Assessing The State of Finance & Capital Markets

Analyzing Today's Capital Bucket and Exploring The Impact of Interest Rate Cuts

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  John Gattuso

  The Comcast Technology Center, the Comcast Center, the ongoing redevelopment of the Philadelphia Navy Yard and the Camden Waterfront; all of these iconic projects were developed under John’s guidance during his 30-year tenure at Liberty Property Trust, one of the nation’s largest real estate investment trusts. During that time, John was responsible for the development of over 50 projects in Philadelphia and across the nation, representing almost $3 billion in investment. His projects include the TJX Distribution center in Northeast Philadelphia, recognized as a “Smart Growth” development by the Sierra Club; the Plaza at PPL Center in Allentown; and the spectacular Comcast Center that became Comcast’s international headquarters upon completion in 2008, both recipients of the Urban Land Institute’s Award of Excellence. His most recent work consists of the 1,121’ tall, 1.8 million square foot Comcast Technology Center which features a five-star Four Seasons Hotel, the tallest hotel in North America; as well as the new waterfront headquarters for American Water. In addition, John serves as the President of the Fairmount Park Conservancy; and serves as a board member of the Center City District. A graduate of Washington University in St. Louis, John and his family live in the greater Philadelphia region.

  Gattuso Development

  CEO

  John Gattuso

  CEO

  Gattuso Development

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  Jodie Harris

  Jodie Harris joined PIDC in June 2023 after nearly two decades serving in various roles in the federal government, including four years as director of the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund). As president of PIDC, Jodie works with the City of Philadelphia and Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce—along with stakeholders in the business, civic, and philanthropic communities—to support small businesses, attract investment, and spur development throughout Philadelphia. Jodie previously served in a variety of roles at the Department of the Treasury, including program manager, senior advisor, and director of community and economic development policy. Prior to her work in government, Jodie held various roles related to community economic development from the very beginning of her career as a community development credit analyst with Meridian Bank, followed by time as a consultant and strategic planning manager at Accenture, and as a research analyst at NYU’s Institute for Education and Social Policy. Jodie is a native of Philadelphia. She holds a bachelor’s degree in finance and international business from the University of Maryland and has also earned two graduate degrees from New York University: an MBA in finance and management and an MPA in public policy.

  PIDC

  CEO

  Jodie Harris

  CEO

  PIDC

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  Robert Zuritsky

  As President and CEO, Robert Zuritsky has positioned Parkway to continue as an industry leader in parking management, development, and technology. Mr. Zuritsky began his parking and business education at age 12 by working various field positions at Parkway's facilities, advancing steadily through the ranks until ultimately assuming the positions of President in 2002 and CEO in 2019. In his role, Mr. Zuritsky oversees each of Parkway's departments and leads the Company's strategic growth through garage acquisition, real estate development, and new management opportunities. Mr. Zuritsky received his M.B.A. from Temple University in 2001, currently serves as the President of the Philadelphia Parking Association, a director and President-elect of the NPA, and an active member of the Young Presidents Organization. He also actively serves on nine boards, including a financial institution, several parking technology companies, and the Philadelphia Municipal Authority, in addition to supporting the arts and a number of charitable organizations.

  Parkway Corp

  President & CEO

  Robert Zuritsky

  President & CEO

  Parkway Corp

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  Jeffrey Hipschman

  Jeff Hipschman joined Binswanger in 2024, becoming the first person outside of the Binswanger family to lead the company in its 90+ year history. With more than three decades of experience in commercial real estate as well as information technology, operations, legal, human resources, and finance, Jeff brings a well-rounded perspective and skillset to his role as CEO. Before Binswanger, Jeff served as Senior Managing Director and market leader of CBRE’s New Jersey offices for over 20 years. He was responsible for developing a market-leading practice servicing New Jersey’s office, industrial, and retail markets, along with comprehensive Industrial & Logistics advisory services throughout the highly dynamic Northeast markets. Prior to this, Jeff served as Chief Information Officer at Julien J. Studley, Inc., a predecessor company to Savills. In this role, he leveraged technology by introducing many industry firsts as Studley became the leader in servicing the emerging technology and internet sector as well as technology-dependent corporate occupiers. Jeff began his career on Wall Street as an equity trading systems specialist, first for Salomon Brothers, then Lehman Brothers. Throughout his career, he has represented such esteemed clients as Bank of America, Bloomberg, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and Horizon Blue Cross / Blue Shield. Jeff has also spearheaded several groundbreaking initiatives related to the movement and processing of information—from the first web-based transaction management system to the launch of the REBNY/New York City commercial property listing exchange. Jeff graduated cum laude from William Paterson University with a degree in Communications. He currently serves on the board of NAIOP’s New Jersey chapter and is a regular guest lecturer at William Paterson’s Cotsakos College of Business.

