Alexander Durst is Chief Development Officer and a fourth generation family member of The Durst Organization. Alexander began his career at The Durst Organization in 2005 working in building operations. He moved on to managing a portfolio of small residential buildings and the management of delinquent accounts in the company’s 13-million square foot commercial portfolio. He oversaw the restoration of seven buildings that were severely damaged by Hurricane Sandy on Front Street in Lower Manhattan. Currently, Alexander focuses on project development, project management, financial analysis and acquisitions. Working closely with his father Douglas, cousin Jody and sister Helena, Alexander has helped oversee the financing, construction and entitlement of a 709-unit residential rental space building as well as a 500,000-square foot mixed–use project that includes retail, commercial space and rental apartments. Alexander holds a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Science degrees in Geology and Earth Sciences and is a board member of the City Parks Foundation, an advisory board member to the New York State Board of the Trust for Public Land and is a Commissioner of the New York Region of New York State Parks.

Colleen is President and Chief Operating Officer at Taconic. She also leads Taconic’s Development and Construction practice. As President and COO, Colleen oversees corporate matters across the firm. As Head of Development and Construction she manages all aspects of development including strategic planning, zoning and entitlements, predevelopment, project budgeting, design management, construction oversight, procurement, risk management and insurance, community relations, branding, and marketing through sale or lease-up. Since joining Taconic in 2000, Colleen has planned and overseen both ground-up and restoration projects in the commercial, residential and mixed-use sectors, totaling over 7 million square feet of commercial space and 1,500 units of housing. In addition, Colleen leads Taconic’s development advisory business, which focuses on key partnerships for client-led development and construction projects. Colleen received a Bachelor of Arts degree magna cum laude in psychology from Boston College, and earned a Master of Science degree in real estate development and finance from NYU’s Schack Institute of Real Estate. Colleen is an active member of ULI’s Program Steering Committee, NYPEN, Professional Women in Construction, and sits on the Fordham Real Estate Executive Advisory Council.

Joseph Rigazio is the CEO of Talisen Construction Corporation. Talisen is a commercial construction firm founded in the New York Metro marketplace in 2009. Focusing on the Healthcare and Education markets over the last eight years has brought Talisen success in the ambulatory centers, medical office buildings, charter schools, private universities, and special projects areas. Trained in both Electrical Engineering, Business Economics, and Construction Management, Joseph entered the professional world with a strong vision. After a 23-year-long career in technology, in which he managed Fortune 100 company relationships in sales management, ran marketing organizations, and ultimately, lead a major business unit at Texas Instruments, Joseph chose to utilize his expertise and leadership skills to start Talisen. Concentrating on growing a team bonded by a common vision, Talisen has become a trailblazer in the New York construction field. Focused investments on employees, processes, and the NY Metro subcontractor ecosystem, along with an innovative approach to project management, differentiates Talisen from the competition. Founded on the key tenants of safety and collaboration, Talisen has grown into a premier New York construction firm that truly partners with their clients to provide a new precedent for client advocacy in today’s market.

Jamil Lacourt is the COO at L&L Holding Company where he focuses on developing methods of sharing information across projects, establishing uniform practices for reporting, bidding and budgeting, contractor and subcontractor relationships, technology, and the execution of construction efforts throughout the portfolio. Previously, Lacourt served as Principal and Director of Project Management for OC Development Management, where he led the firm’s project management team. Notable projects include the repositioning and expansion of 150 Fifth Avenue, the base building redevelopment of 368 Ninth Avenue (a.k.a. 21 Penn Plaza) and 695 Sixth Avenue, and the redevelopment of 780 Third Avenue. Prior to OC Development Management, Lacourt served as Vice President at JLL, Associate Director of Construction at Stanford University, and Senior Vice President at Citi. Throughout his career, some of his notable projects include the Row Houses at Stanford University, BBVA Bancomer’s 50-story corporate headquarters in Mexico City, pre-construction services for WWE and Madison Square Garden, and construction at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn. Lacourt received a Bachelor of Science degree in construction management from the State University of New York (SUNY) Farmingdale. He also obtained his Project Management Professional (PMP) certification as well as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) accreditation from the U.S. Green Building Council.

