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Avocet Tower

Avocet Tower

With twenty-two stories of sweeping views, 370,000 SF of efficient office space, wellness-forward amenities, and lead-edge design, Avocet Tower soars above the Bethesda skyline as a new beacon for business. Centrally located near the Red and Purple Lines, just steps from Bethesda Row, this trophy-class office building provides unparalleled access to top-tier amenities.

Presented By

Speakers and Panels

The Past, Present & Future of Montgomery County

New strategies in investment and development that are encouraging the growth of MoCo

Don Wood

Don Wood

President & CEO

Federal Realty Investment Trust

Toby Bozzuto

Toby Bozzuto

President & CEO

The Bozzuto Group

Doug Firstenberg

Doug Firstenberg

Founding Principal

Stonebridge

Bryant Foulger

Bryant Foulger

Chairman

Foulger-Pratt

Steve Robins
Moderator

Steve Robins

Board Chair and Managing Partner

Lerch, Early & Brewer

Don Wood

President & CEO

Federal Realty Investment Trust

Federal Realty is one of the oldest real estate investment trusts (REITs) in the country and was formed in 1962 here in the Washington D.C. area. Federal is a publicly owned company trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE:FRT). The company is a proven leader in the ownership, operation and redevelopment of some of the best recognized and special retail destinations in the country including Bethesda Row, Pentagon Row and Congressional Plaza in suburban D.C.; Santana Row and Third Street Promenade in California; Barracks Road in Charlottesville Virginia and 80 more interesting and community-enhancing shopping environments.

The company is and has been guided by New Jersey native Don Wood since 2002 who, along with a dedicated and passionate management team and their staffs, is committed to a philosophy of balance in all that they do. From environmental and socially responsible initiatives and operations, to supporting the communities in which they do business, to the creation of true retail social destinations that improve the quality of life for many, to providing a superior return to its stakeholders; Federal Realty is proud of its long history and corporate citizenry.

Don has been with Federal Realty since 1998, where he is a Trustee and has served in positions from Chief Financial Officer to Chief Operating Officer to President before being named its Chief Executive in 2002. Prior to his affiliation with Federal, Don spent 8 years at New York-based ITT Corporation where he served in various capacities, including Deputy Controller and Chief Financial Officer, of wholly-owned subsidiary Caesars World, Inc. The first 7 years of his career were spent at accounting firm Arthur Andersen, leaving in 1989 to work for client Donald Trump as the Vice President of Finance for the newly acquired Trump Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City, NJ.

Don is very active charitably through his work with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. In 2002, Don took the reins of the Breath of Life Gala, at the time a fledgling event supporting Cystic Fibrosis research, and, with the help of a committed and tenacious team of volunteers and CFF staffers, grew the Gala into what has consistently been one of the most financially and experientially successful events in Washington D.C. and the number one gala nationally for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Don’s daughter, Rachel, was born with the genetic disease.

Don received his Bachelor of Science degree from Montclair State College in 1982, where he graduated with honors and subsequently received his CPA from the state of New Jersey. He is a past chair of the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (NAREIT), has served as a member of the Executive Committee of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), and also serves on the Board and Chairs the Investment and Strategic Advisory Committee of Post Properties (NYSE:PPS), an Atlanta-based apartment company. He is also a member of the U.S. Capital Chapter of the World President’s Organization (WPO), and was previously named “Entrepreneur of the Year in Real Estate” by professional services firm Ernst and Young. He has been married to Stacey Sykes Wood for 26 years and has four children who he is immensely proud of named Ian (24), Jason (22), Kevin (21) and Rachel (21).

Toby Bozzuto

President & CEO

The Bozzuto Group

As President and CEO, Toby Bozzuto provides strategic and day-to-day leadership for more than 3,400 employees across the country and guides future growth of Bozzuto’s homebuilding, multifamily development, construction and management divisions. Bozzuto manages 105,000 apartments and 3.5 million square feet of retail space across the U.S. The company has been nationally recognized as a Great Place to Work and named a Top Workplace by The Washington Post for nine consecutive years and a Top Company for Executive Women by Seramount for four consecutive years.

