Nathaniel Smith serves as Founder and Chief Equity Officer of the Partnership for Southern Equity, which advances policies and institutional actions that promote racial equity and shared prosperity for all in metropolitan Atlanta and the American South. PSE does this through the lenses of energy equity, economic inclusion, equitable development, health equity, youth leadership, and fee-for-service contracts. Under Smith’s leadership, PSE created the South’s first equity-mapping tool, the Metro Atlanta Equity Atlas, and led a coalition of diverse stakeholders to support a $13 million transit referendum that expanded MARTA into a new county for the first time in 45 years. PSE continues to support the racial equity ecosystem through the COVID-19 pandemic through its COVID-19 Rapid Relief Fund, which distributed more than $200,000 to more than 30 organizations because of the initial investment of the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta and the United Way of Greater Atlanta. The fund has now grown to more than $400,000 and additional rounds of funding. Smith’s endeavors through PSE and as a racial equity champion throughout the American South has earned him numerous distinctions including being named to the Grist 50 by Grist Magazine in 2018 and the Atlanta 500 by Atlanta Magazine 2019-2021 and designated one of the 100 “Most Influential Georgians” by Georgia Trend magazine 2018-2021. His work was also featured in the U.S. News and World Report, Chronicle of Philanthropy, Nonprofit Quarterly, The Hill, Christian Science Monitor, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Atlanta Voice and others.

Neela Ram currently serves as the Climate Advisor through the Natural Resources Defense Council in the Mayor’s Office of One Atlanta. She is helping Atlanta leverage resources and opportunities to help the City achieve ambitious carbon emissions reductions. Her current portfolio includes advising on sustainability and resilience strategies, building decarbonization, cultivating and embedding equity in programs and policies, transportation demand management, and exploring municipal renewable energy procurement.

Jenny Schuetz is a Senior Fellow at Brookings Metro, and is an expert in urban economics and housing policy. Dr. Schuetz has written numerous peer-reviewed journal articles on land use regulation, housing prices, urban amenities, and neighborhood change. Dr. Schuetz has appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, the PBS NewsHour, The Indicator podcast, Vox, and Slate. Topics of recent research include: how statewide zoning reform could improve housing affordability; local strategies to help renters during the COVID-19 crisis; rethinking homeownership incentives to narrow the racial wealth gap; and how housing costs exacerbate economic and racial segregation. Before joining Brookings, Dr. Schuetz served as a principal economist at the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Dr. Schuetz was also an assistant professor at the University of Southern California and a post-doctoral fellow at NYU Furman. Dr. Schuetz is a nonresident senior fellow at GWU’s Center for Washington Area Studies and teaches in Georgetown’s urban planning program. Dr. Schuetz earned a PhD in public policy from Harvard University, a master’s in city planning from M.I.T., and a B.A. with Highest Distinction in economics and political and social thought from the University of Virginia.

Chandra Farley is an activist at heart and credits her parents with instilling a sense of duty to always do what she can to advance justice and fairness. With a passion for elevating the connection between environmental justice, strong communities, and our daily lives, Chandra continues to build upon a career foundation in the design and construction industry that informs her perspective on built and natural environments. Currently, Chandra serves as the CEO of ReSolve, a consulting practice with a mission to increase the impact of energy, climate, and utility initiatives by centering equity. Chandra also founded the “Good Energy Project” with a vision to connect the transformational power of Black Women to the movement for equitable clean energy. With a career history at Southface Energy Institute and Partnership for Southern Equity, Chandra is well-known in energy, utility, and climate justice circles. She has formed national partnerships to improve the environmental and financial sustainability of nonprofit facilities and developed community-centered strategies to advance energy equity, climate justice, and utility accountability at local, regional, and national scales. Her advocacy extends to Congress where she has testified at hearings on climate change and equity and she has presented to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on the establishment of their Office of Public Participation. Chandra is the Co-Chair of the Hive Fund for Climate and Gender Justice Advisory Board, chair of the Georgia NAACP Environmental and Climate Justice Committee, a graduate of the EPA’s Environmental Justice Academy, former President of the Environmental Justice Academy Alumni Association, and serves on the Board of Directors for ACEEE, Community Movement Builders, Georgia Conservation Voters Education Fund, Greenlink Analytics, Just Solutions Collective, People’s Justice Council/Alabama Interfaith Power & Light, and Sol Nation.

Jay Orfield directs strategy and policy and program development to advance energy efficiency, renewable energy, and building decarbonization across all twenty-five cities in the American Cities Climate Challenge. He is a licensed civil engineer and has experience in infrastructure and real estate development that spans planning, design, construction, and financing. He joined NRDC in 2012 as an innovation fellow, working to accelerate demand for energy-efficient buildings and developing NRDC's Solar Schools Initiative to leverage community support for local solar projects. Orfield holds an M.B.A. from Columbia University and a bachelor's degree from the University of Florida. He is based in Asheville, North Carolina.

Jim Schroder is Head of Real Estate for Juno, a real estate design, development, and technology company that simplifies the process to build multifamily housing using world-class design, software, and componentized parts. As head of Juno’s development company, Jim is responsible for building pipeline and raising capital for new multifamily real estate projects that utilize the Juno design and delivery system. With over 18 years of experience in the industry, Jim is an expert in real estate finance and investing. Prior to joining Juno in 2020, Jim worked at TriBridge Residential for over seven years, where he was a partner and CFO at the vertically integrated multifamily investment, development, and management company based in Atlanta. Outside of work, Jim loves the outdoors, arts, and music. You can find him most weekends running or biking with his two young boys along the Atlanta Beltline.

Brittany is a Resilience Engineer in Arup’s Los Angeles office and serves as the knowledge and communications lead for Arup’s global Resilience Skills Network. She brings her professional experience in building envelope engineering and a background in structures, architecture, and building physics to long-term resilience and climate change adaptation projects. Her technical background includes hazard and vulnerability assessments and quantification of social co-benefits of resilience measures, with a focus on affordable housing and energy resilience. Brittany graduated from USC with a Bachelor's in Civil Engineering and a Master's in Building Science from their School of Architecture.

