Jeffrey Dauray serves on RLJ’s executive team as Executive Vice President and Co-Chief Investment Officer with departmental responsibility for RLJ’s real estate transactions. Jeff works in close coordination with RLJ’s CEO, Leslie Hale, on all RLJ corporate strategic initiatives involving RLJ’sacquisitions and dispositions of assets.

Mr. Dauray joined RLJ in February 2009 prior to the company’s public listing via the company’s

predecessor Private Equity Platform (RLJ Development, LLC) initially as the Vice President of

Acquisitions. After the RLJ’s IPO in 2011, Mr. Dauray was elevated to Senior Vice President of

Acquisitions for RLJ Lodging Trust (NYSE: “RLJ”) with responsibility for sourcing and structuring the REIT’s hotel investments. In 2017 Mr. Dauray was elevated to his current leadership role of EVP & Co-Chief Investment Officer. Jeff and team continue to target investments in individual hotels, strategic asset portfolios, whole loans, joint ventures and entity-level transactions.

A 35-year veteran of institutional investment real estate, Mr. Dauray's career is comprised of senior positions in RE Private Equity Investment, RE Investment Banking, CRE Investment Sales Advisory, and Non-performing Real Estate Asset Management for a large US national bank. Since 1985 Jeff's individual real estate transaction volume exceeds US $15 Billion. Mr. Dauray received his Bachelor of Science degree from Vanderbilt University. He is a past or present member of the AHLA Hospitality Investment Roundtable, ULI Hotel Development Council, the New York Hospitality Council, the Capital Lodging Forum, and a voting member of the Commercial Real Estate Finance Council (CREFC) (formerly known as the Commercial Mortgage Securities Association).

James Shevlin is President and Chief Operating Officer of CWCapital, a leading third-party special servicing and asset management firm with more than $197 billion in unpaid principal balance assets. He brings over 25 years of commercial real estate experience spanning origination, underwriting, evaluation, auditing, asset management, and disposition with a personal track record exceeding $100 billion across all property classes throughout the United States.

A longtime advocate for innovation in commercial real estate, Shevlin has made technology adoption a cornerstone of his leadership, positioning CWCapital at the forefront of an increasingly competitive and tech-driven industry. Most notably, he spearheaded the creation of Marketplace, an online auction platform designed to bring speed and transparency to commercial real estate transactions. Since launch, Marketplace has facilitated more than $4.5 billion in sales, establishing itself as the fastest-growing platform of its kind.

Gabby Buck serves as Senior Vice President of Finance at Pebblebrook Hotel Trust (NYSE: PEB), one of the largest owners of urban and resort lifestyle hotels in the United States. In this role, she oversees the company's corporate finance and capital markets activity, investor relations, risk management, and sustainability programming. Over the course of her nearly 14-year tenure at Pebblebrook, Ms. Buck has managed capital markets transactions totaling more than $12 billion. She played a central role in Pebblebrook's $5.2 billion acquisition of LaSalle Hotel Properties in 2018. Ms. Buck holds a Bachelor of Science with Distinction from Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration and was named to Hotel Management Magazine's Thirty Under 30 in 2017.

Samantha Ahuja, Co-Chair of Greenberg Traurig's Hospitality Practice, focuses her practice on hotel acquisitions, operations, development and finance, hotel management agreements, licensing agreements, and commercial real estate acquisition and sale.

She advises domestic and international clients on the acquisition and disposition of hotels and other commercial property, hotel management and operations, franchising, licensing and branding, restaurant management agreements, lease negotiations, and casino agreements. She regularly prepares and negotiates purchase and sale agreements, financing and development agreements, and other documents related to the acquisition, financing, development, leasing, management, and disposition of real and personal property with a focus on hotels and resorts.

Samantha regularly works on complex transactions involving a combination of hotels, resorts, condominiums, food and beverage facilities, and other shared access amenities. She also advises her clients on traditional and investor financing, joint ventures and capital and legal structures for complex transactions. She works regularly with her clients on piecing together the various aspects of a deal while taking into balancing the business and legal objectives of the client.

Samantha works closely with her clients to address operational issues that arise over the course of ownership. Most recently, she counsels clients on a wide range of blockchain related matters, from anti-money laundering and know-your-customer best practices for cryptocurrency transactions to legal issues associated with novel uses of blockchain within the hospitality industry.

Samantha also serves as pro bono counsel to many affordable housing cooperatives and tenant associations with the District of Columbia. She works with her clients to find alternative financing, investors or other government grants to maintain long-term housing affordability.

Mark D. Shalala serves as Senior vice president of upscale development for Choice Hotels International,

Inc. (NYSE: CHH), one of the world’s largest hotel companies. In this role, he is responsible for the

growth and distribution of the company’s upscale portfolio, which includes the Ascend Hotel Collection,

Cambria Hotels, Radisson Hotels, Radisson Individuals and Radisson Blu, a combined global portfolio of

nearly five hundred upscale and upper upscale hotels and growing.

