Redefining the Office of the Future: Our 2022 Forecast and Holiday Schmooze!

Powered by tenacity, Wendy Feldman Block, brings extensive experience working on a broad range of transactions in the Washington DC Metro area and beyond. She is an award-winning commercial real estate executive serving as an Executive Managing Director at Savills. Wendy is passionate about wellness in the workplace and was the first broker in the world to advise a client on achieving both WELL and LEED Platinum certifications. She is actively sought for her knowledge on the role of wellness in the workplace, all the more critical in the future post COVID world and has a new additional focus on ESG for tenants. In her over her 30+ year career, Wendy has completed sales and leasing transactions totaling in excess of 12 million square feet. Wendy has been recognized multiple times as one of the top producers in the country and received numerous professional accolades. Wendy has represented many of the Washington DC region’s premier associations and corporations, and many of the nation’s leading 200 law firms. Notable recent clients include FINRA, Farmer Mac, the City of Alexandra, Pillsbury, Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority, and Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. She has been an active mentor to countless people in the commercial real estate industry and taken leadership roles at many organizations including CREW DC, Iona Senior Services, Round House Theatre, Higher Achievement, the Tikkun Olam Women’s Foundation, and the March of Dimes Heroines Program. Wendy has received several awards for her community engagement including CREBA’s Brendan McCarthy Award, Jewish Woman International - Woman to Watch, CREW’s Impact Award and the Julien J. Studley award which recognizes one recipient for their role in corporate social responsibility.

Haniel J. Lynn is the Chief Executive Officer of Kastle Systems International (KSI), the industry leader in managed security solutions and services consisting of a family of five security brands including Kastle Systems, Mutual Security Services, Stat Land Security Services, CheckVideo and Urban Alarm. Mr. Lynn joined Kastle in 2018, bringing more than 25 years of global operating and executive management experience growing and scaling enterprises from startup to $1 billion. Mr. Lynn has distinctive strengths in strategy, leadership, and operations and possesses a unique ability to oscillate between high-level vision and tactical execution while inspiring a culture of teamwork. Prior to joining Kastle in 2018, Mr. Lynn spent 16 years at CEB, now Gartner, and most recently served as Group President of its Best Practices & Decision Support business and member of the company’s executive leadership team. In this capacity, he was responsible for product strategy, direction, and operating results of a $600m business through a global team of nearly 2,000 directly and indirectly. Prior to that, Mr. Lynn led the Sales, Marketing, Communications, and Financial Services practices, where he was instrumental in bringing business-critical insights to market. Under his direction, CEB published the Wall Street Journal best-selling book The Challenger Sale and, more recently, The Effortless Experience — both lauded for challenging conventional wisdom and shifting management paradigms. He originally joined CEB as the Managing Director of the New Business Development group and later led the Solutions business. Prior to joining CEB, Mr. Lynn was Vice President of Business Development and Strategy at LYTE, Inc., where he developed the business and operating model, led partnership development activities, and raised capital to support the early growth of the company. Before LYTE, he spent a number of years as a consultant with McKinsey & Company. Early in his career, Mr. Lynn worked with GE Information Services. Mr. Lynn graduated magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania and holds an MBA from the Wharton School. He serves on the Board of Overseers of the University of Pennsylvania Libraries and is a member of the Board of Directors of Rise Companies Corporation, an online real estate investment platform.

ason Hartke is the Executive Vice President of Advocacy and Policy at the International WELL Building Institute where he leads efforts to advance policies that better address health and well-being in buildings and communities. In his role, Jason manages strategic outreach to Congress, governors, state legislatures, mayors and city councils across the nation. Prior to IWBI, Jason was the President of the Alliance to Save Energy, a nonprofit dedicated to achieving bipartisan policy solutions that advance energy efficiency. Jason was named one of The Hill’s Top Lobbyist in 2018 and 2019 for his efforts to keep energy efficiency a top priority in Washington, helping protect critical R&D programs and significantly increasing federal funding. Before that Jason led the U.S. Department of Energy’s efforts to advance energy efficiency in commercial buildings, a sector that accounts for nearly 20 percent of the nation’s energy consumption. In the role, Jason managed a nearly $30-million program, working closely with national laboratories as well as industry partners to develop and deploy innovative energy efficiency solutions, strategies and technologies.