Kandice Allen Mitchell is the southeast market director of State and Local Policy at Enterprise Community Partners. She focuses on optimizing local resources for affordable housing. Prior to joining Enterprise, Kandice worked as an attorney focused on developing and implementing local governmental policies and internal operating procedures centered around equity and efficiency. Outside of her professional work, Kandice volunteers her time serving her local community and promoting civic engagement as an executive board member with the Atlanta chapter of the New Leaders Council and as a member of the Junior League of Atlanta. She also serves as a board member with the Atlanta Commission on Women. Kandice is a proud graduate of Tennessee State University, a historically black college/university (HBCU) in Nashville, Tennessee, where she earned a bachelor’s in Economics and Finance. She is a resident of Atlanta’s Edgewood neighborhood and enjoys exploring the community with her husband, Kehr.

Caitlin Sugrue Walter, Ph.D., is Vice President of Research, with primary responsibility for conducting NMHC's research on apartment industry trends. Prior to working at the Council, Caitlin was an analyst at a real estate advisory firm. Caitlin has a B.A. and B.S. (Planning and Public Policy, Criminal Justice) from Rutgers University. She also holds an M.A. in Urban and Regional Planning and a Ph.D. in Planning, Governance and Globalization with a concentration on metropolitan economies and development from Virginia Tech.

Prior to becoming mayor, he served as an at-large City Council member for two terms. In addition to serving in public office, Mayor Dickens has been a businessman and nonprofit executive and is an engineer, deacon, father and native Atlantan. His career follows his passions and his impact follows his commitment. As the Post 3 At-Large Council member, Andre Dickens was a vocal legislative leader on public safety, transportation, affordable housing, workforce development, educational opportunities for Atlanta Public Schools students, and seasoned citizens programming. He served as the chairman of the Transportation Committee, providing oversight to city streets, bridges, sidewalks, paths, and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world’s busiest airport. In 2017, he chaired the Public Safety and Legal Administration Committee, during which time homicides went down 33% and all violent crimes decreased 12%. Some of his legislative highlights include: creating the Department of Transportation, sponsoring legislation increasing annual salaries for Senior Patrol Officers, implementing a $15 per hour minimum wage for city employees, establishing BeltLine Inclusionary Zoning for affordable housing, establishing the Atlanta Youth Commission, setting aside a $40 million Housing Opportunity Bond, creating a joint commission between City Council and APS board, and establishing a BeltLine senior housing rehab program. In 2017, he sponsored and helped launch the Teen “Midnight” Basketball League, a program which includes workshops that help young men develop life skills and further their education. Mayor Dickens is also the Chief Development Officer for TechBridge, a nonprofit that drives community impact by bringing affordable technology and business expertise to other nonprofit organizations. In 2018, he co-founded the Technology Career Program, a free program designed to prepare unemployed and individuals experiencing disadvantage in the work field for a career in the growing technology job market. The program teaches high demand technology skills while helping participants land jobs in IT departments across Atlanta. Mayor Dickens previously served as the Assistant Director of Outreach Initiatives for Georgia Tech’s Office of Institute Diversity. He spearheaded Tech’s African-American Male Institute, which resulted in a significant increase in the GPA and graduation rate among black males. He also managed the Focus graduate school recruitment program and the Challenge Program that helped hundreds of students successfully transition into college life each year. Early in his career, Mayor Dickens worked as a sales engineer for DSM Engineering Plastics and became the youngest and first Black salesman of the year. At the age of 28, he co-founded City Living Home Furnishings, which grew into a multi-million dollar retail business with two locations. Mayor Dickens ran the company for nine years until 2011. Mayor Dickens also serves as a member of the Georgia Tech Alumni Board of Directors, an Alumnus of Leadership Atlanta, Diversity Leadership Atlanta, United Way VIP; Regional Leadership Institute, member of Kappa Alpha Psi, Fraternity, Inc.; deacon of New Horizon Baptist Church; and several other organizations and affiliations. Mayor Dickens is a proud product of Atlanta Public Schools and a graduate of Mays High School. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a master’s of public administration degree in Economic Development from Georgia State University. Mayor Dickens enjoys spending time with his daughter, experiencing live music, attending church services, and traveling the world. He is an avid Atlanta sports fan and enjoys supporting the Falcons, Hawks, Braves, United, Dream, and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.

Recently retired (12/2021) Director of Economic Development Downtown Development District of New Orleans, LA, a developer with over 35 years' experience in the real estate profession. He is an expert on downtown revitalization, affordable housing, mixed-use development and partnerships with public and non-profit entities. As the Director of Economic Development for the City of New Orleans, he is responsible for facilitating Downtown real estate development and investment, assisting the Downtown community with issues affecting the business environment, advancing Downtown planning, and attracting new business and development projects that will result in the expansion of employment, tax base and wealth creation in Downtown New Orleans. Prior to his time in New Orleans, he was a senior developer at Bayer Properties where he was involved with a variety commercial, mixed use and residential products in a variety of locations around the US. His primary duties included operating the residential and mixed-use real estate development and management division that focused on urban mixed-use community development projects in Birmingham’s revitalizing Center City. Ferguson also managed the Sloss Real Estate Group’s participation as a joint venture partner in a $100 million dollar HOPE VI, mixed-income residential development. Prior to joining Sloss, Ferguson was the president of Corker Group, Inc., where he managed approximately two million square feet of office, commercial, and industrial properties; supervised all leasing, administrative, maintenance, and financial operations; and prepared monthly and annual business plans, budgets, and reports to ownership. From 1991 to 1999, Ferguson was president of Chattanooga Neighborhood Enterprise, Inc. (CNE). At CNE, Ferguson managed lending, development, financing, and property management functions of approximately $30 million per year. Previously, Ferguson was president and chairman of John Laing Homes, Inc. and vice president of development for both the Van Metre Company and the Winkler Companies, all in the Washington, D.C. area. Ferguson is a full member of ULI, having received their O’Donnell Award in 2007, and a member of the Urban Revitalization Council and is the Chair for Mission Advancement of the Louisiana District Council and is the State P3 Chair for ICSC. Ferguson has served on fifteen National Advisory Panels and chaired fourteen of those panels. He has served on numerous civic and non-profit advisory boards, including the Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati and the Tennessee Housing Development Agency. Updated July 2019

Rick Tallman is a veteran entrepreneur who has founded, grown and sold a number of successful and profitable companies in the sustainable living, renewable power, low-carbon fuel, water and environmental remediation industries. He has a proven track record of bringing break-through sustainable technologies from product development to full commercialization. Rick has advanced degrees in Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines.

