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Franklin Court

Franklin Court

With an iconic DC style, Franklin Court offers dynamic workspaces, impressive amenities, and monumental views. The building is surrounded by restaurants, hotels, shopping, and business services, many of which are just an elevator ride away. From the grand lobby to the open-air rooftop terrace, Franklin Court has crafted an environment that encourages collaboration, socialization, and healthy living.

Speakers and Panels

Case Study: StoneBridge's x Rockefeller Group's Metro HQ Redevelopment Project

Hear from the district's tenants on their latest strategies for bringing back workers into DC's offices.

Katie Lenss

Katie Lenss

Managing Director

Rockefeller Group

David Schnorrenberg

David Schnorrenberg

Partner

Crowell & Moring

Tracy Vargo

Tracy Vargo

Partner

Stonebridge & V Squared Workshop

Catherine Heath
Moderator

Catherine Heath

CEO and Managing Partner

HYL Architecture

Katie Lenss

Managing Director

Rockefeller Group

Katie Lenss is Managing Director for Rockefeller Group. In this role, Ms. Lenss directs the development process for the company’s joint venture projects in the Mid-Atlantic region with a focus on executing future mixed-use and industrial developments in Washington, D.C., and throughout the region. Representative projects include 1901 L Street NW, a 200,000 square foot office redevelopment that delivered in 2020, and 600 5th Street NW, the upcoming redevelopment of WMATA’s headquarters into a 400,000 square foot trophy quality commercial office building.

Ms. Lenss was previously a director for Hines. While at Hines, her projects included 1213 Walnut Street, a 322-unit 26-story multifamily high-rise in Center City, Philadelphia, and The Residences at CityCenter, a $200 million condominium project in downtown Washington, D.C. Prior to joining Hines, she worked for Host Hotels & Resorts in asset management; for PM Hotel Group as Director of Facilities for a portfolio of 15 Hilton/Starwood Hotels; and for Gateway Hospitality Group, where she was a financial and development analyst.

Ms. Lenss has a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and a master’s degree from The Wharton School.

Tracy Vargo

Partner

Stonebridge & V Squared Workshop

Tracy Vargo is a principal at VSW, an architecture firm that specializes in mission critical, life science, and complex government facilities. VSW has been designing data centers since 1995 and excels at unifying MEP-intensive designs with site, zoning, and community constraints. Tracy’s main focus within the firm is making sure that all designs extract the maximum value within a contextually appropriate package. Tracy is adept at following trends in both electric topology and cooling methods and uses this knowledge to make sure all designs contain flexibility for future needs. In addition to his activities at VSW, Tracy is also a partner at Stonebridge, a Washington based development company that focuses on high-profile urban place-making projects. Tracy studied both architecture and real estate at Penn State and then received an MBA in finance from the University of Maryland.

Catherine Heath

Moderator

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

Navigating DC's Office Leasing Environment

Learn how office brokers are handling occupancy rates, differentiating between Class A and Class B, managing hybrid and co-working models and more.

Craig Deitelzweig

Craig Deitelzweig

President & CEO

Marx Realty

Dan Dooley

Dan Dooley

Managing Director

Tishman Speyer

Dave Belford

Dave Belford

Senior Leasing Director for the Mid Atlantic Region

WeWork

Adam Biberaj

Adam Biberaj

Managing Director

Lincoln Property Company

Dominic Magnolia
Moderator

Dominic Magnolia

EVP

Magnolia Companies

Craig Deitelzweig

President & CEO

Marx Realty

Craig joined Marx Realty as its President and CEO in 2017 and has been responsible for growing

the company as well as streamlining the company’s strategy by focusing on value-add office

investments in three core markets: New York City, Washington D.C. and Atlanta. Craig is also

charged with repositioning Marx’s entire portfolio as well as growing the Marx team and profitability.

