Grant Herlitz is the President of The Howard Hughes Corporation overseeing the daily operations and working closely with the CEO in developing the strategy for the company. Known for his dynamic leadership style and ability to develop and inspire talent, Mr. Herlitz has direct oversight over a committed and passionate team of professionals that lead the company’s acquisition, development, leasing and operating platforms. Mr. Herlitz, together with Mr. Weinreb, was responsible for the emergence of The Howard Hughes Corporation as a newly-formed public company.

Previously, Mr. Herlitz was President and Chief Financial Officer of TPMC Realty Corporation. Mr. Herlitz joined TPMC in 2000 as Vice President of Investments using his varied financial and management experience and business acumen to position himself for multiple roles within the company. Mr. Herlitz handled the acquisition and disposition of assets within TPMC’s portfolio.

Mr. Herlitz began his career in finance working for the European Community Observer Mission to South Africa, an organization set up in conjunction with the United Nations to observe political change in South Africa. After moving to the United States in 1994, Mr. Herlitz worked as a tax accountant in both public and corporate accounting before joining Dallas-based FirstPlus Financial Group, Inc. in 1997. As Assistant to the Chairman and CEO of the company, Mr. Herlitz managed the day-to-day investments of a family limited partnership. While with FirstPlus, he researched and implemented all new ventures and analyzed and managed equity positions in Real Estate Funds, Hedge Funds and Equity Portfolios. He was also responsible for due diligence review of all new investments.

Mr. Herlitz earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree (the U.S. Equivalent of Bachelor of Business Administration) from the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. In addition, he is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers and the Urban Land Institute, where he serves on the Office Development Council, as well as being an active member of the Dallas chapter of the Young Presidents Organization.

Matt Klein is President and CEO of Akridge. Matt has 30 years of hands-on real estate experience and has been President of Akridge since 2001. Headquartered in Washington, DC since 1974, Akridge has developed, acquired, and/or entitled more than 14 million square feet of project in the Washington metropolitan area and currently has over $2 billion in real estate assets under management (including third party management) and 120 employees. The company has an inventory of development projects in the pipeline totaling more than 10 million square feet.

Matt is responsible for the strategic and operational direction for all aspects of the company’s business, including property operations, strategic planning, corporate governance, acquisitions, development, finance, and partner relations. Matt initiated and directed the strategy and successful institutional fund raising associated with the Akridge Office Fund, a comingled, closed end, discretionary investment fund. He also led the successful joint venture with Jefferson Apartment Group, the Akridge multi-family affiliate.

Under Matt’s leadership, Akridge has been recognized locally and nationally for its customer service, innovation, investment results, and community involvement. The company has received a long inventory of awards and recognition including the National Capital Area Business Ethics Award; numerous Firm of the Year Awards and has been featured in Washingtonian magazine and Washington Business Journal’s Best Places to Work. Akridge has been recognized eleven times nationally by CEL & Associates as the “Best in Industry” for customer service, competing against high-performing, national management companies. The company is also frequently honored with awards for its efforts in community involvement, innovative development projects and operating practices as well as for sustainability and smart growth initiatives.

Matt is the immediate past Chairman of the ULI Washington District Council; a past Chair of the Washington DC Chamber of Commerce; past Chairman of the Board for the Downtown Business Improvement District; on the Executive Committee of the District of Columbia Building Industry Association; a member of The Greater Washington Board of Trade, the World Presidents’ Organization, and the Federal City Council; and, has also served on the Mayor’s Green Ribbon Committee and Streetcar Advisory Task Force.

Matt earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Wake Forest University.

Michael oversees the acquisition, management, and capitalization of MidCity’s portfolio, which features over 9,000 units of market rate and government assisted multifamily properties primarily located in the Mid-Atlantic region. Michael has been pivotal in the repositioning of several key assets, most significantly the redevelopment of the Brookland Manor Apartments and Brentwood Village Shopping Center into RIA, a 20-acre mixed-income, mixed-use project in the heart of Washington, DC. Among Michael’s philanthropic activities, he presently serves on the Board of the Agnes and Eugene Ford Foundation, where he oversees social impact investments in resident services and community-based organizations that enrich the communities in which MidCity owns assets. Michael holds a B.A. from Washington and Lee University and an M.B.A. from the University of Maryland.

David is President and Co-founder of Meridian and is responsible for the overall management and corporate strategy of the firm. He is a member of the Investment Committee and leads Meridian’s development team.

With 40 years of experience, David began his career in 1979 in the real estate investment department at Prudential Insurance Company and worked in its Washington, DC office for 4 years. He then managed the development of 3.5 million square feet of office for the Peterson Companies, a major Washington, DC developer, for 8 years. Prior to forming Meridian in 1993, David was Managing Director of the REO division at Riggs National Bank in Washington for 2 years where he managed and sold a $250 million real estate portfolio. David has managed the development of over 10 million square feet in his career.