Christian is the CEO of RISE Modular, a full-service commercial volumetric modular manufacturing and construction firm revolutionizing the traditional stick-building process to meet the need for faster, safer, higher quality, more cost consistent and sustainable construction solutions from its Minnesota manufacturing facility. Christian and RISE Modular are advancing the modular paradigm by utilizing the best in emerging technology and an integrated team approach to deliver highly flexible and custom-designed multi-story housing and hospitality projects that meet a wide range of site, market and client needs. Prior to starting RISE Modular in 2018, Christian was the founding partner of Lake Harriet Development, a real estate development and investment company, where he discovered the advantages of offsite and volumetric modular construction methods. He previously served as the Vice President of Lake Harriet Capital, a Minneapolis based family office, where he sourced and led the analysis, diligence, and execution of private investments. Prior to Lake Harriet, Christian worked at Audax Private Equity, Piper Jaffray Healthcare Investment Banking and Medtronic Corporate Development. Christian received a BA in Economics from Yale University. Learn more about RISE Modular at risemodular.com

Mr. Gibbs is a seasoned commercial real estate professional with over 30 years of experience and over $700 million in commercial real estate transactions. He began his career in commercial real estate understanding value by doing complex feasibility studies and appraisals for high profile projects throughout the country at Landauer Associates. His grasp of valuations and sophisticated cash flow analysis facilitated his move into commercial real estate brokerage in the late 1980s, where he served in executive roles at CB Richard Ellis, The Staubach Company, and Jones Lang LaSalle. He was consistently recognized as one of the top professionals in the Atlanta Market and throughout the Southeast. Frequently quoted in major real estate publications, his experience has included acquisitions, dispositions, and leases for some of the largest financial, telecommunications, and legal organizations in the Southeast. As a co-founding partner with TriStar Investment, he is responsible for targeted acquisitions and equity sourcing. His unique value to our investors is his ability to add to top line rent growth. Knowledge of tenant demands and the implementation of strategic marketing efforts to reposition our assets will accelerate occupancy gains and enhance returns for our investors. Mr. Gibbs has a degree in Economics from Hampden-Sydney College and an MBA in Real Estate and Urban Development from American University. As a Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM), he is a recognized expert in commercial and investment real estate. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Atlanta Police Foundation and the Advisory Board of Crime Stoppers Atlanta. He is a graduate of and active participant with Leadership Atlanta. He lives in Buckhead with his wife, Kristen, and son, Nolan.

Adam Ducker is a Senior Managing Director at RCLCO, a real estate advisory firm, where he leads the firm’s Real Estate Economics practice area. RCLCO also provides management consulting and investment advisory services to organizations across the spectrum of land use. Real Estate Economics provides cutting edge market and financial analysis; entitlement and litigation support including fiscal, economic and other impact analysis; consumer research; product innovation; partner selection and public/private partnership formation. At ULI Adam is a vice chair of the Redevelopment and Reuse council; frequent speaker and moderator; is active in the Washington, D.C., district council; and has completed research with the Terwilliger Center and other thought leadership areas. A native New Yorker, Adam received B.A. and M.A. degrees from Columbia University and lives in Bethesda, Maryland.

Ron Terwilliger is Chairman Emeritus of Trammell Crow Residential Company, a national residential real estate company and the largest developer of multifamily housing in the U.S. for several decades during his tenure as CEO. Ron is an honor graduate of the United States Naval Academy. After serving five years in the Navy, he received his MBA degree with High Distinction from the Harvard Graduate School of Business where he was elected a Baker Scholar. Ron is past Chairman of the Urban Land Institute and currently serves as a Trustee. He is also Chairman Emeritus of the Wharton Real Estate Center. Ron is additionally past Chairman of the International Board of Directors of Habitat for Humanity and currently chairs Habitat’s Global Development Council. Ron currently serves as Chairman of the Enterprise Community Partners Board of Trustees. He also serves as Chairman of the Board of the U. S. Naval Academy Foundation and is a member of the Boards of the “I Have a Dream” Foundation and the Bipartisan Policy Center, where he chairs the J. Ronald Terwilliger Center for Housing Policy. Ron’s philanthropic contributions include a $100 million legacy gift to Habitat for Humanity International. He is prepaying $30 million of that gift to create the Terwilliger Center for Innovation and Shelter to bring market-based solutions to low-income families worldwide to improve their housing conditions. He has also pledged and contributed more than $50 million to the U.S. Naval Academy. Ron’s $5 million gift to the Enterprise Foundation created the Enterprise Terwilliger Fund – targeted to create 2,000 affordable homes annually. He also made a $3 million gift to Enterprise to provide resident services to low-income families. Ron established the ULI Terwilliger Center for Housing with his $5 million gift to the Urban Land Institute. Ron was inducted into the National Association of Home Builders Hall of Fame in 2008. In 2009, he was honored by the National Housing Conference with the Housing Leader of the Year Award. Ron was also honored in 2009 by the United States Naval Academy as a Distinguished Graduate for his lifetime commitment to service, personal character, and distinguished contributions to our nation. In 2012, Ron received the National Patriotism Award by the National Foundation of Patriotism. Ron was the recipient of the 2013 ULI J.C. Nichols Prize for Visionaries in Urban Development. Ron was selected for the Prestigious Horatio Alger Award – Class of 2014, bestowed upon individuals who have succeeded in spite of adversity and who are committed to supporting young people in pursuit of increased opportunities through higher education. He received the 2017 Edward W. Brooke Housing Leadership Award for his outstanding contributions to elevating the national discussion on rebalancing federal housing policy to better serve the needs of low-income households. Ron was honored in 2021 by the Navy Supply Corps Foundation as a Distinguished Alumnus.

