Exploring Arlington County's Next Chapter

David Orr, founder and Chairman of Orr Partners, possesses 40 years of experience and has been involved in over 20 million square feet of construction projects. Mr. Orr began his career with one of the world’s largest construction companies, Morse Diesel, where he oversaw projects in New York City such as the Park Lane Hotel in Central Park South and 88 Pine Street. After relocating back to the Washington, DC area, Mr. Orr was hired by Marriott International to supervise construction of Marriott Headquarters in Rockville, Maryland. Subsequently, Mr. Orr gained additional experience with Richmarr Construction and as Partner for Lee Sammis Associates, where he directed their Washington, DC offices and managed the development of 14 master planned office parks. In 1988, Mr. Orr founded David Orr Associates, the predecessor to Orr Partners, which has grown to be one of the Washington metropolitan area’s top development and project management firms. In 2006, Orr Partners was named to the Washington Business Journal’s Top 10 commercial real estate developers in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Orr Partners has established a reputation for providing all of its clients with the highest quality of independent, impartial, and professional advice and project management expertise. David maintains oversight of the company’s upcoming projects and serves as Principal-in-Charge on key projects. He has been involved in over 35,000,000 SF of construction projects. Mr. Orr’s leads Orr Partners development activities and also provides the firm’s clients with the highest quality of construction and project management services. He brings an extraordinary depth of expertise, creativity, and technical skills and is particularly strong in his knowledge of construction and in contract negotiation. He is recognized for a number of innovations in construction and program management including procedures with cost estimating and analysis, scheduling, contract management, and communications.

Takis Karantonis is an economist and urban planner with more than 25 years of experience. He was first elected in the 2020 special election and re-elected in 2021. He currently serves as the Chair of the County Board. He represents Arlington on the Board of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCoG), after having chaired MWCoG’s Region Forward Coalition, Climate, Energy and Environment Policy and Air Quality Committees, and served on the National Capital Transportation Planning Board and the Human Services Policy Committee. He is also a member of the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC), the Operations Board of the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) and the Northern Virginia Regional Commission (NVRC). Born in Athens, Greece, Takis graduated from Berlin’s (Germany) Freie Universität with a master’s degree in urban and regional economics. He was a Senior Advisor for the Small Business Micro-Loan Program at the Enterprise Development Group of the Ethiopian Community Development Center and served from 2009-2016 as the Executive Director of the Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization (CPRO). An Arlingtonian for 21 years, Takis served on several advisory commissions, is a former President of the Columbia Heights Civic Association, and a past Chair of Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment (now EcoAction Arlington) and the Alliance for Housing Solutions (now Northern Virginia Affordable Housing Alliance). He is a graduate of Leadership Arlington (2010) and the UVA Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership (2017). Part of his immigrant experience is that he speaks and communicates, besides in his native Greek, also in English, Spanish, German, French, Italian, Portuguese and Catalan. He lives with his family in the Columbia Heights neighborhood.

Tracy Sayegh Gabriel is a planner and urbanist focused on helping communities shape and implement plans for neighborhood and downtown vibrancy, inclusive economic development, capital investment, and programming. Tracy currently serves as President and Executive Director of the National Landing Business Improvement District, leading placemaking and promotion for the DC region's fastest-growing downtown district located in Arlington, VA. She has been featured on the Washington Business Journal’s Women Who Mean Business and Power 100 lists. Tracy’s career has spanned public and private sectors and includes management of some of the most complex and high-profile public plans and development initiatives in New York City at NYC Economic Development Corporation and Washington, DC, at the DC Office of Planning. She received her undergraduate degree in International Affairs from The George Washington University, her Master's in City Planning from MIT, and was a Fulbright Scholar in economic development in Damascus, Syria.

