The Future of Prince George's County

Mr. Sweeney has served as President, Chief Executive Officer and Trustee of Brandywine since the Company’s founding in 1994. Under his leadership, Brandywine has grown into one of the largest, publicly-traded, full-service, integrated real estate companies in the United States, with a core focus on urban, town center, and transit–oriented development in the Philadelphia, PA, Washington, D.C., and Austin, TX markets. Mr. Sweeney is also Chair of the Schuylkill River Development Corporate (SRDC), the Center City District Foundation (CCDF), the King of Prussia Rail Coalition Advisory Committee, and the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority. He is a member of the Real Estate Roundtable, NAIOP Research Foundation, the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (NAREIT), and the Urban Land Institute (ULI). Additionally, Mr. Sweeney is co-founder and co-CEO of Bonomo Turkish Taffy LLC. Prior to 1994, Mr. Sweeney served as Vice President of LCOR, Incorporated, a real estate development firm, and Financial Vice President and General Partner of the Linpro Company (a predecessor of LCOR). He has previously served on the boards of several Philadelphia organizations. Mr. Sweeney holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from West Chester University in West Chester, Pennsylvania.

Darryll J. Pines serves as president of the University of Maryland as well as the Glenn L. Martin Professor of Aerospace Engineering. Formerly the Nariman Farvardin Professor of Engineering and dean of UMD’s A. James Clark School of Engineering, where he has been on the faculty since 1995, Pines amassed a record of academic leadership and research accomplishments that have dramatically elevated the school’s rankings and stature nationally and internationally. In 2019, he was elected to the National Academy of Engineering for his “inspirational leadership and contributions to engineering education.” As dean for 11 years, Pines instituted sweeping changes to improve the student experience, including revamping teaching in fundamental undergraduate courses; encouraging participation in national and international student competitions; emphasizing sustainability engineering and service learning; and expanding innovation and entrepreneurship activities. Students have consistently taken top honors in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon, placed fifth in Elon Musk’s global Hyperloop pod design competition and hold the world record for human-powered flight duration. Among other out-of-the-classroom opportunities, the Clark School’s Engineers Without Borders chapter is considered one of the nation’s best. The school also launched Startup Shell, the first student-run business incubator on a university campus in the United States, and its students helped create two major hackathons, Bitcamp and Technica, the first all-female and non-binary hackathon on a university campus. As a result of investments in targeted recruitment, advising, STEM outreach and its signature Keystone Engineering Education Program, the Clark School’s one-year undergraduate retention rate stands at 91% and its five-year graduation rate at 75%, which rank in the top 10 among public flagship universities in the United States. Pines also made diversity a hallmark of his tenure as dean. As a co-principal investigator, the university became a National Science Foundation (NSF) ADVANCE grant recipient to further develop a culture of inclusive excellence, focused on improving work environments, retention and advancement of tenured and tenure-track women faculty in ways that improve the culture for all faculty. At the engineering faculty level, the number of tenured/tenure-track women faculty more than doubled from 18 to 37, and the number of under-represented minority faculty increased from 11 to 19. At the undergraduate student level, the number of enrolled women undergraduates rose from 18% to 26.5%, and the number of enrolled underrepresented minority undergraduate students grew from 9.5% to 16%. According to Diverse Issues in Higher Education, the Clark School ranks among the top 10 in conferring the most B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees to African-American students. Pines has testified before Congress about the importance of K-12 STEM education for all students, and led an initiative to pilot a first-of-its-kind, nationwide, pre-college course on engineering principles and design. The program, Engineering For US All (E4USA), was made possible through a $4 million NSF grant. In addition, Pines in 2015 served as chair of the National Academy of Engineering Frontiers in Engineering Education Symposium. The Clark School is also a research powerhouse, with more than $137 million in annual expenditures in eight departments and six institutes, more than 130 laboratories and 23 research centers. Under Pines’ leadership, the college established five interdisciplinary research centers and institutes: the Maryland Energy Innovation Institute, Robert E. Fischell Institute for Biomedical Devices, Maryland Transportation Institute, Quantum Technology Center (jointly with the Department of Physics) and Maryland Robotics Center. Research accomplishments ranged from revolutionary, safer energy storage techniques to the development of futuristic materials and quantum technologies. The Clark School led the university in fundraising while Pines was dean, raising $240 million of the achieved $1 billion goal of the Great Expectations campaign ending in 2013. Among the results was A. James Clark Hall now a hub on campus and across the state for bioengineering. In the current Fearless Ideas campaign, Pines and his leadership team secured a $219.5 million investment—which in 2017 was the sixth-largest gift ever to a public university—from the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation. The Building Together: An Investment for Maryland gift is funding need-based scholarships campuswide, as well as graduate fellowships, faculty positions, infrastructure and other initiatives. One signature element of this investment is support for the Emilio Fernandez IDEA Factory, an innovative facility to encourage transformative ideas that have a positive impact on people and society. Prior to his promotion to dean, Pines led the Department of Aerospace Engineering for four years, taking a leave of absence from the University of Maryland from 2003 to 2006 to serve as a program manager for the Tactical Technology Office and Defense Sciences Office at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). He also held positions at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Chevron Corp. and Space Tethers. At LLNL, Pines worked on the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization’s Clementine spacecraft program, which discovered water near the south pole of the moon. A replica of the spacecraft now sits in the National Air and Space Museum. Pines’ research focuses on structural dynamics, including structural health monitoring and prognosis, smart sensors, and adaptive, morphing and biologically inspired structures as well as the guidance, navigation and control of aerospace vehicles. He holds seven co-authored patents with his students and collaborators. In recognition of his contributions to the field, Pines was named a fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, American Society of Mechanical Engineers and Institute of Physics. He chairs the Engineering Advisory Committee for NSF’s Engineering Directorate and sits on the Board of Trustees for Underwriters Laboratory not-for-profit arm. Pines received a B.S. in mechanical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. He earned M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

