Washington D.C. State of the Market

Michael is a Certified Public Accountant and Managing Partner of CohnReznick’s DC Metro Practice. He has more than 24 years of experience in public accounting serving clients in attestation, accounting, and tax advisory roles across multiple industries. Michael is a nationally recognized and sought-after cannabis and tax thought leader who frequently speaks on webinars and at industry and public policy conferences for organizations such as the Congressional Black Caucus Conference, AICPA, and Cannabis World Congress & Business Exposition. He has been quoted in national publications including Forbes, CPA Trendlines, and numerous cannabis industry publications, and has served as a guest lecturer on accounting and tax issues within the cannabis industry for the accounting programs at the University of Maryland and Howard University.

Toby Millman is the Regional Partner for Transwestern Development Company in the Mid-Atlantic, where he is responsible for overseeing and directing the company’s development pipeline in the region. Over his nearly 30-year career, Toby has been involved with the development of over 15 million square feet of residential, office, and retail space. Prior to joining Transwestern, Toby was Senior Vice President for Brookfield Properties where he oversaw the development pipeline in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions. Prior to Brookfield, he was Senior Vice President at Vornado Realty Trust, creating and leading the multifamily development group for Vornado’s Washington division. Earlier in his career, Toby also owned and operated Agora Development, a development and homebuilding company and worked for Washington-area developers EYA and Abdo Development. Toby earned an undergraduate degree from Cornell University and a master’s degree in city and regional planning from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Mr. Millman holds an undergraduate degree from Cornell University and a Master’s Degree in City Planning from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

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.

Aileen Fuchs is the President & Executive Director of the National Building Museum, where she started her role in May 2021. For fifteen years, Aileen has been working at the intersection of site-specific historic interpretation, adaptive-reuse activations, and cultural destination-making. A former life-long New Yorker, Aileen served as President and CEO of Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden from 2017-2021. She oversaw the property management and cultural programming of the historic 83-acre site. Before that, she served as Executive Director of Exhibits & Programs for the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation. Her work—through public art initiatives, immersive industry tours, education programs, and exhibitions—was transformational in building the brand of the Brooklyn Navy Yard as a national model for urban industrial manufacturing. Prior to these endeavors, she worked in exhibition development with the American History Workshop, developing content for museums and projects in NY, Philadelphia, Boston and DC. Aileen holds an M.A. and Advanced Certificate in Public History from New York University. She currently serves on the Boards of the Washington DC Economic Partnership and the Downtown DC BID, is a member of Federal City Council and serves on the Consultative Council of the National Institute of Building Sciences.

Mark Simpson is the Director of Planning & Economic Development for the DowntownDC BID. He joined the BID in September 2024 and have been thrilled to touch so many aspects of Downtown’s reimagination in the post-pandemic era as a mixed-use, vibrant neighborhood that serves the District, the region and beyond. His favorite highlight so far was the State of Downtown Forum and Report. It was his first major project with the BID and he was really proud of the research the team put together. Presenting key data points to that audience was an incredible honor and one of the peaks of his professional career. He is a lifelong Caps fan and loves attending games at CapOne arena; his favorite spot in Downtown is the 12th row above center ice.

Zachary Williams is a land use and zoning Partner at Venable LLP. Zach represents developers, property owners, and national commercial and retail tenants with land use and zoning entitlements in the District of Columbia and Northern Virginia. Zach’s work includes urban redevelopment, transit-oriented, and infill projects, as well as revitalization of commercial corridors in the DC metropolitan area. Zach works on all types of development projects including multifamily and mixed-use development projects, affordable housing projects, residential condominium projects, university campus uses, office-to-residential conversions and adaptive reuse projects, assisted living and other medical care facilities, industrial projects, child-care facilities and schools, and fast casual and other retail projects requiring zoning relief. In addition to zoning and entitlement work, Zach also works closely with planning staff and local stakeholders as part of major Comprehensive Plan, Small Area Plan, and other Master Plan studies and initiatives in D.C. and Northern Virginia.

