Construction and Design

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  Aaron Fenton

  Experienced Senior Vice President with a demonstrated history of successfully working in the real estate industry. Skilled in Acquisitions, Design, Entitlements, Permitting and Construction Management. Strong program and project management professional with a Master of Business Administration (MBA) focused in Business Administration and Management from Saint Mary's College of California and a BS from Duke University in Durham, NC. Oversees development activities for Boston Properties in the Bay Area with a current development pipeline of 6.6 million square feet of commercial creative office and life science projects. Executed on $1 billion of development including projects such as 680 Folsom (500,000 sf office building redevelopment), 690 Folsom (25,000 sf office/retail redevelopment) 50 Hawthorne (55,000 sf office building redevelopment), 535 Mission (307,000 sf ground-up office building), The Skylyne at Temescal (ground-up 402 unit 24-story luxury multi-family high-rise in Oakland). Executed entitlements on 3.5 million square feet across 5 large projects (commercial office and multi-family). Very familiar with the entitlement process in the Bay Area including extensive CEQA and political knowledge.

  BXP

  SVP, Development

  Aaron Fenton

  SVP, Development

  BXP

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  Ken Lowney

  Ken Lowney is the Founder and President of Lowney Architecture, a multidisciplinary practice offering architectural, interior, and master planning services. With locations in Oakland and Honolulu, the firm focuses its practice on residential, mixed-use, hospitality and retail projects. In his hometown of Oakland, Ken leads discussions about community development, affordable housing and off-site construction design methods while serving in leadership roles for the Modular Building Institute, SPUR, the Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, and the Oakland Land Use Committee. Lowney Architecture first made its mark with expertise in urban retail, specifically grocery store design. The firm is now also synonymous with the design and delivery of innovative, prefabricated projects, having designed over 6,000 modular units.

  Lowney Architecture

  President

  Ken Lowney

  President

  Lowney Architecture

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  Bret Firebaugh

  Bret is a 27-year veteran in the field of construction and an executive leader for Pankow. He is well-known in the industry for his expertise in lean and collaborative project delivery, friendly demeanor and client-focused approach. Since joining Pankow in 1991, Bret has worked as Project Executive, Project Sponsor, Project Engineer and Field Engineer. He is responsible for overseeing all preconstruction and construction activities, and personnel for Northern CA and the Pacific Northwest. He provides executive-level oversight with a focus on ensuring that the delivery of services exceeds client expectations. Bret’s contributions can be seen in a number of significant projects such as the CPMC Van Ness Medical Office Building and Parking Structure, contracted under an Integrated Form of Agreement that allowed the team to work collaboratively to the fullest extent in the interest of the owner and project. The award-winning, Design-Build, LEED Gold Certified Richmond Civic Center serves as a model for community improvement and provided scholarships to local school children. San Francisco’s Public Safety Building, a state-of-the-art LEED Gold Certified building that houses the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) Police Command Center, the Southern District Police Station and a neighborhood San Francisco Fire Department (SFFD) Fire Station and the historic rehabilitation of the vital civic asset, the San Francisco War Memorial Veterans Building. Throughout his career, Bret has actively supported the advancement of construction industry education. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Design Build Institute of America (DBIA) Western Pacific Region and is a member of the Lean Construction Institute (LCI). Bret holds a B.S. in Construction Management from California Polytechnic State University and is a LEED Accredited Professional.

  Pankow Builders

  VP

  Bret Firebaugh

  VP

  Pankow Builders

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  Kristy Davis

  Kristy Davis is the Business Development Manager for Truebeck Construction. Truebeck Construction is a local, full-service general contractor specializing in technical building, complex projects, and interiors. Clients come to Truebeck when they have ambitious goals, and when they want certainty, predictable costs, and high-performance buildings. Truebeck builds it right the first time and delivers the best value. Before joining Truebeck, Kristy was the Structural Steel Specialist for the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) in the San Francisco market. And before joining AISC, she worked as a staff structural engineer for A/E firms in Chicago and Indianapolis.  Kristy has experience with all phases of design, from design development through construction administration.  She is a member of the CoreNet Northern California Chapter and CREW San Francisco. Kristy attended Purdue University where she earned a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering with an emphasis in structural engineering, and Ball State University where she earned a Bachelor of Science in environmental design.

