Welcome to New York Avenue

Douglas Jemal was born in Brooklyn, New York and came to Washington, DC in 1966. Douglas began his career in the retail trade with a small store on 7th Street NW. He soon expanded into the electronics and music business, and by the mid-1980’s had created one of the most successful retail electronics chains in the nation. Douglas branched into real estate in the early 1980’s, purchasing his first parcel at 425 7th Street NW in 1981. Since then he has focused on purchasing and developing distinctive commercial properties in urban areas, such as Wonder Plaza (the former Wonder Bread bakery) near Howard University, Jemal’s Park & Shop (on Connecticut Avenue, the oldest strip shopping center on the east coast), the historic block of 7th Street between G and H in Chinatown and the Historic Woodies Building at Metro Center. He believes in the hands-on approach to development and is actively involved at the design, construction and leasing of all his properties. Douglas is particularly noted for his unprecedented success in preserving historic architecture while transforming properties into viable and successful retail, office or residential sites. His retail background provides him with valuable insight into the needs of the eventual tenant while construction is underway, as well as the proper mix and placement of tenants once leasing commences. In addition to restoring notable buildings and revitalizing historic neighborhoods, Douglas Jemal is an active philanthropist proud to give back to the Washington, DC community. Noteworthy charitable contributions in recent years include donations to the Children’s Hospital, Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Shaw Main Street, Animal Rescue Foundation, Manna Inc., and The Studio Theatre Inc., among several others. In recognition of his philanthropic work and historic preservation efforts, Douglas has received various honors and awards, including the 2014 District of Columbia Awards for Excellence in Historic Preservation Lifetime Achievement Award, Washingtonian’s “45 People who Shaped Washington” in 2010; the Mayor’s Award for “Excellence in Rehabilitation and New Construction” in 2009; the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s “Hitchcock Humanitarian Award” in 2007; and the Washington Chapter of the American Institute of Architects’ “Merit Award, Historic Resources Category” in 2004 for Historic 7th Street. Additionally, the Downtown BID recognized Douglas as its “Citizen of the Year” in 2010 for his many contributions to the city over the course of his career. He currently serves on the Downtown Developers’ Roundtable, providing expertise and counsel on important economic and development issues within Washington, DC.

Mr. Smith serves as a Managing Director and COO for Trammell Crow Company’s MidAtlantic Business Unit and is responsible for setting the strategic direction of the business and overseeing the fi nancial, risk management, and human resource functions. He is also responsible for sourcing new development deals and managing projects through the entire development process, including initial concept planning, design, fi nancing, construction, leasing, and disposition. Before moving to the Washington, DC market in early 2005, Mr. Smith worked for the Company’s Chief Investment Offi cer, where he focused on corporate fi nance and M&A activity for the Company, including the eventual merger between Trammell Crow Company and CBRE. Mr. Smith has experience across a range of product types including offi ce, multi- family and retail. Mr. Smith’s strong background in fi nance and acquisitions, combined with his attention to detail and disciplined approach to project management, helps ensure that the client’s interests are protected throughout the development process. Mr. Smith currently manages development projects totaling over 4 million SF, including: The Dalton, a 270-unit luxury apartment project in Alexandria, VA; Century, a 2.4 million SF mixed-use project in Germantown, MD; and Armature Works, a 2.5-acre development in Northeast Washington, DC.

Matt Robinson has 17 years of experience in the real estate industry and pursues multi-family residential, mixed-use acquisition and development opportunities for MRP Realty. Since joining the firm in 2007, Matt has overseen the entitlement, development, and repositioning of over 3.2 million square feet including over 1,100 units. In his seven years at TCC prior to joining MRP, Matt developed a total of 1.5 million square feet comprising 924 residential units and 542,000 square feet of retail and commercial space totaling over $654 million. Before joining TCC, he was an architect with Dimella Shaffer Associates in Boston, Massachusetts focused primarily on age-restricted residential and hotel projects. Matt graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Cornell University and received his MSRED from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Bryan Oos is responsible for the acquisition of apartment development sites in the New York, Washington D.C. and Miami metropolitan areas. Bryan has been responsible for various aspects of the land acquisition, underwriting and approvals for 10 projects built or in the pipeline in Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey and the District of Columbia, totaling over 4,300 units. Prior to joining Toll Brothers Apartment Living in 2011, Bryan was a Vice President of Development at Michaels Development Company, where he worked on the redevelopment of public housing into mixed-income communities. Prior to Michaels, he was a Director of Development at Forest City Residential, where he worked on mixed-use redevelopment projects in the New York and Boston metropolitan areas with a focus on public and private financing structures. Bryan earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from James Madison University and a Master of Science in Real Estate Development from Columbia University.