Ahmad Abu-Khalaf is a senior research analyst on Enterprise Community Partners’ Policy Development & Research (PD&R) team. He conducts research and analysis of affordable housing and community development policy, focusing on strategies for expanding the supply of affordable homes and bending the cost curve. Ahmad holds a master’s degree in urban planning from the University of Arizona, Tucson.

Shannon Powell has more than 20 years of multi-disciplinary experience in city planning, economic development, and urban design. Shannon is currently an Assistant City Manager for the City of Avondale Estates, where she is responsible for planning, permitting, capital projects, and communications. As part of the city’s leadership team, Shannon plays an integral role in developing and implementing the city’s vision. In the last year, she has overseen the construction of a downtown town green, a newly drafted city-wide zoning code, and revised historic preservation guidelines. Before joining the city staff, she was President and Principal of City3Sixty and Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Midtown Alliance. The development and implementation of the award-winning Blueprint Midtown, a community-based master plan for Midtown Atlanta, is one of her most notable accomplishments.

Philip S. Payne Chairman Lotus Campaign Charlotte, NC Mr. Payne is the Chairman of the Lotus Campaign, a 501(c)3 dedicated to increasing the available of housing for those experiencing homelessness. He has over thirty years of experience in the development, acquisition, rehabilitation and management of middle market (workforce) multifamily housing. Prior to jointing Lotus, Mr. Payne was a Principal of Ginkgo Residential, which provides property management services for multifamily properties throughout the southern United States and is actively involved in the acquisition and substantial rehabilitation of middle market multifamily properties. From 2007 to 2010, Mr. Payne served as the CEO of Babcock & Brown Residential. Prior to joining Babcock & Brown Residential, Mr. Payne was the Chairman of BNP Residential Properties Trust, a publicly traded real estate investment trust. Mr. Payne is a member of the Urban Land Institute (“ULI”) and of ULI's Responsible Property Investing Council (founding Chairman). He is a ULI Trustee and Governor. He is also a past co-chairman of ULI’s Climate, Land Use and Energy Committee. Mr. Payne received a BS and a JD degree from The College of William and Mary in Virginia. He has written for various publications and spoken at numerous conferences on a variety of topics including real estate investment trusts, securities regulations, finance, and responsible property investing. Oct. 2020

Odetta MacLeish-White is Director of Georgia Initiatives for the Center for Community Progress (Community Progress), America’s nonprofit leader for turning “Vacant Spaces into Vibrant Places.” Odetta’s career in affordable housing and community development was ignited by her time working for a developer in Gainesville, Florida – an experience that taught her that it was possible to make beautiful housing accessible and affordable to everyone. Over her twenty-year career, Odetta has worked in affordable housing development, policy, and financing. Most recently, she served as the Managing Director of the TransFormation Alliance, a partnership of nonprofits, government agencies, and businesses working to strengthen communities through transit in metro Atlanta. Her career has evolved to include empowering residents and community members to influence development and funding processes that impact their neighborhoods. Odetta’s thought leadership on racial equity and shaping better health, climate, and economic outcomes have been featured in local, national, and international publications. Odetta is an alumna of Duke University School of Law where she received her Juris Doctorate and LLM in International Law. She earned her bachelor’s degree in English and American Literature and Language from Harvard-Radcliffe University. In 2018, she was a Salzburg Global Seminar Fellow in the “Building Healthy, Equitable Communities: The Role of Inclusive Urban Development and Investment” cohort. That experience culminated in the co-authorship of a statement on power and privilege in community development published by the Salzburg Global Seminar and the British Journal of Medicine. Today, Odetta leverages her broad community development experience and a justice-centered framework to help meet the needs of residents, localities, and industry leaders who are partnering to fight property vacancy and deterioration in Georgia. In addition to her work at Community Progress, MacLeish-White serves as Co-Chair of the Prioritizing Communities Work Group for the House ATL Initiative, and on the City of Atlanta’s Clean Energy Advisory Board. She also served on the board for the League of Women Voters of the United States Board of Directors from 2004-2008, and on the board of Georgia Advancing Communities Together (Georgia ACT) from 2013-2015.

Mr. Thomas holds a Master’s of Professional Studies in Community and Economic Development from Penn State University and brings more than 20 years of experience in the areas Acquisitions, Disposition, Development and Sourcing. Experienced in both the private and public sector, working with multifamily, office, mixed-use, retail and special purpose properties, he’s directed projects as a thought-leader from idea conceptualization to completion. Presently, Mr. Thomas serves as Senior Managing Director of Vibrance Partners and on the Board of Advisors for the Epic Community Impact Fund. Most, recently he served as Director of Real Estate Acquisitions and Development with Atlanta Housing Authority, spearheading Madison Reynoldstown, a 116-unit affordable housing development and Bowen Homes redevelopment, a 77-acre site slated for mixed-use development. He is a member of The Urban Land Institute Redevelopment and Reuse National Product Council, as well as the Urban Land Institute Atlanta Livable Communities Council, and Leadership Georgia. Mr. Thomas served eight years in the United States Marine Corps before Honorably Discharged. He brings a passion for Community and Economic Development to all projects and seeks to improve the built environment; as well as, the communities were assets are located.

