Future of Northeast DC

Norman Jemal began his career in real estate in the early 1990’s. He serves as the Principal and Senior Vice President for Douglas Development Corporation and currently directs all of the leasing activity for the company and throughout his career has negotiated and leased over five million square feet with a cumulative value of over one billion dollars. As a principal with the company, Norman is involved in all aspects of the business including acquisitions and dispositions, development, finance and corporate strategic planning. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Washington, DC Economic Partnership, an organization that promotes business opportunities throughout the District and contributes to business retention and attraction activities, and on the Board of Trustees for Ford’s Theatre. He has also served on the Board of Directors for The Little Blue House, a family development center that serves as an oasis for low-income, poor and struggling families. As of 2015 Norman serves on the board of United Bank.

As founder and chairman of the J Street Companies, Bruce Baschuk provides the corporate vision and strategic direction for the company and oversees the land acquisition, finance and development operations and works closely with the company's clients to develop and implement real estate strategies. With 65 employees, ongoing development projects, a robust third party project management business, a 2 million square foot office and multifamily property management portfolio and an experienced brokerage team, Bruce has created one of the few completely diversified real estate companies in Washington. Bruce has been active in the Washington metropolitan area’s dynamic real estate market for more than 25 years. He was one of the top agents in the region working for CBRE and then Barnes Morris & Pardoe, before he assumed responsibility as the managing director of the Washington, DC office of CBRE. He was also responsible for the Corporate Services business in the Washington Region for CBRE. Bruce co-founded J Street Development in 2004 and purchased the Randall Hagner Companies in 2007. In 2008, The J Street Companies merged with Woodmark Commercial Services and in 2011, the J Street Companies moved forward with full capabilities under one name. Bruce was the former president of Jubilee Enterprises, an organization that has redeveloped more than 1,300 residential units in Southeast Washington, DC. He is also the founder of WINNERS Lacrosse, a non-profit inner city organization which mentors boys and girls in Washington, DC. He is a former President of The Washington DC Board of Realtors and has been awarded the Donald C. Rosinski award for his contributions to the community. He is the Co-Founder and former Chairman of the NoMa Business Improvement District (BID), and serves on the Board of LISC, a national non-profit community investor, and the Georgetown BID. Bruce and his wife Kate, a teacher, live in Chevy Chase, Maryland and have four children.

Bryant Foulger serves as both Managing Principal and Chairman of the Board of Directors and is a member of the Investment Committee. In his current role, Mr. Foulger draws on more than 30 years of real estate and management experience to provide approval and oversight of the CEO’s vision and strategy. Mr. Foulger was recently appointed to Maryland Governor Larry Hogan’s transition team and is also involved with the Montgomery Business Development Corporation, the Greater District of Columbia Chapter of the Leadership Council for the Mayo Clinic, the Montgomery County Business Advisory Panel, and is a trustee emeritus of the Bullis School in Potomac, Maryland. Mr. Foulger attended Brigham Young University and serves on numerous professional and charitable boards.

A founding principal of Stonebridge, Douglas Firstenberg directs firmwide strategic planning, oversees landmark development projects, and plays a key role in major transaction negotiations. Under his leadership, Stonebridge has developed several of the region’s most innovative and successful urban mixed-use properties, including breakthrough transit-oriented developments and public/private initiatives. Mr. Firstenberg has more than thirty-five years of real estate industry experience, leading complex development projects totaling more than 10 million square feet and $4 billion in value. Mr. Firstenberg started his career with K.S. Sweet Associates, a Philadelphia-based real estate and investment firm where he was named partner. In 1993, he co-founded Stonebridge Associates in Washington, D.C., and led the transformation of the firm into an urban infill mixed-use developer. Mr. Firstenberg graduated from Duke University with a Bachelor of Arts and currently serves in leadership roles of several industry and charitable organizations.

