Christiana is a Director in HR&A Advisor’s Housing Affordability Practice. Christiana brings her background in housing and real estate finance and policy to lead a range of policy projects in New York City and across the country for both public and private sector clients. With a long-held belief that fair access to high-quality housing should be a local, state, and federal policy priority, Christiana works to promote creative solutions to our most challenging problems, with a particular focus on solutions that build healthy housing markets and integrate sustainability goals. Christiana holds a Master’s in City and Regional Planning from the University of California, Berkeley with a Graduate Certificate in Real Estate, and a Bachelor’s in Government and Legal Studies from Bowdoin College.

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. She is an active member of the National Association for Business Economics, a member of Up for Growth’s Advisory Board, and is a member of the Eastern Panhandle Advisory Council for Girls on the Run of the Shenandoah Valley.

Abby Ivory currently works as the Managing Director of Ivory Innovations which is focused on driving housing affordability by supporting companies who are driving change in the industry as well as educating students about the problem and ways that they could take action. Prior to this she has worked on the Impact Investing team for the Sorenson Impact Center. Her work has been published in the Stanford Social Innovation Review. Abby graduated with a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Utah in 2016 with an emphasis in Sustainability.

Shannon Boone is the Housing Manager for the cities of Sedona and Cottonwood, Arizona. The neighboring cities share a housing affordability crisis in a rural area where tourism is the economic driver and the popularity of vacation rental homes has outpriced local workers. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin, Shannon earned a Bachelors degree in Urban Studies and a Masters Certificate in Nonprofit Management while pursuing a Masters in Public Administration with a Public Policy focus. She has 25 years of affordable housing and real estate development experience spanning the public, nonprofit and private sectors, providing a broad understanding of development challenges. In her previous position as the Director of Real Estate Development for a Milwaukee neighborhood-based nonprofit, Shannon was instrumental in forming the Milwaukee Community Land Trust and ensuring quality affordable homeownership options for all families. In her home city of Indianapolis, her company led the housing renovation movement in the low-income neighborhoods of the city’s near eastside, which later gained momentum when selected as the Super Bowl’s Legacy Project.

Jennifer Pescatore is the regional manager for BOK Financial’s commercial real estate department focusing in Arizona, California, and Utah. She began her banking career at American National Bank & Trust Co. in Chicago. She has been a commercial real estate lender since moving to Phoenix in 1994 with experience in all property types throughout the United States, from local developers and investors to homebuilders and publicly traded REITs. She graduated from Purdue University with a BS in Management. Jennifer is a member of Urban Land Institute, Arizona State University’s Real Estate Council, CommercialOne, and the Real Estate Investment Advisory Council Southwest Chapter. She has held Treasurer roles for non-profit boards including National Charity League-Scottsdale and the Desert Foundation Auxiliary. BOK Financial is part of BOK Financial Corporation (BOKF). BOKF is a $47 billion regional financial services company headquartered in Tulsa that has remained in a position of strength throughout the market fluctuations. Commercial Real Estate lending activity focuses on the multifamily, retail, industrial and office sectors. Loan sizes typically range from $5 million to $40 million. In addition to commercial real estate, BOK Financial bankers are experienced in corporate and business banking, treasury services, international banking, institutional wealth management, consumer and mortgage banking. The company's stock is publicly traded on NASDAQ under the Global Select market listings (symbol: BOKF).

Anjali Kolachalam is Policy and Research Manager with Up for Growth. She joined the organization in 2022 after working for National Journal for two years. Kolachalam has worked on various policy issues, including energy and transportation, and now focuses on robust pro-housing policy. Currently, she manages the production of Up for Growth’s signature research products, including the annual Housing Underproduction report, the brief policy series, and the Housing Policy and Affordability Calculators. She also works closely with Up for Growth’s Legislative Director to help support effective national housing policy.

Lionel Lynch is the Director of Community Development Banking Capital Solutions for JPMorgan Chase. Capital Solutions provides innovative financing to develop multifamily housing with rents attainable to a broader income range than traditional affordable or market-rate housing. Capital Solutions partners with a variety of capital sources, including equity investors, impact funds and institutions with a commitment to community development. Lionel’s diverse career includes a variety of leadership roles in both the private and public sectors. He has experience developing multifamily residential and mixed-use projects for private real estate companies. He served in the federal government as Senior Advisor for Housing Finance and Policy at the Department of Housing and Urban Development, including Chief of Staff for the Federal Housing Administration. Combining both perspectives, Lionel was Principal of HR&A Advisors, an influential public-private real estate and economic development consulting firm, where he advised public agencies, private developers, and anchor institutions such as hospitals and universities on projects exceeding hundreds of millions of dollars that have catalyzed development and investment in communities. Lionel earned his bachelor’s degree with honors from Harvard University and MBA from Harvard Business School. He is passionate about cities, is a member of the Real Estate Executive Council, currently serves on the Board of Directors for the DowntownDC Foundation and has held volunteer leadership roles at several organizations that advance equitable development. Lionel lives in Washington, D.C., with his wife and their two daughters.

Joshua Posner has developed affordable housing over the last 45 years in a wide variety of settings in New England and other parts of the United States, playing a significant role in the planning and development of over 2000 housing units. He founded Rising Tide Development LLC in 2001 to focus on the creation of new, small-scale, mixed-income residential communities in some of the most exclusive towns in Massachusetts including Nantucket, Lexington and Sherborn. Prior to Rising Tide Development, he played senior management roles over 12 years at The Community Builders (1984-96), a leading regional and national nonprofit developer of affordable housing. He has specialized in the construction and rehabilitation of community-based housing, the preservation of affordable housing nearing the end of its regulatory period, and the redevelopment of large-scale dilapidated public housing projects in various locations around the country. One of his most recognized projects is Tent City, with 269 unit mixed income residential units, a 698 underground parking garage and associated neighborhood retail space and on a 3.3 acre site at the intersection of Boston’s South End and Back Bay neighborhoods. Tent City has won numerous awards including the Urban Land Institute Award for Excellence. In 1998, he served as President of Cornerstone Housing, a private development firm focused on public housing revitalization, and from 1999 through 2000, he served as Vice President of Development for Trinity Financial, Inc. in Boston. Earlier in his career he founded and led a community development corporation in Brockton, Massachusetts (1972-77) and played a senior role in the growth and operation of Massachusetts Fair Share, a statewide community organization focused on economic justice and community improvement (1978-83.) Posner has been engaged in a variety of community activities, including serving on the Board of Cambridge Health Alliance, an award-winning integrated healthcare system with three hospitals and 10 neighborhood clinics that serves Cambridge, Somerville, and Boston’s metro-north communities; past Board President and Director of The Guidance Center, the largest mental health and family support social service organization in Cambridge and Somerville; Founding Board Member and Treasurer of Shining Hope for Communities (2009-2012), a NGO combating gender inequality and extreme poverty by running a school for girls, a health clinic, a clean water program and other enterprises in the Kibera slum of Nairobi, Kenya; Board member of Shared Interest, uses loan guarantees to bridge the gap between South African banks and marginalized people, previously considered “un-bankable” during apartheid; Board member Treasurer of Sconset Beach Preservation Fund, dedicated to protecting and preserving the historic Sconset Bluff on the eastern shoreline of Nantucket Island; and past Board President and Overseer of Shady Hill School in Cambridge. He holds degrees from Brown University (BA) and the Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University (MPA). He is an avid skier, tennis player and music lover. He is married to Eileen Rudden and lives in Cambridge, MA. They have 3 grown sons and 5 grandchildren.