Over his 25-year career, Craig has vast experience in every aspect of the real estate industry and

believes in a very hands-on approach. Prior to Marx, he held senior roles at both private equity and

private development companies, including redeveloping over 50 assets in major markets across the

country with a particular emphasis on NY and DC. Craig’s projects have received various awards

from industry groups such as NAIOP, BOMA, Globe St., Crain’s, Washington Business Journal and

AIA. He has been interviewed as a thought and innovation leader in several features in the Wall

Street Journal, CNN, Bloomberg and on CNBC, and was selected as one of the Real Estate Forum’s

Best Bosses of 2019. Craig was named to the 2020 Commercial Observer’s Power 100 List. Craig

previously practiced law in the real estate and litigation departments at Skadden before transitioning

to the business side of the industry.

Craig graduated Cum Laude from Tulane University’s Freeman School of Business (where he

currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Advisory Board) and earned a J.D. at Fordham

University’s School of Law. Craig serves on the Mixed-Use Council of the Urban Land Institute and

on the Strategic Advisory Council of Shadow Ventures, a venture capital firm specializing in

PropTech investments.

Dan Dooley

Managing Director

Tishman Speyer

Mr. Dooley originally joined Tishman Speyer in 2001 to lead its regional leasing

efforts in the DC Metro area. Since rejoining in 2019, he has been responsible for

leading leasing and asset strategy for our DC Metro portfolio and our expansion

markets in the Southeast: Atlanta, Charlotte, Raleigh-Durham and Nashville.

Prior to rejoining Tishman Speyer, Mr. Dooley was the Chief Operating Officer

with Carr Properties where he ran their Leasing, Marketing, Property

Management, Asset Management and Construction Management groups. With

over 35 years of experience in real estate, Mr. Dooley has also held roles with

Trammell Crow, JMB Realty Corporation, LaSalle Partners/JLL and Savills.  Mr.

Dooley currently serves on the board of CREBA, the regional association for

commercial real estate brokers.  He is also active on the programs committee with

CoreNet. Previously, he served on the board of Jubilee Support Alliance, an

affordable housing non-profit located in the Adams Morgan neighborhood of

Washington, DC.  He also serves as a mentor for the Rubenstein Scholars Program,

an affiliate of the Economic Club of Washington, DC and CREBA.  He graduated

from Southern Methodist University with a BBA in Finance.  He holds broker’s

licenses in DC, MD and VA.

Dave Belford

Senior Leasing Director for the Mid Atlantic Region

WeWork

Dave Belford joined WeWork in September 2019 where he is currently the Senior Leasing Director for the Mid Atlantic Region. Within his role he leads all leasing and business development efforts across the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area market. Throughout his 4 year tenure at WeWork he has held several positions within both the broker development and asset leasing orgs. Prior to WeWork, Dave was a Tenant Rep Broker in the DC Metro region representing Trade Associations, Non Profit Organization and Technology Companies. He is a graduate of Boston College and resides in Chevy Chase with his wife and two daughters.

Adam Biberaj

Managing Director

Lincoln Property Company

Adam is a Senior Vice President, Managing Director of the DC leasing team. Adam’s responsibilities include co-managing the Washington, D.C. leasing team, alongside Merrill Turnbull. The team brings an expert approach to marketing, leasing and sales of commercial real estate while providing clients with analysis of lease terms and market information.

Adam joined Lincoln Property Company in 2006 and has completed over 3 million square feet of lease or sale transactions totaling over $1.6B in gross value representing multiple third party landlords. He also works with numerous private sector tenants on their real estate requirements. He is a licensed salesperson in the District of Columbia, Virginia, and Maryland.

Adam is a graduate of Seton Hall University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science and a graduate of Shepherd University with a Master’s Degree in Business Administration. Adam resides in Fairfax, Virginia with his wife and four children.

Dominic Magnolia

Moderator

Magnolia Companies

Meet Dominic, a DMV native and a proud member of the Magnolia Companies family.

