Future of Baltimore County

County Executive John “Johnny O” Olszewski, Jr. is a lifelong Baltimore County resident who believes in the power of public service and giving back to a community that has done so much for him. He is a graduate of Sparrows Point High School, earned his undergraduate degree from Goucher College, a master’s degree from The George Washington University and his PhD in Public Policy from the University of Maryland Baltimore County. In 2006, Johnny was elected at age 23 and re-elected four years later as the top vote getter to the Maryland House of Delegates from legislative district 6, a position he held for nearly nine years. His work earned him a reputation as a “rising star” of Maryland politics – and breathed new life into the abandoned steel mill in his hometown. In the legislature, Johnny served as the Chairman of the Baltimore County House Delegation and was youngest person ever elected to that position. In that capacity, he helped lead unprecedented progress for the County in areas such as economic development and school board reform. As a staunch advocate of working families, Johnny led the charge on earned sick leave, raising the minimum wage and offered a critical vote in securing Marriage Equality in the State of Maryland. Today, County Executive Olszewski is focused on fighting for our schools, creating a more transparent government and building a better Baltimore County for all residents. He lives in Dundalk with his wife, Marissa and daughter, Daria.

Andrew Hanson joined Conifer Realty in 2018 as Vice President of Development. In this capacity, he is responsible for all phases of the development process including new business identification for Conifer's development efforts in Maryland and Virginia. Mr. Hanson brings a wealth of experience in the development of affordable, mixed income, and mixed finance communities. Over his career, he has been responsible for the development of nearly $300,000,000 in transformative projects in the Maryland region. Prior to joining Conifer, Mr. Hanson was the Vice President of Osprey Property Company, LLC for 13 years. During his tenure there, he was responsible for new business identification and all facets of project management including acquisition, project structuring, due diligence, budgeting, relationship management, and the supervision of design, construction and management teams. Prior to his employment at Osprey, Mr. Hanson assisted buyers and sellers as a Sales Associate and Realtor® with Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc., working primarily with residential and commercial real estate sales and marketing. Mr. Hanson has more than 20 years of hands-on experience in real estate sales and development with a myriad financing sources including the low-income housing and historic tax credits, CDBG, HOME funds and numerous state and local funding programs. He has worked in partnership with all manner of federal, state, and local agencies as well as public and private financing partners. Mr. Hanson speaks French and Spanish fluently and is conversant in German and has basic spoken Mandarin Chinese skills. Mr. Hanson earned a B.A. from Salisbury University in French and Spanish and an M.B.A. from the Perdue School at Salisbury University. He currently holds a Maryland Real Estate License and has done so since 1999. Mr. Hanson also has an avid interest in Sustainable Development and Green Practices and is President and CEO of Tuckahoe Habitat for Humanity on Maryland’s Eastern Shore where he resides with his wife and two sons.

Mr. Walter joined Greenberg Gibbons in july 2012 and serves as executive vice president of development, acquisitions and finance. He is responsible for overseeing development activities, acquisition opportunities and all areas of project finance. Prior to joining greenberg gibbons, he worked for cbre’s washington, d.C., office in the national retail investment sales group. During his tenure at cbre, mr. Walter was responsible for the financial underwriting, market analysis, and due diligence for retail properties primarily located in the mid-atlantic region, closing over $1 billion in retail investment sales transactions. Mr. Walter received his bachelor of science degree in finance and international business and a master in real estate development from the university of maryland. He is a member of the international council of shopping centers.

David Karceski is a member of the firm’s State and Local Government Practice Group and counsels the firm’s clients on real estate development and zoning and land use matters. Mr. Karceski assists local, regional and national clients in obtaining legislative, administrative and regulatory approvals during all phases of development and permitting processes in Baltimore City and Baltimore County. The types of projects Mr. Karceski has been involved with include transit-oriented developments, mixed-use town centers, industrial and office parks, institutional campus improvements, multi-family communities and residential subdivisions, and a variety of commercial and retail projects. Signage approvals are a critical component of these projects that Mr. Karceski has obtained to increase the value of all types of development for the client. Prior to joining Venable, Mr. Karceski served as a law clerk to Chief Judge Joseph F. Murphy, Jr. on the Court of Special Appeals. He drafted and edited opinions and assisted in revising The Maryland Evidence Handbook.