Phil Mendelson was first elected to the Council in November 1998 as an At-Large Councilmember. He served the District in that role until June 2012 when, following the resignation of the previous Council Chairman, Phil was selected by his colleagues to take over that role. In November 2012 and 2014, District voters elected and re-elected Phil as Chairman of the Council. As Chairman, Phil leads the Council on all legislative matters. Phil also presides over the Committee of the Whole which has purview over matters concerning: the DC Auditor, the District’s budget, the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, federal relations, planning and zoning, procurement, regional bodies (Except WMATA and DC Water), the retirement system, statehood and the University of the District of Columbia. Phil has been an active participant in District politics since 1975, when he became a member of the McLean Gardens Residents Association. In that role he was a large part of the effort to save the 43-acre housing complex from destruction. In 1978, Phil successfully ran for a seat on the Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) and continued to serve as an ANC Commissioner until he took office as an At-Large Member of the Council. Prior to becoming Chairman, Phil served eight years as Chair of the Council’s Committee on the Judiciary. In this role, he was responsible for all legislation affecting criminal laws in the District, as well as oversight over the District’s public safety agencies–including the Metropolitan Police Department, Fire & Emergency Medical Services Department, and the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia. During his tenure on the Council, Phil has authored hundreds of laws. Major accomplishments include: establishing an elected attorney general and an independent Department of Forensic Science (the city’s crime lab); authoring Budget Autonomy, the District’s gun control laws (post-Heller), marriage equality, Universal Paid Leave, and the District’s tree canopy protection law; recrafting Mayor Bowser’s homeless shelter pan to close DC General, and Mayor Gray’s plan to build the DC United Soccer Stadium; establishing the District’s first renewable portfolio standard for electricity generation; coordinating an increase in the minimum wage with Montgomery and Prince Georges Counties; and implementing the recommendations of the 2012 Tax Revision Commission that has made the District’s income tax one of the most progressive in the nation and that has reduced the business franchise tax by almost 20%. Phil believes that government should be an honest, efficient deliverer of services, and that the District should help those least able to help themselves to develop the skills to become self-sufficient and end the cycle of poverty. Phil believes that government must accomplish this without increasing the tax burdens already shouldered by our middle income residents. Throughout his years of public service, Phil has maintained that the District, as the nation’s capital, should be a model of service delivery in public education, public safety, and public health. Phil came to the District from Cleveland, Ohio in 1970 to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from American University. He grew up in a family dedicated to public service. His mother was a national crusader for nursing home reform. His grandmother, who had been President of the Michigan State League of Women Voters, was appointed by President Roosevelt to the Federal Office of Price Administration, and was a founder of the Grand Rapids Urban League. Phil has an adorable daughter Adelaide, who attends DC Public Schools. He lives in Southeast DC.

Councilmember Brooke Pinto serves as the Ward 2 Councilmember and Chairwoman of the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety. Councilmember Pinto was elected to serve a second term in November 2024 to serve as the Ward 2 Councilmember and was first sworn in on June 27, 2020, becoming the youngest member in the history of the Council of the District of Columbia, and the first woman to represent Ward 2. While in office, Councilmember Pinto has been committed to improving public safety, supporting small businesses and promoting Downtown revitalization, advancing housing and homelessness solutions, protecting the environment, and providing accessible transportation. Her legislative accomplishments include passing and funding her Secure DC omnibus with over 100 safety interventions to prevent crime, hold perpetrators of crime accountable, and improve government coordination; the key pillars of the RECOVERY Act and the BEST Act focused on revitalizing our business corridors, streamlining and cutting business licensing costs, and the repurposing underutilized vacant buildings; and the introduction of her Prosper DC plan, which includes 23 new bills to generate economic opportunities for DC residents and businesses.

Ward 5 Councilmember Zachary Parker is an educator and a public servant. Zachary grew up on the South Side of Chicago and received his Bachelor of Science in Communication Science and Disorders from Northwestern University and a Master of Arts in Policy and Leadership from Columbia University. He began his career as a 7th grade math teacher in New Orleans post-Katrina with Teach for America and spent nearly a decade supporting DC school leaders to improve student learning. In 2018, Zachary was elected by Ward 5 neighbors to serve as their representative on the DC State Board of Education. He was unanimously selected by his colleagues to serve as the President of the State Board in 2021. In 2022, Zachary won the election to represent Ward 5 on the Council of the District of Columbia, earning him the distinction as the first Black openly gay councilmember to serve. Since taking office in January of 2023, Zachary has delivered for Ward 5 residents through responsive constituent services and significant budget wins. He has introduced dozens of transformative pieces of legislation, including bills to establish the District’s State Superintendent of Education’s School Support Office to improve low-performing schools, and the District Child Tax Credit which provides low-income and middle-class families fully refundable tax credits for children 17 years of age and younger.