Mitzi McNair is the Senior Vice President of Brand & Hospitality for Carr Properties and is responsible for driving the transformation of the workplace experience defined by luxury hospitality, service, amenities and design. She also oversees all of the marketing and branding efforts for the company. Mitzi is a veteran in the luxury hospitality space. Prior to joining Carr Properties, she held brand leadership roles over many of Marriott’s luxury brands, including JW Marriott, The Ritz-Carlton, Ritz-Carlton Reserve, The Luxury Collection and BVLGARI with great success. She has also held roles within corporate finance, marketing, and strategic consulting with Apple, Delta Airlines, and Accenture. Mitzi received her Bachelor of Science from Texas A&M and a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Laurie Maslack has been in sales and business development for over 25 years. Her entry into the world of business started from working for her father at a young age. Her first sales experience was calling on Commerical Real Estate, Architects, and Designers. She then moved to Commercial Real Estate, filling roles from project management, to transactions, to business development. Her experience in business development for a residential AV company and her interest in technology led her to Cenero, a career she thrives in and loves. Laurie is an acclaimed athlete, mentor, mother, wife, sister, and daughter. She brings a ray of sunshine, sincerity, and positivity to any room she enters. Laurie attributes her success to her core values; passion, respectfulness, emotional intelligence, motivation, integrity, expertise & her respect for the client’s perspective.

Zach Wade has over 20 years of experience in commercial real estate investment and project leasing and has led the company in over $500 million of office acquisitions since joining MRP Realty in 2006. During this time, he also played a major role in MRP’s coworking affiliate company, MAKE Offices, where he served as CEO and treasurer until April 2020. Prior to joining MRP, Zach was Director of Acquisitions for the Mid-Atlantic region of NPV/Direct Invest, an operating partner of Lehman Brothers, and was directly responsible for the acquisition of office and warehouse properties valuing over $120 million. While at Trammell Crow Company, Zach leased over two million square feet of office space in Northern Virginia. He is an Executive Committee Member for the Washington Real Estate Group. Zach received a B.A. in Economics and Communications Studies from the University of North Carolina and a Master of Real Estate from Johns Hopkins University.

Artur Samofalov is the Director of Business Development and Operations at The Mark, Douglas Development’s newest addition to their portfolio. The Mark flex office spaces are design-driven, service-forward workspaces located in Washington, DC’s favorite neighborhoods. Prior to his position at The Mark, Samofalov played an integral part in bringing Israeli luxury coworking brand, Mixer Work & Lounge, to the United States market. He also managed multiple properties for Carr Workplaces and helped launch their WorkReady Suites. His experience embodies all aspects of flex offices/coworking and event spaces: procurement, construction, interior design, marketing/pr, office technology and innovation, and community building. Samofalov received his MBA from Virginia International University, his J.D. from Economics and Law Institute in Kyiv, Ukraine, and is fluent in five languages.

Mike is a 17 year real estate executive with The Brick Companies based in Edgewater, Maryland. Over the years Mike’s responsibilities with The Brick Companies centered on improving business efficiencies and bringing new ideas to market. In 2014 Mike founded Launch Workplaces with the backing of The Brick Companies. Launch Workplaces is a flexible space provider specializing in suburban office markets. It was created to help The Brick Companies compete against larger commercial office landlords, opening five locations in The Brick Companies’ buildings. In 2018 Mike brought Launch Workplaces to the market as a third party provider of flexible office space. Launch Workplaces currently manages nine locations under management and service agreements.

