Crafting Resident-First Communities: Providing Spaces to Engage and Retain

Design and amenity decision making to drive engagement and retention

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  Goldie Bartlett

  Diversion President of Operations, Mid-Atlantic

  RPM Living

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  Ashley Peterson

  Ashley Peterson is a Partner with Proffitt Dixon Partners, specializing in complex multifamily and mixed-use development throughout the southeast. With more than a decade of commercial real estate experience, Ashley has been involved with the successful entitlement, financing, design, construction, lease-up, and disposition of thirteen multifamily and mixed-use communities, totaling more than 3,000 units and 50K sf of retail in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. She has led and contributed to projects totaling nearly $1.0 billion in capital investment throughout the southeastern U.S., while simultaneously maintaining an ongoing active pipeline. Early in her career Ashley managed the deployment of over $2 billion in media advertising for a top ten Fortune 500 client at a tier-1 agency in New York City. After leaving New York and returning to her hometown of Charlotte, Ashley joined Proffitt Dixon Partners where she focused on ground-up multifamily development, serving in roles from Development Associate to Director of Development. She was then recruited to nationally acclaimed Crescent Communities as Director of Development where she was promoted to Managing Director and led numerous simultaneously executed complex mixed-use projects in the greater Charlotte and Raleigh-Durham region. In 2022 Ashley had an opportunity to rejoin Proffitt Dixon Partners as a Partner where she is currently responsible for sourcing and leading notable southeastern multifamily and mixed-use developments. Active in the community and industry, Ashley sits on the Development Committee of the Board of Directors of the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art. Ashley is also a member of professional associations such as the Urban Land Institute and the Greater Charlotte Apartment Association and frequently serves as a speaker at notable industry conferences. She volunteers and contributes regularly as a member of Myers Park Presbyterian Church, as well as with other not-for-profit organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, Second Harvest Food Bank, and Junior Achievement. Ashley graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is married to her husband, Matt, with whom she has a son, Henry, and daughter, Campbell.

  Proffitt Dixon Partners

  Partner

  Ashley Peterson

  Partner

  Proffitt Dixon Partners

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  Craig Miller

  Senior Managing Director

  The Spectrum Companies

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  Hattie Pavlechko-Reiter

  Principal

  LandDesign

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  Seth Avant

  Seth joined ZOM in 2023, where he leads all multifamily development initiatives in the Carolinas region. With almost two decades of experience, he has actively contributed to the sourcing, development, and construction of a portfolio comprising over 5,000 residential units. He holds degrees in Political Science and Business from Louisiana State University, along with a Juris Doctorate degree from Elon University School of Law, specializing in litigation and business law. Previously, he served as Vice President of Development for the Southeast region at one of the Nation’s largest multifamily development firms. Seth is an active member in the National Multifamily Housing Council, and he holds a real estate broker’s license in North Carolina.

  Carolinas ZOM Living

  SVP

  Moderator

  Seth Avant

  SVP

  Carolinas ZOM Living

Investment Strategy: Deciding When to Invest, Acquire, or Develop

Capital access, deal execution, and navigating a tight multifamily market

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  Scott Wilkerson

  CIO

  Ginkgo Residential

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  Alex Barroso

  Alex will be responsible for managing Portman’s residential development operations, strategy and execution throughout the SE United States. Alex joins Portman from Vista Residential Partners, where he led the development operations for the Carolinas region. Prior to joining Vista Residential Partners, Alex was the President of Development for Bainbridge Companies in Raleigh, NC, leading all development operations throughout the southeast. Prior to that, he was the Managing Director for Mill Creek Residential in Florida where he oversaw the development and construction of over 1,700 residential units. During his 28-year career in the development industry, Alex has led the development of over 12,000 multifamily homes with a total capitalization of over $3.0 billion. Alex received a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Florida State University and a Master of Business Administration from Indiana University Kelley School of Business. He is also a licensed general contractor in the State of Florida.

  Portman Residential

  EVP

  Alex Barroso

  EVP

  Portman Residential

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  Sharif Mitchell

  Sharif T. Mitchell brings extensive investment, asset management, and strategic leadership experience to M&S Holdings, where he focuses on portfolio growth, acquisition strategy, and long-term value creation across the firm’s workforce housing platform. With a career grounded in real estate investment and community-focused housing initiatives, Sharif has led more than $500M in transactions and overseen 2,700+ units across multiple metropolitan markets. His expertise spans deal sourcing, underwriting, capital strategy, asset optimization, and institutional-level portfolio management. Sharif previously served as an Executive Director at JPMorgan Chase and co-founded Dantes Community Partners, where he focused on acquiring and managing workforce housing assets at scale. His earlier career includes leadership roles in real property tax consulting and advisory, working with institutional clients such as Blackstone, Starwood, Capital One, and Clarion Partners. His background blends investment management, financial analysis, public-sector advisory, and community-focused housing strategy—experience that complements M&S Holdings’ mission of acquiring, improving, and managing multifamily assets with operational excellence. Education: Sharif holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Morehouse College, a master’s degree in Real Estate Finance from Georgetown University, and a Hotel Investments & Asset Management Certificate from Cornell University.