An Alexandria native and Falls Church resident, Andrew has cultivated a unique set of skills, knowledge, relationships, and expertise in the transactional aspects of real estate law. He has represented clients in 16 Virginia localities, from Arlington County to Winchester, and specializesin securing zoning approvals and providing counselto residential,commercial, and industrial developers and landowners, advises clients on all aspects of the land entitlement process and real estate matters, and frequently appears before planning commissions, town and city councils,county boards of supervisors, localcitizen groups, boards of architecturalreview, and civic and homeowners associations. Prior to joining The Land Lawyers in 2007, Andrew worked for two members of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, the County Administrator of Caroline County, Virginia, and former Virginia Governor (now U.S. Senator) Mark Warner. In 2004, Andrew worked for McGuireWoods Consulting, identifying business expansion opportunities and conducting comprehensive studies for public safety, education, and transportation construction companies across thecommonwealth. Andrew is an adjunct professor and teaches classes in political science, urban history, historic preservation, and city and regional planning at the University of Richmond and the University of Mary Washington. He also leads courses for public and private civil engineers on the land use entitlement process at the Engineers & Surveyors Institute to improve the quality of their plans and the process by which they are approved.Having studiedNorthern Virginia’s geography and chronicled itsland development history, Andrew’sextensive knowledge of the region has played a significant role in assisting clients and navigating issues related to development patterns, transportation concerns, and environmentalchallenges in multiplejurisdictions.

Andrea Murray is a Senior Vice President on JBG Smith’s Commercial Leasing Team with over 18-years of experience in the commercial real estate industry. In her current role, she is primarily focused on driving and executing office leasing strategy in National Landing, the capital region’s fastest growing mixed-use urban neighborhood. Andrea is actively involved in various professional and service organizations. She serves on the Board of Directors for CREBA and CoreNet MidAtlantic and is a member of the Executive Leadership Team for March of Dimes. Andrea holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia and a master’s in Real Estate from Georgetown University.

Matthew Allman focuses on securing zoning and land use approvals for developers and landowners in jurisdictions throughout Northern Virginia and in the District of Columbia. Matthew advises clients on state and federal legislation and regulations affecting real estate development and important changes to local jurisdictions' comprehensive plans and zoning ordinances. He has experience representing land use applicants in public hearings before municipal bodies and community groups. Prior to joining Venable, Matthew was an associate at a Northern Virginia law firm, where he coordinated the preparation, filing, and management of land use and zoning applications in multiple jurisdictions throughout the region. Matthew served as a presidential management fellow and financial management analyst at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in the Office of Block Grant Assistance. While at HUD, Matthew assisted with the development and administration of federal community development regulations and policies. He also assisted with administrative enforcement proceedings during a rotation with the HUD Office of General Counsel.

Willoughby Laycock is a senior operating executive and board member at Saul Centers, Inc., a publicly traded Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT). As Senior Vice President of Residential Design and Market Research, she oversees the development, design, and strategic planning of over 1,400 residential units, with an active pipeline of 2,000 more in the Washington, D.C. metro area. With a background in finance, Willoughby previously worked as an equity research analyst in New York and California, with a focus on global markets. She also served as a Teacher’s Assistant for Security Analysis at Columbia Business School, where she earned her MBA in their Value Investing Program. She holds a BA in Psychology from Princeton University. She lives in Washington, D.C. with her husband and three young children.

Robert (Bobby) Gilbane, Jr. is a Senior Vice President of Development at Gilbane Development Company, where he leads strategic direction and growth, development, and financing public-private partnerships (P3), mixed-use developments, and affordable housing. His focus is on expanding the company’s presence and portfolio in Washington, D.C. and surrounding markets, as well as other projects that serve as catalysts for positive change. Bobby has twenty-three years of industry experience spanning every area of real estate construction and development. In the past decade, he has co-led the successful development and financing strategies for numerous mixed-use, multifamily, market rate, and affordable housing developments in Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, and Rhode Island, totaling more than $2.5 billion. His understanding of complex regulatory and financing issues is a particular strength for developing projects that address multiple community needs while linking housing, health care, education, and employment. Bobby expertly cultivates and manages relationships with federal and municipal agencies to source and secure capital while leading strategic direction, planning, approval, and design for both new and active developments. Bobby holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in modern American history from Brown University and is a member of Leadership Greater Washington, the Geriatrics Career Builders Industry Advisory Board, the Urban Land Institute, the Maryland Building Industry Association, and the Housing Association of Nonprofit Developers.