In his first three terms on the DC Council, Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen has successfully championed bold legislative efforts around education, the environment, safer streets, strengthening Metro, public safety and criminal justice, campaign finance and elections reform, LGBTQ rights, and women’s health. His first piece of legislation, “Books from Birth”, has delivered more than 3 million books to the homes of DC families with a child under the age of five, at no cost to the families, with targeted enrollment of children in communities with lower literacy rates. It remains one of the most popular government-run programs in the District. As Ward 6 Councilmember, he has focused on ensuring every student has a great neighborhood school, improving public safety, supporting small businesses, and creating more affordable housing – and in recent years, Ward 6 has created more new affordable housing than any other Ward, with many more homes in the pipeline. He has brought community members together to lead transformations of beloved public spaces, including Eastern Market Metro Park, the Southwest Library, the Southeast Library, and Swampoodle Park and Terrace, as well as nearly all of Ward 6’s public schools and play spaces. His “Vision Zero” and “STEER Act” legislation have pushed the District to move quickly to create safer streets for all. As Chair of the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety for three Council Periods, Councilmember Allen led the Council in passing comprehensive policing reform and crime victims’ rights legislation, overhauling the city’s crime lab, banning ghost guns, creating the District’s “red flag” gun safety law, passing landmark second chances sentencing and workforce development laws, and expanding access to justice in the courts. Through the budget process, he created the District’s first-ever Gun Violence Prevention Director and exponentially increased funding each year for critical violence prevention and reduction programs and crime victims’ and reentry grants. Also passionate about elections and campaign finance reform, Councilmember Allen has passed legislation to make vote-by-mail permanent, create the District’s automatic voter registration system and “Fair Elections” public financing program, expand voting rights, and ban so-called government “pay-to-play” contracting. In Council Period 26, he serves as the Chair of the Council’s Committee on Transportation and the Environment and sits on the Committees on Business and Economic Development, Health, and Judiciary and Public Safety. Having served as the Chair of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments last year, he is now the Vice Chair. In Council Period 24, Councilmember Allen also served as co-chair of the Council’s Special Committee on COVID-19 Pandemic Recovery, tasked with producing recommendations to equitably shape the District’s recovery.

Wendell Felder is a proud fourth-generation Washingtonian and dedicated community leader in Ward 7. He was born, and raised in Southeast Washington, D.C., and is a graduate of DCPS. Mr. Felder has devoted his entire professional career to improving the quality of life for D.C. residents through his work as a public servant. As the Ward 7 Councilmember, Mr. Felder is dedicated to building safer neighborhoods, creating economic opportunities, and ensuring every voice in Ward 7 is heard. On the Council, he is the Chair of the Sub-Committee on Local Business Development and is also a member of the Committee on Health, Committee on Human Services, Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety, and Committee on Public Works and Operations. Mr. Felder has served in several roles across local government including the Mayor’s Office of Community Relations and Services (MOCRS), the Office of the City Administrator, and the Deputy Mayor’s Office for Planning and Economic Development. After leaving district government, Mr. Felder served as the Director of Community Affairs at Sibley Memorial Hospital and Johns Hopkins Medicine, where he evaluated high- impact community engagement solutions designed to support community needs and address healthcare inequities throughout the District of Columbia. Recently, Mr. Felder worked in higher education at Howard University. Mr. Felder also served as a four-term Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner (ANC) in Ward 7 and previously served as the Chair of the Ward 7 Democrats Organization. He is a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. and served on the Board of Directors of the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority. Mr. Felder earned his B.S. from Bowie State in Political Science. Mr. Felder also is a graduate of Georgetown University, where he obtained his Master’s Degree in Urban and Regional Planning. When Mr. Felder is not working or volunteering his time, he enjoys spending quality time with his family. He currently lives in the Parkside neighborhood in Ward 7.

