Baltimore Multifamily & Mixed-Use Summit

Mr Ernst Valery is a co-managing member of SAA | EVI and shares overall responsibility for the day-to-day operations and execution of SAA | EVI projects and relationships. Mr. Valery has successfully invested in and developed real estate in Maryland; Washington, D.C.; Pennsylvania; Virginia; California; and New York. For the past 16 years, he has been involved with development projects ranging from mixed-use, multi-tenant rental properties, single-family renovations and condominium conversions. Mr. Valery is the founder and president of SAA | EVI affiliate Ernst Valery Investments Corp. (EVI), a private, minority-owned real estate investment firm established in 2001. EVI invests in select underserved and undervalued key emerging domestic real estate markets, defined as urban transitional areas with high residential and retail demand. Mr. Valery has extensive experience in affordable and market rate housing development and investment, including providing due diligence capabilities and extensive skills in budget planning, design development, marketing, and the supervision and guidance of contractors, architects and engineers. He is responsible for the securing and structuring of financing, including expertise in securing Historic and New Markets tax credits. Mr. Valery is also active in social entrepreneurship and volunteer work, including a collaboration with a team of professionals and graduates from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Community Innovators Lab (MIT CoLab) as well as efforts at incubating businesses around the world that help alleviate poverty and increase the earning potential of low income individuals, families, and communities. Mr. Valery graduated from Columbia University’s Master of Science program in Real Estate Development. He also obtained a Master’s Degree in Policy Analysis and Public Administration and a Bachelor of Science degree in Urban and Regional Planning with a concentration in International Relations, both from Cornell University. Ernst is also a Mel King Community Fellow at MITs CoLab.

Mr. Bookhout serves as Senior Vice President of Development & Investments. He plays a lead role in the company’s mixed-use development division, with responsibility for sourcing, evaluating, underwriting, acquiring and executing projects in the Mid-Atlantic region and the Carolinas. Prior to joining Greenberg Gibbons in 2021, he was Vice President of the Mid-Atlantic & Carolinas Regions for AvalonBay Communities, where he specialized in mixed-use projects that feature multifamily housing over retail and led teams that delivered more than 2,300 units. Mr. Bookhout holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of North Carolina, a Master of Professional Accounting from the University of Texas, and a Master of Business Administration from the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina. He is a Certified Public Accountant and serves on the UNC Kenan–Flagler Business School’s Board of Advisors, and has previously served on the Board of Directors for AIRS-Empire Homes and the Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore. He is a member of ICSC and Urban Land Institute (ULI).

Patrick Bell is an Investment Associate responsible for development and financing at MAG Partners, a woman-owned, urban real estate company with decades of experience developing impactful, iconic and large-scale projects. He previously worked with Weller Development for four years, executing on acquisitions and development, and financing for residential, office, retail, hospitality and industrial assets. Patrick has managed the development and underwriting of the first 1.5 million square feet in the $5 billion mixed-use Baltimore Peninsula development. At completion, this transformative project will include: up to 14 million square feet of new, mixed-use development; 2.5 miles of restored waterfront; and 40 acres of parks and green space.

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

As the Cross Street Partner (CSP) development partner, Margaret Norfleet-Neff takes on challenging projects that create synergy and economy in targeted distressed communities where people are the key players. Margaret is a highly respected thought leader and brings a unique ability to develop projects understanding from both the macro and micro social and economic impacts. Margaret’s intense sensitivity and passion for community based goals and values along with her critical sense of design makes her a vital CSP leader and resource to all on the CSP team, project partners, tenants, funders and vendors across the CSP platform. Along with the Senior Management team, Margaret actively guides CSP strategy and policy company wide. Margaret works across the CSP projects with a focus on vision, design and material con- tributions, connecting mission aligned partners, in addition to the projects that she leads. Margaret plays the key role for the company on identifying and managing the best climate and sustainability consultants to add value to all CSP projects. Environmental stewardship is central to CSP’s mission and vision with a major focus is on maximizing benefits from the In- flation Reduction Act renewable energy tax credits and other state and local renewable energy incentives that dovetail with sustainability rating systems such as LEED, TRUE, and WELL. Margaret and her company, Beta Verde LLC began partnering with CSP in 2015 on several adaptive reuse projects in cities across the Nation. Originally serving as a consultant for food, education, and design components ranging from shared use kitchens to multi-vendor market concepts to agricultural ventures Margaret is a producer at heart and her previous projects, widely varied, share a common goal of creating new opportunities for jobs and inclusive community. Her extensive experience in creating for profit and nonprofit businesses include Beta Verde LLC, Periwinkle LLC - a landscape architecture company focused on environmentally sensitive and historic properties, Chicago Children’s Theater, the Lycee Francais de Chicago, the Cobblestone Farmers Market and The Good Stuff. In Chicago, Margaret used her theater experience and horticulture sensibilities as the basis for her landscape architecture projects. Taking a fresh approach to historic and environmental restoration, Margaret’s projects were known for creative site specific engineering, updating historic elements with a nuanced approach, introducing a wide realm of native and unique plant material while retaining original plant species. Margaret’s first food work was the unexpected opportunity to revamp the city’s oldest coop during the rise of regional farms providing directly to city restaurants. The Lincoln Park Cooperative was an early version of ‘know where your food comes from’ for many families, thus nurturing small food businesses and increasing regular use of the city’s farmers markets which led to the creation of the Green City Market. Margaret brings fresh perspective to projects and problem solving. Celebrating this extensive experience, her active knowledge is the foundation for her consulting on adaptive reuse devel- opment projects focused on lifting up communities through opportunities that are accessible and supported by a myriad of synergistic tenancy and collaborating partners.

30 Years of real estate development, specializing in Residential, Multifamily, Hospitality and Mixed Use. $1 Billion plus developed w/ more than 2.6 Million Sq. Ft. including over 2,000 apts/hotel rooms across five states. Entitled over $2 Billion dollars comprising over 5.4 million sq. ft. and over 4,400 apts/hotel rooms

Greg is an experienced commercial real estate law and transactional attorney. He represents government clients, lenders, developers in commercial real estate acquisitions, lending, negotiations, multi-family affordable housing finance and incentives. Prior to joining the firm, Greg was a Senior Associate County Attorney with the Prince George’s County Office of Law where he represented the County on a variety multi-family affordable housing and economic development matters. Greg also served as the key legal advisor to the County during its implementation of its Right of First Refusal Program. Before joining Prince George’s County, Greg served as the General Counsel to the State Board of Public Works where he advised the Board of Public Works on procurement and related matters.