Atlanta Construction and Development

After a 14-year Major League Baseball Career, Mark Teixeira currently manages his personal private equity and real estate portfolio. An All-American baseball player at Georgia Tech, Mark continues to give back to the Atlanta community. Mark currently sits on the Board of Directors at the Emerald Corridor Foundation and Georgia Tech’s Alexander-Tharpe Fund, and he is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Georgia Tech Foundation. Mark co-founded Urban Creek Partners to develop mixed-use projects in Atlanta.

MARK TORO founded Atlanta-based Toro Development Company in 2021 to create value by building community. As Chief Vision Officer, Toro will use a metric-driven approach to identify properties that have significant potential based on the promise of the locale. He and his team have multi-dimensional experience, positioning Toro Development Company to choose the right use or mix of uses for each redevelopment. Prior to starting Toro Development Company, Toro cofounded and led the North American Properties (NAP) Atlanta office where he oversaw $3.1 billion in real estate development, totaling 9.4 million square feet. He delivered industry-leading returns to his capital partners, became known nationally as a leader in experience-driven commercial real estate and left a legacy of great communities. His successes at NAP include the repositioning of Atlantic Station, development of Alpharetta’s $1 billion Avalon and the redevelopment of Colony Square. Toro currently serves on ICSC’s Board of Trustees, Midtown Alliance’s Board of Directors and serves as vice chair of the City of Refuge Board, where he chaired the $25 million “Shining the Light” capital campaign. He also serves on the Board of Directors of The ATL, a State authority that governs the expansion of public transportation in Metro Atlanta. Before cofounding NAP’s Atlanta office in 1996, Toro served in several leadership positions with Faison and Cousins Properties. He has developed, redeveloped or repositioned more than 70 properties totaling almost 30 million square feet during his career. He attended Rutgers University, where he met his wife, Nancy.

Katharine Kelley is Executive Vice President of Development for Newport, overseeing development for Newport’s US operations. She is leading the $500M redevelopment of South Downtown, Atlanta for Newport, focused on the renovation of the city’s largest collection of historic commercial properties. Previously, Katharine was Co-Founder and President of Green Street Properties, and then Managing Director, Development & Construction for Jamestown, overseeing Jamestown’s Development, Construction and Sustainability operations across a seven-state platform. With over 30 years of experience in urban infill, mixed-use and residential development, she has led the development of more than $1.3 billion of properties while serving in senior positions at The Landmarks Group, Post Properties, Green Street Properties, and Jamestown. Katharine is a champion of creative, urban development, and her work includes development leadership of several major mixed-use projects in Atlanta, including Ponce City Market, Post Riverside, and Glenwood Park, as well as the renovation of the historic Manuel's Tavern in the Poncey-Highland neighborhood. Katharine received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a Master of Science degree in Real Estate Development from Columbia University, and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard University. She serves on the Board of Trustees of The Westminster Schools and the Board of Councilors of The Carter Center, and is a member of the Downtown Atlanta Rotary Club.

David uniquely brings both technical engineering and business skill sets to deliver strategic real estate solutions. As a senior vice president for Carter’s development team, David leads the development efforts for off-campus private student housing projects. His background and experience with both institutional and private owners for multi-family development projects makes him an ideal candidate to manage this initiative. David has experience managing almost $1 billion worth of complex project portfolios balancing their various risks, exposures and opportunities to maximize value. During his time at Carter, David has worked on student housing projects totaling nearly 3,500 beds valued at approximately $255 million. He continues to achieve meaningful results through his ability to develop new insights and create lasting relationships. David’s clients benefit from his industry knowledge and hands-on project experience gained working both on- and off-campus. His responsibilities have included: financial, as well as market feasibility studies and analyses; due diligence research; project management through design, construction and turnover; sales and marketing oversight; and sustainability analysis.