Mr. Shalala joined Choice Hotels in 2015, bringing more than 22 years of hospitality development and

franchise sales experience to the company’s upscale leadership team. During his successful tenure, Mr.

Shalala has been responsible for developing and driving the growth strategy for the upscale brands

which has resulted in Choice’s upscale portfolio more than doubling in size while helping both Cambria

and Ascend achieve one of their best development years on record. In addition, he led the Choice

upscale development team to implement new strategies to further improve brand growth, including

orchestrating the deployment of the company’s $750 million authorized corporate capital investment

for Cambria.

Prior to joining Choice Hotels, Mr. Shalala served as senior director of development and franchise sales

at Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, where he was responsible for the strategic growth of the

company’s nine upscale and luxury lifestyle brands in the southeastern United States and Caribbean. Mr.

Shalala earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Ben Cary is the Vice President of PME (Premium, Midscale and Economy) Development

at Accor where he leads USA and Canada expansion efforts. Accor Brands that Ben is

focused on are Pullman, Swissôtel, Novotel, Tribe and Handwritten Collection. PME

hotels represent more than 80% of Accor’s footprint, sitting alongside the equally

prestigious luxury and lifestyle portfolio. Each hotel is plugged into The Accor

Reservation System and ALL Accor, the most international loyalty program with more

than 100 million members. Over the past year, PME has opened hotels in San Francisco,

Las Vegas, Orlando, Miami and Puerto Rico.

Ben has been with Accor since 2021. Prior to Accor, he was SVP at Meininger Hotels,

where he led all facets of the company’s North America expansion, including developing

and implementing the regional strategy, leading the team and overseeing the development

of the first USA hotel. Prior to that role, Ben was Development Director at Starwood

Hotels & Resorts where he earned Deal of the Year three times. Earlier in his career, Ben

worked for the investment company Hotel Capital Advisers and on property at The

Carlyle Hotel in New York City.

Guy Cook serves as the Vice President of Luxury and Lifestyle Development at Hyatt, where he leads growth strategy and brand expansion for Hyatt’s luxury and lifestyle portfolio across the eastern United States. He brings more than a decade of experience in hospitality and real estate development, including six years with Hilton, where he oversaw development efforts throughout the Southeast region. Guy is a graduate of Cornell University and previously served as the President of the Cornell Hotel Society’s Washington, D.C. Chapter. Guy lives in Kensington with his wife, two daughters, and their dog.

Barry Tiggemann, CCIM, serves as the Sr. Director of Franchise Development at Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, where responsibilities include leading franchise growth for the Wyndham Grand and The Registry Collection in the upper upscale and luxury segments across North America. With extensive experience in the hospitality and commercial real estate sectors, Barry has previously held senior positions at Lidl US and Choice Hotels International, and has played pivotal roles in real estate management and development. Barry is the President and Managing Principal of Seven Star Real Estate LLC, focusing on hospitality and multifamily sales, and has a solid educational background from Harvard University and other institutions, with degrees in Business Management, International Studies, and an MBA.

Jeremy has over 24 years of construction management experience

on various Base Building, Adaptive reuse, Structural Rehabilitation,

and Tenant Fit-Out projects. With a focus on Winmar’s base building

and new construction, Jeremy has the ability to be involved in all

aspects of the construction process including the development

of conceptual design and estimates, preconstruction schedules,

planning, contract administration and client interface. From the

time of the project’s inception, Jeremy will aggressively participate

in preconstruction meetings, develop, and manage schedules, assist

in determining substantial milestones and completion dates while

considering owner/building requirements. Jeremy’s success has been

attributed to his ability to maintain positive working relationships

and communication with the owner, consultants, and subcontractors

to achieve an efficient project environment while

Dean has experience handling a wide variety of complex real estate

transactions, ranging from joint ventures to the purchase and sale of individual

properties and multi-state portfolios, including senior living facilities, multi-family

apartments, office buildings, retail, and mixed-use centers, as well as leasing

and development matters involving hotels, offices and industrial properties.

In the data center sector, Dean regularly represents technology companies in

negotiating build-to-suit leases for large-scale facilities across North

America. His multifamily and seniors housing practice includes guiding owners,

managers and investors through multi-state portfolio acquisitions and sales,

agency and bank financings, and preferred equity investments. Within

hospitality, he counsels developers on franchise and management agreements

with major hotel brands and structures mixed-use projects that integrate lodging,

residential and retail components.