In July 2024, Toby was named Chair of Colgate University’s Board of Trustees, becoming the youngest person to serve in that position. An active contributor to his community, Toby serves as an executive committee member of the Policy Advisory Board for the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University and a member of the Board of Visitors for the Shock Trauma Center at The University of Maryland Medical Center and M&T Bank’s Directors Advisory Council. He previously served as a member of the Board of Trustees for The Gilman School and Kennedy Krieger Institute, on the National Advisory Board for ULI’s Terwilliger Center for Housing, as a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization and as a gubernatorial appointee to the Maryland Health and Higher Education Facilities Authority. A regular guest lecturer at Harvard Business School, Harvard Business School Executive Education program, Harvard University Graduate School of Design, NYU Schack Institute of Real Estate, Georgetown University, Cornell University, the University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins University, Toby strives to share his insight and passion for creating community.

Toby has been featured in leading media outlets such as CNBC, The Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, Bloomberg, The Washington Post, the Washington Business Journal, Huffington Post and the MIT Sloan Management Review.

Maintaining a culture of kindness in the workplace is essential to Toby's vision for the company. He proudly joined the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion pledge as well as Catalyst CEO Champions for Change, committing himself to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion throughout all levels of the workplace. In recognition of these efforts, he received the Champion of Immigration Award from the Washington English Center. Most recently, Toby was named to Washington Business Journal's Power 100 list and The Daily Record’s Power 100 List for the third year in a row. In 2022, he received the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Washington’s Martin K. Alloy Excellence Award. He was recognized as one of Washington D.C.'s 25 Most Powerful Real Estate Players in 2020 by the Commercial Observer, named a 2019 Commercial Real Estate Influencer by The Business Journals and was ranked in the Baltimore Business Journal’s Power 10. His many recognitions also include Developer of the Year by the District of Columbia Building Industry and Maryland Building Industry Association, Commercial Property Executive Rising Leader and the William Donald Schaefer Industrialist of the Year Award from the Baltimore Museum of Industry, which he accepted alongside his father, Tom Bozzuto, in 2016.

Toby is happily married and the proud father of three beautiful children. He is an avid musician, a rare book collector and enjoys cooking for his family.

Doug Firstenberg

Founding Principal

Stonebridge

A founding principal of Stonebridge, Douglas Firstenberg directs firmwide strategic planning, oversees landmark development projects, and plays a key role in major transaction negotiations. Under his leadership, Stonebridge has developed several of the region’s most innovative and successful urban mixed-use properties, including breakthrough transit-oriented developments and public/private initiatives.

Mr. Firstenberg has more than thirty-five years of real estate industry experience, leading complex development projects totaling more than 10 million square feet and $4 billion in value. Mr. Firstenberg started his career with K.S. Sweet Associates, a Philadelphia-based real estate and investment firm where he was named partner. In 1993, he co-founded Stonebridge Associates in Washington, D.C., and led the transformation of the firm into an urban infill mixed-use developer. Mr. Firstenberg graduated from Duke University with a Bachelor of Arts and currently serves in leadership roles of several industry and charitable organizations.

Bryant Foulger

Chairman

Foulger-Pratt

Bryant Foulger serves as both Managing Principal and Chairman of the Board of Directors and is a member of the Investment Committee. In his current role, Mr. Foulger draws on more than 30 years of real estate and management experience to provide approval and oversight of the CEO’s vision and strategy.

Mr. Foulger was recently appointed to Maryland Governor Larry Hogan’s transition team and is also involved with the Montgomery Business Development Corporation, the Greater District of Columbia Chapter of the Leadership Council for the Mayo Clinic, the Montgomery County Business Advisory Panel, and is a trustee emeritus of the Bullis School in Potomac, Maryland. Mr. Foulger attended Brigham Young University and serves on numerous professional and charitable boards.