A lifelong D.C. resident, Mike Sigal has worked for more than 25 years at every level of the construction industry. Today, he's leading the GCS | SIGAL team to take on some of the most challenging projects in Washington, D.C., Virginia and Maryland. A second-generation builder, Mike brings decades of success working with area stakeholders to envision, design, renovate and build everything from schools to performing arts centers, public libraries to recreational facilities, retail, tenant and hospitality spaces to residential communities.

Austen Holderness serves as Carr Properties’ Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer and oversees all ground-up development activity at Carr Properties, from deal acquisition through the stabilization of each asset, including oversight of all matters related to design, development, construction management, and joint ventures. His responsibilities include sourcing and evaluating new development opportunities. Prior to joining Carr Properties, Austen distinguished himself as a Senior Development Associate at CarrAmerica Realty Corporation. During his career he has managed $2.75 billion (five million square feet) in commercial real estate development. Austen received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Carolina and his Master of Business Administration from the Darden School of Business at The University of Virginia.

As President of Development, Brigg Bunker is responsible for managing the Development Division, where his main role is to oversee daily operations and execute the firm’s development plans. Previously, as Vice-President of Development, he was responsible for the underwriting, entitlement, financing, and execution of a diverse portfolio of development projects. Mr. Bunker joined Foulger-Pratt in 2009 following many years of success in private equity, multi-family development, and real estate acquisitions. Mr. Bunker received a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Brigham Young University and an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Sarah Mosbacher is the Finance Director for Republic Restoratives Distillery, Washington DC's first women-owned distillery and the latest in a series of food & beverage-focused ventures to which she has devoted her business management talents. Sarah is also the Finance Director for Salt & Sundry and her prior work includes FRESHFARM Markets, The Good Food Foundation, The Sustainable Food Trust, and Rise Biscuits & Donuts. She holds an MBA from Babson College and a BA in Art History from Bard College.

Julian Looney is a Principal at Antunovich Associates. With over 13 years of experience, Julian has worked on small corporate tenant fit-outs, large government office buildings with over one million square feet of base building and interior design, mixed-use and boutique multi-family residential, education master planning, and building design. With a keen understanding of the region’s economic and architectural nuances, Julian is able to assist clients in making the right decisions for their projects in both base building and interior design.

Faisal Hameed, PhD, PE serves as a Vice President/Director of Infrastructure, Mid Atlantic at EXP, Washington DC office. His area of expertise is infrastructure and sustainable development. He has over 18 years of experience in both public and private sectors. Before joining private sector, he worked at District of Columbia Department of Transportation (DDOT) for 12 years where he also served as the Deputy Chief Engineer. He led the development of DDOT’s first Sustainability Plan and Climate Change Adaptation Plan. His experience includes working on a number of complex multi-modal transportation and development projects including St. Elizabeths redevelopment, Anacostia Waterfront, Capitol Crossings project, K Street Transitway, High Speed Rail, 11 th Street Bridges, H St and Benning Rd Streetcar. Faisal also serves on various national committees and expert panels including serving as the Chair of the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Subcommittee on Context Sensitive Design. He has a PhD in Civil Engineering from Virginia Tech, a M.S in Engineering Management from The Johns Hopkins University, a M.S in Civil & Environmental Engineering from the George Washington University, and a B.S in Engineering from NFC Institute of Engineering (Pakistan).