  Binswanger

  CEO

  Moderator

  Jeffrey Hipschman

  CEO

  Binswanger

The Art of Tenant Attraction & Retention

Hear First Hand From Tenant Rep Brokers on Tenants Biggest Needs

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  David Binswanger

  David Binswanger joined the firm in 1982 and in 1997, took on the added responsibility of managing the day-to-day operations of the firm as President and CEO in addition to his prominent role in Binswanger’s Advisory group. As part of a planned transition to becoming an employee-owned company, in 2024, David stepped down as CEO and into his current role as Managing Director. He remains integral in the execution of Binswanger’s strategic plan while focusing on business development, client servicing, potential new initiatives, and mentorship activities. Over the last four decades, David has advised and transacted business for multinational corporations such as Amgen, Wal-Mart, Comcast/NBC/Universal, Sony, and AmerisourceBergen. He has also been involved with real estate projects for major public institutions such as the State of New York, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and North Carolina State University. He is recognized as one of the industry’s leading experts in creating value from real estate assets and has been a critical part of major corporate property transactions totaling in the billions of dollars. David joined the company after receiving an MBA from the Harvard Business School. Prior to that, he worked for IBM as a systems engineer. He is a founding member of the Wharton Business School Real Estate Center, a former international Board Member of the Young President’s Organization, a member of CoreNet; the Urban Land Institute; and the National Association of Office and Industrial Parks. In addition, David has been involved in many civic and charitable activities including serving on the board of various institutions including the Eagles Charitable Foundation, the Philadelphia Award, and the Center for Autistic Children. He was Chairman of the Thomas Jefferson University Board for almost five years and remains an active member of that Academic Medical Center’s Board today.

  Binswanger

  Managing Director

  David Binswanger

  Managing Director

  Binswanger

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  Rob Samtmann

  Rob Samtmann has been active in the commercial real estate industry as a Tenant Representation Broker or Landlord Representation Broker in the Philadelphia Metropolitan Area since 1995. At present, he is now a managing Principal with Equity Retail Brokers. From 2022 to 2023, Rob served as President of the Retail Brokers Network, the largest professional retail brokerage network in the US. In Rob’s career at Equity Retail Brokers, he has been fortunate to work with retailers including ShopRite Supermarkets, Shoe Carnival, Gander Mountain, BJ’s Wholesale Club, Babies R Us/Toys R Us, Lowe’s Home Improvement, Starbucks, Sherwin Williams, Friday’s, Party City, Vitamin Shoppe, Pep Boys, Firestone, FedEx, Movie Tavern, Pittsburgh Paints, Visions Federal Credit Union, Pet Supplies Plus, Quaker Steak & Lube, Wendy’s, PDQ, Wells Fargo, Travinia, Ten Thousand Villages, Thirsty Lion, Rite Aid, Alton Lane, Capriotti’s, Empire Beauty, Arby’s, PNC Bank, Verizon Wireless, Sleep Number, Lou Lou Boutique, Pet Valu, Primrose Schools, Red Robin, Rumble Boxing, Applebee’s, Lime Fresh, Pancheros, Outback Steakhouse, Ruby Tuesday, TGI Friday’s, STS Tire, Banfield Pet Hospital, Blue Pearl Pet Hospital, C2 Education, Oportun, Rumble Boxing, Noah’s, Kindercare, Buff City Soap, Landry Restaurants, Fluent, Wild Fork, Kid’s Empire, Sherwin-Williams, Expedia CruiseShips, Spenga, Bubbakoo’s Burritos, Kidstrong, Smokey Bones, Choice Hotels, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Laundrolab, Kids Empire, Teriyaki Madness, Hair Cuttery, Central Bark, and Young Chefs Academy.

