The Future of Capitol Riverfront

Jay Kelly serves as a Vice President in Foulger Pratt’s development group. Mr. Kelly joined Foulger Pratt in April 2021 to lead the company’s redevelopment efforts at Landmark Mall. Prior to joining Foulger Pratt, Mr. Kelly spent six years at JBG Smith Properties overseeing the day-to-day development operations of several high profile mixed-use projects including 1221 Van Street (DC), West Half (DC), Eckington Yards (DC) and 1900 Crystal Drive in National Landing. Prior to JBG SMITH, Mr. Kelly served as an Assistant Vice President at the New York City Economic Development Corporation. He received a BA in Public Policy Analysis from Duke University and an MBA from Wharton and a JD from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

As President and CEO of Jair Lynch Real Estate Partners, Mr. Lynch assumes primary responsibility for firm management and project coordination, with a commitment to developing a quality product and superior service. That commitment has produced distinctive urban mixed-use projects for investors and a distinguished list of public, private and non-profit clients. Mr. Lynch has over twenty years’ experience in public and private real estate as an investor and advisor, including projects in Silicon Valley, CA and Washington, DC. He founded Jair Lynch in 1998 and has completed more than 65 projects totaling almost 4.3 million square feet of development in DC, with an additional 1.7 million square feet in his development pipeline. He is a driving force for urban regeneration, working to create walkable urban places to empower people, develop place and create prosperity.

Vicki Davis is responsible for managing the acquisition, planning, design, and implementation of all Urban Atlantic projects, and asset management of properties that the company owns and its Mid-City Community CDE investment portfolio. With over 28 years of experience in real estate development, she formerly served as Deputy Director of the Maryland Housing Fund and Maryland DHCD -Division of Credit Assurance. Her experience also includes portfolio management for MNC Financial-South Charles Realty and multifamily development for Trammell Crow Residential. As President of Urban Atlantic Development, Ms. Davis has managed development of over $2 billion in real estate projects and asset managed over $4 billion in real estate investments. She has developed over 6,000 multifamily residential units and 600,000 commercial square feet for Urban Atlantic, including eight HOPE VI mixed-finance public housing redevelopment projects, as well as transit-oriented mixed-use projects.  Ms. Davis holds a MBA in Finance from American University, an MS in Engineering & Construction Management from University of Texas, and a BS in Civil Engineering from the University of Maryland. She taught for 12 years in the Johns Hopkins Real Estate MBA program and is a LEED AP.

Steve Etminani is the principal and founder of RCP Companies. RCP is an entrepreneurial real estate investment, development and advisory firm based in Washington, DC. Since its inception in 2004, RCP has been instrumental in conceiving and implementing various institutional grade projects in partnership with large institutional investors such as the Carlyle Group and Citigroup Property Investors. For over two decades, Steve has been actively involved in the acquisition, financing, development, asset management and disposition of numerous institutional grade residential, mixed-use, commercial and land projects in the United States and the MENA region. Steve has also been an active development and investment advisor to various institutional investment and lending companies. Prior to the formation of RCP, Steve was a Sr. Vice President and member of the Executive Management Committee for Atlanta-based Post Properties, Inc., a NYSE listed company. Prior to joining Post Properties, Steve held various senior level positions at the Mid-Atlantic / North-East office of Dallas-based JPI Development Company, at the time, one of the premier development companies in the United States. Steve has served on the Executive Committee of the ULI – Washington District Council; Washington, DC Mayoral task forces on: Transportation Oriented Development and Commercial and Residential Development. Steve’s projects have won numerous regional and national awards. Steve has lived in and been educated in the Middle-East, Europe and the USA. Steve earned his BBA degree from The George Washington University and his MA from George Mason University.

McLean Quinn is President of EYA, LLC. He oversees corporate management and strategy, investor relations, acquisition and development strategy and project stewardship, and chairs the Partnership Committee. Before being named President in February 2019, McLean served as Vice President of Acquisition and Development, leading acquisition, negotiations, entitlement, underwriting and project stewardship for numerous projects at EYA. McLean is active in ULI and is past participant in the ULI Washington Regional Land Use Leadership Institute and Leadership Montgomery. Before joining EYA, McLean evaluated opportunistic real estate investments for Morgan Stanley's Real Estate Fund (MSREF) in New York and worked in private equity and investment banking at Wells Fargo in Charlotte, North Carolina. He earned a BA in Political Science from Davidson College and an MBA with Distinction from the Kellogg School of Management, where he was an Austin Scholar. McLean lives in Washington D.C. with his wife and two children.