  Mitchell & Sarkisyan Holdings

  Managing Partner

  Sharif Mitchell

  Managing Partner

  Mitchell & Sarkisyan Holdings

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  David Lee

  Director, Land Acquisition

  JPI

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  Lance Pritchett

  Lance Pritchett, CPA is a 2003 graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the Kenan-Flagler School of Business where he also received a Master of Accounting in 2004. Lance started his career at Pesta, Finnie and Associates, LLP, now Frazier & Deeter, in 2004. Since then he has worked extensively with clients in all facets of the real estate industry as well as small business owners and high net worth individuals. He is a past member of the Board of Directors at the Charlotte Mecklenburg Housing Partnership and is a member of the North Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountants. He is in a fierce struggle with his wife Jessie to see who has more clothes.

  Frazier & Deeter

  Tax Partner

  Moderator

  Lance Pritchett

  Tax Partner

  Frazier & Deeter

Next Generation of Operations: Centralization and Identifying Efficiencies

How operators are using AI, data, and emerging technologies to maximize performance and reduce costs

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  Mohit Shewaramani

  As a one-time resident of Delhi, Berkeley, Berlin, San Francisco, and New York, Mohit is a staunch urbanist. His personal and professional experiences have inspired a commitment to shaping urban places for a wide variety of preferences and lifestyles. He is a voracious neighborhood explorer and an avid city biker. Prior to Space Craft, Mohit led multiple initiatives at the New York City Economic Development Corporation, the city entity charged with creating jobs, building infrastructure, and leveraging city-owned land. Mohit worked across a wide variety of topics: real estate, land use, broadband, freight distribution, and more. One highlight of his tenure was working with partner agencies on a strategy to grow the transit-oriented commercial office market in Brooklyn and Queens. Mohit started his career as a management consultant at Bain & Company after graduating from UC Berkeley with a B.A. in Economics.

  Space Craft

  COO

  Mohit Shewaramani

  COO

  Space Craft

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  Tara Fichter

  Regional VP

  ZRS Management

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  Mick Hix

  VP, Property Management

  Northwood Ravin

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  Jeremy Borak

  Jeremy Borak is a Senior Managing Partner at The Baldwin Group and a founding member of the firm’s Multifamily Practice Group. An Accredited Insurance Advisor, Jeremy specializes in business development and the design and implementation of sophisticated insurance programs tailored to complex client needs. He serves a diverse portfolio of clients within the real estate industry, with a primary focus on multifamily and other specialized real estate asset classes. Known for his ability to structure complex, time-sensitive insurance solutions, Jeremy brings clarity and strategic insight to every engagement. Jeremy earned his Bachelor of Business Administration in Risk Management and Insurance from the University of Georgia. Specialization: • 26 years of experience in the Multi-Family and Real Estate industry • Multi-Family Properties • Industrial, Retails, Office & all Forms of Lessor Risk • Community Associations • Affordable Housing Who Jeremy Serves: • Property Developers, Owners & Managers • Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) • Managing Agents • Lenders • Private Equity, Family Offices and Other Asset & Fund Managers • Merchant Builders • General Contractors

  The Baldwin Group

  Senior Managing Partner

  Jeremy Borak

  Senior Managing Partner

  The Baldwin Group

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  Parker Ihrie

  Parker represents financial institutions, private equity sponsors, and real estate investors in the origination, structuring, and closing of complex commercial real estate loans and transactions nationwide. With a practice focused on real estate finance, he handles large-scale mortgage and mezzanine lending secured by office buildings, multifamily housing, hotels, retail centers, and industrial properties—including national and international multi-property portfolios. Parker routinely serves as lead counsel on transactions involving construction loans, “loan-on-loan” and repo facilities, and conduit and SASB securitizations. He advises clients through all phases of the deal lifecycle, from initial term sheets and diligence to negotiation, documentation, and closing. His experience also extends to the purchase and sale of both mortgage and mezzanine debt. In addition to lender-side work, Parker counsels owners, developers, and real estate funds on the acquisition, development, leasing, and disposition of real estate assets, including mixed-use projects and luxury condominiums. He advises borrowers on transactions that blend debt and equity components, and he has handled sales of entire real estate businesses structured through joint ventures and fund-level investments. Parker drafts and negotiates complex loan and transaction documents, including loan agreements, guarantees, environmental indemnities, security instruments, and legal opinions. He also leads due diligence reviews involving leases, ground leases, JV agreements, fund documents, development and management agreements, and title, survey and zoning matters. Early in his career, Parker gained public sector experience as a judicial intern to Chief Justice Robert P. Young of the Michigan Supreme Court and as a student prosecutor for several Michigan municipalities.