  Equity Retail Brokers

  Principal

  Rob Samtmann

  Principal

  Equity Retail Brokers

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  Doug Simon

  Doug Simon is one of four owners of Tactix and has been working as an exclusive tenant representative since leaving the active practice of law in 2001. Since then, Doug has spent his entire brokerage career representing tenants and owner-occupiers in commercial real estate transactions. Based on projects completed and experiences gained during his 2+ decades advocating exclusively for tenants, Doug has been consistently recognized as one of the top tenant brokers in the region. In addition to a wealth of leasing experience, Doug also brings his legal background to bare for his clients on every transaction and, maybe as a result, has had the privilege of representing some of the region’s top law firms, including multiple leases for Fox Rothschild, Blank Rome and White and Williams, as well as the City’s non-profit providers of legal services, including Community Legal Services, Philadelphia Legal Assistance and the Homeless Advocacy Project. While Doug may be best known for his work in the legal arena, Doug has also represented tenants across numerous industries to execute on market breaking transactions throughout the region. Doug lives in Center City Philadelphia, with his wife Jessica, children Jordan and Cooper, and dog Tashi.

  Tactix

  Principal

  Doug Simon

  Principal

  Tactix

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  Tony Juliano

  Tony Juliano is the Market Leader for Cresa Philadelphia, focusing on growing business in the region through recruiting, mergers and acquisitions, strategic business development, and improving operational efficiencies. Tony reports to the Global C-Suite and is responsible for achieving regional financial targets for revenue growth, expense management, and margin optimization. Tony also manages goals and objectives around DEI initiatives, organizes culture-building events, and strives to maintain a high level of employee satisfaction. Experience Tony Juliano most recently served as Chief Operating Officer located in the Philadelphia, PA office, overseeing JLL Philadelphia’s revenue-producing service lines and business service support units. He was responsible for establishing and managing strategic, operational, and financial objectives for the market, along with driving business development and recruitment across all service lines. Tony originally joined JLL in 2010 as a Senior Analyst in the Corporate Solutions group. He served on the Ally Financial account for three years, leading or assisting on over 80 real estate transactions within Ally’s portfolio domestically and internationally. Tony led transactions in the US, Canada, UK, China, Germany, Portugal, Brazil, Australia, and Chile. Prior to joining JLL, Tony was a Financial Analyst with Liberty Property Trust (NYSE: LYR) focusing on SEC reporting, budgeting, forecasting, and financial disclosures for the Philadelphia-based publicly traded REIT. Prior to joining Liberty, Tony worked for Towers Perrin (now Willis Towers Watson), a premier benefits consulting group, as a Senior Accountant in the Corporate Finance group. Tony began his career with KPMG, LLP upon graduation and served in both the International Tax and Audit groups. Within the Audit function, Tony’s key clients were Siemens Medical Solutions and QVC. Education, affiliations, and non-profit work Tony Juliano earned a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy from Villanova University in 2004. He returned to Villanova two years later and earned his MBA with a Finance concentration in 2008.

  Cresa

  Market Leader

  Tony Juliano

  Market Leader

  Cresa

• Moderator

  Kelli Tomczak

  VP

  HOW Group

Development Pipeline And Key Deal Considerations for 2025

Analyzing Upcoming Deals And Investment Strategies To Capitalize In The New Year

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  Rich Gottlieb

  Rich directs the development, leasing, and management of Keystone’s portfolio with a forward-thinking insight that brings concepts to execution. At Keystone, he’s credited with over 20 million square feet of lease transactions and five million square feet of development, collectively valued in the billions of dollars. His career-defining transaction (so far) is signing Amerisourcebergen to their new headquarters, catalyzing the development of SORA West in Conshohocken. Prior to Keystone, Rich held leadership roles at Stoltz Management Company, Prentiss Properties Trust, and Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust. Rich holds an MBA from Temple University and is a licensed real estate broker in Pennsylvania.