Ma’Ayn Johnson, AICP, is the Housing Program Manager at the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) in Los Angeles, where she has specialized in housing policy and sustainable land use planning since 2006. Currently, she manages the $47 million Regional Early Action Planning (REAP) 1.0 grant, which aims to accelerate housing production through innovative partnerships with regional stakeholders, community-based organizations, and partner organizations. She is also currently supporting the coordination of the $246 million REAP 2.0 grant, which includes a project emphasis on housing-supportive infrastructure. In over fifteen years at SCAG, she has led a variety of housing-related programs including three cycles of the Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA), and was the primary author of SCAG’s comprehensive housing publication “Mission Impossible? Meeting California’s Housing Challenge.” Additionally, Ms. Johnson has expertise in public engagement and outreach, particularly for sensitive topics such as affordable housing and environmental justice. Her extensive work in regional government and planning have been recognized by the Urban Land Institute Young Leader’s Group and Women’s Leadership Initiative. She graduated with an M.A.in Urban Planning from the University of California, Los Angeles and a B.A. with Honors in Legal Studies from the University of California, Berkeley. Ms. Johnson also previously served as Chair of the City of Fullerton Planning Commission and as a County of Orange Housing & Community Development Commissioner.

Debra Campbell has served as the City Manager of Asheville, NC since December, 2018 In this role, she is responsible for advancing policies and priorities established by the Mayor and City Council by supporting the work of 16 City departments with over 1200 full time employees. Debra formerly served as an Assistant City Manager with the City of Charlotte. In this role, Debra provided technical and managerial support to numerous departments which included the Planning, Design and Development Department, Housing and Neighborhood Services Department, Charlotte Area Transit Department, Economic Development and the Charlotte Aviation Department. Prior to becoming an Assistant City Manager, Debra also served in the role of Planning Director for over a decade as the director of the then Charlotte Mecklenburg Planning Department. Debra has thirty-five plus years of experience in the fields of City Management and Administration, Urban Planning, Transportation/Land Use Integration, Transit Station Area Planning & Development, Neighborhood and Business Corridor Revitalization, Housing and Community Development. Before moving to Charlotte, Debra held several professional positions with various non-profit and public agencies. She served as a Consultant for Neighborhood Enterprise, a Non-Profit Housing Agency, and as a Planner with the Chattanooga Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission and the Tennessee State Planning Office. Debra is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University where she received a Masters in Public Administration in 1980 and a Bachelor of Science in Urban Planning in 1978. Debra serves on the board of directors of the United Way of Asheville. Membership/Affiliation International City/County Management Association (ICMA) American Planning Association (APA) Urban Land Institute (ULI) National Forum for Black Public Administrators (NFBPA) Leadership Charlotte, Class XX Leadership Development Institute Class X Awards 2019 ULI Women’s Leadership Initiative Champions in Real Estate 2018 Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. Outstanding Civic Leader 2013 Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) Person of the Year 2013 Mecklenburg Times 50 Most Influential Women 2010 Willie J. Stratford Sr. YMCA Diversity Award 2007 Governing Magazine Public Official of the Year 2007 Outstanding Achievement Southern Piedmont Chapter of COMTO and National Forum for Black Public Administrators 2005 A Child’s Place First Ladies of Charlotte 2005 Business and Professional Women’s Club Achievement

Randy Norton is the Founder and Chairman of Board at MultiGreen. Mr. Norton has more than 25 years of real estate experience, namely Real Estate Development and Construction, Building Information Modeling (BIM), Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), Smartgrid Cogeneration and Renewable Energy with Intelligent Building IoT. Mr. Norton is also a Managing Partner, the Global Head of Real Estate and Alternative Investments at Green Mesa Capital, a single family office based in Henderson, Nevada. Additionally, he currently serves as a Trustee for the City of Henderson Nevada Public Improvement Trust, and is an Advisory Council Member at the UNLV Lee Business School-Lied Institute for Real Estate. Mr. Norton is a member of the CAIA Association, CCIM Institute, CFA Institute, Construction Financial Management Association, Institute of Real Estate Management, Sustainable Accounting Standards Board, ULI Greenprint Center for Building Performance, U.S. Green Building Council, and is a Founding Executive Member of the Institute for Real Estate Operating Companies. Mr. Norton is a frequent speaker, moderator, and panelist, at industry events, including CalALTs, CAIA, CFA, CFMA, Connex, Context, Crittenden, iGlobal, IMN, IPI Campden, Linkbridge, Markets Group, Marcus Evans, Opal, Super Returns, select Universities, and is an annual ULI PwC Emerging Trends in Real Estate Interviewee. After graduating with University Honors in Korean and Business from Brigham Young University’s Marriott School of Management, Mr. Norton completed executive programs at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design, and Columbia Business School-Heilbrunn Center for Graham & Dodd Investing. Mr. Norton was previously published in the Real Estate Finance Journal, Forbes, GreenSights, GuruFocus, Yahoo! Finance, and is Author of the pending book: “Applied Value Investing in Real Estate.”

Sarah-Elizabeth Langford is the Interim Executive Director of the Development Authority of Fulton County. The Atlanta native and Howard University School of Law graduate brings nearly two decades of successful experience in affordable housing development and government relations. Through her roles as president of an affordable housing developer and as the former Director of Affordable Housing and Philanthropy at National Church Residences, Atlanta office, Langford has extensive experience advancing quality affordable housing to better serve communities. A former First Lady of the city of Atlanta, Langford is passionate about community and service. She has worked on initiatives that include partnering with Google Fiber to provide low-income families with technology and high-speed internet services. Among other highlights, she also helped open a technology center and computer lab with the WNBA in partnership with the YWCA and supported the grand opening of technology incubator Tech Square Labs and the Vine City At-Promise Youth Center. Langford is an Atlanta native and Pace Academy graduate. She was an NCAA Academic-All American gymnast at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich., where she graduated with a B.A. in French. She went on to receive her J.D. from Howard University School of Law. While in law school, Langford worked for U.S. Congressman John Lewis and later worked for the D.C. Office of the General Counsel. Langford currently serves as a board member on the University System of Georgia Board of Regents, Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students and the Children’s Museum of Atlanta. She is a 2009 Leadership Georgia graduate.