Matthew is a leading retail broker in the Washington DC market having worked with 200 retailers, leased or sold 7.5M SF of retail property, and completed 850 leasing and sales transactions in his 18-year career. He provides a variety of services to national, regional, and local tenant and landlord clients throughout the DC Metro area. He works with both private and institutional owners to provide leasing, sales and consulting services for urban retail properties, mixed-use, and ground-up development. He assists his clients throughout the leasing process providing project design consulting, merchandising plans, financial analysis and lease/contract negotiations. In addition, Matthew provides a creative and strategic approach to the market penetration and site acquisition process for several national, regional, and local retailers. He works closely with his clients to develop an overall market strategy and directs the process of market analysis, site identification, and lease/contract negotiations. Prior to founding Dochter & Alexander Retail Advisors, Matthew was an Executive Director with the Cushman & Wakefield Retail Services Group where he and his partner David Dochter led the Washington, DC retail team. Prior to that, he was with the Washington offices of CB Richard Ellis and Insignia/ESG for twelve years where he was consistently recognized as a top producer nationally and in the eastern region.

Robin-Eve Jasper is President of the NoMa BID. With a passion for issues at the intersection of public policy and private investment, Robin-Eve’s career includes working as a corporate attorney and lobbyist in New York and Washington DC, commercial development experience in Washington DC, a leadership role at DC’s largest nonprofit provider of affordable rental housing, and providing real estate consulting services to governments and educational institutions nationwide. Recently, Robin-Eve served as Director of Washington, DC’s Department of Real Estate Services where she oversaw eradication of a backlog of hundreds of million of dollars of capital projects, and developed and implemented cutting edge space utilization standards. Robin-Eve conceived of and implemented the public private partnership for the redevelopment of the former Washington Star print planting at 200 Eye Street SE, which received several 2012 “Deal of the Year” awards from local and national entities. Robin-Eve has been active in NoMa for many years. She worked as part of the successful coalition to see the shuttered McKinley Technology High School re-opened as the District’s premier technology high school. Robin-Eve represented the development firm of Greenebaum and Rose in NoMa transactions as well as on the NoMa Stakeholders Coalition. In 2007, Robin-Eve was a consultant to the NoMa Improvement Association, working on establishing the NoMa Business Improvement District.

Mr. Washington has over 20 years of experience in urban real estate development, construction and management. Mr. Washington founded NDC in 1999 and served as President from 1999-2005. From 2005 until early 2007, Mr. Washington took a leave of absence from NDC to serve as the President and CEO of the Anacostia Waterfront Corporation (AWC), the entity charged with leading a $10 billion, 20 year initiative to revitalize Washington, DC’s Anacostia Waterfront and surrounding communities. Mr. Washington grew up in the city’s Anacostia neighborhood and is a lifelong resident of DC. Adrian has a B.S. in Economics and Political Science from Stanford University and an MBA from Harvard University.

Martin Ditto is CEO of Ditto Residential. He is passionate about conceptualizing and creating world-class residences. To achieve this goal, he has assembled a team of fellow visionaries and skilled professionals committed to perfecting their vocations at Ditto Residential. As CEO, Martin sets the direction and vision at the company and oversees acquisition, design, and capitalization. Prior to founding Ditto Residential, Martin honed his expertise in lead roles in development and construction at Bozzuto, Monument Realty, and ZOM, where he produced mixed-use residential and commercial projects. He earned a Bachelor’s in Economics from Vanderbilt University and a Master’s of Science in Real Estate from the Carey Business School at Johns Hopkins University.

David is Principal and Co-Founder of Level 2 Development, a real estate development firm specializing in mixed use projects in Washington, D.C. David's success as a businessman rests on his entrepreneurial style, community relationship values, and well-practiced business experience in applying creative solutions that benefit stakeholders throughout all phases of the real estate development process, from acquisitions to design, entitlement, public benefits, construction, marketing, lease-up, and project management. David has a strong belief in addressing the community's needs. In 2005, he led an effort with Jubilee Housing, preserving the 48-unit Cresthill Apartments for the Sankofa Tenants Association, creating home ownership opportunities along the 14th Street corridor for low to medium income residents. David co-founded a number of successful businesses between 1985 and 1993, including: Discount Mart, a DC-based, five-unit general merchandise chain; Trumpets Restaurant; and Tracks Nightclub. In 1993, David founded Universal Gear, a men's retail clothing store chain anchored in the District that expanded to include New York, Chicago, Atlanta, and Rehoboth Beach, DE, and online markets. David's family has a rich retail history in Washington, D.C. beginning with his family's first store, Jay Dee’s Children’s Apparel, which operated from 1937-1984 in the downtown business district. David served as an appointee by Mayor Fenty to the DC Housing and Community Development's (DCHCD) Housing Protection Trust Fund Board. He also served on the U Street Theatre Foundation Board. David's community-based interests reach beyond real estate development and local commerce. He has co-chaired a non-profit event supporting the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund and The Robert Mapplethorpe Laboratory for AIDS Research at the Harvard Medical School, which raised over $500,000. David is the recipient of the 2012 Excellence in Business Award by the Capital Area Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.