Jennifer Jones is a real estate attorney with over two decades of experience in sophisticated real estate transactions. Her practice is focused on domestic and international real estate matters including leasing, licensing, acquisitions and dispositions, development, management, and operations for retail, office, industrial, multifamily, and mixed-use properties. Jen is known for her common-sense solutions to complex real estate issues. She is an innovative problem-solver who stays focused on clients’ strategic goals to get complicated deals done. She represents developers, private equity investment firms, joint venture partners, property management companies, insurance companies, REITs, and co-working companies. Jen’s experience encompasses a wide range of real estate transactional matters, including big-box and in-line retail leases; multi-floor and full-building office leases; industrial leases; purchase and sale agreements; commission agreements; listing agreements; subordination, non-disturbance, and attornment agreements; estoppel certificates; and property management agreements. Prior to joining Goulston & Storrs, she was a shareholder at an Am Law 100 law firm. Before becoming a lawyer, Jen was a commercial real estate property manager and consultant. Jen’s hands-on, business-side experience informs her work as a strategic legal advisor.

Ryan Touhill is the Director of Arlington Economic Development (AED), where he leads initiatives that drive economic growth and innovation in Arlington, Virginia. Since joining AED in 2022, he has led the launch of a new economic development strategic plan, secured The CoStar Group’s corporate relocation, expanded the Arlington Innovation Fund and BizLaunch programs to support entrepreneurs and small businesses, and directed the launch of the impactful “All In Arlington” tourism campaign. Through these efforts, Ryan and his team have successfully worked to boost local business and tourism, and position Arlington as a leader in the region’s tech and innovation ecosystem. Before joining AED, Ryan held key leadership roles with the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership, serving as Senior Vice President and Chief of Staff. There, he contributed towards securing Amazon’s second headquarters in Northern Virginia and Virginia Tech’s Innovation Campus and directed critical economic recovery projects during the COVID-19 pandemic. His experience extends to local government management, having held numerous positions with the City of Alexandria in Virginia. Ryan holds a Bachelor of Arts from George Mason University and a Master of Public Administration from George Washington University. He advocates for regional collaboration and is deeply dedicated to expanding economic opportunity for those who live and work in Arlington. When he’s not leading economic growth, Ryan enjoys hiking Virginia’s scenic trails with his wife, Hillary and their two dogs, Tiger Lily and Caicos.

LeVar Crooms currently holds the esteemed position of Market President at United Bank, where he oversees the Arlington and Alexandria markets. In this role, his responsibilities encompass strategically driving both commercial and retail production while ensuring the profitability and sustained growth of these markets. Crooms plays a pivotal leadership role in managing public relations efforts for Arlington and Alexandria, while also representing United Bank in the community through active participation in civic affairs and professional organizations. Before joining United Bank, Crooms spent a decade at M&T Bank, where he served as Senior Vice President in the Commercial Real Estate Finance Division. During his tenure, he successfully financed over $2 billion worth of residential and commercial projects in the Greater Washington DC area. His clientele ranged from institutional to middle-market and family office companies. Crooms's exceptional performance was consistently acknowledged, earning him the President's Council Sales Award four times within M&T Bank's Commercial Banking Division. His leadership and contributions to the Greater Washington community were further recognized with prestigious accolades including the 2022 Washington Business Journal 40 under 40 and the 2023 Northern Virginia Leadership Center for Excellence 40 under 40 awards. Crooms embarked on his professional journey at BB&T in 2006, where he completed the commercial credit training program. Within two years, he rose to manage a team of eleven before progressing to a portfolio manager, and ultimately a relationship manager. Beyond his professional endeavors, LeVar is actively engaged in various boards and committees. He serves as a Board Member of NAIOP (National Association for Industrial and Office Parks) Northern Virginia chapter since 2020, contributing his expertise to the Education Committee. He was recently appointed to the Board of Junior Achievement of Greater Washington, the nation’s largest organization that teaches young people about work readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy. Previously, he held board positions with the Urban Financial Services Coalition DMV Chapter (2016-2019) and the Dr. William T. Syphax Education Foundation (2019-2023), where he served as Secretary and Vice Chairman. Crooms is an active member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. LeVar graduated with honors from Johnson C. Smith University in 2006, earning a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration. When not immersed in his professional pursuits, LeVar finds joy in family life, residing in Arlington, VA, with his wife Anshia and their son Zachariah. Crooms is an avid traveler and enjoys reading.