5th Annual Evolution of Downtown Los Angeles

Carol Schatz, president and CEO of the Downtown Center BID, is known as DTLA’s biggest champion. Before she landed in DTLA, she was an SVP at the California League of Savings Institutions and then deputy regional director for the Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corp, where she oversaw the liquidation of billions of dollars in assets of failed savings institutions in the 12 western states. The most rewarding part of her job these days is touting the success of DTLA’s transformation. “Being a pivotal player in Downtown’s complete transformation has given me the greatest satisfaction,” she says. The possibilities are endless in DTLA, according to Carol. She sees construction costs and land prices as challenges developers face as a result of the progress that has been made. “We’ve become a victim of our own success,” she says. Carol also has concerns about the “misguided” anti-development legislation now being tossed around. She advises women and others getting started in the industry to “trust your instincts, and don’t take no for an answer." Away from the office, she enjoys the opera and theater as well as traveling, hiking and swimming.

As SVP, Mr. Andersen focuses on Multifamily development opportunities throughout Southern California, Northern California and Arizona. Currently, Jim is responsible for a portfolio of over 4000 units in various stages of processing. Prior to joining Trammell Crow Company, Mr. Andersen served as the President of NMS Properties, leading the organization from 2008 when his tenure began as the company’s Chief Operating Officer, through June, 2013. A 29-year real estate industry veteran, Mr. Andersen oversaw all aspects of NMS Properties from finance and asset management to development. Prior to joining NMS Properties, Mr. Andersen spent 12 years as Senior Vice President and Partner at Legacy Partners where he was responsible for operations, acquisitions and development activities in the Southern California, Nevada and Arizona markets. Prior to Legacy Partners, Mr. Andersen served as Chief Financial Officer for Bay Apartment Communities, a publicly traded Real Estate Investment Trust, and the predecessor to Avalon Bay. Mr. Andersen also served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Trammell Crow Company’s Northwest Region. Mr. Andersen holds a B.S. Degree from Loyola Marymount University. He is a member of Urban Land Institute (ULI).

Arden leads Trumark Urban projects from property acquisition through buildout and sales. From working with architects and consultants on building design and meeting with neighbors regarding their needs for a project, to hard hat tours of job sites and reviewing financial analyses of projects—Arden has his finger on the pulse of every aspect of Trumark Urban. Since joining Trumark in 2006, Arden has been instrumental in over $1.5 billion of residential and mixed-use development. In 2012, Arden led the effort to launch Trumark Urban where he now manages a pipeline of over 1 million square feet, and an over $1 billion investment in office, mixed-use, and residential development projects. Prior to his role at Trumark Urban, he served as Senior Vice President for Northern California at Trumark Companies.

Paul Rohrer represents governmental entities, nonprofit educational institutions, healthcare providers, developers and other property owners in land use and entitlement matters and in the acquisition, sale, optioning and ground leasing of real property. He has extensive experience negotiating and drafting various land use and real estate agreements, including joint development agreements, owner participation agreements and construction-related agreements. Mr. Rohrer has also led real estate due diligence teams in the review and analysis of existing agreements (such as leases, licenses and easements) and matters of record affecting properties to be acquired, as well as the evaluation of existing zoning and permitting and future opportunities for expanded entitlements. Mr. Rohrer has worked extensively with public/private transactions, air-rights transfers and the creation of special use districts for signage. He has appeared in front of city councils, planning and architectural commissions and community redevelopment agency boards in support of his clients’ projects. He works with government officials, private parties and nonprofit entities to create economically and socially viable development solutions. Prior to becoming an attorney, Mr. Rohrer worked for 15 years in nearly every area of the real estate industry, and his business experience provides background and texture to his law practice.

As Partner, Development, Neils Cotter oversees Carmel Partners’ Southern California development projects with flexibility and creativity. He has 15 years of experience in identifying growth opportunities and executing focused business strategies. Prior to joining Carmel in 2012, Mr. Cotter was Vice President of Acquisitions and Asset Management for Matteson Companies, where he led acquisition, disposition, and asset management activities in Southern California, Las Vegas, and Denver. He was also the Acquisitions and Development Director for real estate developer, Intracorp Southern California. Previously, Mr. Cotter was a Captain in the United States Air Force. Mr. Cotter received a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from Duke University and a Master of Business Administration degree from INSEAD.

As Managing Partner of Steinberg Hart’s Los Angeles office and leader of the firm’s Mixed-Use practice, Simon Ha has nearly two decades of experience in the planning, design and construction of large-scale award-winning mixed-use, hospitality, and multi-family projects in the City of Los Angeles and beyond. With an education in urban housing development from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, Simon leverages his knowledge of functional design, placemaking, and the development process to yield the highest value for his clients while achieving the goals of the city, community and the urban environment. Prior to joining Steinberg Hart, he was the Managing Partner at TSK-LA and a Principal at TCA Architects. Simon is an engaged community leader in Downtown LA. He is active on various boards and committees, including the AIA National Housing Knowledge Community, Central City Association, Downtown Center Business Improvement District, Skid Row Housing Trust, and City of LA’s Zoning Advisory Committee.