Andrew has served as the Director of the DC Office of Planning since November 2018. Prior to that time, he was the Chief of Staff at DC’s Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) where he guided economic policy development, including legislative and budget proposals and oversaw the operations of the 80-person agency. He also oversaw policy coordination among across 11 District agencies, including planning, housing, transportation, regulatory, and creative agencies. This included work on Mayoral policy initiatives such as Opportunity Zones, the Pennsylvania Avenue Initiative, the Housing Preservation Strike Force, the Mayor’s affordable housing initiatives, and autonomous vehicles and mobility innovation. Prior to that role, Andrew served as Deputy Chief of Staff at DMPED, where he assisted the organization with improving its use of data and advised on economic development policy. Throughout his time at DMPED, he worked to improve the agency’s data and analysis capacity and to create open and accessible data and analysis, especially through the creation of the Economic Intelligence program. Before joining the District Government, Andrew helped start up the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. He developed an analytics team to model consumer risk for financial institutions and helped create and run the Director’s Financial Analyst Program, which recruited undergraduates to join the Bureau for a two year rotational program. Andrew has also worked at Treasury's Community Development Financial Institution Fund setting up the Capital Magnet Fund for affordable housing and supporting the New Markets Tax Credit program. Prior to his federal government service, Andrew worked on redevelopment planning and finance for the DC Housing Authority. Andrew holds a Masters in City Planning from MIT and a B.A. from Princeton's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs.

Kenyan R. McDuffie, Councilmember for Ward 5, was first elected to the Council of the District of Columbia in a 2012 special election. In November 2014 and again in 2018, the voters of Ward 5 honored him by overwhelmingly electing him to serve four-year terms. In his seven years on the Council, Kenyan has established himself as a skilled legislator and coalition builder, including having been elected by his colleagues to serve as Chairman Pro Tempore since 2013. Since January 2017, Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie has served as the Chairperson of the Committee on Business and Economic Development, which has oversight over 20 District agencies and commissions, including the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, the Department of Small and Local Business, the Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration, and the Public Service Commission. As Chair of the Committee, Kenyan has worked to ensure that the District economy continues to grow and remain competitive, while supporting small and local business development, in particular women and minority-owned small businesses. In his first Council Period as Chairperson, Kenyan passed legislation to make it easier for smaller firms to compete for District government contracts and speed up payments to District contractors. Previously, Kenyan served as Chair of the Committee on the Judiciary. As Chair Kenyan oversaw sweeping updates to the District's criminal justice law. Kenyan successfully passed comprehensive juvenile justice reform that ended the use of solitary confinement, life sentences, and indiscriminate shackling of juveniles in court. Kenyan championed "Ban the Box" legislation that bans the use of criminal background checks in housing as well as passing legislation to end the unfair use of credit history in hiring. Kenyan also passed the innovative Neighborhood Engagement Achieves Results Act (NEAR Act) which reforms the District’s criminal justice system by incorporating behavioral and mental health professionals to perform tasks that previously fell to law enforcement officers. Kenyan began his career in public service working for a member of the U.S. House of Representatives shortly after graduating summa cum laude from Howard University. He went on to receive his Juris Doctor from the University of Maryland School of Law, where he served as an editor of the University of Maryland Law Journal of Race, Religion, Gender and Class. Prior to joining the Council, Kenyan worked extensively in the legal and public safety fields. He served as a law clerk for an Associate Judge on the 7th Judicial Circuit of Maryland and worked as an Assistant State’s Attorney in Prince George’s County, where he prosecuted misdemeanor and felony cases in District Court and on appeal in Circuit Court. Kenyan served as a trial attorney for the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”), where he conducted investigations and managed complex cases throughout the United States regarding enforcement of key federal civil rights statutes, including defending the rights of the mentally ill. During his tenure at DOJ, he was also an integral team member on cases to reform the policies and procedures of police departments. More recently, he served as a policy advisor to the District of Columbia’s Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice. Nationally, Kenyan has been featured on NewsOne Now, MSNBC, and National Public Radio. Kenyan and his wife, Princess, live in his childhood home in Ward 5 with their two young daughters, Kesi and Jozi.

Ian Rainey serves as Senior Vice President at the Northeast Maglev, which was formed to promote a high-speed rail solution in the Northeast Corridor using JR Central’s Superconducting Maglev (SCMAGLEV) technology. Prior to joining the Northeast Maglev, Mr. Rainey worked in the Office of the Secretary of Defense for three years, where he specialized in U.S. defense policy in South Asia.  From 1997 to 2004, Mr. Rainey was on active duty in the U.S. Navy.  Mr. Rainey earned his B.S. from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1997 and his M.A. from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in 2006.