David received his B.A. from Centre College and M.B.A. from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia. He served on the board of trustees and executive committee of the Darden Foundation for 6 years and served on the board of directors and executive committee of the University of Virginia Foundation for 6 years. In addition, David is a former president and chair of the board of a non-profit land conservation organization. He is a member of the Urban Land Institute and NAIOP. David was recognized as an honoree of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington Youth in Real Estate Luncheon in 2018.

Deborah Ratner Salzberg manages Uplands’ investor relations and capital-raising activities.

She previously was the Washington, DC Region Chairman for Brookfield Properties, a global real estate development and operating company with 300 million square feet of prime commercial space and 59,000 apartments under management, as well as 9 million square feet of commercial space in development.

Prior to joining Brookfield, Debby worked for over 30 years at Forest City Realty Trust. Most recently, she served as President of Forest City Washington, a subsidiary of Forest City Realty Trust, overseeing the company’s activities in the DC, Philadelphia, Boston, and New Jersey markets. During her career with Forest City, Debby’s responsibilities spanned development, leasing, construction, financing, and management, beginning with individual projects and progressing to executive supervision of multiple high-profile, large-scale developments in the DC Region, including The Yards in the Capitol Riverfront district, Waterfront Station in Southwest DC, and the redevelopment of Ballston Quarter in Arlington, Virginia.

Debby began her career as a trial attorney in the Civil Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. She earned a bachelor’s degree from George Washington University, a Juris Doctor degree from the University of San Francisco, and is a member of the California Bar Association. Debby is active with numerous community and professional organizations, including the Federal City Council, District of Columbia Building Industry Association (DCBIA), the Washington Housing Conservancy, the Urban Land Institute, Kenyon College, CubeSmart (CUBE), and the NY Common Real Estate Advisory Committe

Mr. Weller is a senior real estate professional with over twenty

years of experience in the residential, commercial, and mixed-use

real estate market. He has previously owned, directed, and

managed many aspects of real estate enterprises, including

development and construction companies. Mr. Weller is an

experienced business manager with a consistent track record of

successfully employing best business practices to reduce operating

costs, increase production, and bring development projects to

successful completion.

Mr. Weller founded and established Sagamore Development with

Under Armour Founder and CEO, Kevin Plank, to redefine Baltimore through the acquisition,

development, and programming of land in Port Covington. He organized and staffed the

business enterprise and acquired over 250 acres of waterfront properties through multiple

large-scale transactions. Since its inception, Sagamore Development has evolved into a full

service real estate company with a full offering of services and expertise including acquisition,

development, construction management, and property management.

Sagamore Development’s current projects include the master planning and execution of Port

Covington, a luxury hotel at Recreation Pier, the Sagamore Spirit whiskey distillery and

restaurant, high-end retail in Georgetown, and a Light Manufacturing and Innovation Center at

City Garage.

Steve Smith joined Cooper Carry in 1986 and was named a Principal in 2005. Devoted to the design of multi-tenant office buildings and office campuses, Steve has completed many complex projects during his tenure at Cooper Carry, primarily in mixed-use, office and corporate facilities. A number of Steve’s projects have received recognition including his work on the NASA Langley Research Center Headquarters in Hampton, Virginia which received the 2012 NASA Blue Marble Award for Excellence in Energy and Water Management.

Steve is a member of several organizations including the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA). He is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and is a registered architect.

Ken Ulman serves as Chief Strategy Officer for Economic Development and President of the

Terrapin Development Company. In his roles at the University of Maryland and Terrapin

Development Company, Ken strives to realize the concept of “Greater College Park.” Ken brings

together the private, public and institutional sectors to turn College Park into the next great

college town by creating a vibrant downtown community, dynamic academic spaces and create

a public-private research hub for tech talent. In his time working for the University of Maryland,

Ken has been integral locating major companies such as Cybrary, Adobe, Capital One, IonQ,

WeWork, and Trader Joes in College Park.

Ulman also teaches BSOS and Government and Politics 388, Innovation in the Public Sector,

where he is honored to have taught brilliant UMD students for the past 8 years.

Ulman previously served two terms as Howard County Executive, where he earned a reputation

for a leadership style that blends innovation and common sense, with a goal of providing

the most efficient and effective government services possible. During his time in public office,

Ulman took Maryland’s sixth largest jurisdiction to new heights in education, healthcare,

environmental protection and economic development.

Ken has won numerous awards, and was named a Tech Titan by Washingtonian Magazine, a

Top 25 Doer, Dreamer and Driver by Government Technology Magazine and a Regional

Visionary by the Greater Baltimore Committee.