After graduating from Towson University, Dominic joined the family business and has since become a master of his trade, with licenses in plumbing, gas fitting, HVAC, and electrical. He's passionate about mentoring the next generation of tradespeople and giving back to the community.

As an executive at Magnolia Companies, Dominic is committed to providing exceptional service and quality workmanship. He's a dedicated board member of the Luminis Health Doctors Community Hospital Foundation and loves spending his free time with family and his furry friends.

Designing Tomorrow's Office: Amenities, Wellness, Sustainability & Proptech

How DC is attracting, retaining and incentivizing tenants through implementing the newest design and technology trends

ROB HOLZBACH

ROB HOLZBACH

Principal, Director of Commercial Office

Hickok Cole

Julie Wolfington

Julie Wolfington

Energy & Sustainability Leader

BOLAND

Chris Caron

Chris Caron

General Manager

Industrious

Jeremiah Watts
Moderator

Jeremiah Watts

Principal

D|Watts Construction

Julie Wolfington

Energy & Sustainability Leader

BOLAND

Julie Wolfington currently serves as the Energy & Sustainability Leader for Boland, and leads the Applied Building Insights (ABI) team responsible for using data and analytics to provide insights for continuous improvement and constant visibility into buildings. Julie is responsible for developing Boland’s digital services offering and positioning Boland as an Energy, Sustainability, & Smart Buildings leader, promoting HVAC best practices & innovative design, educating the local market, and moving the industry forward in reducing CO2e emissions in buildings. Prior to her current role, Julie served as Business Transformation Leader. Julie led the development, design and implementation of new sales & fulfillment processes, and conducted cross functional brainstorming sessions & innovation exercises across the company to inspire creative thinking and collaborative ideas around Boland’s new vision. Before serving as Business Transformation Leader, Julie was an Energy Solutions Specialist and Account Executive for Boland. She was responsible for business and project development of large energy solutions projects, working with clients such as the US Department of State, International Monetary Fund, Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority, FDIC, agencies within the Intelligence Community, as well as commercial real estate, schools, healthcare and other markets. Julie holds a BS degree in Industrial Engineering and minor in Business Administration from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Prior to joining Boland in 2005, Julie worked as a Sales Engineer with Johnson Controls in Nashville, TN. During this time, Julie co-founded the Middle TN USGBC (US Green Building Council) Chapter and served as Chairperson for two years.

Let's Problem Solve - Rethinking the Future of DMV's Office

How are developers, investors, city officials, etc. collaborating to create a successful and sustainable work environment in the district again?

Bill Collins

Bill Collins

Executive Vice Chairman

Cushman & Wakefield

Marcy Owens Test

Marcy Owens Test

Senior Vice President

CBRE

Orlando Gutierrez

Orlando Gutierrez

Director

Rockefeller Group

Nick Cumings
Moderator

Nick Cumings

Land Use Attorney

Walsh, Colucci, Lubeley & Walsh

Bill Collins

Executive Vice Chairman

Cushman & Wakefield

William M. Collins has more than 30 years of commercial real estate experience focused primarily in the sale of commercial real estate office buildings and land in the Washington metropolitan area.

Bill works actively with institutional owners in the consultation and disposition of their real estate assets. During the past ten years, he has successfully completed more than $30 billion in investment property sales.

Areas of Specialization

• Investment Sales

• Finance, Debt, and Equity

• Land Acquisition & Disposition

Marcy Owens Test

Senior Vice President

CBRE

Marcy Owens Test heads the CBRE Federal Lessor Advisory Group. She is a federal government expert in commercial real estate space with more than 30 years of experience. Her strength lies in managing large and complex projects on behalf of owners and investors and her success is tied to a high-level attention to detail. From her years as a GSA Contracting Officer, she has a compelling network of relationships and unmatched insight into how federal real estate transactions are executed. She is sought out by many for technical knowledge in all aspects impacting Federal real estate including market trends, investment sales, due diligence, Federal lease construction, lease administration, leasing and relationship management.