Kyrus Lamont Freeman is a land use attorney in Holland & Knight’s Washington, D.C., office and a LEED Accredited Professional certified by the U.S. Green Building Council. His practice focuses on land use, zoning, and municipal law, advising property owners and developers on complex entitlement and regulatory approval processes for residential, commercial, hotel, and mixed‑use projects. Mr. Freeman regularly represents clients before the D.C. Zoning Commission, Board of Zoning Adjustment, and D.C. Council, and has extensive experience with affordable housing programs in the District. He is a frequent speaker on land use and sustainable development issues and has served as an adjunct professor at The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law.

Mr. Smith serves as a Managing Director and COO for Trammell Crow Company’s MidAtlantic Business Unit and is responsible for setting the strategic direction of the business and overseeing the fi nancial, risk management, and human resource functions. He is also responsible for sourcing new development deals and managing projects through the entire development process, including initial concept planning, design, fi nancing, construction, leasing, and disposition. Before moving to the Washington, DC market in early 2005, Mr. Smith worked for the Company’s Chief Investment Offi cer, where he focused on corporate fi nance and M&A activity for the Company, including the eventual merger between Trammell Crow Company and CBRE. Mr. Smith has experience across a range of product types including offi ce, multi- family and retail. Mr. Smith’s strong background in fi nance and acquisitions, combined with his attention to detail and disciplined approach to project management, helps ensure that the client’s interests are protected throughout the development process. Mr. Smith currently manages development projects totaling over 4 million SF, including: The Dalton, a 270-unit luxury apartment project in Alexandria, VA; Century, a 2.4 million SF mixed-use project in Germantown, MD; and Armature Works, a 2.5-acre development in Northeast Washington, DC.

Vicki Davis is responsible for managing the acquisition, planning, design, and implementation of all Urban Atlantic projects, and asset management of properties that the company owns and its Mid-City Community CDE investment portfolio. With over 28 years of experience in real estate development, she formerly served as Deputy Director of the Maryland Housing Fund and Maryland DHCD -Division of Credit Assurance. Her experience also includes portfolio management for MNC Financial-South Charles Realty and multifamily development for Trammell Crow Residential. As President of Urban Atlantic Development, Ms. Davis has managed development of over $2 billion in real estate projects and asset managed over $4 billion in real estate investments. She has developed over 6,000 multifamily residential units and 600,000 commercial square feet for Urban Atlantic, including eight HOPE VI mixed-finance public housing redevelopment projects, as well as transit-oriented mixed-use projects.  Ms. Davis holds a MBA in Finance from American University, an MS in Engineering & Construction Management from University of Texas, and a BS in Civil Engineering from the University of Maryland. She taught for 12 years in the Johns Hopkins Real Estate MBA program and is a LEED AP.

Bob Murphy is the Managing Principal for MRP Realty. He has over 34 years of experience in commercial real estate operations, ownership and investment. He joined Trammell Crow Company (TCC) in 1987, managing the firm’s regional operations for many years as Principal. Bob’s last role with TCC was area president of the development and investment group in the Mid-Atlantic where Bob and his team completed $1.8B of investments totaling over 10 million square feet. He co-founded MRP Realty (MRP) in 2005, capitalizing on his in-depth knowledge of Mid-Atlantic real estate markets, extensive network of capital relationships, and his reputation as a collaborative and creative partner to drive the firm. Under Bob’s leadership, MRP has deployed nearly $7.8B of office, residential/mixed-use and industrial developments and acquisition investments with an active pipeline totaling over 8 million square feet. He has actively participated in leadership roles at NAIOP and ULI and at various charitable activities during his career; currently serving on the board of Habitat for Humanity of Washington D.C. Bob received his B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Notre Dame; his M.B.A. in Finance at Columbia Business School; and was an officer in the United States Army.

Lee DeLong serves as a Group CEO at Clark, responsible for development and delivery of work in the greater DC marketplace as well as leading Clark’s sports practice. His experience includes Capital One Arena Transformation in DC, Metropolitan Park (Amazon’s HQ2) in Arlington, Wilson and Elm in Bethesda, and The Boro in Tysons. A United States Army veteran with more than 25 years of industry experience, Lee holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Virginia and is a member of the DC Economic Club, and board member of the Northern Virginia Chamber and the University of Virginia Engineering Foundation.