Kate Gallego has a vision for Phoenix: she sees it as a place that is vibrant and growing, and one where every person is treated with dignity and respect. Mayor Gallego is a strong advocate for smart business growth and investment – she recently helped land the city’s largest-ever business development deal, a $12 billion semiconductor manufacturing plant that will bring significant economic development for decades to come. She is leading the city to global status as a leader in bioscience, research, and advanced medical manufacturing. The Mayor is also leading Phoenix to meet its goal to become the most sustainable desert city in the United States. She has fostered investments in cool solutions, including the nation’s first, publicly funded Office of Heat Response and Mitigation; launched the city’s successful cool pavement pilot; and led the charge toward building the necessary EV infrastructure to get fossil fuel powered vehicles off the road. Mayor Gallego is the second elected female Mayor in Phoenix history and one of the youngest big city Mayors in the United States. In November 2020, she was returned to office with the highest number of votes ever cast for a mayoral candidate in Phoenix. A graduate of Harvard University, she earned an MBA from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. Prior professional pursuits include strategic planning and economic development for one of Arizona’s largest utility companies and service in state government, as part of the Governor’s team. She was elected to the Phoenix City Council in 2013, and won the office of Mayor in 2019. Mayor Kate Gallego enjoys a desert hike and a good read. She is Mom to five-year-old Michael.

Fernando brings over 20 years of experience in the design, documentation and construction administration of large urban developments. His expertise includes new construction and renovations of mixed-use, multifamily, senior living, student residences, and assisted living communities. Fernando’s responsibilities include code analysis, quality control review, scheduling, and reviewing contracts. Fernando oversees all aspects of the design in a collaborative yet resolute manner with all stakeholders. Fernando has significant experience working on tenant in-place renovations, adaptive re-use projects, as well as new construction developments in urban areas. He combines his knowledge of the requirements presented by local jurisdictions and stakeholders’ desires, with his talent crafting valuable and exceptional spaces that enrich our buildings, neighborhoods and cities. Fernando is a board member of MiCasa, a nonprofit affordable housing developer committed to providing quality affordable housing in the Washington, DC area. Fernando is also a fellow of the ULI Leadership Program and a frequent Guest Speaker and Juror at the University of Maryland, George Washington, and Catholic Universities.

Trevor Barger brings with him more than 25 years of experience in land use planning and design and has led Espiritu Loci for the past 20 years. Trevor is also principal with Arizona Strategies, a land use strategy and real estate development company. The Espiritu Loci design team has worked on major master planned communities, alternative energy campuses, resort communities and historic ranches around the West. His award-winning, innovative designs allow his developments to be responsive to market conditions, attractive to major employers and create connectivity to the larger communities they serve. Trevor’s designs provide a cohesive environment for new development. Having worked for both public and private sector clients, at a variety of scales and project types, he leverages his experience to add value and assists clients in transforming vision to reality. Trevor’s multidisciplinary approach to design and ability to quickly integrate information makes him a trusted advisor to many clients. Building solid, long-lasting relationships is at the heart of his profession. Trevor’s practice centers in the desert southwest, but includes projects from across the Western region and the country. A highly sought after lecturer, Trevor has served as an adjunct professor for ASU and presenter for Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West. He has offered his professional expertise to the City of Tempe as a board member on the Development Review (Planning) Commission and Neighborhood Advisory Commission. In the community, Trevor has served on the board of directors for Childsplay, the Newman Center, the Giving Tree and advises the Catechesis of the God Sheppard and ChildHelp City. Trevor is a member of the Urban Land Institute and the American Planning Association and earned an Arizona APA award for his work for DMB’s Eastmark community in Mesa.

Dennis is the president of the Housing Innovation Alliance, a future oriented community for production homebuilding. He leads business strategy, market engagement, and program development with reach across 200+ companies impacting 35%+ of U.S. annual housing starts. Prior to the Alliance, Dennis helped change the face of the housing industry in Saudi Arabia. Dennis helped to create a nationwide program to develop a modular housing industry - modeling 26 strategic initiatives that would jumpstart the creation of a robust construction ecosystem, evaluating 200+ global technology providers, and securing initial approval for $4B in government investment. He was also a key player in SABIC's Home of Innovation program, a $30M+ multi-year market engagement program focused on encouraging collaboration among the housing value chain and ensuring that better construction practices are adopted throughout the GCC region. The program resulted in the Middle East's first LEED platinum home, a pilot community of 1,200 LEED Silvers homes and a 20,000 sq.ft. LEED gold interactive exhibition center, which has become the epicenter for collaboration in the region leading to $2.5B in new economic opportunities. Dennis is a full ULI member, a Professional Builder 40 under 40 winner, recognized by ModConnect as a top influencer in offsite construction, and an active member of Geek Estate. Dennis and his wife are active participants in fundraising and event planning efforts for the Children's Free Care Fund. In his spare time, he enjoys big adventures with his wife and sons on the water and in the mountains. He supports the efforts of other entrepreneurs - advising and investing in start-up companies ranging from CPG to Proptech to Robotics.