Nick DeMarinis is an experienced revenue executive focusing on technology in the Real Estate, Human Resources and Media industries. He is currently the Vice President of Sales at WeWork, a certified executive coach, and startup advisor. At WeWork, Nick drives revenue growth and leads the company’s leasing business in some of its largest and highest priority markets, including New York City. Prior to his current role, Nick was a sales executive at Yahoo and later joined LinkedIn as one of their first employees in New York City. In 2013, he moved to Hong Kong to open LinkedIn’s office and help scale the business across Asia Pacific. Nick earned his Bachelor's Degree in Business Management from Saint Leo University in Tampa, Florida, and a Master's Degree in International Business from St. John's University in Rome, Italy. Outside of work, you'll find him spending time with his wife and twin boys, trying to figure out how to bring dinosaurs back to life, or training to become Point Guard for the New York Knicks.

Rachel is Executive Vice President, SPACE+, where she is responsible for Brookfield Properties’ flexible workspace strategy and the delivery of SPACE+ across the portfolio. Rachel joined Brookfield Properties in 2002 and held a variety of workplace, operations and communications roles across Brookfield Properties and Brookfield Asset Management. In 2017, she took a brief hiatus to create and manage the real estate and workplace strategies for a leading Fintech broker-dealer before returning to Brookfield Properties in 2019 to focus on the creation of its global flexible workspace strategy. Rachel holds a Bachelor of Science in Design & Environmental Analysis from Cornell University.

Matt Pacinelli serves as Managing Director for the firm’s Washington, DC office. In this capacity, he is responsible for leading the Washington, DC leasing team and further developing the company’s platform throughout the region. Matt’s expertise and diverse background in institutional leasing, asset management, acquisitions, development, construction, and tenant representation allow him to offer a unique skillset to commercial real estate investors in Washington, DC. Prior to joining Stream Realty Partners, Matt was a key executive and Senior Vice President at Penzance, where he led all office and retail leasing and marketing efforts of the firm’s office portfolio from 2005 to 2016. Prior to joining Penzance, Matt was Director of Leasing at Glenborough Realty Trust, Inc., where he was responsible for managing the leasing component of the firm’s Washington, DC regional portfolio. Before joining Glenborough, he served in a tenant representation capacity in the Washington, DC office of CBRE.

Bryant Foulger serves as both Managing Principal and Chairman of the Board of Directors and is a member of the Investment Committee. In his current role, Mr. Foulger draws on more than 30 years of real estate and management experience to provide approval and oversight of the CEO’s vision and strategy. Mr. Foulger was recently appointed to Maryland Governor Larry Hogan’s transition team and is also involved with the Montgomery Business Development Corporation, the Greater District of Columbia Chapter of the Leadership Council for the Mayo Clinic, the Montgomery County Business Advisory Panel, and is a trustee emeritus of the Bullis School in Potomac, Maryland. Mr. Foulger attended Brigham Young University and serves on numerous professional and charitable boards.

Mr. Watters is a senior managing director and is the officer responsible for new business procurement and execution, development, acquisitions, asset and property management activities in the Mid-Atlantic region. He currently serves on the Finance, Operations & Tenant Relations Committee. Since joining Hines in 1989, Watters has been involved in a variety of development projects and transactions aggregating more than 15 million square feet. Watters earned a BA in History from Colgate University and an MBA from Columbia University.

As Co-Founder & Principal of D|Watts Construction, David is responsible for executive oversight of all business operations, including overseeing corporate and financial operations, and ensuring client satisfaction. David co-founded D|WATTS after spending over a decade with some of the largest GC’s in the DMV area. He and his team focus on high-end, complex projects, approaching their work with a boutique, client-oriented dedication and the polish of a billion dollar company. Over his career, David has had the opportunity to build the offices for law firms such as DLA Piper, Morrison Foerster, Greenberg Traurig, McGuire Woods and many others, as well as numerous Fortune 500 companies. He has been recognized by the WBJ and ENR as a top 40 under 40 professional but David is most proud of his awards for his volunteer efforts with JDRF and Make A Wish.

