Puget Sound's CRE Business & Policy Summit

John Chelminiak, first elected to the City Council in 2004, is a champion for human services. The mayor represents the council on the Puget Sound Regional Council Executive Board, the Bellevue Convention Center Authority Board and the coordinating board of All Home. He is council liaison for Bellevue's Planning Commission and the Wilburton-Grand Connection Citizen Advisory Committee. John is the senior manager for public sector solutions at Waste Management, the nation's largest environmental solutions provider. He is the only council member to wrestle a bear, surviving a mauling near his vacation cabin at Lake Wenatchee in 2010. Prior to joining the council, John served on the Planning Commission. He has served on the board of Seattle's O'Dea High School since 1999. He was also a member of the Coordinating Committee for Regional Water Supply Planning. John holds a bachelor's degree in communications from Washington State University. The Alliance of Eastside Agencies named him Elected Official of the Year in 2011. John and his wife Lynn live in the Vuecrest neighborhood with daughter Megan, who attends Bellevue High School. His stepdaughter, Morgan, is a graduate of the University of Washington.

In November 2014 Jon Scholes became President and CEO of DSA following six years as the organization’s Vice President of Advocacy and Economic Development. He believes downtown Seattle is an essential voice of leadership in a rapidly growing and evolving city. Jon’s passion for taking on big issues is reflected in his 15 years of work in nonprofit advocacy, local government, and senior positions on statewide political campaigns. At DSA he leads a diverse team focused on creating a healthy, vibrant and inviting downtown. Jon is a member of the Visit Seattle Board of Directors and the Downtown Transportation Alliance and has served on a number of city and county task forces on transportation, homelessness and housing. He is a Puget Sound Business Journal 40 Under 40 award winner and a graduate of Leadership tomorrow. He attended the University of Texas in Austin before graduating from the University of Washington. Jon lives in downtown Seattle with his wife and seven-year-old twins, Parker and Avery. In his spare time Jon sails, skis and rides motorcycles. He loves how much mental focus and presence each activity requires.

Cathy Reines is an original founder and owner of kōz as its President, CEO & Board Chairman. Cathy is responsible for the overall financial reporting of the Company, coordinating construction and permanent financing options, investor reporting and relationships, community relations and overseeing implementation of the business plan. Prior to joining kōz, Cathy was the President & CEO of a Seattle-based micro-housing development, construction and property management Company. Cathy has held partner positions in national, regional and local CPA firms and has held both CEO and CFO positions at SEC reporting community banks. Cathy has spoken at a number of real estate conferences as well as historically been a regular speaker at various national and local banking conferences. She has served as a board member for regional and state-wide banking associations. Cathy holds a bachelor’s degree with an emphasis in Accounting from Central Washington University and is a licensed CPA.

Gary Chubb is a Project Executive for Swinerton in Seattle, where he is responsible for overseeing the rollout of the Sustainable Living Innovations (SLI) Program, an innovative solution that encompasses high-rise apartments, office projects, and alternative delivery methods including design-build and public-private partnerships for the agency and municipal work. Gary has over 27 years of experience in managing design and construction, and he is responsible for the entire project development process to ensure success during all phases of design and construction. Executive management is focused on feasibility, site logistics, financial planning, contracts, design team interface, subcontractor performance, budget compliance, quality control, timely completion and close-out of projects. Gary’s professional background combines both general contracting and owner representation which affords a complete perspective on total project success and client satisfaction.

Aaron Laing helps property owners, developers and investors navigate Washington’s increasingly complex land use regulatory framework. He is known for his thoughtful, comprehensive, and strategic approach to land use and entitlement issues. Aaron has significant experience with a broad range of entitlement issues including vesting, title disputes, SEPA mitigation, rezones, shoreline regulations and regulatory takings. His statewide practice covers projects ranging from master planned resorts, urban core high-rises, and multifamily/mixed-use infill, to residential subdivisions and custom homes. Although Aaron frequently represents clients in administrative appeals and state and federal courts, he prefers to help clients avoid litigation and move projects forward in a timely, efficient manner. As a trained mediator, Aaron provides valuable insight on when and how alternative dispute resolution methods may benefit his clients.

Brian has developed 30+ projects worth more than $300 million while at Beacon. He has primary responsibility for all third-party consulting projects and client relationships. As part of the Leadership Team, he jointly manages the overall development pipeline for all Beacon projects including supervising housing developers, development assistants, and construction managers. Brian has worked with almost every affordable housing funding source, public and private, in Washington State: Historic and Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, taxable and tax-exempt bank loans, bridge funding, construction loans, and City, County and State funding. Prior to Beacon, Brian served as Vice President for Community Development Banking at Bank of America in Seattle, and as Project Manager for EAH Housing, one of the San Francisco Bay area’s largest non-profit housing developers. Brian serves as the President of the Board of Directors of the Housing Development Consortium of Seattle-King Co. and from 2007 to 2014 he served on the Board of Capitol Hill Housing in Seattle. He holds a BA in History and Global Studies from Pacific Lutheran University and a Master in Public Policy from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Outside of work Brian enjoys traveling, his twin sons, and hiking

A champion of place-based strategies for community revitalization in the US and abroad for 27 years, Marty is recognized for progressive work in the areas of sustainable building practices, homebuyer financial readiness, community development, the rehabilitation and preservation of foreclosed and distressed properties, as well as board development and strategic alliances. A first career as founder and CEO of a successful diversified construction business, and a subsequent degree in social work, allowed him to merge his passion for the built environment with his commitment to social justice, and led him directly to the affordable housing sector. Before coming to Seattle in 2008 to lead Habitat for Humanity Seattle/South King County, Marty held several leadership positions with Habitat for Humanity’s international headquarters (HFHI). He then served as Board President of HDC before being appointed as Executive Director in 2013. A past Bush Foundation fellow at the Joint Center for Housing and the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard, Marty currently co-chairs the University of Washington’s West Coast Poverty Center Housing Roundtable and serves on the boards of Global Washington, Emerald Cities Seattle, HomeAid Puget Sound, and NACEDA. Previous appointments include All Home’s coordinating board and the City of Seattle’s Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda (HALA) committee.

Virginia works with property owners facing regulatory roadblocks in attempts to use their land for recreation or business purposes. As a land use attorney, she navigates complex land use regulations, SEPA mitigation and entitlement issues to resolve disputes and move projects forward. She also represents clients in administrative and judicial appeals of land use decisions.