Will Casaday is a commercial real estate development professional who is passionate about creating compelling places and shaping environments that positively impact the lives of those who interact with them. Will seeks to develop projects that benefit and enrich the lives of others, and that offer unique opportunities for people to live and experience the fruits of quality placemaking. This has led to his integral involvement in multiple award-winning projects, and the curation of a portfolio of experience spanning across a multitude of real estate product types, ranging from multi-block mixed-use communities and town centers, to urban infill residential and student housing. Will’s role as a partner at South City Partners entails overseeing the firm’s development platform, beginning with the identification and shaping of new development opportunities and continuing through the capitalization, execution, and complete life cycle of the firm’s projects. Will has been directly involved in the development of over $1.1 Billion in commercial real estate across the southeastern United States, spanning multiple real estate asset classes and product types. Prior to joining South City Partners, Will was a developer with North American Properties, where he oversaw the development of large scale mixed-use and multifamily assets. Will lives in Atlanta with his wife, Ashley Casaday, and enjoys playing golf, exercising, traveling, and spending time with friends and family. He is actively involved in his community, at Passion City Church, where he and his wife serve on multiple leadership teams, and at City of Refuge. Will holds a degree in Architecture from Georgia Institute of Technology.

Mr. Doug Davidson is the CEO of New South Construction Company. He founded the Company in Georgia in 1990, and for the past 25 years, under his leadership, New South Construction Company has grown into one of the most respected construction firms in the Southeast. For many years, New South Construction has performed construction services for several notable client’s including; Delta Air Lines, The Coca-Cola Company, Turner Field (Atlanta Braves), Piedmont Driving Club, Wesleyan School, Emory University and General Mills. New South has been on Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Top 25 General Contractors and Top 25 Interior Contractors for approximately 23 years and listed on ENR’s Top 400 Contractors in the nation. Mr. Davidson is especially proud of New South Construction recently being named as the #1 Best Places to Work in Atlanta, also through the Atlanta Business Chronicle. Additionally, Davidson’s unique and proven leadership skills have enabled New South Construction to set record revenue growth going into 2015. Mr. Davidson, a native Atlantan, attended Auburn University where he obtained his Bachelor of Science in Building Construction. While attending Auburn, Mr. Davidson interned at a large construction company in Atlanta, where he continued to work after graduating. In 1990 Mr. Davidson resigned to form New South Construction Company, and began performing construction services for Delta Air Lines and The Coca-Cola Company. Twenty-five years later, New South Construction is still providing construction services for these Fortune 500 firms. Mr. Davidson has been on Georgia Branch, Association of General Contractors’ (AGC) board since 1998, and recently served on the Board of National Association of General Contractors. He also serves on the Advisory Board and is past President for CEFGA (Construction Education Foundation of Georgia), is a past Board member of Sheltering Arms and past Board member for Georgia’s Board of Regents (Facility Advisory Board). Additional Board appointments include; Big Brothers Big Sisters, Southern Polytechnic State University, Lifework Leadership Board, Greater Atlanta Economic Alliance and Metro Bank Board. In 2009, Mr. Davidson was nominated by Atlanta Chapter of the Professional Estimators Association of America to receive the 18th Golden Hammer Award. He was selected for always upholding himself and New South Construction to the highest standards, building in a short period of time one of the most respected companies in the Southeast, and giving his time and talents to our community and industry. Doug has two children, a daughter and a son and enjoys golf, running and most any activity that involves his children.

After receiving a Bachelor of Science from the Georgia Tech College of Architecture, Mark Williams went on to study at the Ecole d’Architecture, Tolbiac in Paris. Upon returning to Atlanta, he worked for small and large Architectural and Interiors firms (Brooks Burr & Associates, ASD, Heery International) until opening his first practice, Laslie-Williams, in 1998. In 2007, Mark opened a new kind of design collaborative, Mark Williams Design Associates. MWDA is a multidisciplinary design team employing designers from backgrounds in both interior and architectural design. The marriage of the two disciplines provides a comprehensive understanding of how the built environment and the objects which occupy it can balance and compliment one another. With varied experience in luxury single family residential design and interiors, and multi-family design and interiors, Mark has developed a diverse portfolio of work spanning many different building types and interior styles. Having worked around the country on many types of multi-family residential developments, the design team at MWDA enjoys creating home plans and finish packages that are harmonious with a building's architecture and local vernacular. In addition, creating base building public spaces that reflect the unique personality of each building and their surrounding communities is an important part of any building's overall unique lifestyle. By working with a network of national and local vendors within each region, MWDA can execute jobs anywhere in the country with the same economy as if they were working in their home city of Atlanta. Mark Williams Design Associates is proud to be frequently published in magazines such as Southern Living, Home and Renovation Trends, Kitchen Trends, Living Etc., Dream Baths, Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles, and Atlanta Magazine among others.