Analyzing MoCo's State of the Market

How Downtown Bethesda and other submarkets are implementing new strategies towards a revised county

John Ziegenhein

John Ziegenhein

CEO

The Chevy Chase Land Company

Marc Duber

Marc Duber

EVP & COO

The Bernstein Companies

Carrie Sanders

Carrie Sanders

Chief, Mid-County Planning Division

Montgomery County Planning Department

Aakash Thakkar

Aakash Thakkar

Chief Acquisitions Officer

EYA

Artie Harris

Artie Harris

Vice President of Real Estate

Montgomery Housing Partnership

Phil McCarthy

Phil McCarthy

Executive Managing Director

Transwestern

John Ziegenhein

CEO

The Chevy Chase Land Company

John L. Ziegenhein is President and Chief Executive Officer of The Chevy Chase Land Company, overseeing the company’s new development and two-million square feet of commercial and residential properties. John has over 20 years of experience in real estate development and management, most recently as Chief Operating Officer at McCaffery, Inc. He is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers, Inc., Urban Land Institute, and National Multifamily Housing Council. John currently serves on the Land Company’s Executive Committee, and is active locally serving on the Board of the Arlington Food Assistance Center and Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing.

Marc Duber

EVP & COO

The Bernstein Companies

Marc N. Duber, as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of The Bernstein

Companies (TBC), has been at the forefront of real estate management, development, and

repositioning since joining TBC in 1979. As Managing Director of TBC’s Hotel and Property

Management Divisions, Marc is responsible for the oversight of the firm’s privately owned hotel

portfolio and its commercial real estate portfolio which currently includes over two million square

feet. There is also nearly two million square feet of approved development projects currently in

the pipeline. He is currently working on the largest single project of his career, Marriott’s

corporate headquarters of 750,000 square feet and adjacent hotel. The office building will be

fully occupied in mid to late summer by the largest hospitality company in the world. The

adjacent 272 room Marriott flagship full-service corporate hotel is opening March 2022.

Marc actively participates in all phases of the investment process, from evaluating potential

acquisitions to oversight of asset management and strategic repositioning efforts.

Marc is a 1981 graduate of American University and was appointed to the University’s Board of

Trustees in May 2007. He has served as Chairman of American University's Board of Trustees

since May 2019.

Marc also dedicates time to many other causes in the metropolitan area including being the

former Chairman of the Board at Washington Hospital Center, the largest and most

comprehensive hospital serving the Washington area. He now serves on the Board and Chairs

the Philanthropy Committee of MedStar Health, Inc., the parent corporation of Washington

Hospital Center.

Carrie Sanders

Chief, Mid-County Planning Division

Montgomery County Planning Department

Since September 2017, Carrie Sanders has been the Division Chief for Mid-County Planning in the

Montgomery County Planning Department of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning

Commission. In this role, Ms. Sanders oversees a wide range of projects and plans, including

development review and master planning, to improve the quality of life in Montgomery County by

conserving and enhancing the natural and built environment.

Prior to her appointment as Division Chief, Ms. Sanders served for seven years in the City of Alexandria,

most recently as the Deputy Director of Transportation/Transit for the City of Alexandria, where she

moved forward several major projects, including the Potomac Yard Metrorail Station and the Potomac

Yard Small Area Plan, and the operation and expansion of Potomac Yard Metroway.

Ms. Sanders began her career in Brussels, Belgium working in economic development. She holds a

bachelor’s degree from Indiana University and a master’s degree in urban planning from the University

of Maryland, College Park.

Ms. Sanders has presented at national and regional conferences on a variety of planning topics and she

is currently a member of the Leadership Montgomery CORE 2022 program. Carrie lives in Montgomery

County with her husband and their three children.

Aakash Thakkar

Chief Acquisitions Officer

EYA

Aakash Thakkar joined EYA in 2004 as a Development Executive and now is a Executive Vice President for Acquisition and Development with EYA. His responsibilities include overall project stewardship, new deal sourcing and acquisition, site selection, and project development through the design and governmental and community approval process. Mr. Thakkar is a member of and guest speaker for the Urban Land Institute and the District of Columbia Building Industry Association. He is a member of the Smart Growth Recognition Award Jury, the Riverdale Park Mixed-Use Town Center Committee, and of the Hyattsville CDC Board. He was a member of the Obama for American Mid-Atlantic Finance Committee and a co-founder (along with his wife) of the Thakkar/Giallourakis Scholarship Fund for St. John's College High School. Mr. Thakkar has a BS in Accounting and Political Science from LaSalle University and holds both an MBA and a Masters in City and Regional Planning from Rutgers University. Mr. Thakkar is a native Washingtonian.

