Greater D.C. 2021 Forecast

Norman Dong served as the Commissioner of the Public Buildings Service (PBS) for the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA). As PBS Commissioner, Mr. Dong lead one of the largest and most diversified public real estate organizations in the world. Mr. Dong managed the nationwide asset management, design, construction, leasing, building management and disposal of approximately 374 million square feet of government-owned and leased space, accommodating over 1 million federal workers, and covering all 50 states, six U.S. territories and the District of Columbia. Additionally, Mr. Dong oversaw an annual budget of approximately $10 billion and a workforce of almost 6,000. Prior to joining GSA, Mr. Dong was Acting Controller at Office of Management and Budget (OMB), where he was responsible for coordinating government-wide improvements in all areas of financial management, including financial reporting, improper payments, open government, and real property management. In addition to his Federal experience, Mr. Dong also has worked at the state and local levels of government. In the District of Columbia, he held several positions, including Deputy Mayor for Operations and City Administrator under Mayor Anthony A. Williams. And in Connecticut, he served as special assistant for finance and accounting in the Office of the State Comptroller. Mr. Dong also has experience working in the private sector. In his role as Vice President at ACS, Inc., he managed several business units that provided operational and financial solutions for state and local government clients. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from Yale University and a Master’s degree from the Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government. He currently resides in Washington, D.C., with his wife and two sons.

Robert “Bob” C. MacKichan Jr. is a partner in Holland & Knight’s Washington, D.C., office and is the leader of the firm’s GSA Leasing and Federal Real Estate Team within the Litigation and Dispute Resolution Practice. His multifaceted practice involves decades of experience in litigation, government contracts, real estate and public policy issues associated with federal government real estate. Clients call on him for his substantive knowledge and extensive relationships in D.C. to handle government real estate disputes, government contract concerns, government lease procurement and administration, real estate acquisition and disposition, and government construction and administration. In addition, he advises clients on holdovers and condemnations, the competitive procurement process and disputes under the Contract Disputes Act. Mr. MacKichan primarily represents building owners, real estate developers, REITs and asset managers nationwide in matters relating to federal real estate disputes. He previously served as general counsel of the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), where his work included the authorization for the construction of the International Cultural and Trade Center Building (now named the Ronald Reagan Federal Building) in Washington, D.C., as well as the utilization of public bond financing for several GSA projects.

Bob brings tremendous professional experience and industry expertise to his dual roles as a Leader of Gensler’s Firmwide Government Practice and the Southeast Region Director of Consulting. Bob served for eight years as Commissioner of the U.S. General Services Administration’s Public Buildings Service, responsible for design, construction, leasing and management for more than 375 million square feet of space housing more than 1.1 million employees with an annual budget of more than $9 billion. He has been a land use attorney, commercial real estate mortgage banker and broker and has also served as President of the Greater Washington Board of Trade and Vice President for Public Affairs at the American Institute of Architects. He received his B.A. cum laude with distinction in economics from the University of Pennsylvania and his J.D. from Yale Law School. A Gensler Principal, Bob has been a visiting Loeb Fellow at Harvard University's Graduate School of Design and a visiting lecturer at Yale College. An Honorary Member of both the AIA and American Society of Landscape Architects, in 2012 he received the AIA Thomas Jefferson Award for Public Architecture.

Professional Expertise Darian LeBlanc is an Executive Vice Chair at Cushman & Wakefield and one of the leading advisors in the United States for large-scale government and institutional real estate transactions. Based in the Washington, DC region, he leads the firm’s Government Services Group (GSG), a specialized team focused on securing and structuring federal, state, and municipal lease transactions nationwide. Over the course of his career, LeBlanc has completed more than 40 million square feet of leasing transactions with an aggregate value exceeding $15 billion. He is widely recognized for navigating some of the most complex and high-profile government requirements in the country, delivering solutions that align public-sector needs with private investment objectives. In addition to his leasing practice, he is an integral member of Cushman & Wakefield’s Investment Sales platform, advising on transactions involving government-leased assets. LeBlanc is regarded as a key figure in the National Capital Region’s commercial real estate industry, particularly at the intersection of federal transactions, economic development, and institutional investment. Drawing on 30+ years of experience in both the public and private sectors, he advises clients on transaction strategy, portfolio optimization, and public-private partnerships, and is known for bringing clarity and execution to highly complex assignments. He has received numerous industry honors, including repeated recognition from CREBA, NAIOP, and national media outlets. Professional Affiliations • District of Columbia Building Industry Association (DCBIA) • Commercial Real Estate Brokerage Association of Greater Washington, DC (CREBA) • Maryland/DC National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP) • Northern Virginia National Association of Industrial and Office Properties Major Transactions Landlord/Owner Representation • MetLife, Constitution Center, Washington, D.C. - Multiple agencies, 1.4M sf • The JBG Companies, The Parklawn Building, Rockville, MD – U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 935,386 sf • Beacon Capital Partners, Polk & Taylor Buildings, Crystal City, VA – U.S. Department of Defense, 911,818 sf • Stonebridge, Three and Four Constitution Square, Washington, DC – U.S. Department of Justice, 839,000 sf • Boston Properties, Patriots Park, Reston, VA – Confidential Tenant, 706,482 sf • Boston Properties, Springfield Metro Center, Springfield, VA – Transportation Security Administration, 625,000 sf • Stonebridge, Two Constitution Square, Washington, DC – U.S. Department of Justice, 575,760 sf • The World Bank Group, 600 19th Street, NW, Washington, DC –U.S. Department of State, 463,151 sf • Related Companies, Carlyle Innovation Campus, Alexandria, VA – National Science Foundation, 400,000 sf • Stonebridge, One Constitution Square, Washington, DC – U.S. General Services Administration Headquarters, • 330,000 sf • Principal Real Estate, 1200 1st Street, NE, Washington, D.C. – District of Columbia, 291,838 sf • Paramount Group, 425 Eye Street, NW, Washington, DC – U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 285,561 sf

Gary Pestana leads the Real Estate Group for NFP. He is responsible for NFP’s growth initiatives in the real estate sector, including owners, managers, operators and developers of commercial, residential, hospitality and industrial sectors. With nearly three decades of experience in consulting services to real estate owners, operators and developers, Gary brings expertise and experience in property, casualty, environmental and management liability insurance. Gary also assists clients with strategy, negotiation, structure and claims advocacy for the full range of construction brokerage services, including OCIPs, surety and builder’s risk. He earned his B.A. in Geology at Humboldt State University and his MBA at Claremont Graduate University. Gary is also a Licensed Professional Geologist in the State of California.