Nick Cumings

Moderator

Walsh, Colucci, Lubeley & Walsh

Nick Cumings joined the firm in 2017 and works in the Land Use and Zoning practice group in the Arlington office. He primarily focuses on securing zoning and land use entitlements, including rezonings, special permits, and special exceptions. Before joining the firm, Nick practiced for several years as an associate with the law firm of BrigliaHundley, P.C., where he focused on real estate litigation, title issues, local government, and financial services litigation. Nick earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of William and Mary in 2008 and graduated from William and Mary Law School in 2011, where he was a member of the William and Mary Law Review.

After Nick graduated from law school, he clerked for the honorable Michael F. Devine of the Fairfax Circuit Court. He is an active member of the Fairfax Bar Association and serves as the President-Elect of the Young Lawyers Section. Nick was also named to the 2015, 2016, and 2017 Super Lawyers Rising Stars lists for Virginia and the District of Columbia.

What you'll learn at this commercial real estate office event

  • As federal agencies return to the office, how will this impact the DC region and other businesses on their decisions on RTO? What do developers and investors predict for the demand for office spaces?

  • How are developers rethinking office space that appeals to newer tenants within the DC region? What incentives have been effective in encouraging employees to return to the office?

  • With the latest office-to-residential conversions happening throughout the District, what other strategies are developers and investors using for vacant office spaces?

  • Sustainable DC 2.0 Plan: What sustainable practices are being put in place for the next generation of DC office? Are there other amenities and PropTech trends being implemented into office spaces?

  • How are today's developers problem-solving against remote/hybrid work? How are partnerships between developers, tenants, landlords and city officials helping create sustainable workplace environments?

How You'll Do More Business: As the world continues to experience economic uncertainty, DC's office leasing market continues to slow as well. While some tenants are downsizing their spaces and others are delaying their return to the office, there is still light on the other side of the DC tunnel; Amazon's new HQ is in hopes to bring 8,000 employees back into the office summer of 2023, law firms accounting for 43% of all leasing activity in DC, federal agencies soon-to-be back in office, and so much more. Join DC's office leaders, developers, city officials, brokers, tenants and more as they discuss how the district can collaborate together on the return to office and the opportunities that can arise from it. 

Who You'll Meet: DC brokers, owners, developers, investors, construction, designers, architects, financial institutions, government officials and more!

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

To request disability-related accommodations, please contact lizzie.smith@bisnow.com no later than seven business days prior to the event.

PROJECTS, ARTICLES & CURRENT EVENTS

Venue

Franklin Court
1099 14th Street, NW
Washington, DC


-1 Hour $10
-Daily Max $18
-Early Bird (in by 10 AM) $13

Get Directions

Agenda

Time Activity
Wednesday October 18, 2023
12:00 PM
1:00 PM
Registration, Networking and Breakfast
1:00 PM
1:30 PM
Case Study: StoneBridge's x Rockefeller Group's Metro HQ Redevelopment Project

Hear from executives at Stonebirdge, Rockefeller Group and Crowell & Moring LLP on development, collaborations, tenant attraction and the impact it has in DC's office market.

1:30 PM
2:15 PM
Navigating DC's Office Leasing Environment

Learn how office brokers are handling occupancy rates, differentiating between Class A and Class B, managing hybrid and co-working models and more.

2:15 PM
2:25 PM
Networking Break!
2:25 PM
3:10 PM
Designing Tomorrow's Office: Amenities, Wellness, Sustainability & Proptech

How DC is attracting, retaining and incentivizing tenants through implementing the newest design and technology trends

3:10 PM
3:55 PM
Let's Problem Solve - Rethinking the Future of DMV's Office

How are developers, investors, city officials, etc. collaborating to create a successful and sustainable work environment in the district again?

Thursday October 19, 2023
3:55 AM
4:30 PM
Closing Networking