An accomplished architect and real estate industry executive, David Cerniglia is a Senior Development Manager with Stonebridge. He has experience in major office, residential, and mixed-use projects throughout the Washington metropolitan area. Mr. Cerniglia has coordinated the design and construction of transformative, multi-phase developments, including complex adaptive reuse projects and large-scale redevelopments. Mr. Cerniglia leads the firm’s sustainability efforts and has been instrumental in achieving LEED Platinum and LEED Gold status for recent projects.

Prior to joining Stonebridge, Mr. Cerniglia was a senior associate with Hellmuth Obata Kassabaum (HOK). He holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Syracuse University and is a licensed architect in the state of Virginia. He is registered as a LEED® Green Associate and is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council.

Micheline handles the development, design, construction and management of the high-rise and mid- rise residential properties, and common area renovations from development through implementation with Paradigm Development Company. She also handles Paradigm’s for-sale development, construction and sales division. Micheline has been with Paradigm since its inception and over the past 25 years, has had the unique opportunity to play a key role in the strategic direction and capacity building in critical areas of Paradigm, including accounting, management and construction prior to joining the development team. Micheline is also committed to engaging in the local community and thus she serves as a board member for both National Capital Treatment & Recovery in Arlington, VA and the Eisenhower Partnership in Alexandria, VA. She received her Bachelors of Science degree in Human Resources and Business Administration from Columbia Union College.

Jay Kelly serves as a Vice President in Foulger Pratt’s development group. Mr. Kelly joined Foulger

Pratt in April 2021 to lead the company’s redevelopment efforts at Landmark Mall. Prior to joining

Foulger Pratt, Mr. Kelly spent six years at JBG Smith Properties overseeing the day-to-day development

operations of several high profile mixed-use projects including 1221 Van Street (DC), West Half (DC),

Eckington Yards (DC) and 1900 Crystal Drive in National Landing.

Prior to JBG SMITH, Mr. Kelly served as an Assistant Vice President at the New York City Economic

Development Corporation. He received a BA in Public Policy Analysis from Duke University and an

MBA from Wharton and a JD from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

Paul is proud to be part of the Alexandria community, where he also earned his Master’s Degree in City Planning from Virginia Tech. His areas of focus include economic and community development, civic engagement, and organizational health. With a strong appreciation for Alexandria’s rich history, Paul is excited to work with the community to meet today’s needs while planning for a thriving future.

LeVar Crooms currently serves as Market President at United Bank, overseeing the Arlington and Alexandria

markets. In this role, his responsibilities encompass strategically driving both commercial and retail production

while ensuring the profitability and sustained growth of these markets. Crooms plays a pivotal leadership role in

managing public relations efforts for Arlington and Alexandria, while also representing United Bank in the

community through active participation in civic affairs and professional organizations.

Before joining United Bank, Crooms spent a decade at M&T Bank, where he served as Senior Vice President in the

Commercial Real Estate Finance Division. During his tenure, he successfully financed over $2 billion worth of

residential and commercial projects in the Greater Washington DC area. His clientele ranged from institutional to

middle-market and family office companies. Crooms's exceptional performance was consistently acknowledged,

earning him the President's Council Sales Award four times within M&T Bank's Commercial Banking Division

Crooms embarked on his professional journey at BB&T in 2006, where he completed the commercial credit

training program. Within two years, he rose to manage a team of eleven before progressing to a portfolio manager,

and ultimately a relationship manager.

Beyond his professional endeavors, LeVar is actively engaged in various boards and committees. He has served as

a Board Member of the NAIOP Northern Virginia chapter since 2020, contributing his expertise to the Education

Committee. He serves on the Board of Junior Achievement of Greater Washington, the nation’s largest organization

that teaches young people about work readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy. He was recently appointed

to the Board of Directors for the Arlington Chamber of Commerce and as a Trustee for the Arlington Community

Foundation.

LeVar graduated with honors from Johnson C. Smith University in 2006, earning a Bachelor of Science Degree in

Business Administration. When not immersed in his professional pursuits, LeVar finds joy in family life, residing

in Arlington, VA, with his wife Anshia and their son Zachariah. Crooms is an avid traveler and enjoys reading.

Tom Amos is a Project Executive at Hoar Construction with more than fifteen years of experience delivering complex commercial, civic, and multifamily projects throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. In his role, Tom oversees project teams, ensures alignment with client goals, and maintains accountability from preconstruction through project completion. Tom recently led CityHouse Old Town in Alexandria, Virginia, a 250,000-square-foot adaptive reuse project that transformed an existing office building into a 200-unit multifamily residential community. The project delivered three days ahead of the original GMP schedule, despite challenging unforeseen conditions and structural complexities. The completed project reflects a thoughtful approach to redevelopment that supports housing needs while respecting the character of historic urban neighborhoods. A resident of Alexandria, Tom is personally invested in the city’s continued growth and vitality, making his involvement in CityHouse especially meaningful. He holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Auburn University and brings a collaborative, solutions-driven approach to every project he leads.

Bob joined Walsh, Colucci, Lubeley & Walsh in 2015 and is an associate in the firm’s Land Use & Zoning practice group. His practice focuses on securing zoning and land use entitlements including rezonings, special exceptions, special use permits and development special use permits in Fairfax County, the City of Alexandria, the City of Fairfax and the Town of Vienna. Prior to joining Walsh Colucci, Bob gained valuable experience representing condominium and homeowners associations throughout Northern Virginia. Bob graduated from the Columbus School of Law at the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC after earning a Bachelor’s degree in government from the College of William and Mary. He and his family currently reside in Fairfax County.