Toby Millman is the Regional Partner for Transwestern Development Company in the Mid-Atlantic, where he is responsible for overseeing and directing the company’s development pipeline in the region. Over his nearly 30-year career, Toby has been involved with the development of over 15 million square feet of residential, office, and retail space. Prior to joining Transwestern, Toby was Senior Vice President for Brookfield Properties where he oversaw the development pipeline in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions. Prior to Brookfield, he was Senior Vice President at Vornado Realty Trust, creating and leading the multifamily development group for Vornado’s Washington division. Earlier in his career, Toby also owned and operated Agora Development, a development and homebuilding company and worked for Washington-area developers EYA and Abdo Development. Toby earned an undergraduate degree from Cornell University and a master’s degree in city and regional planning from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Mr. Millman holds an undergraduate degree from Cornell University and a Master’s Degree in City Planning from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

An Executive Vice President with CBRE, Inc., Manny Fitzgerald has more than 30+ years of experience in the commercial real estate industry. Manny is experienced in both landlord and tenant representation and is considered an expert in nonprofit real estate matters. His development experience evolved from spending almost 12 years with DRI, one of the most prolific nonprofit headquarters developers in the Washington, DC area. Manny founded and leads CBRE’s National Nonprofit Practice Group. This group of real estate professionals specializes in providing superior real estate services to the nonprofit sector, which is comprised of associations, foundations, professional societies, unions and charitable organizations. Mr. Fitzgerald has also worked with many for-profit organizations. Manny has participated in many high-profile transactions in his career. For example, he has been involved in the sale/acquisition of approximately 60 nonprofit headquarters buildings including: United Negro College Fund (50,000 SF); National Restaurant Association (sale of 170,000 development site and acquisition of 60,000 SF office condo); National Trust for Historic Preservation (75,000 SF) and National Association of Broadcasters (120,000 SF). He also represented The John Akridge Companies in the sale of 1307 New York Avenue, NW, a 106,000-square-foot, Class A office building, to a consortium of nonprofit organizations and the acquisition of a 300,000-square-foot development site at 900 H Street, NW, which was eventually developed and sold to The Smithsonian Institution. Additionally, Manny was involved in the sale of the Old Masonic Temple building at 901 F Street, NW and a subsequent owner representation assignment that secured The Gallup Organization as an anchor tenant. This transaction won the Washington Business Journal’s Deal of the Year award. Manny also secured and services national exclusive real estate contracts with several national nonprofit organizations.

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.

Adam is a Senior Vice President, Managing Director of the DC leasing team. Adam’s responsibilities include co-managing the Washington, D.C. leasing team, alongside Merrill Turnbull. The team brings an expert approach to marketing, leasing and sales of commercial real estate while providing clients with analysis of lease terms and market information. Adam joined Lincoln Property Company in 2006 and has completed over 3 million square feet of lease or sale transactions totaling over $1.6B in gross value representing multiple third party landlords. He also works with numerous private sector tenants on their real estate requirements. He is a licensed salesperson in the District of Columbia, Virginia, and Maryland. Adam is a graduate of Seton Hall University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science and a graduate of Shepherd University with a Master’s Degree in Business Administration. Adam resides in Fairfax, Virginia with his wife and four children.

Luke Koczela is an Associate at McCaffery Inc., responsible for the financial analysis, underwriting, and capital structuring of all real estate acquisition and development transactions. Luke also provides support on McCaffery’s development team on matters related to the acquisition, entitlement, financing, permitting, and marketing of office, multifamily, retail and mixed-use properties. Prior to his role as an associate, Luke worked as a development project manager of Ballpark Square, a 450,000 SF mixed-use development across the street from Nationals Park in Washington DC. Luke began his career as a financial consultant at McAdam, with a focus on real estate investments. Luke earned a BA at the University of Wisconsin and is a candidate for a Master in Real Estate Finance and Development at Georgetown University.

