JBG's retail arm is bringing vibrancy to the DC region, both downtown and in the suburbs. The firm's Krista Di Iaconi is helping lead the charge. And that's why she'll be a panelist at this coming Wednesday's 5th Annual Bisnow Washington Real Estate Summit at the Wardman Park.

Krista (with colleague Jay Klug at ICSC's New York conference last year) tells us she's "not a likely real estate story," having worked in the accounting world just after college. But after taking a job offer with what would become JBGR Retail, she was hooked, and a few years later (with a grad school stint in between) moved to the acquisition side—"the best move I ever made." Krista's got her hands full with leasing up Downtown Crown in Gaithersburg (75% leased, with the first tenants opening up now), as well as King of Prussia Town Center near Philly, a 230k SF Wegmans-anchored project that'll break ground next year. (Click here to sign up for Wednesday's event, featuring Krista, fellow retail ace Gary Rappaport, DC mayoral candidate Muriel Bowser, and many more.)