D.C. Office to Residential Conversions Summit

Tony Williams, the former Mayor of Washington, D.C. (1999 – 2007), is the current Chief Executive Officer of the Federal City Council, an organization focusing the creative and administrative talents of Washington’s business and professional leaders on major problems and opportunities facing the District. He is widely credited with leading the comeback of Washington D.C. during his two terms as Mayor, restoring the finances of our nation’s capital, and improving the performance of government agencies, all while lowering taxes and investing in infrastructure and human services. In addition to his duties with the Federal City Council, Mayor Williams is a Senior Advisor to King and Spaulding, LLP. He serves on several company boards as well as the boards of Fight for Children and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. Prior to Federal City Council, he led the Global Government Practice at the Corporate Executive Board in Arlington, Virginia. He also taught public finance and urban leadership as the William H. Bloomberg Lecturer in Public Management at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government while coordinating programs for the Municipal Innovation Program at the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation. Before his election as Mayor, he was the independent Chief Financial Officer of the District from 1995 to 1998, working with and on behalf of local officials, the D.C. Financial Control Board, and the U.S. Congress. Before his service in local Washington, Tony worked in a variety of positions in federal, state, and local government, including as the first CFO for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, appointed by President Bill Clinton and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. He holds a BA from Yale, an MPP from the Harvard Kennedy School, and a J.D. from the Harvard Law School, as well as a number of awards and honorary degrees, including Governing Magazine Public Official of the Year in 1997. He is a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration and former President of the National League of Cities.

Amy Carbins works with real estate clients in structuring, negotiating and executing complex commercial real estate transactions. Amy advises owners, developers, investors, lenders and tenants in acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures, financings, restructurings, leases and other matters related to commercial real estate. Her experience includes transactions involving office buildings, hotels and resorts, shopping centers, mixed-use projects, multi-family and industrial properties. Amy’s clients appreciate her focus on creating practical solutions for complex problems with careful analysis and an emphasis on mitigating risk. Amy advises lenders and borrowers in construction, bridge and permanent financings. Her finance experience includes multi-jurisdiction/multi-property portfolios, preferred equity and mezzanine debt, CMBS and syndicated debt arrangements and other structured finance transactions. She also advises clients on leasing and asset management matters for office, retail and industrial properties including work with landlords and tenants on headquarters leases, single-tenant buildings, new construction leasing and representation of landlords owning large, multi-state portfolios. Prior to relocating to Washington, DC, Amy spent several years in the firm's San Francisco office.

Robert Seldin is the Managing Principal of Madison Highland Live Work Lofts and is responsible for leading all company development activity. With 25 years of award-winning apartment development, design, strategy and innovation leadership, Rob is widely recognized as an industry thought leader. With a 100% entitlement success rate on over 13,000 units in high barrier to entry US markets, Rob consistently generates market leading returns at below market cost bases, providing a permanent competitive advantage to his investors. In addition to conventional apartment assets, Rob is also the US Patent Inventor for the proprietary live/work building conversion and construction method and apartment operating system that has become the basis for this industry re-defining asset type. Prior to managing Madison Highland LW Lofts, Rob was the Founder and CEO of Highland Square Holdings, as well as the Founder and CEO of Novus Residences, LLC; both of which were award winning, DMV based, apartment and Live/Work development and operating companies and Head of National Product Design and Senior Vice President of Mid-Atlantic and Southeast Development for Archstone, a premier apartment industry REIT.

Sharon Carney serves as Chief of Staff at the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development in Washington, DC. In this capacity, she oversees the agency’s $142 million operating budget, policy and legislative affairs, business development, operations, and an interagency portfolio that includes housing and community development, city planning, small business, and the creative economy. In prior roles at the agency, she led development of the District’s economic strategy, implementation of the federal Opportunity Zones incentive, and other special projects focused on inclusive economic development. Sharon has spent her career working to create equitable cities through cross-sector partnerships and evidence-based, community-driven solutions. Prior to public service, she spent 10 years in the nonprofit sector, including roles at the Urban Institute and the Furman Center for Real Estate & Urban Policy at New York University.

