Greater Richmond 2024 Development Forecast

Dr. Peter Linneman is a Principal of Linneman Associates, KL Realty, and American Land Funds, and is the Albert Sussman Emeritus Professor of Real Estate, Finance, and Business Public Policy at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. He was a member of Wharton's faculty for 32 years, founding Wharton's Real Estate Department and the Zell-Lurie Real Estate Center. He is the founding co-editor of The Wharton Real Estate Review and has published over 80 articles during his career.

Whitson Huffman is responsible for the oversight of investment activity at Capital Square, which includes leadership of the firm’s real estate investments related to its Delaware statutory trust/Section 1031 exchanges, qualified opportunity zone funds and other private placement investment offerings. Since joining the firm in 2018, he has overseen approximately $6 billion in real estate transactions, grown total assets under management by more than $5 billion and established a successful development division that has initiated nine development projects totaling 1,700 apartment units and in excess of $600 million in development cost. Prior to joining Capital Square, Huffman was an associate with JBG SMITH Properties, a real estate investment trust and fund manager listed on the New York Stock Exchange. While at JBG SMITH, Huffman participated in the development of 1,300 residential units and over 210,000 square feet of retail space with a total capitalized value of more than $650 million. He also sought entitlements for over 1,500 residential units and 350,000 square feet of retail, with a projected capitalized value in excess of $400 million. Huffman was previously employed as a consultant in the financial services group of Ernst & Young, working on multifaceted banking and capital markets projects for systemically important financial institutions. He earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from Miami University Farmer School of Business and a Master of Real Estate, finance from Georgetown University. He is active in a number of programs, including the National Multifamily Housing Council, the National Capital Chapter of Ducks Unlimited and the Institute of Portfolio Alternatives (IPA) inaugural Rising Leaders Council. The IPA Rising Leaders Council focuses on introducing professionals to the portfolio diversifying investments industry and helping to create dynamic and engaging conference and educational programming for the IPA.

Kipton Currier is a social impact executive dedicated to serving missions for the greater good. After a successful career in Manhattan real estate, Kipton made a pivot to the intersection of finance, healthcare, and life sciences. Originally from the tri-city area, Ms. Currier moved back to the Richmond region five years ago and has since launched three major initiatives: a health data analytics firm, a national philanthropic guarantee bank (resourcing the sectors of affordable housing, climate, and small business), and most recently a pharmaceutical manufacturer. In her new role as Vice President of Operations at Activation Capital, Kipton leads real estate strategy, internal operations, and the construction of Activation Capital's 100k square foot Life Science Innovation Center in downtown Richmond's Biotechnology Research Park. Ms. Currier received her undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia and her MBA from the College of William and Mary.

Brandon Wright joined Crescent Communities’ Multifamily team in 2019 as Managing Director of the Washington, DC region. Brandon oversees development and investment supporting the company’s regional growth in the DC metro and the growing submarkets of Virginia and Maryland. Prior to joining Crescent Communities, Brandon served in leadership roles with a variety of notable firms including Greystar, Alliance Residential, HFF, and The Bozzuto Group. Brandon is an active member of ULI, DC Real Estate Group and a LEED Green Associate. He earned his bachelor’s degree in History from Dartmouth College.

Chandra Briggman is President and CEO of Activation Capital, a leading innovation ecosystem development organization providing social, knowledge, and financial capital to tech clusters across the Commonwealth of Virginia. Before being named the CEO in May 2020, Chandra was Director of Venture Café Foundation located in Cambridge, MA, and was responsible for the strategy and operations of the global network’s flagship Venture Café Cambridge innovation hub. She played a key role in helping expand the revenue and the footprint in New England. Before her work in ecosystem development in Massachusetts, she held innovation roles with the United States Postal Service in Washington, DC, culminating with her work as the Director of Digital Platforms and the Innovation Lab. Her prior experience comprised leadership roles with multiple startups, including Founder as a serial entrepreneur. Chandra is an active member of the entrepreneurship and innovation community, including as a guest lecturer, coach/mentor, public speaker, and Chair of the Board for Youth CITIES - a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to youth entrepreneurship. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in the Humanities from Columbia International University, a Master’s in Marketing from Johns Hopkins University, and an MBA from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Ashley Peace serves as President of Sauer Properties, Inc., a private company based in Richmond, Virginia specializing in commercial real estate development and investment. Peace is responsible for strategic leadership and operations of the company. Peace’s team recently completed the development of approximately 330,000 square feet of Class A retail and office at The Sauer Center, an award-winning, mixed-use center anchored by a Whole Foods Market. Peace has extensive real estate knowledge with specialties in the areas of residential and commercial real estate, land use planning, and valuation. As a former Director of Real Estate Development for HHHunt Corporation, Peace executed a broad range of corporate real estate strategies and transactions. Peace managed the land use, entitlements, and design process to develop new construction apartment and senior living communities throughout the East Coast for HHHunt Corporation; $230 million+ in development. Peace previously served as the Director of Real Estate and Construction for Lidl US. Peace was instrumental in the international retailer's entry into the US market overseeing real estate acquisitions, land use development, and construction throughout the Southeast. Peace's regional real estate team constructed eight of Lidl's first ten stores which opened in June 2017. Her team went on to construct and open twenty-four (24) stores in eighteen (18) months. As a land use planner, Peace worked on large-scale economic development projects in the Richmond, VA region and provided planning and real estate consulting services to Bon Secours Richmond Health System. Peace also worked for Colliers International (formerly MGMiller Valuations) as a Commercial Real Estate Analyst having appraised over one hundred commercial properties. Peace has valuation experience in all property types including residential, agricultural, industrial, retail, office, multi-family, hotels, and historic properties. Peace has personally renovated and sold multiple investment properties and restored a historic landmark utilizing historic tax credits. The Peace’s former historic home, White Plains was awarded Preservation Virginia’s 2013 Historic House Rehabilitation Award and was featured on the Garden Club of Virginia’s 2015 Historic Garden Tour. Peace enjoys spending time with her family and volunteering in the community. She is a parent volunteer for St. Catherine’s and St. Christopher’s Schools and serves on the Board of Trustees for Capital Trees. Professionally, she enjoyed serving as an appointed Planning Commissioner for Hanover County. Peace is active in the Richmond Real Estate Group, Greater Richmond Association for Commercial Real Estate, CREW (Commercial Real Estate Women), and is a member of VCU’s Real Estate Circle of Excellence. Peace holds a master’s degree in urban and regional planning from Virginia Commonwealth University and a B.S. from Virginia Tech.