Valerie Kelly is a real estate partner in Fried Frank's Washington, DC office. She joined the Firm in 2007. Ms. Kelly represents prominent private and public commercial real estate investors and developers, office and retail tenants, investment funds, banks and other financial institutions in a broad range of real estate transactions. She advises her clients on all aspects of commercial real estate with a particular emphasis on large commercial leases for both landlords and tenants. Ms. Kelly also has worked extensively on acquisitions and dispositions of office buildings, apartment complexes and hotels, as well as joint ventures and real estate lending. Ms. Kelly recently advised Evercore in connection with its 350,000-square-foot lease expansion and extension for the firm’s global headquarters at Fisher Brothers’ Park Avenue Plaza. She also advised an affiliate of Carr Properties in its 700,000-square-foot lease of a building to be constructed for Fannie Mae’s new headquarters at 15th and L Streets in Washington, DC, which was the largest ever non-government lease in Washington, DC. In addition, Ms. Kelly advised clients on three of the top seven largest office lease deals in Manhattan as reported in “Costar’s Top Manhattan Office Leases” list for 2017 ranked by square footage, including Ernst & Young in connection with its 674,061-square-foot lease for its headquarters relocation to One Manhattan West; PBC USA in connection with its 548,000-square-foot lease to HSBC USA NA at 452 Fifth Avenue; and RXR Realty in a transaction with New York Presbyterian Hospital whereby the hospital will occupy over 500,000 square feet of office space at 237 Park Avenue. Ms. Kelly is recognized as an “Up & Coming” attorney in Real Estate by Chambers USA: The World's Leading Lawyers for Business, where she is described as “nothing less than spectacular, diligent and extremely effective.” She is also recognized as a Next Generation Lawyer by Legal 500, as a “Rising Star” in Real Estate in the 2016 and 2017 Washington, DC – Metro editions of Super Lawyers, and in Real Estate Weekly’s 2018 list of Rising Stars in Real Estate.

Barb Mackin is a Commercial Real Estate Market Executive at EagleBank and is an expert in finance, asset management, and commercial real estate operations. Barb has extensive experience as a real estate lender and asset manager having worked at both major financial institutions and development companies. She has structured, negotiated and closed numerous complex loans and debt restructurings on all product types and as an asset manager developed and implemented strategic redevelopment plans for challenged properties. Barb is a Past-President of CREW DC (2018).

Josh Foreso started his career at HITT as a summer field laborer during college and joined the firm after college as an assistant project manager. He progressed quickly through the operations ranks from project manager, senior project manager, and vice president of the firm’s base building sector. Josh gained nearly 20 years of experience specializing in the new construction of multifamily and commercial office buildings as well as building repositioning. Throughout his career with HITT, Josh has worked on some of the largest and most complicated projects in the company’s portfolio in a variety of capacities. In 2017, Josh was promoted to senior vice president and leader of the Corporate Office – Base and Multifamily sectors. As sector leader, Josh provides executive oversight of all corporate office base building and multifamily construction projects and is responsible for the overall performance of the two sector teams. Additionally, Josh serves as a member of HITT's Corporate Steering Committee and plays a key role in guiding the company's preconstruction strategy. Josh is a passionate leader and mentor, dedicating his time to training and developing young leaders in the company.

Jane Galbraith Mahaffie is one of the Washington metropolitan area’s leading real estate development executives, with diverse experience directing multi-faceted mixed-use developments and public/private initiatives with a combined value of more than $1 billion. As a Principal with Stonebridge, she oversees complex development projects, including properties requiring extensive entitlement processes and community outreach. Ms. Mahaffie has led the firm’s efforts on several award-winning public/private partnerships in Washington, D.C. and Montgomery County, Maryland. Prior to joining Stonebridge, Ms. Mahaffie developed and directed all strategic facility planning and owner’s representation development projects at ORS Associates. She received a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the Catholic University of America and a Master in Business Administration from Southern Methodist University. Ms. Mahaffie is a member of CREW and Women in Construction. She is also a past board member and treasurer of the Bethesda Urban Partnership and Bethesda Arts and Entertainment District. She is the founder and co-chair of Jubilee to College, which provides college gap scholarships to aspiring young adults from Jubilee Housing. Ms. Mahaffie is a frequent speaker on such issues as public/private partnerships, redevelopment, and women in real estate and construction.