Yesim Sayin Taylor is the founding Executive Director of the D.C. Policy Center. With over ten years of public policy experience in the District, Yesim is recognized by policymakers and advocates as a source of reliable, balanced analyses on the District’s economy and demography. Before joining the D.C. Policy Center, Yesim lead the team within the Office of the Chief Financial Officer that scored the fiscal impact of all legislation the District considered. She frequently testified on high profile legislation and worked closely with the executive and Council staff to ensure that policymakers fully understand the fiscal implications of their proposed legislation. She co-founded and blogged at District Measured and her work was highlighted in Washington Post, Washington Business Journal, City Paper, and the Governing Magazine, among others. Yesim also has worked in the private sector, and consulted with international organization on a large portfolio of public finance topics. Yesim holds a Ph.D. in economics from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, and a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and International Relations from Bogazici University, located in Istanbul, Turkey.

Mark is responsible for creating residential investment value by developing new and repositioning existing residential properties; and adapting non-residential structures for residential use. With over 35 years of experience, Mark has a successful track record with notable institutional and private equity partners for securing private equity investments in emerging markets that provide value-add or opportunistic return strategies. Mark joined AREP in 2016, bringing a residential investment, development, and operational background across multiple asset classes nationwide - from rental communities (including significant mixed-use) condominiums & townhomes to municipal assets, including healthcare centers, charter schools, and cultural facilities. Before joining AREP, Mark was the Operating Partner for Jair Lynch Development Partners, a Washington DC-based investment, development & advisory services firm. Specifically selected by the California State Teachers Retirement System (CalSTRS) for this role, Mark was instrumental in growing the company into an institutional-grade platform that deployed over $100M in equity capital into emerging markets. Prior to joining Jair Lynch, Mark started an urban-focused practice in Washington DC for The Bozzuto Group, a nationally recognized investment, development, construction & property management firm. Under Mark's leadership, he grew the operation to a 35 person team achieving a net income of $6M in its third year. Mark holds degrees in Engineering and Business from the University of Colorado and the University of Denver. He has served on institutional boards and non-profits, including the Maryland Governor's Green Building Task Force, National Association of Real Estate Investment Managers, Lambda Alpha International, Urban Land Institute, HomeAid DC, and Renaissance Housing Corporation.

As an Associate and the Branch Manager for Bohler DC, Sheila is responsible for client and project management in the District and Arlington, VA. Bringing more than 10 years of experience in civil engineering, leadership, and management, she has overseen multiple complex developments including The Tellus, 750 N. Glebe Road, and Dock 79. Sheila an active mentor in the land development community, frequently participating in programs through local universities and industry organizations including DCBIA, WDCEP, ULI Young Leaders Group, NAIOP, and NVBIA. She has a strong passion for sharing her expertise with the next generation of engineers; previously serving as a volunteer mentor for the NAIOP DC/MD Capital Challenge and ULI UrbanPlan Program.

Greg’s aptitude for Repositioning and Renovation is commensurate with his depth and breadth of technical construction knowledge. His innate ability to seamlessly navigate the complexities of renovating existing structures has yielded over 3.5 million square feet of repositioned space. From basic modifications to highly complex building overhauls, Greg ensures his project team members are on point to solve every challenge an older structure can pose. By focusing heavily on meticulous site review, preconstruction planning and team collaboration, he effectively leads his team to meet each client’s modern-day needs, all while delivering exceptional results.