John Begert has 22 years of experience in the multi-family industry and pursues multi-family residential and mixed-use acquisition and development opportunities for MRP Realty. Prior to joining the firm in early 2011, Mr. Begert worked for JPI Mid Atlantic for over ten years and oversaw the acquisition, entitlement, development and construction of over 2,000 residential units valued at over $450 million in the Mid Atlantic region. Mr. Begert has multi-family acquisition and development experience across a variety of product types and jurisdictions in the Mid Atlantic region. Mr. Begert has developed high-rise, mid- rise, and urban-wrap rental products as well as mixed-use urban condominium product in Washington, DC.

Scott Zimmerly is Director of the Mid-Atlantic Region for Wood Partners managing the development and financing for projects in northern Virginia, Washington DC, Maryland, Delaware and Pennsylvania. He has been involved in the sourcing, development and financing of more than 2,600 units with a total capitalization in excess of $600 million. Before joining Wood Partners in 2006, Zimmerly spent five years in the investment banking industry in New York and Maryland, where he focused on mergers and acquisitions across a multitude of industries. He also has experience working in the acquisitions department of Washington Real Estate Investment Trust. Zimmerly received his MBA with a real estate concentration from the University of North Carolina's Kenan-Flagler Business School. He graduated from Washington and Lee University, with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. Zimmerly is a previous Board Member and Vice President of the Baltimore Waterfront Rotary Club and is currently a young leader in the Urban Land Institute's Baltimore Chapter.

Chris Lessard is the founding Principal of Lessard Design and is a registered architect in 18 states (District of Columbia, Virginia, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Delaware, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Ohio, Illinois, Texas, Nevada). Throughout the Mid-Atlantic market, he is recognized as a design innovator which can be partly contributed to his uncanny ability to recognize and understand market trends. Consequently, Chris Lessard has been honored with over 450 national and local awards including ULI, NAHB, Aurora, Monument and Best in American Living. Furthermore, Chris Lessard and his works have been prominently featured in the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and several leading housing/architecture publications for his insight into real estate market trends. As a featured speaker, his expertise is sought in several seminars, at national conventions and trade shows including ULI, AIA, International Builders and Multi-Family Housing. He actively participates in the Urban Land Institute and National Association of Home Builders, Northern Virginia Builders Industry Association and numerous land development and code committees. As one of America’s top architects, Chris Lessard is a national leader in the planning and design of residential communities that include all product types. Lessard’s expertise includes the design of both the master plan for the multi-phase community – complete with a town center of retail, office, hotel and public amenities – as well as the architectural design for all residential products. Under his supervision, the firm recently completed several multi-family projects including America’s largest LEED for Homes community: Capitol Quarter in Washington, DC; Meridian Tower at Grosvenor Station in Maryland; and two residential towers for Donald Trump: Trump Plaza – the tallest building in New Rochelle, NY and Trump Parc –the tallest building in Stamford, CT and the second tallest residential building in the state of Connecticut. Mr. Lessard has expanded the firm’s practice overseas with offices strategically located in Ahmedabad, India in response to a growing demand for the firm’s award-winning architectural and planning services in the Middle East and Central Asia. In addition to Lessard’s high-rise building and resort projects, the firm is able to provide high-density residential design solutions that work well in international, heavily-populated cities. Lessard’s experience in urban projects in the greater D.C. metro area and major markets across the United States is a significant advantage offered to developing markets.