Shawn Seaman joined Hoffman & Associates in 2001 and currently leads the acquisitions and development activities for the company. Since 2006, Seaman has acted as Project Director for The Wharf, where he has managed the development team and all aspects of the project development, including design, entitlements, financing, and implementation. Seaman is a LEED®-AP certified professional and leads the company’s sustainable design initiative. Seaman has more than 20 years of project experience in real estate development, urban design, town planning, architecture, and retail strategy, with projects throughout the United States. Seaman holds a degree in Architecture from the University of Miami, and a master’s degree in Architecture and Urban Design from the University of Pennsylvania. He also holds a real estate design and development certificate in conjunction with the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Seaman is a registered architect in the state of Florida and the District of Columbia.

Tommy Wells is the director of the Department of Energy & Environment (DOEE). Appointed January 2015, he is chiefly responsible for protecting the environment and conserving the natural resources of the District of Columbia. Tommy’s team is comprised of approximately 300 environmental professionals collectively working to improve the quality of life for residents and the natural inhabitants of the Nation’s Capital. Most recently, Tommy served as the DC Councilmember representing Ward 6—a position he held since 2006. During his time on Council, he garnered broad support for his efforts to make the District livable and walkable for all. Tommy worked with the City’s leadership and, in particular, residents of Ward 6 to create a shared and respected place where drivers, cyclists, pedestrians, and exercise enthusiasts can co-exist safely. Known for his neighborhood-focused development, Tommy championed efforts to ensure availability of public transit, including the construction of new streetcar lines and the expansion of the DC Circulator. As Chair of the DC Council Committee on Transportation and the Environment, he worked to double the city’s Capital Bikeshare program. In 2009, Tommy crafted The Anacostia River Clean Up and Protection Act of 2009, to implement $0.05 fee on disposable bags. This landmark legislation prompted thousands of District residents to curb use of plastic bags and instead opt for reusable, green alternatives. Seventy-five percent of DC residents reported a decrease in their use of disposable bags once the bill took effect on January 1, 2010. The legislation also established a fund to restore District water bodies, including the Anacostia River; support the distribution of reusable bags in the District; install trash traps; and provide environmental education for District students. These and other efforts, championed by Tommy, have helped position the District as a model for sustainable green living for jurisdictions nationwide. With a career in public service that spans 32 years, Tommy’s commitment to District residents--particularly children--is unwavering. In 1996, he led a successful class action lawsuit, LaShawn v. Barry, to address the city’s failure to protect children in its care. In 1991, he took the helm of the DC Consortium for Child Welfare, where he helped to create neighborhood-based family service collaboratives to coordinate the delivery of city and nonprofit resources to underserved District residents. He was the architect of a groundbreaking program to match foster families with children affected by HIV/AIDS and he led the drive to create the DC Family Court,–resulting in a 300 percent increase in the number of foster children adopted into permanent homes each year. A passionate innovator and student of cutting edge solutions, Tommy earned his law degree from the Columbus School of Law at Catholic University in 1991 and a master’s degree in social work from the University of Minnesota in 1983. He and his wife, Barbara, a writer and arts enthusiast, are residents of Ward 6 in the District.

Paul Holder loves working the door of the Long Shot Hospitality restaurants: “honing in,” recognizing returning guests, and exceeding expectations of service. “That’s the best thing about the industry,” he says. “There’s immediate gratification for everyone involved when a restaurant is really humming, and there’s nothing else like it.” As a founding partner of Long Shot Hospitality, Holder’s domain includes management of: new construction and build-outs; strategic planning, legal matters, lease negotiations; and even the annual Christmas tree lot at The Salt Line, whose proceeds are donated to the DC Firefighters Burn Fund. Holder double-majored in Marketing and International Business at Georgetown, and was a four- year member of its Varsity Heavyweight Crew team. Following school, Paul remained in Washington, where a restaurant boom was in full swing. Jumping in with both feet, he began bartending and eventually managing the Tom Tom Club in Adams Morgan, where he met Jeremy Carman, a fellow-restaurant manager; the two teamed up to open a place of their own, Town Hall, in Glover Park in 2005. When Gavin Coleman and Chef Kyle Bailey joined the team, they became the Long Shot Hospitality group, and launched The Salt Line. The Research and Development involved in opening a New England-style oysters-and-ale house brought Holder back to the water: to an intensive internship on an oyster farm in Damariscotta, Maine, an experience that’s given him the expertise he needs to explain the intricacies of aquaculture to his Salt Line patrons. With another Salt Line location and a New Orleans-inspired restaurant in the works, Dauphine’s, Holder continues to grow Long Shot Hospitality.