  Truebeck Construction

  Business Development Manager

  Moderator

  Kristy Davis

  Business Development Manager

  Truebeck Construction

Oakland Office Outlook

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  Phil Tagami

  Phil Tagami is the CEO of California Capital & Investment Group (CCIG). Over the past 20 years, Tagami has managed millions of dollars of rehabilitation and new construction and has been involved in every facet of the planning, real estate, brokerage and development process. Tagami has provided real estate services for the leasing, sale, and acquisition of commercial buildings for numerous clients representing millions of dollars in transactions over the past seven years. Tagami and his partners have owned and operated over 2,500,000 square feet of commercial office buildings with hundreds of tenants throughout Northern California.

  California Capital & Investment Group

  CEO

  Phil Tagami

  CEO

  California Capital & Investment Group

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  Jerry Smith

  Jerry is the Co-Founder and President of Citrine Advisors, where he oversees all aspects of property acquisition, development, financing, management, investor relations, capital formation, and brokerage. Prior to launching the company, Jerry spent a decade working for a major, national investment brokerage firm in a handful of the company’s offices along the West Coast. Jerry is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley. He is currently a member of the Urban Land Institute, where he sits on the Small Scale Development Council. Jerry holds a broker’s license (#01321958) in the state of California.

  Citrine Advisors

  Principal

  Jerry Smith

  Principal

  Citrine Advisors

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  John Dolby

  Cushman & Wakefield, 2012-Present Grubb & Ellis Company, 2010-2012 Shorenstein Realty Management, 1997-2010 CMA Asset Managers, Inc., 1995-1997 Bramalea Pacific, Inc., 1987-1995 Norris, Beggs & Simpson, 1985-1987

  Cushman & Wakefield

  Executive Director

  John Dolby

  Executive Director

  Cushman & Wakefield

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  Ed Del Beccaro

  As senior managing director of the Transwestern Walnut Creek East Bay and Silicon Valley offices, Ed manages a full service real estate operation with office, retail, industrial, medical, land investment, residential mixed-use land, multi-family, leasing and investment sales capabilities, construction, property management and project management. The Walnut Creek and San Jose offices now have 35 plus brokers, property management and staff. CAREER HIGHLIGHTS Ed’s career spans 37 years in the real estate industry in the San Francisco Bay area. He originally started his career with Grubb & Ellis in 1977. Ed also worked in the development area with CYGNA Engineers and his own development company from 1983-1992. In 1999, Ed opened the Colliers Parrish International office in Walnut Creek, where he was instrumental in the growth and development of the transaction services and property management divisions. Ed was also a principal in a firm that developed residential and multi-family properties in San Francisco and East Bay. Ed’s background includes brokerage, property development (commercial/residential) and property management including, property entitlement and consulting services. Ed is a specialist in office leasing/sales, distressed properties, land sales, commercial/residential mixed- use downtown projects, medical leasing, securing project entitlements, real estate valuation, and has leased/sold over one point six million square feet of tenant representation including Tenants such as UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital, UCSF, California Bank & Trust, Mechanics Bank, Woodward Clyde, Wells Fargo, Wendel Rosen Black & Dean and Community Bank in office, mixed-use residential and medical properties. Ed is a frequent speaker on real estate, business development topics, work force issues and downtown suburban/urban redevelopment trends. PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS/RECOGNITION • East Bay BOMA Medical Practice Group Chair 2016 -present • Vice Chair, Economic Alliance for Business (EDA); Executive Committee member since 1994; Co-chair of Legislative & Endorsement Committee • Board of Directors, East Bay Leadership Council/Contra Costa Council; Past President, 1989- 1991; Past Vice President, 1983-1988; Co-Chair Transportation Task Force • California Jobs & Housing Coalition Co-Chair, Exec. Board Member; Oakland, 2010-present • Member of International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC); 1994-present • I-Gate member 2012-present • NAIOP member 2010-present • California Technology Council Board Member 2014-present • Member of Walnut Creek Chamber of Commerce; Board of Directors 2017-present • Oakland & Concord Chambers of Commerce • Chamber Music San Francisco Board Member 2014-present • California Shakespeare Theater, Vice President 2005; Board of Directors 2002-2012 • Saint Mary’s College School of Education, Corporate Advisory Board 2005-2007 • Current BOD & Past President, Walnut Creek Library Foundation 2004-present • Past Officer & Board Trustee of JFK University 2004-2009 Education Ed earned his bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Stanford University. He is a licensed California broker (LIC #00642167).