David Yampolsky brings all components of real estate development together, from acquisition through construction and delivery. David has worked in the Washington, DC real estate market since 2004 and brings a well-rounded approach to project management and execution. Having led various asset management, property management, development and general contracting teams, Mr. Yampolsky understands the challenges and decisive decisions required to execute a successful real estate project through a holistic lens. His project experience represents a wide range of assets, from boutique multifamily renovations to larger mixed-use developments. Mr. Yampolsky received a Bachelor of Arts from Dickinson College.

Pillsbury partner James Bobotek concentrates his practice on a variety of construction and insurance matters. Jamie guides clients through all phases of development and construction of commercial properties, including preparation, review and negotiation of development, design, construction, design-build, and related agreements. Jamie also counsels clients in analyzing insurance coverage claims, formulating risk management strategies, and developing contractual insurance requirements. Jamie has secured many favorable outcomes for commercial policyholders on CGL, builder's risk, commercial property, business interruption, E&O, cyber, professional liability, D&O, pollution, fidelity and other claims. Representative Experience Drafted and negotiated construction, design, and development contracts for projects totaling billions of dollars. Represented public-private partnerships with respect to construction, design, and ancillary agreements relating to United States military housing privatizations across the country, including projects in California, Arizona, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Nevada, Georgia and Missouri. Drafted form construction and design contract packages for owners, developers and contractors for use throughout the United States. Achieved partial summary judgment against AIG entity in connection with property insurance coverage dispute for multinational university arising from the 2010 earthquakes in Chile. Obtained a summary judgment ruling in a Student Financial Corp. bankruptcy legacy case for an additional insured/policyholder under a fidelity bond (financial institution bond) in connection with alleged Ponzi-scheme losses. Obtained a dismissal of first-filed insurance carrier declaratory judgment action, allowing an iconic brand company's $18 million flood loss claim to proceed against carrier in carrier's home forum of Tennessee. Deployed novel theory to defeat insurance carrier effort to align parties to create federal court jurisdiction, creating favorable new law in removal disputes with insurance carriers. Represented a telecommunications provider in successful prosecution of its claims against its E&O insurer confirming coverage for class action claims alleging cyber-related activities. Obtained significant recovery under a builders risk policy on behalf of a contractor for a delay claim arising out of a subcontractor's provision of defective materials. Procured multi-million dollar defense and indemnity recovery under "personal injury" CGL coverage relating to a discrimination suit brought by the U.S. Department of Justice on behalf of multiple claimants. Obtained recovery under an event cancellation policy for two class action suits brought as a result of logistical difficulties in connection with a client's presidential inauguration-related experiential student conference. Obtained full property loss and business interruption coverage, as well as defense and indemnity coverage for third-party suits, arising out of a catastrophic fire at a defense contractor's warehouse facility. Attained defense and indemnity coverage for an international construction company arising out of concrete plant emissions. Obtained defense and indemnity coverage under a professional liability policy for an engineering company faced with excess exposure. Recovered full pre-suit indemnity for a government contractor in a construction claim related to faulty subcontractor work. Protected a commercial developer's interests under a builders risk policy in connection with a faulty workmanship claim. Represented clients in various industries in structuring and negotiating the terms of their cyber insurance programs. Professional Highlights Member of the Insurance Recovery & Advisory practice, named by Law360 as a Practice Group of the Year in 2015 and 2016. Member of the ABA's Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee, co-chair of its Construction Subcommittee and appointed vice-chair of the Committee's 2017 Annual CLE Seminar and Meeting. Authored "Builders Risk Insurance," New Appleman on Insurance Law Library Edition, Chapter 50 (updated 2016) and "Understanding Product Liability Insurance," New Appleman Insurance Law Practice Guide, Chapter 30B (2013). Presented "Mind the Gaps: Potential Gaps Between Cyber and Other Commercial Policies," at the ABA Insurance Coverage Litigation CLE Seminar, March 2016.