Greg is managing partner of the firm's Tysons Corner office and practices commercial real estate law with a concentration in land use, zoning and redevelopment matters. He began his real estate career as a professional urban planner. Prior to joining McGuireWoods, he worked extensively in the public and private sectors. Collectively he has more than 25 years experience in the real estate development industry. He has substantial experience representing major land developers, owners, companies, institutions, lenders and landlords. He works closely with clients to conduct feasibility analysis, analyze applicable development requirements, prepare necessary development-related applications, and present such proposals in meetings and public hearings before decision-making boards and commissions. He has extensive contacts with local government officials, as well as influential community and civic groups, and is able to anticipate, identify and creatively address issues related to the acquisition, development and disposition of real property. He provides clients with the analysis and advice necessary to complete all legislative and administrative approvals associated with the land development processes. His skill in drafting, negotiating and reviewing development agreements, proffers, zoning opinions and easements enables clients to complete the required processes with minimized and accurately qualified risk. The types of developments he has facilitated include office and industrial parks, shopping centers, regional shopping malls, hotels, restaurants, residential subdivisions, master planned communities, and elderly housing uses. He routinely handles the proceedings for necessary rezonings, special exceptions, special permits, variances, Comprehensive Plan Amendments, appeals and Zoning Ordinance Amendments before numerous local government authorities in Northern Virginia and the Metropolitan Washington, D.C., area. Much of Greg's work and accomplishments are closely tied to the region's existing and expanding rail transit corridors. He is particularly well versed in the planning, economic and design considerations that are unique to real estate development in transit oriented areas. In addition to representing owner and developers, he has been appointed by local governments to serve as an industry representative on many of the Task Forces and Work Groups charged with redrafting the governing planning and zoning regulations to recognize the opportunities associated with well planned and economically viable transit oriented development.

Gary oversees Management and Leasing performance of Willco’s portfolio. In addition, Gary is involved in special development projects. Gary brings 22 years of experience in many facets related to real estate development and investment. He has spent the last 15+ years running Willco Residential (www.willcoDC.com) developing more than $50,000,000 of Multi-Family condos and apartments throughout Washington, DC. Prior to Willco Residential, Gary worked at Axent Realty running the property management and leasing departments. Prior to joining Axent Realty, Gary worked for Newmark Companies in New York City as an Assistant Property Manager for over 1,000,000 SF of commercial space throughout the city. Gary has also been involved in charter schools in Washington, DC serving on the board of KIPP DC and Founding Board Chair of Inspired Teaching Public School. Gary received a BS degree from Syracuse University and a MA degree from Pace University.

Jason Fudin is the CEO and Co-Founder of Placemakr (formerly WhyHotel), based in Washington D.C. Placemakr is a venture-backed platform that operates at the intersection of hospitality and multifamily real estate. With its pop-up hotels, it operates furnished, transient stays out of the vacancy of newly built luxury apartments during the lease-up phase. With its hospitality living buildings, it operates assets as a mix of multifamily and hospitality on a permanent basis with the ability to flex the inventory between both uses. Prior to Placemakr, Jason was the VP of Strategic Initiatives at Vornado Realty Trust where he worked on developing innovative commercial real estate concepts for the organization. Over his career, Jason has managed commercial real estate development projects valued at over $2 billion and has worked in real estate development, acquisitions, and capital markets. He has his B.Eng. in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Management from McGill University and his M.S. in Finance and Real Estate from American University.

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.

Pierson [Pierce] Kreutzer started his commercial real estate career in 2014 at Transwestern, where he focused on agency leasing in Northern Virginia, representing over five million square feet of office and industrial properties. He joined KLNB in 2015 where he began the development sales practice that he concentrates on today. He returned to KLNB in 2023 as a Senior Vice President after three years with Lee & Associates, having helped open their Washington, D.C. office. He has become one of the region’s most active brokers in the middle market investment & development space, having executed transactions in excess of $1 billion in aggregate value. While he focuses on development and investment sales, Pierce’s expertise and responsibilities span across all sectors of commercial real estate: from office to multifamily, from leasing to sales and development. He currently resides in the Del Ray neighborhood of Alexandria with his wife and daughter.

Matthew J. Bonney is a tax partner with over 25 years of experience focusing on all facets of his clients’ business and tax needs. He specializes in working with clients in the real estate sector, including owners/operators, developers, investors, private real estate funds, and REITS. He also advises law firms and a range of clients in the music, manufacturing, technology, and restaurant industries, as well as high net worth individuals. For his real estate clients, Matt provides a deep expertise in deal planning, structuring, and reviewing, helping clients to acquire, manage, and sell properties while limiting tax risks. He has a wide breadth of knowledge and experience in federal, state, and local tax credits, as well as managing investor relationships, analyzing internal controls, and assisting with financing opportunities. As a tax specialist, Matt also provides a range of general tax compliance and reporting services, including representing clients before government taxing authorities.