Ken is a past president of the Maryland Association of Counties and served as chairman of the

Baltimore Metropolitan Council, as well as serving on several boards including Shock Trauma,

the Merriweather Arts and Culture Center, and the College Park City University Partnership. Ken

lives in Columbia, Maryland, with his wife, Jaki, a fellow Terp herself, and has two daughters,

Maddie and Lily. Maddie is a senior at the University of Maryland College Park.

Jamie is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the business including operations, development, and strategic planning. He is a seasoned real estate leader and senior executive with significant experience in multi-family and mixed-use investment, development, and asset management.

Prior to joining Horning, Jamie was an Executive Vice President at MidCity, where he led all development activities to build out a 4 million sf pipeline across numerous urban infill properties. Before MidCity, Jamie served as COO of Ditto Residential, where he led all development and construction-related activities as well as long-term strategic growth initiatives. His prior experience includes managing large-scale, mixed-use residential and retail projects at JBG Smith, serving as the Director of the DC Office of Zoning, and working for the DC Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development. Jamie has been active in several non-profits throughout his career, including serving in various leadership roles nationally and locally at the Urban Land Institute (ULI). Jamie holds a JD from the George Washington University School of Law and a BA from Wake Forest University.

Mr. Coulter, Co-Chief Development Officer of JBG SMITH, joined JBG in 1986. Equipped with over 30 years of real estate industry experience, he manages the company’s development and value creation activities. He is currently focusing his efforts on for Crystal City and Pentagon City.

He previously served as Managing Partner of JBG and was an original member of the Executive and Investment Committees. Mr. Coulter is also a founding board member of the Downtown DC and Rosslyn business improvement districts.

Mr. Coulter received his B.A., Summa Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa, from Rutgers College and his MBA from Harvard Business School.

Todd Stokes, managing partner of the Tysons, Virginia office, has been with Baker Tilly

since 2001. He provides oversight and leadership to the professionals serving the greater

Washington, D.C. area and is a member of the firm’s management committee.

Todd believes in the teaching culture of Baker Tilly and helps develop client service

leaders and Valued Business Advisors. He works across multiple disciplines and teams to

provide opportunities to the future leaders of the firm.

Experience

> Provides leadership, management and strategic direction for the Tysons office

including providing insight and advice to client engagement teams, fostering

employee development and recruiting and driving growth

> Works primarily with owners and financial officers of construction and real estate

companies providing business consulting and accounting services

> Serves as a Valued Business Advisor to his clients, providing guidance on

organizational structure, incentive compensation, estate and succession planning

> Engages with his clients to generate specific tax and business planning opportunities,

as well as deliver strategic expertise on more complex accounting and advisory

matters, based on his extensive construction and real estate experience

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After 25 years of federal service in Congress and the executive branch, Dan founded Mathews Associates LLC in 2021 as a strategic consulting and business development firm. He helps his clients navigate the highest levels of Washington and the complex world of federal real estate and government procurements to expand their revenue, identify new partners and enter new markets. In 2024, President Biden appointed Mathews to the Public Buildings Reform Board, which is tasked with making recommendations to realign the federal real estate portfolio. He also serves on the Industry Advisory Group of the US State Department’s Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations. In addition, Mathews is a board member of both the Federal Real Property Association and the National Federal Development Association. He has extensive experience with federal real estate issues and served as Commissioner of the US General Services Administration’s Public Buildings Service, where he led the 375 million square foot civilian real estate portfolio of the federal government, over 5,000 employees, and a $12 billion budget. Mathews graduated from Georgetown University with a degree in government and philosophy. He is married, has two daughters, and resides in Alexandria, Virginia.

Robert “Bob” C. MacKichan Jr. is a partner in Holland & Knight’s Washington, D.C., office and is the

leader of the firm’s GSA Leasing and Federal Real Estate Team within the Litigation and Dispute

Resolution Practice. His multifaceted practice involves decades of experience in litigation,

government contracts, real estate and public policy issues associated with federal government real

estate. Clients call on him for his substantive knowledge and extensive relationships in D.C. to

handle government real estate disputes, government contract concerns, government lease

procurement and administration, real estate acquisition and disposition, and government

construction and administration. In addition, he advises clients on holdovers and condemnations,

the competitive procurement process and disputes under the Contract Disputes Act.

Mr. MacKichan primarily represents building owners, real estate developers, REITs and asset

managers nationwide in matters relating to federal real estate disputes. He previously served as

general counsel of the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), where his work included the

authorization for the construction of the International Cultural and Trade Center Building (now

named the Ronald Reagan Federal Building) in Washington, D.C., as well as the utilization of public

bond financing for several GSA projects.