A proud, life-long Prince Georgian, Angela was raised in Camp Springs and now resides in Upper Marlboro with her daughter, Alex. After graduation from the University of Maryland Law School, Angela began her career as a Prince George’s County Assistant State’s Attorney in 1997, eventually becoming the county’s first full-time prosecutor assigned to handle domestic violence cases where she tried, and successfully prosecuted scores of cases against violent offenders. In 2002, Angela was appointed by the County Executive to serve as Education Liaison, where she organized educational forums to help increase parental involvement in schools and environmental based learning opportunities. In 2003, she was appointed the Executive Director of the county’s Revenue Authority. Under her leadership, the agency increased revenue by 40% through their parking enforcement program and some of those funds were used to help the county maintain a balanced budget during the recession. In 2010, overcoming a two-percent name recognition against a field of candidates who had all run for public office previously, Angela, by an overwhelming margin, was elected to serve as the county’s State’s Attorney, becoming the youngest and first woman to be elected to the office in Prince George’s County. As State’s Attorney, Angela led a staff of 100 attorneys and 110 professional administrative staff responsible for prosecuting people accused of committing crimes. As the county’s top law enforcement official, Angela played a key role in public safety and strived to carry out her responsibilities in a firm, fair and consistent manner. She increased the office’s budget by 40% and successfully fought for additional resources to ensure the office could appropriately support the needs of the community. A hallmark of Angela’s approach as State’s Attorney was to engage the community to prevent further crime. She created a truancy reduction initiative that works with schools to keep kids on the right path and she started a program called Back on Track – Prince George’s aimed at giving low-level, non-violent offenders a second chance in the community. Under her leadership, prosecution rates rose across the board and remained steady over the last eight years. Alsobrooks and her office have been a major factor in the record crime reduction the county has seen over the last four years and the 50% reduction in violent crime over the last seven. In November, Angela was elected as the 8th County Executive for Prince George’s County and the first female to hold the position. Angela is a member of the First Baptist Church of Glenarden and the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and is involved in the effort to raise breast cancer awareness in her community.