Brendan Schmitt is a partner in Herrick’s Real Estate Department. Brendan practices in all facets of real estate law with a focus on real estate development and construction law, representing owners, developers and lenders in contract drafting, negotiation and review, general counseling and development advisory services. Brendan works with property owners and developers through all phases of the building process, beginning prior to acquisition through project completion, advising clients on a diverse range of matters, including construction contracts, risk management and neighboring property construction license agreements. Brendan works closely with real estate developers to maximize construction cost and time efficiencies. He regularly advises developers on construction manager and subcontractor selection, construction sequencing and administration, issues involving the protection of neighboring properties, and regulatory compliance and approvals. Brendan was recognized by Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch for 2021 for Construction Law. In 2019, Brendan was named one of New York Real Estate Journal's "Ones to Watch," which focuses on up-and-coming professionals across all areas of real estate. While attending Fordham University School of Law, Brendan served as a judicial extern to the Honorable Debra Freeman of the U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York.

Since 1981, John has grown the company his grandfather started into an integrated investment, development, and management platform. He has expanded Midwood’s portfolio to over 130 retail, residential and office properties in 9 states and the District of Columbia. Beyond Midwood, John’s philanthropic interests are primarily focused in education and the arts. John is a Trustee Emeritus of Wesleyan University, past chair of Wesleyan’s Capital Campaign and was previously Chair of the Brandeis International Business School. John is currently a Trustee of The Brooklyn Academy of Music, Board President of the Usdan Center, Board member of UJA-Federation (and member of the Audit Committee), Board member of the Hastings Center, past Board President at Bronx House, and on the corporate board of Merchants National Properties.

Sergey’s lifelong passion has always been to build. He founded RYBAK Development immediately after graduating from New York University, starting the company from scratch while continuing his real estate development education as a post-grad. What began with a modest 6 unit condominium property in South Brooklyn has evolved over the years into a trend-setting, industry-leading firm, with Sergey staying hands-on throughout each and every project. During that span, Sergey has managed the construction of Brooklyn’s largest multi-sporting facility, featured as an Industry Executive of the Month by New York Real Estate Journal, and managed RYBAK Development’s growth while keeping the firm agile to increase profits, not overhead. As a RYBAK Principal, Sergey personally guarantees all project completions and project debt where applicable.

Chris has been a leader in Wrap-Up insurance for close to three decades, with experience in underwriting, risk management, and brokerage. The 90’s were spent at Liberty Mutual where he helped build their Construction Unit and underwrote insurance for Construction and Large Wrap-Up accounts. In the 2000’s Chris was Turner Construction Company’s Insurance Manager and National CCIP Director. He helped create their Rolling CCIP program and helped make it the largest Rolling CCIP program in the country. Since 2011, Chris helped make Turner’s sister company, Turner Surety and Insurance Brokerage (TSIB) into one of the leading, privately held, independent, Wrap-Up brokerage groups in the county selling OCIP specific services. His client list included the likes of Tishman Speyer, Related, Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA), Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission (PVSC), Alameda County, Sacramento Light Rail, and most recently Amazon to name a few. Chris earned his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Massachusetts.

Sadie McKeown is the President of The Community Preservation Corporation. In this capacity she leads the development and implementation of CPC’s growth strategy and oversees all of the company’s field offices, initiatives, and its equity and impact investing platforms. Sadie also works closely with the president of CPC Mortgage Company, CPC’s Agency mortgage lending subsidiary, to align all of the company’s products and tools under the overall CPC brand. Prior to her taking on the role of President in January 2022, she served as Executive Vice President and Head of Construction Lending and Initiatives where she led the company’s construction lending activities including the operation of its six New York field offices and its numerous initiatives. Sadie started her career at CPC as a Mortgage Originator in 1992, and has served as SVP, Director of Lending in CPC’s Hudson Valley Office; SVP, Director of Originations; and EVP, Chief Operating Officer. Throughout her career, Sadie has been a fierce advocate for moving the real estate industry and built environment towards carbon neutrality. Under her guidance, CPC created its innovative “underwriting efficiency” financing method that incorporates the potential savings from energy and water efficiency measures into the financing of first mortgages for multifamily buildings. She has overseen the development of numerous guides, tools, and case studies to help lenders, owners, and developers understand the benefits of energy efficient construction and retrofits; including CPC’s “Underwriting Efficiency Handbook” and its companion guide titled “Financing High-Performance” which focus on guiding lenders and developers through the underwriting efficiency methodology for both retrofit and new construction projects. Sadie also led CPC’s partnership with New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) and private partners on a Passive House study that aimed to demystify the economics and environmental benefits of Passive House. Sadie currently sits on the boards of the New York State Housing Finance Agency, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), and New York City Energy Efficiency Corporation (NYCEEC), as well as on the New York State Climate Action Council’s Energy Efficiency and Housing Advisory Panel and the NYSERDA Technical Advisory Group for the Electrification Roadmap. Sadie earned her Master’s Degree in Human Services Administration with a concentration in Housing from Cornell University. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Communications from Fordham University.