Mr. Amin started his career at Goldman, Sachs & Co., where he advised public and private technology

companies on merger and acquisition transactions and capital markets activities. He currently has overall

responsibility for 75 hotels owned and operated by Shamin Hotels, the largest hotel owner and operator in

the Commonwealth of Virginia. Additionally, Mr. Amin oversees the operations of Shamin’s Assisted Living

and Dementia facilities in Virginia. During his tenure at Shamin Hotels, the company has received numerous

awards and recognitions including the Developer of the Year from Intercontinental Hotels Group and the

Multi-Brand Developer of the Year, and New Build/Adaptive Reuse of the Year from Hilton Hotels. Mr. Amin

has been repeatedly recognized as one of the Fifty Most Influential Virginians by Virginia Business and was

awarded Hilton’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022.

Mr. Amin graduated summa cum laude from The Wharton Business School at the University of Pennsylvania,

completing his B.S. in Economics and MBA. He is passionate about assisting the communities where the

associates of Shamin Hotels live and work and currently serves as the past chairman of the board of

Richmond Region Tourism and serves on the boards of the Community Foundation, the Virginia Museum of

History and Culture, the Virginia Community Development Corporation, Sports Backers, Venture Richmond,

the Virginia Council on Economic Education, and the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority. Additionally, Mr.

Amin serves on the Treasury Board of the Commonwealth of Virginia and the Governor’s Advisory Council on

Revenue Estimates at the pleasure of the Governor of Virginia.

As Executive Vice President of Business Strategy at Crescent, Lily leads the Business Development team, driving growth of management opportunities and overseeing client relations. She manages the company's RFP processes for high-profile clients and institutional developers, ensuring exceptional service and strategic alignment.

Lily excels in relationship management with current and prospect clients, major brands, advisors, and brokers. Her extensive experience and broad network enable her to cultivate new strategic partnerships and reinforce existing relationships with key industry leaders. In addition, she drives the company's corporate branding and marketing strategies and serves on the Executive Committee.

Lily's achievements include being named to Hotel Management's "30 Under 30", Washington Business Journal's "40 Under 40", and Hotel Management’s "Most Influential Women in Hospitality". She has been a member of the Crescent team since 2011, consistently demonstrating her commitment to excellence and innovation in the hospitality industry.

Heather Davis serves as Senior Vice President of Operations within Aimbridge’s Select Service division. Known for her steady leadership, operational clarity, and results-driven approach, Heather plays a pivotal role in driving performance across guest satisfaction, team engagement, and financial outcomes.

Since joining Aimbridge in 2016 as a General Manager, Heather’s career progression has exemplified the company’s culture of opportunity and excellence. She advanced through key operational roles—including Area General Manager, Regional Vice President, and Vice President of Operations—before stepping into her current position.

Prior to Aimbridge, Heather built her leadership foundation across hospitality and retail sectors in both the U.S. and Ireland, with deep expertise in food and beverage and hotel operations.

Additionally, Heather serves as Chair of the Hotel Association of New York City Foundation and as an Advisor to the Aimbridge General Manager Advisory Council.

Heather earned her degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management from Niagara University.

Nathan Raymond is Vice President of Real Estate Partnerships at Placemakr, where he has led the company's national sourcing and acquisition strategy for the past decade. As Placemakr's first employee, Nathan has been a driving force behind the company's national expansion, building the real estate partnerships function from the ground up - sourcing, underwriting, and closing deals across 30+ properties in 15+ major markets including the Washington DMV, Nashville, Austin, Atlanta, Phoenix, Seattle, New York, and Miami.

Under Nathan's leadership, Placemakr has secured institutional capital partnerships with Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan, and Wells Fargo, while cultivating relationships with sophisticated owners across the real estate development community. He has earned a reputation in deal structuring, owner negotiations, and brand placement, focusing on multifamily conversions, ground-up mixed-use properties, and "pop-up" hospitality operations in urban core locations.

Placemakr's success recently culminated in a major partnership with Hilton to launch their first apartment-hotel brand, The Apartment Collection by Hilton, positioning Placemakr as Hilton's preferred operator and unlocking access to its institutional owner network. Nathan's career spans 20+ years across real estate and management consulting, with prior roles at Corporate Executive Board (NYSE: CEB) and the DC startup ecosystem.

A Massachusetts native, Nathan has called the Washington DMV home for the last 17 years and currently resides in North Bethesda with his wife and two young daughters. He holds an undergraduate degree from Northeastern University and a Master's in Real Estate Development and Finance from Georgetown University.

I’ve been with Lutron for ten years, during which I’ve had the chance to contribute across both our projects and product teams and now enjoy a dynamic role in sales. Currently, I serve as the Lutron North America Hospitality Brand Manager, where I work closely with top hospitality brands to ensure their brand standards are upheld, projects are executed smoothly and efficiently, and that they receive maximum value from their Lutron systems.

My focus is on collaborating with brand partners to help bring their visions to life, always striving to meet our high standards for quality and innovation. I’m genuinely passionate about delivering exceptional experiences for our partners and helping them unlock the full potential of Lutron solutions.