Lorenzo Perez is co-founder and directing principal of Venue Projects, an inspired redevelopment practice based in Phoenix, Arizona. Advocates for LOCAL community, culture and commerce, Venue crafts one-of-a-kind environments and experiences throughout the Metro Phoenix market. A native Phoenician, Lorenzo holds a bachelor’s degree in architecture from Arizona State University, an active Arizona real estate license, and has been working in the Valley real estate development industry over 25 years. A long-time member of the Urban Land Institute, a sincere believer in design and context sensitive development, Lorenzo is often invited to share his passionate perspective on Venue’s artistic approach to developing human centric places. Notable redevelopment projects include The Newton (Formerly The Beefeater); The Orchard, The Windsor, The Alhambra (Mesa, AZ) and Arrive Hotel.

Ali Wolf is the Chief Economist for Zonda, the largest new home construction data company in North America. As head of the Economics Department, Ali manages and analyzes the content for Zonda, runs special research projects, strategizes with the nation’s largest homebuilders, and presents nationwide covering topics across the housing market and wider economy. Ali is the creator of Zonda’s proprietary indices, including the New Home Pending Sales Index and the New Home Lot Supply Index. Ali has focused much of her career on understanding prior recessions and led the charge on ‘Millennials discussing Millennials’ in the homebuilding space. Highly regarded as an industry expert, Ali is quoted frequently in national publications including CNBC, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and Yahoo! Finance, and has also appeared on national and international TV and radio programs such as Bloomberg TV and Marketplace. Further, Ali serves as an advisor to the White House, providing data and insights on the U.S. housing market. Prior to joining the Zonda team, Ali worked for another consultancy firm and was a researcher for both the Canadian and UK Parliaments. Ali holds a Bachelor’s Degree from The Ohio State University in Economics and a Master’s Degree from the London School of Economics in Real Estate Economics and Finance.

Wellington "Duke" Reiter, FAIA, is the Senior Advisor to the President of Arizona State University and the Executive Director of the University City Exchange (UCX) at ASU. His UCX portfolio features complex, multi-stakeholder projects involving university/city collaboration, sustainable urbanism, healthcare, and university design. Over the past twenty years, Reiter has played numerous roles: academic administrator, faculty member, architect, urban designer, community leader, and public artist. In the course of his career, he has established a track a record of highly effective partnerships with public office holders, the business community, non-profit groups, professional organizations, and private sector developers. Central to his experience has been the construction of mutually beneficial relationships between the institutions he has led and the cities in which they are located. Accordingly, Mr. Reiter was a key player in the conceptualization and creation of the award-winning Downtown Phoenix Campus for ASU, and continues to expand the impact of university engagement via the Central Idea initiative and a proposal entitled NEXUS City- a framework to leverage the unique adjacency of the ASU Polytechnic Campus, the Phoenix-Gateway Airport, and surrounding businesses. At the metropolitan scale, Reiter is spearheading the Rio Reimagined study at the urging of the late Senator McCain, a 40+ mile vision which will unite the interests of municipalities and is soon to be designated a priority project via the Federal Urban Waters program. Reiter’s most ambitious project at the moment is Ten Across (10X), an expansive undertaking which suggests that the U.S. Interstate 10 corridor provides the most compelling window on the future of the country, one which presents the challenges of the 21st century in their highest relief. On the front lines of social, economic, and climate change, the Ten Across (10X) initiative positions this region as a living laboratory for the future of the entire country. Reiter is the past President of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, the former Dean of the College of Design at Arizona State University, and a long-time faculty member at MIT in the Department of Architecture. He is the recipient of the Arizona Architect’s medal and is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects. He is a Trustee of the Urban Land Institute and former Chair of the University Development and Innovation Council. His projects and visualizations have been featured in numerous museums and Princeton Architectural Press previously published a monograph on Reiter’s work, Vessels and Fields.

Minjee Kim is an Assistant Professor at Florida State University’s Department of Urban and Regional Planning. She studies the relationship between real estate development and urban planning and writes about land value capture, large-scale real estate developments, public private partnerships, and equitable developments. She earned her PhD and Master’s degrees from MIT and has multiple years of experience working in local governments including the cities of Boston and Cambridge. She strives to identify how planners and policymakers can work with real estate developers to further equitable development outcomes. She is also the sole author of a forthcoming report published by the ULI Terwilliger Center for Housing on the issues of diversity and inclusion in master-planned communities.

Michael Finch has been an Advisor and practiced at a licensed Commercial Real Estate (CRE) Brokerage since 2005 and based in Phoenix, Arizona. Michael is considered a national leader in the Single Family Residential (SFR) and the Build for Rent (BFR) investment portfolio segment. The SFRhub platform typically has approximately $1B-$2B pipeline of activity in the SFR/BFR investment segment. Today, Michael is a Principal, Founder and Executive Vice President of several CRE client support companies including SVN | SFRhub Advisors (Brokerage), SFRhub.com (technology, research and data), SFRhub Modular (sustainable building systems), and a member of the General Partner of SVN | SFR Capital Fund I, L.P. (CRE investment company) and Principal of SFR Capital Management, LLC (an RIA & asset management company). Michael could not be prouder of the teams he has successfully grown to national prominence and leadership to support the entire SFRhub platform and its clients. He continues to look for growth opportunities in the SFR and BFR investment portfolio segment to continue to create a culture of pride, integrity, transparency, success in a specialized investment class that is one of the most active, stable and risk mitigated commercial real estate asset classes in the country. Michael is Co-chair of the SVN National SFR Portfolio Product Council. SFRhub.com technology is the market dominating power behind the success of all of its client support companies and alliance members. Spear heading much of the business development within the SFRhub platform Michael has the privilege of working with the best teams in the industry and continues to push the boundaries creating continued disruption and dominance in the specialized investment class.

Ryan Davis serves as Chief Executive Officer. In this role, Ryan provides fact-based research, analysis and discussion to help clients formulate their apartment market strategies. This insight informs investment decisions for multifamily development and buy/sell opportunities. Experience: After completing his Ph.D. program, Ryan joined Witten Advisors. Previously, Ryan was Vice President of Royal Bank of Canada’s Capital Markets division where he was responsible for originating, underwriting and closing multifamily and commercial mortgages for inclusion in CMBS pools and for sale to Fannie and Freddie. Before RBC, Ryan was a Director at BMC Capital, a multifamily and commercial mortgage-banking firm. Industry Involvement: Ryan has been a keynote speaker at industry conferences and co-presents all client updates with Ron Witten. He is a member of Urban Land Institute’s (ULI) Multifamily Gold Council, ULI North Texas’ Multifamily Council, ULI North Texas’ Center for Leadership Program, and the National Multifamily Housing Council. Ryan is past president of the DFW Association for Business Economics and currently serves on the board. Ryan also serves as a member of Apartment Life’s National Advisory Council. Educational Background: Ryan received a Ph.D. degree in Economics from The University of Texas at Dallas and graduated summa cum laude from Sewanee: The University of the South.