Brad Frome graduated cum laude from the University of Maryland with a BS in government in politics and attended law school at George Washington University.  Brad started his career in Maryland government working for a member of the House of Delegates in 2003, staying in Annapolis until 2005.  Brad then served as a chief of staff to a member of the Prince George’s County Council for five years before joining Rushern Baker’s Administration.  In the Baker Administration he served first as Deputy Chief of Staff than as an Assistant Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for economic development and public infrastructure where he coordinated policy initiatives for the county as well as economic development projects.  Brad then joined the Administration of Angela Alsobrooks serving as her Director of Strategic Operations.   Brad recently joined the private sector as a government affairs consultant working for Perry White Ross and Jacobson specializing in legislative affairs at the state and local level as well as economic development project coordination.     Born and raised in suburban Philadelphia Brad is married with two small boys.

Ken Ulman serves as Chief Strategy Officer for Economic Development and President of the Terrapin Development Company. In his roles at the University of Maryland and Terrapin Development Company, Ken strives to realize the concept of “Greater College Park.” Ken brings together the private, public and institutional sectors to turn College Park into the next great college town by creating a vibrant downtown community, dynamic academic spaces and create a public-private research hub for tech talent. In his time working for the University of Maryland, Ken has been integral locating major companies such as Cybrary, Adobe, Capital One, IonQ, WeWork, and Trader Joes in College Park. Ulman also teaches BSOS and Government and Politics 388, Innovation in the Public Sector, where he is honored to have taught brilliant UMD students for the past 8 years. Ulman previously served two terms as Howard County Executive, where he earned a reputation for a leadership style that blends innovation and common sense, with a goal of providing the most efficient and effective government services possible. During his time in public office, Ulman took Maryland’s sixth largest jurisdiction to new heights in education, healthcare, environmental protection and economic development. Ken has won numerous awards, and was named a Tech Titan by Washingtonian Magazine, a Top 25 Doer, Dreamer and Driver by Government Technology Magazine and a Regional Visionary by the Greater Baltimore Committee. Ken is a past president of the Maryland Association of Counties and served as chairman of the Baltimore Metropolitan Council, as well as serving on several boards including Shock Trauma, the Merriweather Arts and Culture Center, and the College Park City University Partnership. Ken lives in Columbia, Maryland, with his wife, Jaki, a fellow Terp herself, and has two daughters, Maddie and Lily. Maddie is a senior at the University of Maryland College Park.

Suzanne was born and raised in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Suzanne graduated from The American University with a B.S.B.A. degree in Accounting and Finance. She is a licensed certified public accountant, and was an owner and partner in Hillman & Glorioso for over 30 years. Through her work at Hillman & Glorioso, a boutique public accounting firm specializing in real estate, Suzanne honed her expertise in business organization, internal controls and structured finance. During her distinguished career, Suzanne has been an active member of the community, having served on the Board of Directors to First Union Bank and its predecessor State National Bank of Maryland (1982-1989), where she was a member of the both loan and audit committees. Suzanne has also been an active alumni at American University, serving on the Advisor Counsel to Dean Tuttle at the Kogod School of Business (1990-1992) and later on the Board of Directors for American University (1992-2000). Since 2010, Suzanne has served on the Board of Trustees for the University of Maryland College Park Foundation. In addition to her many philanthropic endeavors, Suzanne founded the Hillman Entrepreneurs program with her husband David. The Hillman Entrepreneurs Program is a scholarship initiative targeted to students who have an interest in entrepreneurship and a desire to start a business or lead a company. The goal is to support and develop ethical leaders who want to give back to their local communities. The program awards scholarships to students at Montgomery College, Prince George’s County Community College and The University of Maryland at College Park.

Ralph P. Sita, Jr., CPA - Co-founder of Cybrary, has an extensive background in cybersecurity, IT training, and network infrastructure setup. Prior to founding Cybrary, Ralph was CEO and Founder of TrainAce, a brick-and-mortar Advanced Security computer training company. Since its founding in 2001 TrainACE has trained thousands of individuals, hundreds of companies, and many federal government organizations. TrainACE pioneered the advanced security and cyberspace, winning numerous industry awards along the way. In 1993 Ralph founded his CPA firm that operated for over 22 years growing from 2 employees. At the firm, he was the managing partner, responsible for all aspects of running a diverse public accounting practice, and headed their accounting software practice selling, installing, and training the users on the system and network. With over two decades of accounting systems, and cybersecurity & IT training under his belt, Ralph is uniquely qualified to lead the implementation and execution of Cybrary’s long term strategy with a view to creating shareholder value.