With 15 years of development experience in the Portland area, Jessy brings skill, knowledge and positivity to her practice. Jessy has transacted over $175,000,000 in development volume across 16 projects. This includes 525 affordable housing units and 200,000 SF of commercial developments. Jessy is adept at creative structuring, including navigating complex for-profit/non-profit partnerships and layered financing stacks. Jessy founded HomeWork Development in early 2021, with a vision to build a new model for an inclusive, thoughtful, and responsive development industry. Alongside Anna Mackay of Sister City, Jessy launched Shortstack Housing in 2021 to bring a replicable, urban infill workforce housing solution to the Portland area. Prior to HomeWork, Jessy was Director of Development at Beam Development for over six years. During her time at Beam Jessy oversaw new and adaptive reuse commercial projects primarily in Portland’s Central Eastside district, including District Office, Hotel Grand Stark and 811 Stark Office. Prior to Beam Jessy developed affordable housing from 2007-2015 for both non-profit and for-profit ownership. Jessy holds a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Oregon, with a minor with distinction from the Clark Honors College.

David Allman is Owner & Chairman of Regent Partners, a Real Estate Investment and Development company based in Atlanta which has developed or acquired more than $2.5 billion in real estate assets, including The Sovereign in Buckhead and the Concourse Complex. He graduated from Dartmouth College in 1976 Magna Cum Laude with Distinction in Economics and from the Lovett School as Valedictorian. Mr. Allman is active in numerous real estate, civic, and ministry initiatives. He currently serves as Trustee for the J. Bulow Campbell Foundation, Trustee for The Lovett School, and national Trustee for the Urban Land Institute (ULI). He also serves on the Boards of the Georgia Public Policy Foundation (GPPF) and the Metro Atlanta Chamber (MAC). As Founding Chairman of Opportunity International Nicaragua, he has spearheaded efforts to establish new models for holistic alleviation of poverty, including groundbreaking efforts to connect smallholder famers to the global supply chain. David also serves as Founding Chairman of the Atlanta Affordable Housing Fund, which is a $15M fund providing low-cost debt to support transformative AH opportunities. In the past, Mr. Allman served as Founding Chairman of the Buckhead Community Improvement District (BCID) and as a Trustee and Former Chairman of the Georgia World Congress Center Authority. He was also the Founding Chairman of the Eleazar Wheelock Society at Dartmouth College. He has been married for 41 years (Donna) and has four adult children and thirteen grandchildren. He and Donna are native Atlantans.

Renee Lewis Glover is an inspiring and purpose-driven Thought and Business Leader known internationally for changing the conversation about public and subsidized housing and economic development. As the 19-year Chief Executive Officer of the Atlanta Housing Authority (AHA), a quasi-governmental real estate and economic development agency organized under the laws of the State of Georgia, Renee sponsored the formation of numerous public/private partnerships to develop more than 16 mixed-use, mixed-income residential communities, leveraging public funds by a ten-to-one ratio, with a $3 Billion economic impact; successfully privatized important business functions to improve customer service and efficiency; negotiated and implemented comprehensive regulatory reform; and effectuated business transformation of AHA from a chronically dysfunctional public housing authority, on the verge of receivership, to become a high performing, nationally recognized diversified real estate company, with a public mission and purpose. During her tenure with AHA, Renee has been credited with creating the national legal, financial and regulatory model for mixed-use, mixed-income communities, with publicly-assisted housing as a component. When Renee retired from AHA as its CEO in September 2013, as a result of the effective implementation of the strategic plan developed under her leadership, AHA had approximately $100 million in cash reserves. Renee, a corporate lawyer and former partner at two major law firms in New York City and Atlanta, has been successful and effective in high-profile executive roles, with demonstrated strengths in relationship management, strategic partnerships, finance, regulatory reform and deal construction. Renee is highly skilled in strategic problem solving, regulatory reform, creating vision, developing long-term strategic plans, clarifying and communicating complex issues, galvanizing resources, and achieving defined objectives. Renee is currently serving on the Boards of Tricon Residential, Inc., Fannie Mae and Enterprise Community Partners. Renee has also served on a number of for-profit, not-for-profit and civic Boards, including, but not limited to, the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, Habitat for Humanity International and the University of Pennsylvania Institute for Urban Research. Renee also served on two national bipartisan housing policy commissions, charged with making policy recommendations to the United States Congress.

Krista is vice president of national initiatives at Enterprise Community Partners, where she’s able to blend her passions for social change and sustainability. With more than 15 years of experience leading energy efficiency and healthy housing initiatives with affordable housing stakeholders, Krista manages Enterprise’s national sustainability efforts. She leverages Enterprise’s Green Communities platform, climate disaster response work, and cultural resilience programming to deploy equitable climate resilience solutions across the country. Krista led the technical development and public roll-out of the 2015 and 2020 Enterprise Green Communities Criteria, provides strategic oversight for the Enterprise Green Communities Certification program and leads Enterprise’s Health Action Plan framework which pairs public health professionals with affordable housing development teams. Krista serves on the NEWAHB Advisory Council, Oberlin EnviroAlums Steering Committee, and the Building Performance Institute (BPI) Board of Directors.

Joseph is an Associate at CIM Group where he focuses on ground-up, infill development, and adaptive reuse projects. Most recently, he completed the residential component of The Lofts at Centennial Yards South, a conversion of a Norfolk Southern office building built in 1912 to 162 residential units. He began his career in real estate development in the affordable housing sector working on LIHTC projects in Georgia. He currently lives in the metro Atlanta area, and is a native Atlantan. He attended Morehouse College for his undergraduate degree, and the Scheller College of Business at Georgia Tech for his MBA. Joseph is passionate about thoughtful, urban development, spending time in the outdoors, and Formula One.

Vicki Davis is a Managing Partner, and co-founder of Urban Atlantic. While overseeing development and asset management for Urban Atlantic, Ms. Davis has managed the development of more than $3 billion in real estate projects and overseen a portfolio in excess of $5 billion in real estate investments. Her 30-year real estate career includes serving as Deputy Director of the Maryland Housing Fund and its Housing and Community Development’s Division of Credit Assurance, as well as portfolio management for South Charles Realty Corp. and multifamily development for Trammell Crow Residential. She has developed more than 10,000 multifamily residential units and over 3 million commercial square feet for Urban Atlantic, including 12 large-scale public-private redevelopments for local jurisdictions, transit authorities, and public housing authorities in DC, Virginia, Maryland, Florida, North Carolina, New Jersey, and Tennessee. Ms. Davis holds an MBA in Finance from American University, an MS in Engineering & Construction Management from the University of Texas, and a BS in Civil Engineering from the University of Maryland. She serves on the Boards of the DC Building Industry Association, Capitol Riverfront Business Improvement District, and the ULI Terwilliger Center.