Amy St. Peter is the Deputy Executive Director of the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG), the regional planning agency for the Greater Phoenix region. In this role, she coordinates diverse priorities and perspectives in the development of solutions that strengthen the vitality in one of the fastest growing areas in the country. Ms. St. Peter earned her Masters of Public Administration from Arizona State University and graduated cum laude with a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Writing from Loyola College. Ms. St. Peter serves on the Arizona Council for Transportation Innovation and worked with partners to create Age Friendly Arizona with the goal of better connecting older adults to their communities. Her areas of expertise include organizational and program development, homelessness, aging, smart regions, human services transportation, and civil rights. MAG is the council of governments and metropolitan planning organization for an area greater than 10,000 square miles and 4.1 million people. The agency conducts regional planning in the areas of transportation, environmental quality, economic development, socioeconomic data analysis and visualization, and human services.

Steve La Terra serves as the CEO of TerraLane Communities (“TLC”), a multi-family development company based in Arizona. He is responsible for all aspects of the company’s operations and is a member of the Investment Committee. He focuses his efforts on the evaluation of new opportunities, portfolio management and investor/partner relations. Prior to joining the company, Mr. La Terra was the Managing Director of Meyers Research, where he was the lead analyst on horizontal apartments opportunities throughout the US. Mr. La Terra’s background includes senior executive and principal-level positions with Acacia Capital Corporation, Apex Capital, Land Advisors Capital and Paradigm Private Equity Holdings. Mr. La Terra is a Full Member of the Urban Land Institute and has served as the Chair of a National Product Council and as Chair of ULI Arizona. He is currently the co-chair of the Pacific Coast Builder’s Conference Land and Capital Conference. Mr. La Terra earned his finance degree from San Diego State University and his development certificate from the Master of Real Estate Development program at Arizona State University.

Steven A. Betts is Managing Director of Development for the Holualoa Companies. He is also Founder/President of Betts Real Estate Advisors, Director to the Tejon Ranch Company, Development Director to Helios Education Foundation and the Chairman of the University Realty (ASU) Board of Directors. Mr. Betts is the retired President and CEO of the SunCor Development Company. He served as President for the year of 2005, and President and CEO from 2006 through May of 2010. During his five-year tenure leading SunCor, the company experienced unprecedented growth, and Mr. Betts was named Developer of the Year by the Arizona Chapter of the National Association of Industrial and Office Park Developers (2008), as well as a Most Admired CEO by the Phoenix Business Journal (2009), and his company was awarded Developer of the Year by Southwest Contractor Magazine (2007). After the asset sale of SunCor, Mr. Betts signed on to assist the ASU Foundation to be more strategic in real estate acquisition and development as its Senior VP and Managing Director of Assets. He has also served as Co- Chair of Governor Ducey’s Transition Committee for State Lands and Parks, Chairman and current Trustee to the Nature Conservancy, chaired the ULI Arizona District Council and serving on its Advisory Board, served as Chairman and board member for the Teach for America AZ Board, serves on the Greater Phoenix Economic Council Executive Committee, appointed by the Governor to the Transportation and Trade Corridor Alliance, Chaired the Interstate-11 Coalition, Vice Chaired the AZ Town Hall and served as Deputy Campaign Manager and Senior Advisor for Senator John McCain. Steve has served in lead roles on several landmark legislative enactments in Arizona, including the Growing Smarter Acts, the Tourism and Sports Authority Act and the Community Facilities District Act. He was the recipient of the 1989 and 1999 Planning Recognition Award from the American Planning Association and is a frequent speaker locally, regionally and nationally on development and policy issues. Prior to joining SunCor, Steve was a shareholder with Phoenix law firm Gallagher & Kennedy and headed the firm’s land use/governmental affairs practice group. He received his undergraduate degree with honors from Augustana College and his law degree with honors from the De Paul University School of Law. Mr. Betts has served as a Strategic/Senior Advisor to several organizations, including The Holualoa Companies and Hines Development, and serves as an advisor and director of development, part time, for Chanen Development Company, assisting development projects get to the start line in Arizona and markets across the U.S. He is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the publicly traded Tejon Ranch Company, the largest private landowner in California, with 270,000 acres north of Los Angeles, encompassing three multi-thousand acre master planned communities and numerous commercial projects. He is the retired President and CEO of SunCor Development Company, a half-billion dollar plus asset base subsidiary of the Fortune 500 holding company Pinnacle West Capital Corporation, and developer of master planned communities throughout the Mountainwest and large-scale office, industrial, retail and mixed use urban projects in metropolitan Phoenix. He served as President for the year of 2005, and President and CEO from 2006 through his retirement in May of 2010. During his five-year tenure leading SunCor, the company experienced unprecedented growth, and Mr. Betts was named Developer of the Year by the Arizona Chapter of the National Association of Industrial and Office Park Developers (2008), as well as a Most Admired CEO by the Phoenix Business Journal (2009, inaugural year for the award), and his company was awarded Developer of the Year by Southwest Contractor Magazine (2007). Prior to taking the helm of SunCor, Mr. Betts was a prominent land use and governmental affairs attorney for almost two decades. He was a partner at the Phoenix and Tucson firm of Streich, Lang P.A. from 1983 to 1994, where he served on the Management Committee, headed the practice group and served as the Marketing Partner. Subsequently he became a partner at Gallagher and Kennedy from 1994 through 2004, where he also served as the practice group head and Marketing Partner. He was the architect and/or champion for landmark Arizona land use legislation such as the Growing Smarter Acts and the Arizona Preserve Initiative, and key economic development legislation such as the Tourism and Sports Authority Act, the Community Facilities District Act and the Military Airport Authority Act. For his public policy work he was recognized with a Governor’s Proclamation in 2000, and with two Planning Recognition Awards from the Arizona Planning Association in 1989 and 1998 In March of 2012, Mr. Betts became the Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Assets for the Arizona State University Foundation. In that capacity, he provides the strategic oversight, community positioning, and deal structuring for the entrepreneurial real estate assets of the Foundation, promotes the philanthropic gifting of RE assets, and directs the opportunistic investment in strategic RE assets for the Foundation, all to the benefit and in furtherance of the University mission. Mr. Betts is the past Chairman of the Urban Land Institute-Arizona District Council, Immediate Past Chairman of the Teach for America Phoenix Board and a member of the TFA National Council, on the Executive Committee of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, Vice-Chair of the Arizona Town Hall, Chairman of the Interstate 11 Coalition, Trustee of The Nature Conservancy, on the Board of the Greater Maricopa Foreign Trade Zone, and a member of the Maricopa Association of Governments Economic Development Committee. In 2010, he served as Senior Advisor and Deputy Campaign Manager for Senator McCain’s campaign committee, and previously he has served as pro bono campaign legal counsel for each of Senator McCain’s campaigns since his first in 1982, and for the campaigns of Governor Symington, Congressmen Salmon and Hayworth, Attorney General Woods, Mayors Rimsza and Gordon, and Supervisor Bayless. In 2008 he was a Delegate to the Republican National Convention. He has also served as the Chairman of Valley Partnership, as a member of Greater Phoenix Leadership, as Honorary Base Commander of Luke Air Force Base, and was appointed by Governor Hull as a member of the Growing Smarter Commission, and then by Governor Napolitano to the Growing Smarter Oversight Council. He received his law degree with honors from DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois in 1983, where he was awarded and served on the Law Review, and a B.A. with honors from Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois in 1980, where he double majored in Philosophy and Political Science, and Pre-Law, and he served as Student Body President and received the Lincoln Academy Laureate Award from the Governor, awarded to one outstanding senior from each college or university in Illinois for overall excellence in curricular and extracurricular activities.

