DMV 2025 Economic and Political Forecast

Tom Skinner is a founding member of Redbrick LMD and is one of the firm’s three Managing Partners. He has invested in and developed close to $2 billion in real estate assets and established a pipeline of over $4 billion in future development projects. Prior to founding Redbrick, Tom invested in or founded numerous operating businesses primarily in the real estate, technology and financial services industries. Tom began his professional career at McKinsey & Co. where he worked with financial institutions on strategy issues. Tom earned his Ph.D. in economics from MIT and his BA in economics from Oxford University.

Mr. Buchanan is a Principal of Buchanan Partners, a full service real estate development company in office, retail, industrial, residential, and large mixeduse planned communities. Mr. Buchanan is the President of the 2030 Group, an association of Washington metropolitan area business leaders focused on regional long-term decision-making and solutions. The mission of the 2030 Group is to advance a strong regional economy with new employment opportunities and sustainable prosperity for current and future residents of the Washington metropolitan area. Mr. Buchanan was recently recognized in the Washington Business Journal’s “Power 100” list of the region’s most influential business leaders. Until recently, Mr. Buchanan was chair of VisArts, a premier visual arts organization in the capital region that’s based in Rockville. His extensive past community involvement also involves Chair of Loudoun County Economic Development Commission and Founding Member of the Ballston Partnership.

Michael J Darby is the principal and founder of Monument Realty, one of the most prolific integrated real estate service firms in the Washington, DC area. Mr. Darby has built Monument into a full-service real estate firm with expertise in Acquisitions, Development, Construction Management, Property Management, Leasing, Investment Sales for Commercial, Residential and Retail property. Through his dynamic leadership and visionary thinking, Mr. Darby has been a driving force in Monument's success for over 23 years and an active member of the Washington region's construction and development industry for nearly 40 years. Mr. Darby served as a senior vice president for Akridge prior to founding Monument. He also directed a number of downtown development projects while at The Carr Company, including such landmark restoration projects as the Willard Hotel and the Southern Railway Building. Today, Monument is transforming neighborhoods throughout the DMV with innovative projects like the new SoNYa district and residential buildings in NoMa, as well as the unprecedented assemblage and preservation project in Chinatown. Mr. Darby began his career in his native Australia, working with a Melbourne-based general contractor, and holds a degree in Construction Engineering and Business from the University of Melbourne. Mr. Darby has been active in numerous regional real estate organizations over the years and encourages Monument employees to participate in leadership roles in such organizations as the DC Building Industry Association, NAIOP, ULI, Real Estate Group and CREW DC. He is an avid skier, cyclist and kite-surfer and enjoys community outreach. He and his company have been long time supporters of the annual Real Estate Games, a charitable sports competition that supports the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and he was the co-chair for six years.

Norman Dong served as the Commissioner of the Public Buildings Service (PBS) for the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA). As PBS Commissioner, Mr. Dong lead one of the largest and most diversified public real estate organizations in the world. Mr. Dong managed the nationwide asset management, design, construction, leasing, building management and disposal of approximately 374 million square feet of government-owned and leased space, accommodating over 1 million federal workers, and covering all 50 states, six U.S. territories and the District of Columbia. Additionally, Mr. Dong oversaw an annual budget of approximately $10 billion and a workforce of almost 6,000. Prior to joining GSA, Mr. Dong was Acting Controller at Office of Management and Budget (OMB), where he was responsible for coordinating government-wide improvements in all areas of financial management, including financial reporting, improper payments, open government, and real property management. In addition to his Federal experience, Mr. Dong also has worked at the state and local levels of government. In the District of Columbia, he held several positions, including Deputy Mayor for Operations and City Administrator under Mayor Anthony A. Williams. And in Connecticut, he served as special assistant for finance and accounting in the Office of the State Comptroller. Mr. Dong also has experience working in the private sector. In his role as Vice President at ACS, Inc., he managed several business units that provided operational and financial solutions for state and local government clients. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from Yale University and a Master’s degree from the Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government. He currently resides in Washington, D.C., with his wife and two sons.

After 25 years of federal service in Congress and the executive branch, Dan founded Mathews Associates LLC in 2021 as a strategic consulting and business development firm. He helps his clients navigate the highest levels of Washington and the complex world of federal real estate and government procurements to expand their revenue, identify new partners and enter new markets. In 2024, President Biden appointed Mathews to the Public Buildings Reform Board, which is tasked with making recommendations to realign the federal real estate portfolio. He also serves on the Industry Advisory Group of the US State Department’s Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations. In addition, Mathews is a board member of both the Federal Real Property Association and the National Federal Development Association. He has extensive experience with federal real estate issues and served as Commissioner of the US General Services Administration’s Public Buildings Service, where he led the 375 million square foot civilian real estate portfolio of the federal government, over 5,000 employees, and a $12 billion budget. Mathews graduated from Georgetown University with a degree in government and philosophy. He is married, has two daughters, and resides in Alexandria, Virginia.