Born and raised in Aiken, South Carolina, Scott Garvin graduated from Clemson University in 1984 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Design. He received his Masters in Architecture in 1986 from Clemson and spent a semester in Italy for overseas study. After working in Greenville for a few years, Scott relocated to Columbia and has practiced architecture in the region for more than 30 years. He established Garvin Design Group in 2003. He has been involved in the design and management of more than $900,000,000 worth of projects and launched Garvin Design Group in order to provide client-driven design solutions, utilizing more strategic delivery models. Scott is directly involved with every project with a particular focus on the client’s objectives, schedule, and budget. He also spearheads the corporate business and marketing functions of the firm. Scott’s has been involved with significant projects around the state, including the USC Strom Thurmond Wellness Center, the revitalization of the Olympia and Granby Mills and Palmetto Compress Warehouse, and the expansion of the Peace Center for the Performing Arts in Greenville. In addition to City Market, some of his recent local projects include Halls Chophouse and Hendrix, two of Main Street’s hottest restaurants. Beyond the studio, he is actively involved in the Executive Association of Greater Columbia, the Vista Guild, and the Clemson Architectural Foundation, among other organizations. AIA South Carolina recognized Scott’s impact on the state and the profession this past year when it awarded Garvin Design Group the organization’s Firm Award. Garvin Design Group is the 12th winner in the award’s 26-year history.

Daryl J. Carter is the Founder, Chairman and CEO of Avanath Capital Management, LLC, a California-based investment firm that acquires, renovates, and operates apartment properties, with an emphasis on affordable and workforce communities. Mr. Carter directs the overall strategy and operations of the Company. Since its formation in 2008, Avanath has acquired $1.5 billion of properties in 12 states in the U.S., comprising 8,000 apartment units. Avanath is vertically integrated and is an SEC registered investment advisor and an institutional fund manager, with capabilities that include acquisition sourcing and underwriting, construction, asset management, and on-site property management. Mr. Carter has 37 years of experience in the commercial real estate industry. Previously, he was an Executive Managing Director of Centerline Capital Group. Mr. Carter became part of the Centerline team when his company, Capri Capi¬tal Finance, was acquired by Centerline in 2005. Mr. Carter co-founded and served as Co-Chairman of the Capri Capital family of companies. He was instrumental in building Capri to a diversified real estate investment firm with $8 billion in real estate equity and debt investments under management. Prior to Capri, Mr. Carter was Regional Vice President at Westinghouse Credit Corporation and a Second Vice President at Continental Bank. Mr. Carter holds a Master’s in Archi¬tecture and a Master’s in Business Administration, both from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Architecture from the University of Michigan. Mr. Carter serves on the Visiting Committee of the MIT Sloan School of Management. In 2015, Mr. Carter received the MIT Sloan School Distinguished Alumni Award and served as the 2015 commencement speaker for the Sloan School MBA graduation. Mr. Carter is a Past Chairman of the National Multifamily Housing Council. Previously, Mr. Carter served as an independent director on the boards of the following companies: Catellus Development Corporation (CDX), Silver Bay Realty Trust (SBY), and Whitestone REIT (WSR).

Eric Kronberg is a zoning whisperer. He specializes in examining and demystifying zoning ordinances to find ways to make great projects possible and help others navigate through the zoning swamp. He uses his skills for the force of good as a principal at Kronberg Urbanists + Architects, leading the firm’s pre-development efforts by combining skills in planning, development, architecture, and zoning. Eric leverages this potent cocktail to chart the course of best possibilities for each site’s redevelopment. His work with KUA, the Incremental Development Alliance, the Congress for the New Urbanism, the Georgia Conservancy, and the National Town Builders Association has solidified his stance as an advocate for walkable and bikeable communities.

The Executive Director of the MicroLife Institute and a thought leader and innovator in the micro living world. Over the past six years, his organization has enabled policy change and brought acceptance of micro structures in the Southeast through events, projects and advocacy. His philosophy is allowing people to think outside the box by putting them in one. Before founding the MicroLife Institute, Johnston was Manager for Community and Customer Engagement at The Atlanta Journal Constitution Over his tenure he expanded his network in Atlanta and worked with several Non-Profits fundraising and producing events. Johnston is an avid traveller and loves staying in the smallest of places all around the world .

Benjamin Kasdan, AIA, LEED AP, NCARB, is a Principal at KTGY Architecture+Planning. He has been involved in leading the design and planning of a wide variety of real estate projects located throughout the East Coast, California, and internationally. Mr. Kasdan’s primary focus is the sustainable design of multifamily, mixed-use, and urban-infill housing developments. His experience includes affordable housing, market-rate apartments and condominiums, townhomes, student housing, and commercial buildings.