Reed Landry is the co-founder and managing partner of Mission Group, which operates six bars and restaurants in Washington DC including Mission Dupont, Hawthorne, Mission Navy Yard, The Admiral, Salazar and Royal Sands Social Club. Reed and his business partner Fritz Brogan have overseen two large scale build-outs, including the newly opened Royal Sands Social Club (13k sf) and its next door neighbor Mission Navy Yard (12k sf) as well as four refurbishments of second generation spaces. Mission Group employs more than 500 local residents and lives by the adage that it is more fun to eat in a bar than to drink in a restaurant.

Christopher B. Leinberger is a land use strategist, teacher, developer, researcher and author, balancing business success with social and environmental sustainability. Mr. Leinberger is currently: The Charles Bendit Distinguished Scholar and Research Professor & Chair, Center for Real Estate and Urban Analysis Founding Partner of Arcadia Land Company, a New Urbanism and transit-oriented development firm Leinberger has written two book, The Option of Urbanism, Investing in a New American Dream and Strategic Planning for Real Estate Companies, and contributed chapters to 15 other books, most recently Routledge Companion to Real Estate Development and Suburban Remix (Island Press). He has written for The New York Times, The Atlantic, Washington Monthly, American Conservative, Urban Land, Development, etc. He was voted one of the “The 100 Most Influential Urbanists” in a poll conducted by Planetizen, the urban planning web site, in 2017.

Michael is the president of the Capitol Riverfront Business Improvement District (BID) in the southeast riverfront area of Washington, DC – the city’s fastest growing, mixed-use urban neighborhood. The Capitol Riverfront is one of the largest riverfront redevelopment projects in the country and will contain over 37 million square feet of development at build-out. For the past 13 years he has worked to achieve the vision of a vibrant waterfront community in the Capitol Riverfront. His efforts led to the establishment of the BID in the summer of 2007 and it is currently in its third 5-year operating cycle. Michael is responsible for overseeing a staff of 8 full time professionals, a 21-member board of directors, all external relations, development of work programs, and budget oversight. He helped coordinate the Center City Action Agenda of 2007 & 2010 – a new strategic plan and framework to guide development and public investment in the center city neighborhoods of Washington, DC. From 2000-2006 he served as the President & CEO of the Washington, DC Economic Partnership and built that organization from a start-up to a full partner in the District’s economic development initiatives. Prior to coming to Washington, Michael was the VP of Development for the Memphis Center City Commission, a combination of BID and economic development authority. He oversaw the planning and economic development section that administered financial incentives for downtown development projects such as the Memphis Redbird’s new Triple A baseball stadium, hundreds of units of new housing, the South Main Arts District, and a new downtown public elementary school. Michael has been involved in the economic development, urban planning, and downtown/neighborhood development fields for the majority of his 41-year career. He has worked for public planning agencies, private planning firms, BIDs, and economic development entities. He has participated in numerous downtown redevelopment efforts for cities such as Wichita, KS; Lubbock, TX; Dallas, TX; Nashville, TN; Memphis, TN; Jackson, MS; Washington, DC; and San Antonio, TX. He holds a Master’s degree in Urban Planning/Urban Design from Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA, and a BA in Urban Sociology from Millsaps College in Jackson, MS. He serves in a volunteer capacity in the District by participating on boards such as Barracks Row Main Street; the Leadership Council for a Cleaner Anacostia; DC Sustainable Transit; DC Building Industry Association; the DC BID Council; and Friends of the National Arboretum. He has participated in numerous Technical Advisory Panels for ULI, IDA, and APA. Michael is also an adjunct professor at Georgetown University’s College of Continuing Studies where he teaches a class on economic development in the Masters in Urban Planning program.