  Keystone Development + Investment

  President & COO

  Rich Gottlieb

  President & COO

  Keystone Development + Investment

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  Brian Emmons

  Brian joined Southern Land Company in 2017 to help oversee Southern Land’s iconic project in Philadelphia, The Laurel Rittenhouse Square. Since arriving at Southern Land, Brian has been responsible for driving the company’s growth in the Philadelphia region where he has worked to acquire new sites, managing the entitlement process, and works with the design and construction teams. Prior to joining Southern Land, Brian was a Vice President for Toll Brothers City Living division in Philadelphia where he oversaw all of the company’s operations Philadelphia. These responsibilities included acquisitions, entitlements, construction, sales, marketing, and advertising. Brian takes time to support the city’s real estate development community as a volunteer and has spent countless hours advocating on behalf of industry professionals as a past president of the Building Industry Association of Philadelphia (BIA). He also sits on the Real Estate Committee for the Philadelphia Regulatory Reform Commission.

  Southern Land Company

  VP

  Brian Emmons

  VP

  Southern Land Company

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  Joseph Forkin

  Joseph A. Forkin is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation (DRWC). He oversees the day-to-day operations and management of the non-profit corporation responsible for maintaining, programming and redeveloping the Central Delaware Waterfront District. He is a key strategist in waterfront planning, zoning, and development, having participated in over $900 million of waterfront redevelopment, including parks, trails, creative placemaking, infrastructure improvements, and private development. Mr. Forkin was instrumental in the development of the award winning Master Plan for the Central Delaware; he was a leader in a campaign to secure over $900M in funding to build critical infrastructure assets and attractions needed to elevate the marketing of the Waterfront District, to create new public access to the River, and to incentivize private development; he is responsible for the oversight and implementation of the design, development, marketing, and construction of Riverfront parks and attractions. He is DRWC’s liaison with City, State, and Federal government agencies and officials. Under Mr. Forkin’s leadership, DRWC has directly completed $100 million of public capital investments, leading to the successful opening of 11 major projects, with 8 more currently underway. The DRWC's strategic efforts have attracted $1.11 billion in private development investment, fostering the creation of 13,000 jobs. The market value of the waterfront area has increased by $1.06 billion, reflecting a growth rate of 140%. In addition, the DRWC proudly hosts hundreds of events every year, most of which are free to the public, showcasing and celebrating the rich cultural diversity of Philadelphia's communities. Mr. Forkin lives along the Delaware River in the East Torresdale section of Philadelphia with his wife, Heather, and his three children.

  Delaware River Waterfront Corporation

  President & CEO

  Joseph Forkin

  President & CEO

  Delaware River Waterfront Corporation

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  Peter Downham

  Mr. Downham is a New Jersey Licensed Site Remediation Professional (LSRP) with over fifteen years’ experience in environmental assessment, remediation, and investigation activities. He holds a BS in Environmental Science from the University of Southern Maine. He has been a Principal Scientist at Roux since 2015 and has been with the firm for over fifteen years. Mr. Downham has conducted, managed, or overseen investigations and remediations at many sites across the northeast. Mr. Downham’s areas of expertise include development and implementation of soil and groundwater investigation, remediation activities, groundwater fate and transport, and due diligence support associated with asset acquisitions.

  Roux

  Vice President/Principal Scientist

  Peter Downham

  Vice President/Principal Scientist

  Roux

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  Chuck Hurchalla

  Chuck Hurchalla is the president of Evolution Sustainability Group. He has over 30 years of experience in the deregulated energy markets, including natural gas, electricity and petroleum products. He is considered a subject matter expert on hedging strategies and the fundamental and technical drivers of movements in the energy markets, including renewable products. In addition, he has been instrumental in helping clients develop comprehensive energy management solutions that meet or exceed energy efficiency and sustainability goals.

  Evolution Sustainability Group

  Founder and CEO

  Moderator

  Chuck Hurchalla

  Founder and CEO

  Evolution Sustainability Group