As a founding partner, Mike Ebert has shaped the company’s ongoing success leading projects across the country since 1995. His keen insights and knowledge about the qualities that come together in a compelling property are an essential part of RED’s continued evolution as a preferred partner for national retailers, real estate investors and property owners. Among his many significant contributions to RED, Ebert led the groundbreaking public-private partnership with the City of Phoenix to develop CityScape, the high-profile, 1.2 million square foot, mixed-use urban destination in downtown Phoenix that is a signature project for both the company and the city. Ebert also played a pivotal role in CityScape’s expansion with Block 23 – adding 200,000 square feet of mixed-used development to the urban core of the city, including the first grocery store in the downtown area. Ebert’s extensive understanding of the industry has continued to help grow RED’s development pipeline with additional noteworthy projects in Phoenix, including the mixed-use redevelopment of the former 100+ acre Paradise Valley Mall and The Grove, the 18-acre mixed-use site at one of the most high-profile intersections in the Valley at 44th Street and Camelback Road. His expertise extends beyond Arizona and has further developed RED’s footprint in other states through notable projects such as The Union Dallas, which transformed the Dallas skyline and brought the first urban grocery store to the market.

As President of Sharpe and Associates Inc., Jeremy Sharpe oversees operations and asset management for his family’s real estate and development company, including the development and management of Rancho Sahuarita, an award-winning 3,000-acre master plan community in Southern Arizona. Sharpe is passionate about furthering sustainable land use and building impactful places. As an active member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI), the leading think tank on sustainable land use, he had previously been involved in the National Programming Committee and on leadership for Leadership for Community Development Council – Green Flight. Sharpe was named one of Urban Land Magazine’s 2016, 40 under 40 Global Business Leaders. Sharpe speaks frequently at national conferences about real estate and community development. Locally, he serves as a Board Member for the Banner Health Foundation, for the Jewish Philanthropies of Southern Arizona (JPSA), and a member of the Southern Arizona Leadership Council. Sharpe received his Masters in Business Administration from the Eller College of Management at the University of Arizona.

Carl Perrone is Senior Vice President of Brookfield Properties, responsible for Brookfield’s real estate Land & Housing group’s investment activity across North America. Brookfield’s Land & Housing group currently operates a development and housing organization focused on community development, for-sale, for-rent and commercial mixed-use products in 24 markets in North America with investments in many more. Prior to joining Brookfield in 2020, Mr. Perrone worked in various partnerships roles investing in and developing projects in the southwestern US and with Sunbelt Holdings, where he focused on real estate investments in Arizona, US. Mr. Perrone holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Bucknell University. He also serves on a variety of community driven boards in professional and charitable organizations.

Brian Bailey is a Subject Matter Expert & Senior Policy Advisor in the Supervision, Regulation, & Credit Division of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. He is responsible for providing thought leadership and monitoring emerging trends in commercial real estate and finance. He provides guidance on industry dynamics, valuation, operations and finance issues. Brian has been requested to share his thoughts on commercial real estate at hundreds of venues including the Federal Reserve System Board of Governors, multiple U.S. Federal Agencies, many universities such as the Wharton School, industry conferences, and syndicated radio. Brian has extensive experience, spanning both the public and private sectors, with commercial real estate valuation, transaction, development, and financial issues. Prior to joining the Atlanta Fed, Brian was employed by the private equity firm Tavistock Group to oversee real estate finance and acquisitions. Before joining Tavistock, Brian was the Director of Real Estate Finance for Flagler Development Group, Florida’s largest commercial real estate developer. Brian’s experience includes working for EY (Ernst & Young), where he was an executive. Brian founded an industrial development company that specialized in the acquisition, development, and refurbishment of industrial and office properties. Brian started in commercial real estate as a local market appraiser. After receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Mercer University, Brian earned an MBA degree with concentrations in Real Estate and Finance from the University of Florida. He also attained the CCIM & CRE designations. He serves at the behest of his wife of 25-years, three children and one stubborn cat.

Lucas is executive director of Next City, a nonprofit journalism organization devoted to making cities more equitable; host of the Next City podcast; and is the former President of Pride Media and led LGBTQ brands The Advocate, Out magazine, Out Traveler, Chill magazine, Plus magazine, and PRIDE.com, which he founded. Grindley was also editor in chief of The Advocate, the longest running LGBTQ magazine in the country. In both 2016 and 2018, the Association of LGBTQ Journalists honored Grindley as “LGBTQ Journalist of the Year” with its Sarah Pettit Memorial Award. From 2008 through 2011, he was managing editor for online at National Journal magazine, covering politics and policymaking in Washington, D.C.