Jane serves as Richmond Division Senior Vice President for Highwoods Properties, a publicly traded real estate investment trust specializing in office development. In this role, Jane is responsible for for all aspects of the division including the operations, marketing and leasing of the Divisions portfolio, wholly-owned and third-party property management and sourcing new development opportunties. Jane has over 29 years of real estate experience with the marjority of that time being spent with Highwoods. She joined when the division opened in 1995, completing major build-to-suit and lease transactions with such high-profiled customers as Markel Insurance, The Martin Agency, Hamilton Beach, AECOM and Virginia Urology. In 2019, she lead her team to win the GRACRE Real Estate Transaction of the Year Award. Jane graduated from Old Dominion University with a B.S. in Business Adminstration, Real Estate Finance. She earned the CCIM designation in 2002, the SIOR designation in 2011 and her Managing Brokers License in 2018. She is Past President of CREW-Richmond and GRACRE chapters. She is the current President of the Innsbrook Owners Association Board, serves on the Richmond Metro Transit Authority Board, the Cystic Fibrosys Foundation as an executive board memberd and is an executive member of the The Steward School Board of Trustees.

Louis J. Rogers is the founder and chief executive officer of Capital Square and its related entities He is also the founder and chief executive officer of Rogers Realty Advisors, LLC. Prior to founding Capital Square, he served as managing director of private programs at a national real estate sponsor and was the former chief executive officer of its FINRA-licensed broker-dealer. Rogers was a founding member of a national real estate investment sponsor in 1998, where he ultimately served as president and on the board of directors until 2007. Under his leadership, the company became the nation’s largest tenant-in-common (TIC) sponsor, which syndicated in excess of $5 billion of real estate in over 100 offerings, including TICs, real estate investment trusts (REITs) and real estate funds. Prior to 2004, Rogers was an influential tax, securities, and real estate attorney. He was a partner with the Hirschler Fleischer law firm in Richmond, Virginia (1987-2004), where he founded and led the firm’s Real Estate Securities Practice Group. Rogers was responsible for billions of dollars of TIC, REIT and fund offerings as an attorney and executive officer. In 2017, Rogers was a finalist for the 2017 EY Entrepreneur of the Year Mid-Atlantic. In 2020, 2021 and 2022, he was listed as one of the most powerful and influential leaders on the Virginia 500 Power List by Virginia Business and was also awarded Real Estate Forum’s Best Bosses 2020 by GlobeSt. In September 2022, Rogers will be honored by the Richmond chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society for his significant impact on the Richmond community. Rogers earned a Bachelor of Science from Northeastern University in 1979 (with highest honors), a Bachelor of Arts (with honors) in 1981 and Master of Arts in 1985 in Jurisprudence from Oxford University, and a Juris Doctor degree in 1984 from University of Virginia School of Law. He is a former Adjunct Professor of Law at the Marshall-Wythe School of Law at the College of William and Mary and lecturer at the University of Virginia School of Law.

Dennis Bickmeier is the Executive Director of Henrico Sports and Entertainment Authority, leading the county’s mission of bringing sports and entertainment facilities and events to the county. Previously, he served as President of Richmond Raceway for more than a decade, guiding the Raceway’s motorsports, Amphitheater and facility rental efforts. Over his 33-year sports management career, Dennis has worked for some of the top sports organizations in the nation, including the Los Angeles Rams, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Big West Conference. He spent more than two decades in motorsports, serving in a variety of Public Relations and Marketing roles at Auto Club (California) Speedway and Michigan International Speedway, prior to his appointment as President of Richmond Raceway in 2011. A native Ohioan, he is a graduate of the Ohio University Scripps School of Journalism. He also holds a master’s degree in Sports Administration from Ohio University. Dennis is active throughout the greater Richmond region, serving on the Board of Directors for the Henrico Education Foundation and the Henrico Police Athletic League, as well as Laaser’s Ladybugs, a non-profit organization that focuses on mental health awareness issues. Dennis lives in Henrico County with his wife and their three children.