As senior vice president and director of commercial services for United Bank, Jon is responsible for driving the development of commercially-focused opportunities throughout the Bank’s footprint. He leads a team focused on cultivating new relationships and implementing treasury services in Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C., West Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Jon joined United Bank following the 2016 acquisition of Bank of Georgetown, where he served as director of business development. In this role, he guided the expansion of Bank of Georgetown’s commercial client base throughout the Washington metropolitan market, with an emphasis on deposit growth. Jon joined Bank of Georgetown at its founding in 2005, focusing on the development of commercial loan and deposit relationships. He later served as a commercial lending officer, providing working capital and term financing to commercial real estate investors and operating companies. Jon began his banking career at BB&T (formerly First Virginia Bank in Falls Church, Va.), completing the Management Training Program and serving as the financial center manager for BB&T’s Georgetown branch. Jon is active in several organizations throughout the Washington metropolitan area. In 2014, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors appointed him to the Fairfax County Industrial Development Authority. He serves on the board of directors and the executive committee for Alternative House, a Vienna-based refuge for abused and homeless children in Northern Virginia. For 10 years, he served on the Georgetown Business Association’s board of directors and in 2008, received its Business Person of the Year award. Jon graduated from James Madison University in 2001 with a BBA in business marketing. In 2013, he received a Stonier Diploma and Wharton Leadership Certificate from ABA Stonier Graduate School, an executive management school for the financial services industry in partnership with The Wharton School. Jon lives in Vienna with his wife, Allyson, and three daughters.

Kenyan R. McDuffie, Councilmember for Ward 5, was first elected to the Council of the District of Columbia in a 2012 special election. In November 2014 and again in 2018, the voters of Ward 5 honored him by overwhelmingly electing him to serve four-year terms. In his seven years on the Council, Kenyan has established himself as a skilled legislator and coalition builder, including having been elected by his colleagues to serve as Chairman Pro Tempore since 2013. Since January 2017, Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie has served as the Chairperson of the Committee on Business and Economic Development, which has oversight over 20 District agencies and commissions, including the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, the Department of Small and Local Business, the Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration, and the Public Service Commission. As Chair of the Committee, Kenyan has worked to ensure that the District economy continues to grow and remain competitive, while supporting small and local business development, in particular women and minority-owned small businesses. In his first Council Period as Chairperson, Kenyan passed legislation to make it easier for smaller firms to compete for District government contracts and speed up payments to District contractors. Previously, Kenyan served as Chair of the Committee on the Judiciary. As Chair Kenyan oversaw sweeping updates to the District's criminal justice law. Kenyan successfully passed comprehensive juvenile justice reform that ended the use of solitary confinement, life sentences, and indiscriminate shackling of juveniles in court. Kenyan championed "Ban the Box" legislation that bans the use of criminal background checks in housing as well as passing legislation to end the unfair use of credit history in hiring. Kenyan also passed the innovative Neighborhood Engagement Achieves Results Act (NEAR Act) which reforms the District’s criminal justice system by incorporating behavioral and mental health professionals to perform tasks that previously fell to law enforcement officers. Kenyan began his career in public service working for a member of the U.S. House of Representatives shortly after graduating summa cum laude from Howard University. He went on to receive his Juris Doctor from the University of Maryland School of Law, where he served as an editor of the University of Maryland Law Journal of Race, Religion, Gender and Class. Prior to joining the Council, Kenyan worked extensively in the legal and public safety fields. He served as a law clerk for an Associate Judge on the 7th Judicial Circuit of Maryland and worked as an Assistant State’s Attorney in Prince George’s County, where he prosecuted misdemeanor and felony cases in District Court and on appeal in Circuit Court. Kenyan served as a trial attorney for the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”), where he conducted investigations and managed complex cases throughout the United States regarding enforcement of key federal civil rights statutes, including defending the rights of the mentally ill. During his tenure at DOJ, he was also an integral team member on cases to reform the policies and procedures of police departments. More recently, he served as a policy advisor to the District of Columbia’s Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice. Nationally, Kenyan has been featured on NewsOne Now, MSNBC, and National Public Radio. Kenyan and his wife, Princess, live in his childhood home in Ward 5 with their two young daughters, Kesi and Jozi.