Shannon Norman is the Principal Planner for Ordinances and Code Revision in the Department of Metropolitan Development (DMD) with the City of Indianapolis. Norman attended Valparaiso University and completed her master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning at the University of New Orleans. Norman also holds a master’s certificate in Public Management from Indiana University and is a Certified Public Manager™. From 2005 until joining the Department of Metropolitan Development in November 2017, Norman served as the City Planning Director for the City of Greencastle, Indiana, working for three mayoral administrations. Shannon has championed major overhauls of the zoning code including updating the sign ordinance and most recently transit-oriented development and walkable neighborhood amendments to the zoning code.

Mark Stapp is the Executive Director of the Master of Real Estate Development Program, the Director of The Center for Real Estate Theory and Practice and the Fred E. Taylor Professor of Real Estate in the W.P. Carey School of Business at ASU. He has also served as a faculty associate in the School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture in the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts at ASU. In November 2011, Mark was named a Distinguished Fellow of NAIOIP. He currently serves on the boards of Local Initiatives Support Corporation Phoenix; Valley of the Sun YMCA and Valley Forward Association. He is a member of the Provosts Advisory Council for Arizona School of Health Sciences and Oral and Dental Health, serves as co-chair of the Academic Research Committee of ICSC, a member of ICSC’s North American Research Task Force and is on the Editorial Board of the Homburg-Oxford University Press. Stapp is the Managing Member of Pyramid Community Developers, LLC, an investment and development firm of projects throughout the US and provider of asset management and design consultation services. He was President, US operations, Naef International Management, from 1995 to 2007. From 1990 to 2000, he served as Chairman of the Board of Taliesin Architects, Inc., and founded and operated First City Homes, which he sold in 1998. He was Vice President of Planning and Development Services for Lendrum Design Group, served as Managing Director of Mountain West Research and was Senior Vice President of The Ellman Companies. Stapp’s undergraduate studies are in environmental studies and urban design at William Paterson University; his graduate work is in urban economics at ASU and the Stanford University Graduate School of Business Executive program. In 2007, he received a Doctor of Humane Letters from A.T. Still University, for his work in community sustainability, health and wellness.

Tina moved to Phoenix after graduating from Virginia Tech with a B.S. in Finance in 1993. She started her career as a residential data analyst with First American Title. In 2000, she moved into sales for Capital Title Agency and developed a deep appreciation for the Phoenix real estate community. After the traumatic events of the real estate crash, Tina returned to her analyst background and joined the Cromford Report in 2011 with Michael Orr to deeper explore the undercurrents of the residential housing market. Currently Tina is responsible for Cromford Report operations in the Greater Phoenix area. She has been featured regularly on KTAR 92.3FM, KJZZ 91.5FM, Arizona Horizon (PBS Channel 8), ABC15, Fox10 Phoenix, CBS New York, the Arizona Republic and Phoenix Business Journal. She holds and has held board positions for the Asian Real Estate Association of America, the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals and the ASU School of Technology Entrepreneurship and Management.

As President of Sharpe and Associates Inc., Jeremy Sharpe oversees operations and asset management for his family’s real estate and development company, including the development and management of Rancho Sahuarita, an award-winning 3,000-acre master plan community in Southern Arizona. Sharpe is passionate about furthering sustainable land use and building impactful places. As an active member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI), the leading think tank on sustainable land use, he had previously been involved in the National Programming Committee and on leadership for Leadership for Community Development Council – Green Flight. Sharpe was named one of Urban Land Magazine’s 2016, 40 under 40 Global Business Leaders. Sharpe speaks frequently at national conferences about real estate and community development. Locally, he serves as a Board Member for the Banner Health Foundation, for the Jewish Philanthropies of Southern Arizona (JPSA), and a member of the Southern Arizona Leadership Council. Sharpe received his Masters in Business Administration from the Eller College of Management at the University of Arizona.

Suzanne Pfister is the President and CEO of Vitalyst Health Foundation. It is a $120 million public foundation focused on Arizona health policy, technical assistance for non-profits and strength-based community engagement and systems change. She and her colleagues are working on a variety of projects, including support for the Cover AZ Coalition, which is focused on helping people obtain affordable health insurance, assistance to communities in Arizona to integrate health into public policies, and promoting healthy community innovations and collaborations. Suzanne has a Master’s Degree in Public and Environmental Affairs from Indiana University and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science/Urban Studies from Occidental College. She currently serves on the board of directors for the Friends of Public Radio Arizona, the Arizona Grantmakers Forum, Greater Phoenix Leadership, the Arizona Town Hall, as well as Chairman of the Arizona Together for Impact Fund and the Maasai Education, Research and Conservation Institute, USA. She also is a member of Charter 100, the Arizona Bioscience Roadmap Steering Committee, the ULI Arizona Advisory Council, and co-chairs the Arizona Health Improvement Program Steering Committee. Her hobbies are travel and landscape photography.

George Ruther is the Director of Housing in Vail, Colorado with more than 25 years of mountain resort community experience. Since its creation in 2018, the Housing Department, under George’s leadership, has realized a 51% increase in the total number of deed-restricted homes in Vail. The availability and affordability of housing remains, however, the #1 most critical issue facing the Vail community. George earned a B.S. degree in Public Administration and Policy Analysis from the University of Wisconsin and a Master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Colorado. He is an active member of the American Institute of Certified Planners, American Planning Association, HousingColorado, and the Urban Land Institute. Housing Colorado recognized George for innovation in affordable housing with the 2019 Eagle Award acknowledging his work to ensure safe, fair, and affordable housing for all Coloradans. The highly innovative Vail InDEED program was the recipient of the 2020 Robert C. Larson Housing Policy Leadership Award given by the Urban Land Institute.

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.

Emily Leppert serves as Vice President, BTR Acquisitions at Progress Residential, where she leads the sourcing, underwriting, acquisition and asset management of newly constructed homes for the firm. Prior to launching this acquisition vertical in 2020, Ms. Leppert was instrumental in building the firm’s pricing and revenue management platform. Ms. Leppert brings over 20 years of residential investment experience across multifamily, single family and residential land. She is a full member of the Urban Land Institute and earned her Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Economics from the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University.

