee for The Children’s Inn at NIH and previously served on the Board of

Directors at the Inn for ten years. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from

West Virginia University.