Hank oversees development for Third & Urban, providing construction management and driving design and entitlement efforts. Additionally, he leads all financial analysis and assists in development concepting and pricing for potential acquisitions. Previously, Hank worked as a Development Manager at Jamestown, responsible for due diligence, feasibility analysis and project management for current and future development deals. His focus was both on new construction and adaptive reuse across multiple southeastern markets across multiple product-types and in mixed-use environments. Prior to Jamestown, Hank worked at both Morgan Stanley and Deloitte, and he holds a Masters in Accountancy from the University of Georgia. Hank is a CFA charterholder and a LEED Accredited Professional. He is co-chair of the Atlanta Chapter of Ducks Unlimited and recently served on the Historic 4th Ward Park Board. He and his wife, Christie, live in Morningside with their two black labs and daughter Janie.

Frank Smith was appointed Deputy Executive Director of the State Properties Commission (SPC) in October 2009. As Deputy Executive Director, Smith oversees the State’s real estate portfolio—which includes 14,800 buildings, 800,000 acres, and 2,400 leases. The Commission works the General Assembly and each agency to determine long-term strategies for a healthy real estate portfolio. Smith also provides real estate guidance to the Georgia Ports Authority and the Sapelo Island Authority. Smith has led SPC in the following achievements: Directed the development and implementation of the nationally recognized web-based consolidated database of Georgia’s capital assets (BLLIP – Building, Land and Lease Inventory of Property); § Negotiated a new lease agreement with CSX permitting their continued use of the Western & Atlantic Railroad, beginning January 1, 2020, with the value of the lease payments to the State of Georgia totaling $1.2 billion. Divested $96 million of real estate on behalf of the State; § And successfully implemented the multi-year leasing process with the authorization of the Georgia General Assembly, which has allowed the State to avoid $143.4 million in leasing costs. Prior to that, Smith served as the Assistant Director of SPC for three years. Smith began his career with the State in 2000 as a Legislative Budget Analyst for the Georgia General Assembly and was responsible for developing spending policies and priorities for the State’s annual multi-billion dollar supplemental and general appropriations act. In 2004, he accepted a position at the Georgia Building Authority as Tenant and Lease Director, where he was responsible for the allocation of over 4 million square feet of space on Capitol Hill. Smith holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Georgia and a master’s of business administration in real estate from Georgia State University. He and his wife, Mary Brooks, are members of Cathedral of Christ the King and reside in the Old Fourth Ward with their daughter, Emily.

Steven E. McCraney, President & CEO of McCraney Property Company, has offices in West Palm Beach, Orlando, FL. and Charlotte, NC. A self-made entrepreneur, he and his team have developer of Industrial/distribution and office-flex properties. Additionally, the company has developed and operated some 24 company-owned fuel properties within the Florida markets. The company's present active Industrial / distribution developments in South Florida, Orlando (Central Florida), Charlotte and Atlanta total 6,600,000 sf for 2017 / 2018. Mr. McCraney is an active member of The Florida Council of 100, The Orange Bowl Committee, NAIOP’s National Board of Directors, and past President of NAIOP South Florida. National Real Estate Investor magazine acknowledged McCraney to its Top 50 list of US Industrial Developers for 2017. He was Developer of the Year for Central Florida in 2013, 2014 and 2016. He was the former Chairman of the YPO Florida, and serves on its Southern US Executive Board. He serves on the University of Florida’s Bergstrom Real Estate Advisory Board, Place of Hope Children's Charity, Villanova University DiLella Center for Real Estate, and was honored by the South Florida Business Journal as an Ultimate CEO. He holds the CCIM Designation and is a delegate member of SIOR. Mr. McCraney earned his degree from Villanova University, Villanova, Pennsylvania, and has completed additional post graduate work at Harvard Business School and Duke University. He is an active alpine mountain climber, having scaled many of the world’s tallest peaks for Children’s Charity "Place of Hope". Recent climbs include: The Avenue of Volcanos, Cayambe, Ecuador 19,000', Elbrus, Russia – 18,510', Aconcagua, Argentina-22,241', Kilimanjaro-Tanzania, Africa-19,340', Mt. Rainier14,411', the Grand Canyon 48 Mile-24 Hour Challenge, and ran the Marine Corp Marathon – Washington, DC.