Brandon Bellamy is a passionate and purpose-driven real estate entrepreneur and currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of The Velocity Companies. Over the past 30 years, Mr. Bellamy has excelled in real estate investment, real estate development, and private fund management. He has won numerous industry awards, including the Globe Street Opportunity Award, The Daily Record Excellence in Construction and Real Estate 2020 Developer of the Year Award, and FSC First Minority Business of the Year Award. Mr. Bellamy couples a unique knowledge of market-rate and affordable housing development and a superior understanding of financial engineering to impact existing and developing communities. During his tenure at The Velocity Companies, the firm has developed and consulted on projects located in the Mid-Atlantic and the Carolinas with an aggregate asset value exceeding $500 million. Mr. Bellamy specializes in municipal financing, tax increment financing, tax-exempt bonds, joint venture transaction and financing, public-private partnerships, planned community development and redevelopment, and an innovative way of researching emerging markets. Under Mr. Bellamy’s leadership, The Velocity Companies has built a team of professionals that specialize in assisting clients in real estate investment and property development activities by analyzing real estate development and conceiving investment opportunities. Driven by their commitment to providing a significant impact in under-invested communities, the Velocity team boldly pursues projects that champion the health and vitality of local economies through meaningful development. In July 2020, Mr. Bellamy became the only African American majority owner of a professional baseball team in the country. He is also the founder and principal broker for The Republic Real Estate Group and has been a featured speaker at numerous seminars on underserved communities. Mr. Bellamy is committed to the communities he develops and the people his projects serve.

Dean A. Lopez is Senior Vice President, Commercial Development at Corporate Office Properties Trust (COPT). Dean leads our combined development and construction disciplines on several diverse projects within COPT’s portfolio, including its 1M SF Discovery District development joint venture with the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland. Dean brings over 35 years of diverse real estate development and project management experience to COPT. Over the course of his career he has spearheaded the successful completion of over 20 million square feet of market-driven and owner-occupied facilities. Dean’s experience includes the development, redevelopment, renovation and interior improvement of a wide range of property types, including office, data center, retail, hospitality, multi-family residential, entertainment, academic, health-care and mixed-use. Prior to joining COPT in May 2010, Dean served as Senior Vice President–Development of LaSalle Hotel Properties (now Pebblebrook Hotels) with responsibility for all major development, redevelopment and renovation projects throughout the REITs U.S. portfolio. Dean also created long term value-enhancement strategies for existing properties and was actively engaged in the firm’s acquisition process. From 1984 to 2006, Dean held development-related positions of increasing responsibility with Jones Lang LaSalle, an international commercial real estate services firm. He last served as Managing Director with responsibility for the firm’s development services throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. Dean earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Architecture from The Pennsylvania State University and an MBA from Northwestern University. He is also a LEED® Accredited Professional.

Dawn Medley is the President and CEO of FSC First. Medley has more than 25 years of commercial lending experience, including complex credit analysis, underwriting and loan closing. She provides day-to-day management and staff support to the origination, lending, closing, portfolio and asset management activities along with program and resource development. Additionally, Medley assists the President & CEO with revenue forecasting from lending activities and strategic planning. She also serves as the EDI Fund Manager.

As a market president for United Bank, Steve is responsible for the management and operation of all bank offices in the Suburban Maryland area, including client relationships and new business development. Prior to this role, Steve was a commercial lender with United for 13 years, working with international, national and local real estate developers who focus on multifamily development, retail, office, residential homebuilding and industrial properties. He also serves on the board for the Catholic Charities Golf Classic and is involved in the corporate work study program with Don Bosco Cristo Rey high school, which allows students to apply classroom learning to the workplace.