Karl Frederic is a Partner with the law firm of Windels Marx Lane & Mittendorf, LLP. Has a multi-disciplinary practice focusing on real estate development, leasing, construction and related matters involving the full spectrum of real estate assets -- from retail centers and corporate headquarters to MetLife Stadium. He has a particular experience in real estate matters involving the pharmaceutical and bio-tech industries. He also advises on acquisitions and the repositioning and expansion of existing developed assets. As the cannabis industry has risen over the past few years, Karl has applied his experience in life sciences to the needs of this sector, and has developed significant contacts throughout the cannabis industry, including representing trade groups, cultivators and CBD start-ups. Karl frequently speaks and writes on cannabis and related topics. He can be reached at T: 732.448.2552 or E:

As vice president of public policy at one of the largest telecommunications providers in the state, Leecia Eve is one of the most influential people when it comes to New York’s telecommunications policies. Prior to joining Verizon, Eve was New York’s deputy secretary for economic development, making her the chief economic development adviser to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and was a senior policy adviser to New York Sen. Hillary Clinton’s first presidential campaign.

Carlos is Vice President of real estate development and investment firm Silverstein Properties. Silverstein Properties is a privately-held, full-service real estate development, investment, and management firm based in New York City. Silverstein Properties has developed, owned, and managed more than 40 million square feet of office, residential, hotel, and retail properties. Carlos has worked as Design, Construction and Development Manager on several major commercial and residential development projects while at the firm such as the new headquarter for The Walt Disney Company in New York City (1.2M SF state-of-the-art vertical campus), 3 and 4 World Trade Center (5M SF mixed-used development), Silver Towers (1,400 unit residential development), and the masterplan for Qianhai International Financial District (5M SF mixed-use development in China).

Jonathan Gerardo is a Senior Project Manager, Design & Construction, for Rockefeller Group's NJ/PA Region. Jonathan is responsible for the management of projects in the pre-development and development stages including conceptual planning, design management, budgeting, procurement, and construction administration. He most recently managed the design and construction of a 300,000 square foot multi-tenant warehouse facility at Rockefeller Group's Lehigh Valley Logistics Center in Pennsylvania. Prior to joining Rockefeller Group, Mr. Gerardo was a Project Manager for Boswell Engineering, working as part of a multi-disciplined team to provide civil engineering and environmental services to a diverse range of public and private sector clients with a focus on infrastructure improvements, waterfront development and land use entitlements. He has also worked as a Development Associate with the Hoboken Brownstone Company. Jonathan earned his bachelor's degree in Environmental Science & Policy from Marist College and his master's degree in Real Estate Development from New York University. He is a LEED Accredited Professional and a certified Project Management Professional (PMP).

William Sproule is the Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters (EASRCC). EASRCC represents more than 41,000 members in Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and the Territory of Puerto Rico. Our members come from many different trade groups, including: commercial/residential carpenters; heavy highway; piledrivers; floor-layers; mill cabinet; and tradeshow. William is the former President & Regional Manager of the Northeast Regional Council of Carpenters which was dissolved and merged into Keystone + Mountain + Lakes Regional Council of Carpenters on May 30, 2018. After the merger William was appointed as the Assistant Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Keystone + Mountain + Lakes Regional Council of Carpenters which would be renamed to the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters in December of 2019. In April of 2019, William was appointed Executive Secretary-Treasurer. As Executive Secretary-Treasurer of EASRCC William’s duties include managing and leading the development of the organization’s policies and procedures; overseeing all of the day-to-day operations for the Council’s local unions in developing collective bargaining agreements; and organizing and expanding work opportunities for union membership.

Jessica L. Rothman has 20+ years of litigation experience focused on representing owners, contractors and design professionals in a range of performance and payment disputes including breach of contract, mechanic’s lien, negligence and building defect claims. Her practice extends to mediation and arbitration of these disputes. Jessica’s knowledge and experience is often sought out by owners, contractors, architects and engineers in negotiating contracts for construction and design projects. Jessica is skilled in negotiating the critical risk, performance and payment terms under those agreements, and managing the implementation and practical effects of the critical terms over the course of a project. Jessica is admitted to the United States District Court for the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York and the New York State Bar.