Rising from experience as chair of her Neighborhood Planning Unit (NPU X) and other community organizations, Councilmember Joyce M. Sheperd is in the full swing of her fourth term representing District 12. She is a champion for community education, neighborhood safety, economic development, jobs, and more. Joyce is a listener, community advocate, and friend. Joyce holds leadership positions all over the city of Atlanta. Dedicated to service on the Atlanta City Council, she is a member of the Community Development/Human Services, City Utilities, Transportation, and Zoning committees. Fervent about the environment, Joyce is co-founder and chair of the council’s Code Enforcement Commission and a volunteer board member of nonprofit Keep Atlanta Beautiful. She is also an ex-officio board member of the Atlanta Homeless Continuum-of-Care Governing Council, dedicated to making homelessness in our city rare, brief, and non-recurring. Joyce served on Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed’s Blue Ribbon Commission to address waste and efficiency in government, and she currently serves on the board of directors for Fort McPherson’s Implementing Local Redevelopment Authority as well as the Diabetes Association of Atlanta. Moreover, Joyce is an advisory member of the Villages at Carver Family YMCA. In addition to local appointments, Joyce also serves her constituents on state and national levels. Statewide, Joyce was a board member of the Georgia Municipal Associations and now holds membership on the Georgia Municipal Black Caucus. Nationally, she is a proud and active member of the National League of Cities, a resource advocate for the nation’s cities and their leaders. Joyce serves on the NLC’s Women in Municipal Government Board of Directors and is a member of the National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials. Her state and national involvement has brought great programs to Atlanta, including NLC-sponsored programs to reduce the high costs of prescription medicines and home utility repair on water infrastructures. Joyce is the recipient of numerous awards recognizing her dedication and leadership in the Atlanta community, including the National Common Cause Public Service Achievement Award, the Atlanta City Council Presidential Community Service Award, and the John C. Birdine Distinguished Leadership Award. Joyce is a graduate of Booker T. Washington High School in the Atlanta Public Schools. She was a 2007 graduate of the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Regional Leadership Institute, bringing together leaders from across the region, and a 2015 graduate of Leadership Atlanta, one of the oldest sustained community leadership programs in the nation. Joyce is a 58-year resident of the City of Atlanta, calling District 12 home for 38 of those years. She retired from Avaya Communications and the Communications Workers of America union. In the late 1970s, she broke through the telecommunications industry’s glass ceiling by becoming one of its first female line workers, and she retired as one of few women serving as a telecommunications engineer. Among her notable achievements, Joyce considers none to be greater than her roles as mother and grandmother.

Scott is a founding Partner of the newly created INCO Group which is the rebranding of RACO Alabama LLC. Mr. Davis received a B.S. degree from the Auburn University College of Architecture, Design and Construction in 1989 and has over thirty years of experience working with industrial clients. For the past 15 years, Scott directed RACO Alabama’s growth in the hugely dynamic automotive industry which continues to thrive throughout Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee. Recently with the urging of several of their repeat clients, Scott assisted with due diligence, site selection and management of several automotive projects in Mexico. Scott has had the honor of speaking in multiple trade missions for the State of Georgia, The State of Alabama and the State of Nuevo Leon Mexico. He has held membership in several distinguished industry associations including the Construction Management Association of American, American Association of Quality and American Concrete Institute. Scott is also one of the founding board of directors for the Southeast US Korean Chamber of Commerce. Scott’s newest endeavor, INCO Group is a rebranding effort to remove regionalization of the previous RACO Alabama. With this change comes the end goal of expanding their market share and jumping back into the currently growing Atlanta Market.