Prince William Rising: Innovation & Smart Growth

Christina Winn leads the Prince William County Department of Economic Development (PWCDED), catalyzing investment, retention, and redevelopment opportunities in the second largest county in Virginia. By positioning the county as a leader in the fast-paced, evolving economy of the Greater Washington, D.C. region, Ms. Winn is shaping stages for expansion and collaboration in key target industries, such as life sciences and biotech; last-mile distribution and supply chain logistics; and government contracting. Her goal is to create higher paying jobs for a highly educated and diverse workforce in Prince William County that will also build capacity for a flourishing entrepreneurial ecosystem. Since taking the helm of the department in 2019, Ms. Winn has implemented best practices and programs that attracted more than $10.3 billion in capital investment and 7,531 new and retained jobs. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she led multiple grant programs, providing more than $32 million in assistance to the county’s business community. With more than 20 years of economic development and private sector real estate experience, Ms. Winn is an expert in development programs including finance, incentives, and marketing. She currently serves as the president for the Virginia Economic Developers Association (VEDA), and she was named to the Washington Business Journal’s 2022 class of Women Who Mean Business. Ms. Winn strategically enhanced the county’s economic national presence with the rigorous International Economic Development Council (IEDC) department accreditation in 2022. The department programs have been honored with eight IEDC Economic Excellence Awards as well as a 2022 Achievement Award from the Virginia Association of Counties (VACo). Previously, she led Arlington Economic Development business investment group from 2014 to 2019, where she was instrumental in redefining the Northern Virginia economic landscape with the recruitment of Amazon’s HQ2. She earned her master’s degree in real estate development from Johns Hopkins University and her bachelor’s degree in economics from Arizona State University.

Feras Qumseya is the Chief Development Officer at Standard Communities where he leads the New Construction division, a national platform focused on leveraging 4% LIHTC financing to build new dedicated affordable housing in major metropolitan areas. Mr. Qumseya has nearly 20 years of real estate and economic development experience, having directed the feasibility, planning, and development of large-scale mixed-use communities and landmark urban revitalization masterplans. He has transformed deteriorated public housing into attractive new mixed-income, mixed-use communities that blend public, affordable, and market rate homes. Feras’ repertoire of financing vehicles includes complex transactions combining private financing with highly competitive local and federal government financing resources. He served as the Mayor’s Founding Director for D.C.’s Saint Elizabeths Redevelopment initiative, one of the largest urban redevelopments in the country, totaling over 180 acres. He currently serves as co-chair of Urban Land Institute Washington Housing Initiatives Council. He was appointed by Fairfax County Board of Supervisor Chairman Jeff McKay to serve on the Fairfax County Affordable Housing Preservation Task Force and was also appointed by Prince George’s County Board of Supervisor Chairman Calvin Hawkins on the county’s Housing Opportunities for All Workgroup. Mr. Qumseya received an MS in Information Systems Technology, Construction Management Systems from The George Washington University School of Business. He holds a BA in Economics and Management and International Relations from Beloit College. He is based out of Standard’s Washington, D.C. office.