Terence Callahan is President of United’s DC Market, where he leads the team serving the Bank’s largest territory and supports many of its most significant commercial customers throughout the nation’s capital. He joined United in 2013 and has held key positions across the Bank, including Portfolio Manager, Commercial Banking Officer and VP, Commercial Banking. Throughout his career, Terence has executed several major deals at United and been recognized as a top performer. He was notably one of 30 employees selected for United’s coveted Leadership Development Program, an in-depth career development program designed for high-performing employees across United Bank's footprint. Terence currently serves as a Director of Poor Roberts Mission; Member of the Catholic Charities Development and Communication Committee and Catholic Charities Corporate Advisory Council; and Career Leadership Council Member at the Catholic University of America’s Busch School of Business. He earned

Pillsbury partner James Bobotek concentrates his practice on a variety of construction and insurance matters. Jamie guides clients through all phases of development and construction of commercial properties, including preparation, review and negotiation of development, design, construction, design-build, and related agreements. Jamie also counsels clients in analyzing insurance coverage claims, formulating risk management strategies, and developing contractual insurance requirements. Jamie has secured many favorable outcomes for commercial policyholders on CGL, builder's risk, commercial property, business interruption, E&O, cyber, professional liability, D&O, pollution, fidelity and other claims. Representative Experience Drafted and negotiated construction, design, and development contracts for projects totaling billions of dollars. Represented public-private partnerships with respect to construction, design, and ancillary agreements relating to United States military housing privatizations across the country, including projects in California, Arizona, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Nevada, Georgia and Missouri. Drafted form construction and design contract packages for owners, developers and contractors for use throughout the United States. Achieved partial summary judgment against AIG entity in connection with property insurance coverage dispute for multinational university arising from the 2010 earthquakes in Chile. Obtained a summary judgment ruling in a Student Financial Corp. bankruptcy legacy case for an additional insured/policyholder under a fidelity bond (financial institution bond) in connection with alleged Ponzi-scheme losses. Obtained a dismissal of first-filed insurance carrier declaratory judgment action, allowing an iconic brand company's $18 million flood loss claim to proceed against carrier in carrier's home forum of Tennessee. Deployed novel theory to defeat insurance carrier effort to align parties to create federal court jurisdiction, creating favorable new law in removal disputes with insurance carriers. Represented a telecommunications provider in successful prosecution of its claims against its E&O insurer confirming coverage for class action claims alleging cyber-related activities. Obtained significant recovery under a builders risk policy on behalf of a contractor for a delay claim arising out of a subcontractor's provision of defective materials. Procured multi-million dollar defense and indemnity recovery under "personal injury" CGL coverage relating to a discrimination suit brought by the U.S. Department of Justice on behalf of multiple claimants. Obtained recovery under an event cancellation policy for two class action suits brought as a result of logistical difficulties in connection with a client's presidential inauguration-related experiential student conference. Obtained full property loss and business interruption coverage, as well as defense and indemnity coverage for third-party suits, arising out of a catastrophic fire at a defense contractor's warehouse facility. Attained defense and indemnity coverage for an international construction company arising out of concrete plant emissions. Obtained defense and indemnity coverage under a professional liability policy for an engineering company faced with excess exposure. Recovered full pre-suit indemnity for a government contractor in a construction claim related to faulty subcontractor work. Protected a commercial developer's interests under a builders risk policy in connection with a faulty workmanship claim. Represented clients in various industries in structuring and negotiating the terms of their cyber insurance programs. Professional Highlights Member of the Insurance Recovery & Advisory practice, named by Law360 as a Practice Group of the Year in 2015 and 2016. Member of the ABA's Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee, co-chair of its Construction Subcommittee and appointed vice-chair of the Committee's 2017 Annual CLE Seminar and Meeting. Authored "Builders Risk Insurance," New Appleman on Insurance Law Library Edition, Chapter 50 (updated 2016) and "Understanding Product Liability Insurance," New Appleman Insurance Law Practice Guide, Chapter 30B (2013). Presented "Mind the Gaps: Potential Gaps Between Cyber and Other Commercial Policies," at the ABA Insurance Coverage Litigation CLE Seminar, March 2016.