Based in Encinitas, Mr. Vasbinder’s primary responsibilities include identifying, negotiating and acquiring development opportunities throughout the Western US. Since joining the company in 2007, he has been responsible for the acquisition and development of over 9,200 residential units with a valuation over $3.5B. He is currently active in a number of markets, including Southern California, Phoenix, and Denver. He is a member of the San Diego Building Industry Association (SDBIA) and Multi National Housing Council (NMHC).

Phoenix Community and Economic Development director, Christine Mackay, has served the people of Phoenix since August 2014. She is responsible for leading and fostering an environment where businesses can create and retain jobs, make capital investment and reinvestment in the community, and connect our workforce to employers and training opportunities. During Mackay’s tenure with the City of Phoenix, the department has facilitated the creation of over 84,000 high-value jobs, seen the average wage of those jobs increase from over $30,000 in 2014 to more than $80,000 in 2022, and closed deals with more than $20 billion in capital investment. Christine leads a department of over 55 full time staff that encompasses the full spectrum of economic development areas including: business attraction, business retention and expansion, community development, international relations, Sister Cities, the Phoenix Business and Workforce Development Board, administration, research, marketing, the City-owned Footprint Center and Phoenix Bioscience Core. In 2021, Christine was named as one of the Top 50 Economic Developers in the Country by Consultant Connect. She is a three-time honoree as "Economic Developer of the Year, Large Community" by the Arizona Association for Economic Development. Mackay was recognized as "Leader of the Year in Economic Development–Public Policy" by the Arizona Capitol Times, and "Industry Leader of the Year – Economic Development" by Arizona Commercial Real Estate Magazine. She has also been on the list of the Arizona Business magazine’s "50 Most Influential Women in Arizona." She is a member of the Economic Development Director's Team for Greater Phoenix, Maricopa Association of Government's Building a Quality Regional Community committee, Flinn Foundation Biosciences Roadmap committee, the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), Commercial Office Real Estate Executives (CoreNet), the Arizona Association for Economic Development (AAED), and the Arizona Business Incubator Association. Christine has nearly 25 years’ experience in economic development overlapping 30 years of commercial real estate experience. Mackay has spent both her personal and professional life here in the Valley.

Dana is a Principal based in RCLCO’s Denver, CO office. While Dana has had exposure to all of RCLCO’s practice groups, her primary focus is in the Real Estate Economics group, where she specializes in creative, data-driven solutions for untraditional development challenges. This includes a diversity of product types and land uses, with a particular emphasis on mountain resort development, outdoor recreation-oriented real estate, and development opportunities for extremely large landholders. At RCLCO, Dana strives to develop tools that lead to efficient work processes and enhanced deliverables for clients. This includes strategic financial modeling to test various development programs and transaction strategies and building custom demand models. Dana is also part of RCLCO’s business intelligence team, where she continues to identify opportunities to better integrate data science with real estate. Prior to joining RCLCO, Dana obtained a Master’s degree in City & Regional Planning (MCRP) from UNC-Chapel Hill and a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from Vanderbilt University. Originally from Colorado, Dana is an avid trail runner and backcountry skier with a passion for both urban environments and the great outdoors.

Lance Gilliam is a partner at the Waterman Steele Real Estate Advisors. The firm is a Houston-based advisory and consulting firm providing market analysis, site identification and transactional support to firms and institutions wanting to serve clients, customers, and residents throughout the State of Texas. The firm’s scope of services includes a strong focus on community reinvestment including community engagement and governmental affairs. The firm and its principals also have a strong history of connecting its clients --- public, private, and governmental entities --- to achieve strong public – private partnerships especially in support of socially equitable investments. Lance has an undergraduate degree in Real Estate from SMU, a graduate degree in Urban Planning from USC Price, a former Ph.D. student at the University of Texas' School of Architecture's Department of Community and Regional Planning, and is currently in residence as a visiting scholar at the University of Texas' LBJ School of Public Affairs. Lance formerly served as chair of the Houston Housing Authority's [HHA] board of commissioners and is the immediate past chair of the Coalition for the Homeless Houston / Harris County [CFTH]. Both HHA and CFTH are nationally recognized for the impact on the communities they serve.

Heather Personne is a Managing Principal of Evolve Ventures, a regional real estate development and advisory group focused on adding value to all aspects of the real estate life cycle through a focus on the evolution of real estate to reflect a more consumer-driven experience. Heather has over 25 years of experience in real estate acquisitions, development, management and dispositions. Throughout her career, she has spearheaded the development of more than 100 retail, office, hospitality and multi-family properties throughout the western United States. Prior to co-founding Evolve, she held roles as a Principal with Point B Property Development, a Retail Partner with Phoenix-based commercial development and investment firm ViaWest Group and a Principal with Evergreen Devco, a regional retail and multi-family developer. Heather graduated Summa Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Arizona Honors College and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and French. She is heavily involved with the Urban Land Institute, currently serving as Vice Chair for the Arizona District Council and Vice Chair/Founding Member of the National ULI Place Making Product Council. She is also a member of ICSC and the Arizona chapter of CREW and sits on the Maricopa County Board of Adjustment. In addition to her professional commitments, Heather also participates on the alumnae board of the Phoenix chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta and is a founding board member of the Roadrunner League of Boys Team Charity, a civic organization focused on encouraging philanthropic commitments among young adults. Heather resides in Phoenix, Arizona with her husband Matt and three children. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, snow-skiing and traveling.

Mr. Harris is Executive Vice President of Avanath Capital Management responsible for the Acquisitions and Capital Markets programs. Avanath owns and manages more than 14,000 affordable, workforce, and value-oriented apartment communities across the U.S. Prior to Avanath, Mr. Harris was Senior Vice President of the Bozzuto Group responsible for institutional capital raising and client relations. Mr. Harris spent 14 years at The Laramar Group, most recently as Chief Investment Officer responsible for the firm’s property investments and client capital management. As the CIO, Mr. Harris managed acquisition and disposition activity, capital raising, client relations and portfolio management. During Mr. Harris’ tenure at Laramar, he was responsible for investment transactions for more than 30,000 apartment units valued at approximately $3.0 billion. Mr. Harris also spent 12 years with Heitman Capital Management and JMB Realty Corporation as Senior Vice President. At Heitman/JMB, Mr. Harris managed the disposition of over $2.9 billion of real estate representing over 28,000 apartment units and more than 7.5 million square feet of office, industrial and retail properties. Mr. Harris also acquired or made joint-venture investments in more than $165 million of apartment and office properties. Prior to Heitman/JMB, Mr. Harris was with The Balcor Company. Mr. Harris’ more than 30 years of experience in real estate includes acquisitions, dispositions, asset management, lending, property management and partnership structuring. Mr. Harris is a member of the National Multi-Family Housing Council (NMHC), the Chair of the Multi-Family Green Council of the Urban Land Institute (ULI), past chairman of the Board of Directors of the not-for-profit, Over the Rainbow Association and a member of the Advisory Board of Lotus Campaign. Mr. Harris has a B.A. degree in Economics from Carleton College.