  Transwestern

  Senior Managing Director

  Ed Del Beccaro

  Senior Managing Director

  Transwestern

• Moderator

  Courtenay Dill

  Enterprise Account Executive

  Lucid

Hot Projects: The Future of Oakland

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  Bruce Dorfman

  Principal

  Trammell Crow Residential

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  Terry McGrath

  Terrence (Terry) McGrath has over twenty-five years of experience in commercial real estate throughout the Bay Area. During the first fifteen years (1982 – 1996) of his career, he worked as a commercial real estate broker and founded several firms including Comcore Commercial Real Estate, Aegis Realty Partners, and Aegis Equity Partners. In 1996, Terry founded Aegis Equity Partners, (later renamed McGrath Properties), to focus on the acquisition and development of properties that have long-term value for the company and the community, with an emphasis on the East Bay. In the past ten years, McGrath Properties (on behalf of the principals of the company), has acquired over one million square feet of buildings plus substantial land holdings. The diversified projects include office buildings, parking facilities, and industrial and manufacturing plants.

  McGrath Properties

  Founder

  Terry McGrath

  Founder

  McGrath Properties

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  Paul Nieto

  As Executive Vice President, Paul Nieto is responsible for multiple activities including land acquisition, concept design, entitlements, and debt and equity financing. He further oversees the implementation of individual projects. Paul has extensive experience in multi-family, master-planned communities, land development, civil engineering, and finance. Prior to joining SDG, Paul was President of Avant Housing, an urban multi-family developer in the Bay Area, where he led the development of 665 units in San Francisco. Previously, Paul served as President/CEO of the Eastlake Development Company, responsible for a 3,200-acre, 9,000 unit master-planned community in San Diego County, with a 200 acre business park, six schools and 100 acres of neighborhood, lifestyle and big box retail. Concurrently, Paul served as the head of Boswell Properties, overseeing the 957-acre Interlocken Business Park in Boulder County, Colorado. Paul began his career with Union Bank in Beverly Hills where he managed both the Los Angeles construction financing and California participating mortgage offices. Paul is a graduate of UCLA in Economics and received his MBA from USC.

  Signature Development

  EVP

  Paul Nieto

  EVP

  Signature Development

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  Rob Zirkle

  Rob Zirkle is the founding principal of brick. Under his guidance the brick team brings a rigorous, value driven design process to a wide variety of project types in architecture, interiors and urban design. Rob leads the firm’s initiatives in design, client satisfaction, new project acquisition and company culture. Channeling Rob’s entrepreneurial approach, brick has grown into a thriving 25 person team with $450m of current projects under construction ranging from commercial office, life science, housing and higher education.

  brick.

  Founder & CEO

  Rob Zirkle

  Founder & CEO

  brick.

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  Garret Murai

  For Garret, design and construction is in the genes. The son of an architect, Garret grew up around drafting tables and construction sites. A Foundation in Design and Construction He started his career as a lobbyist for the American Institute of Architects in Sacramento, California, where he worked with legislators and executive agencies on issues of importance to the design profession. He later worked as a lobbyist in Washington D.C., where he represented multifamily property owners, developers and financiers on issues before Congress and executive agencies, including the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. A Focus on the Built Environment Since then, Garret has represented parties involved in nearly every aspect of design and construction, including owners, developers, architects, engineers, contractors, subcontractors, material suppliers, equipment lessors, sureties and insurers. He has been involved in a wide range of public and private projects, from mixed-used developments to high-tech manufacturing facilities, as well as some of the most iconic structures in the nation, including the Golden Gate Bridge. His experience extends to matters arising from project formation through post project close-out, including licensing issues, contract drafting and negotiations, bid protests and subcontractor substitutions, mechanics liens, stop payment notice and other payment remedies, and defect, delay and acceleration claims. Garret has been recognized as a Rising Star and Super Lawyer in the area of Construction Litigation, and in addition to being a prolific writer on issues affecting the construction industry, is the Editor of the firm’s California Construction Law Blog, which provides an informative yet wry look at construction law in California. A Counselor and Advocate While Garret’s practice focuses on design and construction, his experience, client-focused pragmatism, and willingness to take a case to trial when necessary has made him the attorney of choice for clients with other types of disputes as well, including those involving real estate, business contracts and employment issues, among others.

  Wendel Rosen

  Attorney

  Moderator

  Garret Murai

  Attorney

  Wendel Rosen