Stephanie is President & CEO of the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership (AEDP). Appointed by the Board of Directors in April 2015, Stephanie has held leadership roles in the organization since 2005. In her position, Stephanie provides strategic and financial oversight to two hosted organizations: SBDC and Capitol Post. She also offers advice and information to the Alexandria City Council, Planning Commission and City Departments. Stephanie serves in various capacities on Boards, Commissions and Committees related to economic development, marketing and business throughout the Washington, DC region. Stephanie holds a Bachelor of Science in City & Regional Planning from the University of Virginia, and an MBA from the UVA's Darden School of Business. As an Alexandrian, Stephanie’s favorite thing about the city is the diversity of new boutique fitness studios and restaurants opening up all around

Mark Taylor is Managing Director, Residential, at AREP, where he brings more than 35 years of experience in residential investment, development, and operations, with a strong track record of partnering with institutional and private equity investors to execute value-add and opportunistic strategies in emerging markets. He joined AREP in 2016 after serving as Operating Partner at Jair Lynch Development Partners, where—having been specifically selected by the California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS)—he helped build the firm into an institutional-grade platform and deploy more than $100 million in equity capital.

Prior to Jair Lynch, Mark founded and led an urban-focused practice for The Bozzuto Group in Washington, DC, growing the operation to a 35-person team and achieving $6 million in net income by its third year. Across his career, he has overseen projects nationwide spanning rental and mixed-use communities, condominiums, townhomes, and municipal assets, including healthcare centers, charter schools, and cultural facilities. Mark holds degrees in Engineering and Business from the University of Colorado and the University of Denver and has served on numerous institutional boards and nonprofit organizations, including the Maryland Governor’s Green Building Task Force, the National Association of Real Estate Investment Managers, Lambda Alpha International, the Urban Land Institute, HomeAid DC, and the Renaissance Housing Corporation.

Taylor Lawch is the Executive Vice President and Co-Head of Development at JBG SMITH (NYSE:JBGS), a mixed use developer, owner, and operator based in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Taylor is responsible for overseeing JBG SMITH’s development activities. Since joining JBGS in 2014, Taylor has focused on the master-planning and redevelopment of JBG SMITH’s National Landing Virginia portfolio, the Amazon HQ2 pursuit and subsequent HQ2 development, and various office, multifamily, and retail developments throughout the region.

Prior to joining JBG SMITH, Taylor worked for Walker & Dunlop and MidCap Financial, financing multifamily, seniors housing and skilled nursing projects across the Country. Taylor graduated from Washington & Lee University with a B.S. in Business Administration.

Most people don’t expect a church to operate like a multi-million-dollar enterprise—but that’s exactly what we do.

As Chief Operating Officer of Alfred Street Baptist Church, I provide enterprise leadership

across operations, administration, and organizational strategy for one of the nation’s most

historic and influential African American congregations.

I lead and scale high-performing teams across finance, human resources, facilities, technology,

and complex enterprise operations—modernizing systems, strengthening governance and risk

management, and building operational frameworks that support a rapidly growing, multi-million-

dollar ministry with national and global reach.

My work centers on aligning people, resources, and strategy with long-term vision and faithful

stewardship—ensuring that Alfred Street’s legacy of faith, service, and community impact

continues to grow while positioning the church for the next generation of ministry.

I am also focused on leveraging emerging technologies—including enterprise platforms,

automation, and generative AI—to strengthen organizational effectiveness, improve stewardship

of resources, and expand the church’s ability to serve communities locally and around the world.

With a background spanning national security, law, higher education, and executive leadership, I bring a multidisciplinary perspective to solving complex organizational challenges and building

institutions that are resilient, innovative, and mission-focused.

I am passionate about building organizations that operate with excellence, integrity, and

purpose—where strong leadership and sound stewardship enable mission to flourish.

Josh Simon joined CPG in November 2024 after leading the D.C. region for Lee & Associates. A native Washingtonian with 18 years of experience and over $600 million in transactions, he specializes in complex mixed-use developments, for-sale residential land, and income-producing assets across the DMV. His experience includes notable development and conversion projects throughout Northern Virginia and D.C. Josh has worked with many of the region’s top investors and developers, holds the SIOR designation, and previously served as a Partner at KLNB. He now co-leads CPG’s investment sales platform, driving growth across Northern Virginia and Downtown D.C., and resides in Alexandria, VA with his wife and two children.

Alyia Gaskins, a tenacious fighter for families, communities, and health equity, is the first African American woman to serve as the Mayor of Alexandria. She was elected in 2024 and is dedicated to building a healthier, more prosperous Alexandria for all.

The same issues that motivate Alyia as an elected official—health, housing, education, public safety, and the economic, social, and physical vitality of cities— have motivated her professional career as a public health strategist and city planner. She has worked on hunger policy at D.C. Hunger Solutions and health issues at the National League of Cities, managed an affordable housing investment program at the Center for Community Investment, and was most recently a Senior Program Officer at the Melville Charitable Trust, a national philanthropic organization devoted to ending homelessness. Currently, Alyia runs her own consulting business, CitiesRX, which focuses on building physical, social, and economic health through community partnerships. Alyia graduated from Vanderbilt University, where she majored in medicine, health, and society. She earned a master’s degree in public health at the University of Pittsburgh and further honed her policy chops with a master’s in urban planning at Georgetown and a Professional Certificate in Municipal Finance from the University of Chicago.