As Vice President of Multifamily for Lessard Design, Christopher brings more than 20 years of experience in the architectural and construction profession. He is well-versed in all phases of project development, from conceptual design through contract administration. Through his technical experience, Christopher has worked on projects within diverse markets, including commercial, mixed-used, and multi-family residential – meeting aggressive deadlines and providing the best solutions to meet the schedule demands and client needs. At Lessard Design, Christopher works closely with clients to provide innovative projects to local communities and manage the overall success.

Since 2005, Darian LeBlanc has managed DTZ’s Government Services Group which specializes in representing building owners pursuing federal interests. Darian brings 20 years of experience during which he has overseen federal real estate transactions nationwide valued at over $6.5 billion. Darian is a member of DTZ’s Board of Directors. Darian is annually recognized by several organizations, including the Commercial Real Estate Brokerage Association of Greater Washington, DC (CREBA), National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP), and the Washington Business Journal (WBJ) as a Top Broker in the National Capital Region. He is a multi-year winner of GWCAR’s Best Lease Transactions in Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia, as well as a multi-year winner of WBJ’s award for Best Lease Transaction in both the Urban Office and Suburban Office categories. Darian has been a Top 10 GWCAR Leasing Broker every year since 2008 and was the Top (#1) Federal Broker in the Washington, DC Region in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011. Darian has received numerous NAIOP awards for Best Real Estate Transaction and was named one of the top 40 business leaders in Washington, DC under the age of 40 (“Top 40 Under 40” Award) by the Washington Business Journal. Federal Experience: Prior to joining DTZ and as a government contractor, Darian oversaw the development and day-to-day operations of an 18-person federal services group. In this capacity, Darian worked on behalf of many federal agencies, providing a broad range of services including: strategic planning, portfolio assessment, financial planning, transaction management, design and construction management, move coordination, property management and lease administration. As both a federal employee and contractor, Darian worked for the General Services Administration (GSA), National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Office of the Comptroller (OCC), and was recognized with several awards including the GSA’s Excellence in Service Award (1998), the OCC’s Superior Rating (1999-2000) and the NIH’s Best Practices Award of Merit (2004 and 2005). Major Transactions: Landlord/Owner Represenation • The JBG Companies, The Parklawn Building, Rockville, MD – U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 935,386 sf • Boston Properties, Patriots Park, Reston, VA – Confidential Tenant, 706,482 sf • Stonebridge Carras, Two Constitution Square, Washington, DC – U.S. Department of Justice (pre-lease), 575,760 sf • Beacon Capitol Partners, 2531 Jefferson Davis Highway, Crystal City, VA – U.S. Department of Defense, 558,187 sf • The World Bank Group, 600 19th Street, NW, Washington, DC – U.S. Department of State, 463,151 sf • Stonebridge Carras, One Constitution Square, Washington, DC – U.S. General Services Administration Headquarters, 330,000 sf • Paramount Group, Inc., 425 Eye Street, NW, Washington, DC – U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 285,561 sf • Beacon Capital Partners, Three Lafayette Centre, Washington, DC – U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, 244,816 sf • Brookfield, 77 K Street, NE, Washington, DC – Internal Revenue Service, 167,000 sf Tenant/Federal Representation: • National Institutes of Health – 199 Bayview Boulevard, Baltimore, MD, 488,484 sf • National Institutes of Health – 6701 Rockledge Drive, Bethesda, MD, 247,130 sf • National Institutes of Health – 5625 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD, 153,385 sf • National Institutes of Health – 2115 East Jefferson Street, Rockville, MD, 128,645 sf Professional Recognition: Transaction Awards: • AAREP – 2008 Best Deal of the Year Award • Washington Business Journal – 2008 Suburban Office Lease of the Year • Washington Business Journal – 2008 Urban Office Lease of the Year • GWCAR – 2008 Leasing Transaction of the Year: District of Columbia • GWCAR – 2008 Leasing Transaction of the Year: Virginia • NAIOP – 2008 Award of Excellence, Best Lease Transaction: Northern Virginia • NAIOP – 2009 Award of Excellence, Best Lease Transaction: District of Columbia • NAIOP – 2010 Award of Excellence, Best Lease Transaction: Northern Virginia • NAIOP – 2010 Award of Excellence, Best Lease Transaction: District of Columbia • Washington Business Journal – 2008 Suburban Office Lease of the Year • GWCAR – 2011 Leasing Transaction of the Year: Maryland • Washington Business Journal – 2011 Suburban Office Lease of the Year • NAIOP – 2011 Award of Excellence, Best Real Estate Transaction • Washington Business Journal – “Top 40 Under 40” Award • CoStar Power Broker 2014 Top Office Leasing Brokers Award Education: B.A., California State Polytechnic University Areas of Specialization: Landlord Representation - Government Services Government Services Practice Group Professional Affiliations: • DC Chamber of Commerce • District of Columbia Building Industry Association (DCBIA) • Commercial Real Estate Brokerage Association of Greater Washington, DC (CREBA) • Maryland/DC NAIOP • Northern Virginia NAIOP.