Faron A. Hill is the founder and president of Peregrine Oak, a commercial real estate capital markets and advisory services firm. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, the firm works exclusively with clients to provide creative capital solutions, and advisory services for complex commercial transactions. Launched in 2007, Peregrine and its Principals have capitalized over $4 billion in transactions across multiple asset classes throughout the United States. Those assignments comprise a mixture of debt and equity financings. The firm’s highest priority is the success and growth of its clients. Faron earned an MBA from the SC Johnson College of Business at Cornell University and a second MBA from Smith School of Business at Queen's University. Faron also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in social science, with minors in biology and chemistry, from Troy University. In addition to his work with the Urban Land Institute, Faron supports and provides leadership for several non-profit organizations in his local community.

Vidur Gupta is the Founder and CEO of Beekin. Beekin is an AI platform helping Top-5 CRE managers, lenders and apartment REITs and family offices underwrite, asset manage and measure ESG using a multi-patented software solution suite. Beekin focuses on multifamily, single family rent and affordable housing. Prior to founding Beekin, Vidur spent 15 years working in investment banking and real estate at HSBC, Deutsche Bank and HIG Capital ($43B Aum). His experience as a real estate investor was the impetus to building his current business. Outside of Beekin, Vidur serves on the boards of early stage and public businesses and until recently was a Non-Executive Director at Notting Hill Genesis (a UK based $30B affordable housing operator) where he was involved in an ESG bond issuance.

As Director of KTGY’s R+D Studio, Marissa is committed to furthering the vision of KTGY: to move the discourse of architecture forward by continuously searching for better. In her role, Marissa leads the creation and execution of research and development projects at KTGY, exploring new and emerging ideas related to building design and technology. KTGY’s dedicated R+D Studio develops conceptual design solutions to address a broad range of housing topics and issues: housing affordability, societal trends, multigenerational living, community placemaking, creative mixed-use, modular construction, and adaptive reuse. With more than 17 years of design experience to the thought leadership of KTGY, Marissa joined KTGY after she obtained her BArch from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Her varied architecture experience includes work on residential, retail, and mixed-use developments both at KTGY and for several years with a competitive regional design firm. Marissa represents KTGY’s R+D Studio with presentations and education on new technologies and with by-lined articles and news media commentary on housing trends and futuristic ideas. KTGY’s R+D Studio has been awarded numerous design awards including the 2019 NMHC Innovation Challenge for Park House, a reuse concept that transforms an under-used parking structure into a modern residential community. In 2022, KTGY’s R+D Studio was honored by Multi-Housing News with the Gold award in the Unbuilt category of their MHN Excellence Awards for The Branches, a concept for reducing operational carbon within multi-family design.

Founder and Chief Executive Officer Since founding the company in 1987, Mr. Vogel has applied his unique knowledge in the areas of land economics, land use and market trends to become a trusted advisor to a broad spectrum of clients including financial institutions, investors, homebuilders and master planned community developers. As Chief Executive Officer of the Land Advisors Organization, Mr. Vogel has led the expansion of the company into 28 markets across the United States. Over the past 35 years he has been involved in hundreds of transactions including several of the highest valued land transaction in the country. Mr. Vogel received his B.S. in Real Estate from Arizona State University in 1985. He is a past board member of the ULI Foundation and Trustee, current Governor for the Urban Land Institute (ULI), past Chair of the ULI Community Development Council (BlueFlight).

Daniel Parolek is an architect and urban designer who founded Opticos Design in 1998 and has grown it into a nationally sought-after firm for their expertise in urban placemaking, innovative housing design, and zoning reform to enable 21st century towns and cities to thrive. Daniel is a frequent speaker at conferences and events across the country, most recently the Chicago Humanities Festival, and he has been covered in many high-profile publications including the New York Times, the Washington Post, Next City, Curbed Magazine, Urban Land, and Professional Builder Magazine. His knowledge and foresight makes him a valuable partner/advisor for cities and developers across the country who are striving to respond to the demand for vibrant urban living. In 2011, Daniel created the concept of Missing Middle Housing which started a movement which has achieved international recognition and application. He has written a book on the topic called, “Missing Middle Housing: Thinking Big and Building Small to Respond to the Housing Crisis,” that was released in July of 2020 from Island Press. He also created www.missingmiddlehousing.com which gets tens of thousands of visitors each month. Because of this expertise he has been hired by developers and builders to meet the growing demand for urban, non-single family living and attainability. Examples of this work include the country’s first Missing Middle Neighborhood in Omaha, NE, the Mews Homes in Daybreak, and the country’s largest car-free community, Culdesac Tempe. Due to this expertise and ability to clearly communicate complex concepts he was hired by AARP to educate their members about the value of walkable living and missing middle housing choices. He believes the current zoning system is broken and therefore has been at the forefront of zoning reform to enable walkable urban communities for the past 18 years. He co-authored the definitive book on the topic of Form-Based Coding that Planetizen identified as one of the “Top 10 books in Planning in 2007,” he co-founded the Form-Based Code Institute, a non-profit think tank that educates mid-career professionals about new zoning techniques, and establishes best practices, and he has worked on some of the most advanced applications of zoning reform at a corridor, neighborhood, city, and regional scales, including writing the country of Gabon, Africa’s first development code as part of sustainable growth strategy for the capitol city of Libreville. Prior to joining Opticos, Daniel worked with Robert AM Stern in New York City. Daniel has a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Notre Dame, and a Master’s of Urban Design from University of California at Berkeley. Daniel’s passion for walkable living was seeded with his childhood growing up in the small town of Columbus, Nebraska.