As a valued team member of clients in the real estate and hospitality industries, Rori is able to leverage her understanding of their business concerns and objectives with her deep experience and current market knowledge to navigate her clients from term sheet to closing of complex commercial transactions.

Recently, Rori has been speaking to clients and the real estate community on the uptick in preferred equity transactions, sharing the depth of her experience with both joint ventures and financings and offering guidance on these transactions.

She represents local and national developers, REITs, institutional equity investors, institutional and non-institutional lenders, and hotel owners and operators with their commercial real estate development and finance transactions. These transactions involve a variety of asset types, including mixed-use development, office, retail, hotel, condominium, multifamily and residential and commercial property.

Working with clients across the United States, she assists both borrowers and lenders on financings, and hotel owners and operators on the negotiation of managements and license agreements. Additionally, she partners with clients on real estate acquisitions, dispositions, workouts, and equity and debt participations.

Rori is a frequent speaker and panelist on the hospitality industry and preferred equity transactions.

Relevant Experience

Represented Hersha Hospitality Trust on its sale of seven Manhattan limited-service hotels to a joint venture between Hersha and Cindat Capital Management Ltd., in a transaction valued at $571.4 million. The transaction included senior and mezzanine financing in an aggregate amount of $335 million from Natixis Real Estate Capital LLC and Oaktree Capital Management, L.P.

Represented leading private equity firm in the acquisition of 38 limited service and extended stay hotels, 4,950 rooms, for $590 million, and negotiation of mortgage and mezzanine financing from two major financial institutions and the securitization of the mortgage and a mezzanine tier.

Represented a major insurance company with a preferred equity investment in the construction of a 391-key nationally branded hotel in Chicago, Illinois for total project cost of $113 million.

Represented a major insurance company with a $150 million preferred equity investment in the acquisition and renovation of an office building in Chicago, Illinois.

Represented a major insurance company with a preferred equity investment in the renovation of two well-known Walt Disney World hotels in Orlando, Florida.

Represented a national lending institution with a preferred equity investment in the acquisition and development of a mixed-use property in New York City for a total project cost of $87 million.

Represented a joint venture in the acquisition of a 34-story, one million square foot skyscraper in Boston, Massachusetts for $561 million.

Represented an institutional lender with the $159.5 million mortgage and mezzanine financing of a historic hotel in Washington, DC. The transaction included the sale of one of the floors as an air space parcel to a vacation club and the negotiation of the documents governing the relationship between the hotel and vacation club.

Represented a major insurance company with the upsizing of a $177 million preferred equity interest in a hotel located in the heart of New York City’s Times Square.

Advised Israel Discount Bank of New York with a $31.5 million mortgage loan to Berit Realty LLC, owner of SIXTY hotel 6 Columbus, located at 6 Columbus Circle (308 West 58th Street), New York City.

Representation of an operator in the negotiation of a joint venture agreement for the acquisition and development of a to-be-constructed 128-room Mondrian hotel in the Old City of Istanbul, Turkey.

Representation of an operator in the acquisition, lease and management negotiations with respect to food and beverage operations at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, Nevada, and related documentation and negotiation with respect to Delano, Las Vegas, Nevada.

Representation of a developer in the negotiation of a purchase and sale agreement for the acquisition of a newly constructed 185-room Hyatt Place in New York City (Midtown).

Representation of an owner in the negotiation of management and license agreements for a Crowne Plaza in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Representation of a developer in the negotiation of management and license agreements for a Courtyard by Marriott in College Park, Maryland.

Representation of a joint venture in the negotiation of a $350 million loan secured by the St. Regis in Laguna Beach, California.

Representation of a joint venture in the negotiation of a $201 million loan secured by the Anaheim Hilton in Anaheim, California, and negotiated the joint venture agreement and related documents on behalf of the developer.

Representation of equity in the refinance of a $250 million loan secured by the historic and award-winning Washington Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, in Washington, DC.

Representation of a joint venture in the acquisition and $130 million financing of a 35-acre mixed-use development project (including hotel and branded residences as well as commercial, retail and residential) in Huntington Beach, California, known as Pacific City, and negotiated the joint venture agreement and related documents on behalf of the developer.

Representation of equity in the acquisition of a 20-acre mixed-used development project (including retail, restaurant, hotel, entertainment, commercial, residential, education and civic space) in Miami, Florida, known as Miami Worldcenter, and negotiated the joint venture agreement and related documents on behalf of equity.

Representation of a developer in the $46 million refinance of a GSA leased office building in Washington, DC.

Representation of a developer in the restructure of a $200 million real estate portfolio of undeveloped land, hotels, mixed-use, office and development holdings in California and Texas.

Representation of an equity investor in a $262 million purchase of two office buildings and a development parcel located in Washington, DC.