“Bud” Ovrom is the Executive Director of Mayor Eric Garcetti’s new Los Angeles Department of Convention & Tourism Development. Mr. Ovrom has been tasked with turning the Convention Center into an economic engine for the City, with initiatives such as the proposed NFL stadium, privatizing the day-to-day management of the Convention Center, expanding the Center and promoting the construction of more hotels. This is Mr. Ovrom’s fourth executive position since coming to the City of Los Angeles 11 years ago. Mr. Ovrom was the Chief Executive Officer of the Redevelopment Agency (CRA/LA) in the Hahn Administration from 2003 to 2005. When Antonio Villaraigosa was elected Mayor in 2005, he asked Mr. Ovrom to join his Administration as Deputy Mayor of Economic Development. At the end of his first term, Mayor Villaraigosa asked him to stay on as General Manager of the Building and Safety Department. Prior to coming to Los Angeles, Ovrom was the City Manager of the City of Burbank for 18 years. Ovrom also held City Manager positions in Downey and Monrovia, and started his career as Assistant to the City Manager of Simi Valley in 1970.

Karin Liljegren has dedicated her career to revitalization and the power of adaptive reuse to enrich a community. In 1999, she worked on the very first projects under Los Angeles’s Adaptive Reuse Ordinance, which launched her nuanced understanding of the challenges and opportunities of adaptive reuse. Karin is a thought leader in the community and is active with city and county officials in crafting policies that ease the challenges of working on existing buildings. Her impact created the return of historic downtown Los Angeles as a livable, walkable neighborhood. Karin founded Omgivning in 2009. The firm uncovers potential in underutilized buildings and spaces transforming them into hotels, multifamily housing, offices, restaurants, and bars. Omgivning has grown and expanded having touched more than 500 buildings in Downtown Los Angeles and greater Southern California. In 2014, the firm received a Presidential Honoree award for an Emerging Practice from the AIA Los Angeles. Karin is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (FAIA) and a frequent contributor and speaker on architecture, design, and adaptive reuse. She is a member of the Urban Land Institute’s Redevelopment and Reuse Council and a member of the AIA Los Angeles Historic Resources Committee.

Andy Cohen, FAIA is one of two Gensler Co-CEOs, whose collaborative leadership model sets itself apart in the marketplace as the #1 ranked global design firm, with $1.2 billion in revenue in 2016. For his innovative leadership, he and Co-CEO Diane Hoskins rank on Business Insider’s elite “Creators” list, a who’s who of the world’s 100 top creative visionaries. A hands-on leader, Andy oversees Gensler’s global platform and its day-to-day operations, some 5,500+ people networked across 47 offices, serving clients in 120+ countries. A champion of design, resiliency and sustainability, Andy is Chair of Gensler’s Board of Directors, spearheading design excellence strategies across Gensler’s 31 diverse practice areas. Andy has been a speaker at many premier industry conferences, including the Urban Land Institute (ULI), Milken Institute Global Conference, Pension Real Estate Association (PREA) and TEDx. Andy is an active Board Member of the Fisher Center for Real Estate and Urban Economics and the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability. In his role as Co-CEO, Andy is one of the key contributors to what is acknowledged, by its peers, to be the most admired and largest architecture firm in the world, pioneering project types and design innovation strategies for the next century.

Marc Gittleman oversees 3rd Party Services throughout Rising's 3+ million sq. ft commercial real estate portfolio, business development of integrated verticals, and Rising's energy, sustainability and technology initiatives. Marc has also participated as a GP investor in over $600M of transactions. Marc is also CEO & Co-Founder of 5x5 Telecom, a fiber optic ISP and smart-building platform located in Los Angeles. Prior to becoming a key member of Rising Senior Leadership and culture, Marc spent the past 18 years working with multiple start-ups. He worked closely with Nelson and Christopher Rising over the past decade on real estate projects, including Nelson and Christopher's tenure at Maguire. A noted expert in real estate innovation, Marc's creative leadership in implementing advanced technologies has garnered national attention and drives value for Rising and many of the nation's largest real estate investors. Marc serves as a Director and the Secretary/Treasurer of the Board of Directors for BOMA International's Greater Los Angeles Chapter representing 135 million square feet of office and industrial space, the IP Infrastructure Committee of Innovate Pasadena, Chair of NAIOP's Trends in Real Estate Development forum, and an appointee to the Advisory Board of Cross Campus, where former President Obama recently spoke on technology and innovation Marc attended Drake University and The University of Minnesota.

Ronen Olshansky is a co-founder and CEO of Cross Campus, a Los Angeles based real estate and hospitality platform re-imagining the office experience for creative professionals through a combination of workspace, services, and business events. Ronen’s background in finance and technology includes having worked for companies like Lehman Brothers, Arthur Andersen and JPMorgan in countries including Russia, UK, Turkey, and Brazil. He has been a founder or early stage executive in software, climate change, and real estate businesses.

After graduating from Ithaca College in 2013 with a degree in Integrated Marketing Communications, Adam Wacenske moved to New York City to pursue a marketing career for a hotel chain - until he ran into WeWork CEO Adam Nuemann. It only took one visit to a WeWork location in New York City to convince him to change his career path. Starting as a Front Desk Associate, Adam has worked his way through the company. He worked on WeWork’s Labs program where he helped early start-ups, managed properties in New York City, and launched new locations in Los Angeles, London, Tel Aviv, and all across the southern region of the U.S. As General Manager, Adam is responsible for WeWork’s performance in the southern region of the U.S.