  Winstead PC

  Shareholder

  Moderator

  Parker Ihrie

  Shareholder

  Winstead PC

Innovations in the Next Wave of Multifamily Development

Emerging trends in layouts, scale, and level of luxury for what breaks ground next

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  Eric Speckman

  Eric is a co-founding principal of Beauxwright with over 18 years of real estate experience. He focuses on sourcing and executing infill development and acquisitions of multi-family and commercial properties. Prior to Beauxwright, Eric was a founding member and partner of Sereo Group, Inc., a Charlotte-based development company. From 2010-2012, Sereo Group assembled development projects totaling approximately $151M and comprising 887 Class A apartment units. In addition to development and acquisitions, Eric's professional experience includes brokerage and asset management of a wide range of asset classes including office, industrial, land, retail, and multi-family properties. He began his career in commercial real estate with CB Richard Ellis, quickly being promoted to senior associate, before becoming vice president and director of leasing for Kellogg Development Company. Eric lives in Charlotte with his wife and two sons. He is a native Charlottean and has been active in the community, holding positions with the Charlotte Region Commercial Board of Realtors (CRCBR), East Chapter of the Charlotte Chamber, Eastland Area Strategies Team (EAST), and Second String Santa. He is a member of Myers Park Baptist Church and the Community Service Chair for The Corners Society. Eric is a member of the Urban Land Institute and is a licensed real estate broker in North and South Carolina. Eric received a B.A. in economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an MBA with finance concentration from Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

  Beauxwright

  Principal

  Eric Speckman

  Principal

  Beauxwright

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  Frank Tetel

  Frank Tetel serves as Managing Director of Development for the Raleigh-Durham area, where he is responsible for leading all aspects of the development process, including site acquisition, due diligence, design, entitlements, financing, and eventual disposition of Mill Creek communities. Prior to joining Mill Creek, Mr. Tetel served as Managing Director at Grubb Properties, where he led the acquisition of $1.25 billion of multifamily development projects and other investments across the United States. Prior to joining Grubb Properties, Mr. Tetel served with two real estate development companies in the U.S. Southeast. Mr. Tetel received a Bachelor of Arts from Duke University and a Master of Science in Real Estate from the Hough Graduate School of Business at the University of Florida.

  Mill Creek Residential

  Managing Director

  Frank Tetel

  Managing Director

  Mill Creek Residential

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  Tom Burr

  Tom Burr is a Senior Vice President with Trammell Crow Company. Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, Tom is focused on the firm’s multifamily developments through TCC’s residential subsidiary, High Street Residential, sourcing and executing opportunities in the Charlotte market and surrounding areas. Tom joined TCC in 2024 from Flournoy Development Group, where he was lead developer on multifamily projects throughout the Carolinas and Virginia totaling over $800 million in value and 2,700 units. Prior to this, Tom’s Charlotte-based multifamily experience spanned diverse development roles with Aspen Heights Partners and institutional investment sales at Cushman & Wakefield.

  Trammell Crow

  SVP

  Tom Burr

  SVP

  Trammell Crow

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  Jason Esposito

  I've been in and around the production home building business my entire career spending 3 years with MI Homes in Charlotte NC and almost 18 years with the Stewart family at Eastwood Homes. In 2017, I founded Center Park Homes to capitalize on the growing demand for high-quality, scalable housing solutions in Charleston SC. While we were initially only focused on traditional for-sale communities, the BTR space was just starting to get legs as we were building out the infrastructure of our homebuilding operation. We took notice, started developing/building BTR communities, and quickly became one of the early adopters, eventually evolving the company to be better suited to provide 3rd party GC services to the multifamily development community for this emerging asset class. Today, Center Park Group operates as a trusted third-party general contractor for some of the region’s most active multifamily development groups. With a solid footprint spanning Atlanta, Charlotte, Raleigh, Wilmington, Myrtle Beach, Charleston, and Tampa, we are well positioned to deliver ground-up BTR communities at scale in the Southeast. Our construction platform combines the efficiency of production homebuilding with the quality and durability demanded by institutional capital.

  Center Park Group

  CEO

  Jason Esposito

  CEO

  Center Park Group

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  Megan Kornegay

  Megan Kornegay is the Owner and President of Level Five Designs, which she founded in 2014. She leads the firm’s creative vision and strategic growth, partnering with multifamily and mixed-use developers across the South East. With 17 years of experience in multifamily design, Megan blends brand strategy with innovation to create purposeful, high-performing spaces that elevate the resident experience and strengthen client brands. Her diverse portfolio spans luxury, attainable, and urban infill multifamily projects. Megan sets each project’s design direction and fosters collaboration within her team, positioning Level Five Designs at the forefront of shaping the next generation of multifamily environments.

  Level 5 Designs

  Owner & President

  Moderator

  Megan Kornegay

  Owner & President

  Level 5 Designs

Remarks From The Podium

Remarks From The Podium

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  Steffen Nussbaum

  CEO

  Parkstory USA