Stan Wall joined HR&A as a Partner in our Washington D.C. office in August 2015 after holding several senior positions in the mid-Atlantic region. In his previous posts, Stan worked across the entire real estate project lifecycle including strategy, planning, finance, development, and construction. Prior to joining HR&A, Stan was the Director of Real Estate and Station Planning at the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), the second busiest transit system in the United States. In this role, he reinvigorated the agency’s transit oriented development (TOD) program by helping them leverage their transit infrastructure to support housing and economic development. In the past three years, Stan helped to secure Board approval to pursue 16 new TOD projects. Eight of the 16 approved locations are now in the negotiation and/or solicitation stages; four more are in the final stages of pre-solicitation planning; and the remaining four are in the early planning stages. As these projects are implemented in the next 3-4 years, they will begin to yield significant financial and ridership benefits for the agency. Stan also helped to enhance WMATA’s relationship with local jurisdictions, which in turn served to ensure a responsiveness to the local communities and to present a consistent, unified message to interested developers. Through these efforts, coupled with a refinement to the agency’s development policies and procedures, WMATA became known as a better business partner to the development community. This extended beyond TOD solicitations to include an increased responsive to developer inquiries in all other aspects of the office such as permits, easements, and other information requests. Stan is also owner and founder of Wall Development Group, a Washington, D.C. based development firm focused on sustainable development, urban infill, and community-oriented projects. With Wall Development, Stan led a multi-disciplinary team to advise the District of Columbia on a development strategy for the Poplar Point Redevelopment project – a 110-acre site directly across the Anacostia River from the Nationals stadium and the Capitol Riverfront area. The site presented tremendous planning challenges including mitigation/restoration of existing wetlands, elevating the property out of the floodplain, relocation of Federal facilities, creation of a 70-acre park space, and construction of significant infrastructure to better connect the site to the surrounding established neighborhoods. Stan’s team of consultants advised the District across all of these areas and created a development strategy to advance the project forward. Previously Stan worked with Arup, an international firm of designers, planners, engineers, consultants and technical specialists with a focus on innovative projects in Washington D.C. While at Arup, he assisted the firm in the creation of a new business initiative focused on assisting owners and investors of real estate portfolios create value through sustainability initiatives. Stan also worked for a number of years at Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) in Washington D.C. as a Vice President in the firm’s public institutions practice. While at JLL, he assisted public sector clients in maximizing the strategic and financial value of their real estate assets through public-private initiatives. Clients included: the U.S. General Services Administration, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the District of Columbia, Prince George’s County, Maryland; and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Prior to Jones Lang LaSalle, Stan was a Manager with Deloitte Consulting, where he provided strategic advisory services to Fortune 500 companies in the areas of real estate, construction, and capital program management. Stan is a registered Professional Engineer and began his career in Lend Lease’s construction management group, where he was an on-site project engineer focusing on healthcare projects in the Washington-Baltimore region. Stan received a Master of Business Administration in Finance and Real Estate from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Arts in Architectural Engineering from Pennsylvania State University. In 2013, the Washington Business Journal recognized Stan as one of the region’s Minority Business Leader Award winners.

Roberto Vazquez is a Project Director at Omgivning and focuses on adaptive reuse and major rehabilitation of existing buildings in downtown Los Angeles and throughout Southern California. He has successfully managed building types from small tenant improvements to high-rise adaptive reuse efforts. These projects include renovations and additions of residential, office, and mixed-use developments including nearly 1,400 residential units many of which are built or under construction. Roberto enjoys blending his creativity and design talents with his strong technical skills. His experience with existing buildings and code analysis has made him and Omgivning a sought-after architecture firm in the development community. His knowledge and passion for adaptive reuse have led him to become a leader in the firm’s advocacy and policy reform efforts. One particular focus for Roberto is turning Los Angeles’s current and highly successful Adaptive Reuse Ordinance into a more highly evolved document and expanding it citywide in order to reuse existing buildings for all uses but in particular to meet housing needs. Roberto graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Science in Architecture degree and is a member of the American Institute of Architects.

As Entegrity’s Regional Director, John’s current responsibilities include business development in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri and managing the Northwest Arkansas Entegrity office; providing technical expertise for both sustainability and energy services projects. John also serves as Chairperson of the ULI Northwest Arkansas Chapter’s Advisory Board. John is a graduate of the University of Arkansas’ College of Engineering and University of Texas LBJ School of Public Affairs, a licensed Professional Engineer, a LEED Accredited Professional in Building Design and Construction, and a PV Associate of the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners.

Mr. Rachal is President of Urban Key Capital Partners which is a mission-driven, specialty finance advisory services platform with expertise in providing a range of financial service to highly-impactful real estate development projects in distressed communities and development authorities. Mr. Rachal is also a Principal of Red Rock Global and President of Red Rock Global Capital Partners where he has specific responsibility for directing all financial advisory services and private placement activity. Prior to forming Urban Key Capital Partners and re-joining Red Rock Global, Mr. Rachal was Managing Director of Redevelopment at Invest Atlanta. He had specific responsibility for managing, marketing and overseeing the City of Atlanta’s tax allocation district program and served as director for commercial, retail and mixed-use projects applying for tax increment finance funding. Mr. Rachal also created and had the responsibility of directing Invest Atlanta’s controlling entity interest as President of Atlanta Emerging Markets, Inc., a New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) program Certified Community Development Entity (CDE) and multi-round allocatee (over $200 million). Mr. Rachal joined Invest Atlanta from Red Rock Global, which is an Atlanta-based real estate advisory services and commercial brokerage company he co-founded in 2001. Prior to that, Mr. Rachal served with the Private Equity Group of Merrill Lynch & Co. in New York where he had the responsibility of advising financial sponsors in the private placement of over $7 billion of limited partnership interests to institutional investors. He also served within the Mergers & Acquisitions Group at Merrill Lynch & Co. in New York where he provided advisory assistance to Fortune 500 companies and financial sponsors in over $5 billion of both acquisitions and divestitures. Mr. Rachal is a graduate of Dartmouth College with degrees in Economics and Government, as well as the University of Chicago Law School and Booth School of Business, where he received his Juris Doctor and Master of Business Administration degrees, respectively. Mr. Rachal currently serves as Vice Chair of the advisory board of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Atlanta District Council, past Chair of the Public-Private Partnership Council of ULI, Global Governing Trustee and was a participant in the Atlanta District Council’s Inaugural Center for Regional Leadership Development. Mr. Rachal proudly serves on the boards of directors of The Frazer Center, Southface Energy Institute, CaringWorks, Sadie G. Mays Health and Rehabilitation Center, Health 1st Foundation and Ebenezer Baptist Church. He has also chaired the boards of directors of the Development Authority of DeKalb County (Decide DeKalb), the DeKalb Private Hospital Authority and the Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly Authority. In addition, Mr. Rachal is a graduate of the 2012 Class of Leadership Atlanta, the 2013 Class of Leadership Georgia and the 2013 Atlanta Regional Commission Leadership Institute.