Phil McCarthy

Executive Managing Director

Transwestern

TRANSWESTERN ROLE:

Executive Managing Director Phil McCarthy, with his partner Keith Foery, co-manages Transwestern’s Mid-Atlantic leadership team that is responsible for the overall strategy, recruitment, business development, and financial performance for the region. Phil and Keith also serve both local and national clients on behalf of Transwestern. Phil is a member of Transwestern’s Executive Committee and serves on the firm’s Board of Directors.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

Phil began his career in commercial real estate in 1985. He has represented his clients in more than $5 billion in sales and leasing transactions.

Phil’s clients have included: Fiserv, Inc., Coventry Healthcare, M&T Bank, TIAA-CREF, Boston Properties, The JBG Companies, Carr Properties, AEW , JP Morgan, Quadrangle Development, LCOR, Federal Realty Investment Trust, , American Realty Partners.

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATION/RECOGNITION:

SmartCEO Executive Management Award Winner – 2016 ;

Phil’s many community services have included the following organizations:;

Board of Directors, Technology Council of Maryland ;

Chairman, Monsignor Smyth Endowment Board – Blessed Sacrament School ;

Catholic Charities of Washington ;

Gonzaga Fathers’ Club Chair, Community Service Project;

Volunteer as CYO Soccer Coach;

NAIOP Maryland DC Chapter;

Connelly School of the Holy Child – CYO Basketball Tournament Sponsorship Chair;

EDUCATION:

Phil received his Bachelor of Science degree in economics from Fairfield University.

Opening Remarks

Steve Barczy

Steve Barczy

Market President

United Bank

Mary Kane

Mary Kane

President & CEO

Maryland Chamber of Commerce

Steve Barczy

Market President

United Bank

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

Interested in group tickets for this event?

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What you'll learn

  • Return to Office: How have the last two years of office vacancy impacted Downtown Bethesda's projects, development pipeline and activity? What trends and technology innovations are being added to developers' 2022 office portfolios?

  • The Bethesda Rebound: Who's currently moving to Downtown Bethesda, and is this different than past years' trends? What types of incentives are being implemented for owners and developers to return to MoCo?

  • What new developments are in the works and how is the county working to draw people into the area?

  • With the new affordable housing legislation in place, how is Montgomery County ensuring the support and success of assisting low-income individuals in a fast-moving market?

  • With the long delay of the Purple Line Project, how are developers within the county shifting development strategies? What has been done for communities/businesses that were strongly affected by the ongoing construction?

How You'll Do More Business: 

Downtown Bethesda is making its comeback in Montgomery County. As vaccines and boosters are getting distributed throughout the DMV area, MoCo has hit the highest venture capital investment within the first two quarters of 2021, surpassing $725 Million in capital investments.  However, with new variants making their rounds nationwide, how will this impact Montgomery's goals and developments with different asset classes? Join us to learn more about the county and city's strategies for 2022 projects, development, community involvement, and much more!

Who You’ll Meet: Investors, owners, developers, lenders, brokers, public sector companies, architects, contractors, engineers, property managers and you!

For questions, recommendations, comments, press inquiries, or interest in sponsoring, please email our Mid-Atlantic Event Producer, Katie Telder, at katie.telder@bisnow.com

Venue

Avocet Tower
7373 Wisconsin Avenue
Bethesda, MD 20814

Floor: 18th floor


 Parking will be located on office parking levels 1-4. Entrance to garage can be found on Waverly Street. Signs will be displayed to point attendees in the right direction!

Get Directions

Agenda

Time Activity
8:00 PM
8:30 PM
Registration and Networking
8:30 PM
9:15 PM
The Past, Present & Future of Montgomery County

New strategies in investment and development that are encouraging the growth of MoCo

9:15 PM
10:00 PM
Analyzing MoCo's State of the Market

How Downtown Bethesda and other submarkets are implementing new strategies towards a revised county

10:00 PM
11:30 PM
Post-Event Cocktail Party

Our Commitment to Your Safety

We hosted more than 72,000 attendees live, in-person around the globe in 2021. Our commitment to safety is no different in 2022. Our events follow all local Covid-19 regulations and protocols. In the interest of the safety of all our guests, we recommend taking a rapid or PCR test for proof of negative results before attending any gathering. 

We will update attendees should any regulations be updated before this event is held. We look forward to hosting you soon to do what we do best: network, connect, and engage to do more business.