Megan Baker develops and executes GBI’s community building initiatives, including overseeing its marketing and communication strategies, leading education and training development, and representing GBI through partnerships and various national and municipal engagement activities throughout the commercial real estate industry. She is an expert presenter on GBI’s Green Globes and Guiding Principles Compliance programs and a passionate advocate for the benefits of credentialing as a Green Globes Professional, Guiding Principles Compliance Professional or Green Globes Emerging Professional. She resides in Rhode Island and holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography from the University of Mary Washington and a Master of Business Administration from Regis University.

Michael Barone is project manager for Rockefeller Group’s Design and Construction team in Morristown, New Jersey. In this role, he is responsible for the ongoing management of projects in pre-development, development and construction, specifically industrial projects in New Jersey. Barone is responsible for administering new developments and overseeing design, budgeting, procurement, and construction operations. Since joining Rockefeller Group in 2019, Barone has worked closely with the NJ/PA team on the development of more than 1.5 million square feet of new distribution space, 62 units of affordable housing, and is currently working on the development of a two-million-square-foot data center campus in Northern Virginia. Barone previously worked for AECOM-Tishman. He is a graduate of Duke University.

Best serves as the Director of Manufacturing and Supply Chain Sectors Strategy and Workforce Partnerships for the New Jersey Community College Consortium Pathways to Career Initiative focused on creating a statewide network of education and workforce strategies that is industry driven, partnership-based and focused on equity and inclusion. Informed by industry leadership teams comprised of employers, industry associations and labor unions, he works with the Centers for Workforce Innovation to map pathways in supply chain and manufacturing industry, integrating technology and building pathways around in-demand industry-valued credentials that will expand opportunities and access for New Jersey residents.

Matt Brady has more than 30 years of architectural experience in the commercial real estate industry. His professional background includes the design and management of a wide variety of project types including industrial, office, retail, healthcare and residential, among others. With Ware Malcomb for over 20 years, Brady led the expansion of firm services into multiple new markets in the U.S., as well as Mexico, Panama and Brazil. He oversees 12 of the firm’s 26 offices as well as the civil engineering practice. Brady oversees many corporate, growth and operations initiatives for Ware Malcomb including diversifications and sustainability.

Joshua Burd is the editor of Real Estate NJ, the only New Jersey-based monthly magazine and website dedicated to commercial real estate in the Garden State. He has been covering New Jersey commercial real estate for nearly 12 years and helped launch Real Estate NJ in 2016. In 2021, he was honored to receive NAIOP New Jersey’s Industry Service Award. He is a lifelong New Jersey resident who has spent 15 years covering the great Garden State.

A veteran of the construction industry, Joe Carman has managed residential, retail, automotive and industrial projects throughout the United States. After graduating from The Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Science in Construction Systems Management, Carman received his LEED certification in 2009 and his Green Globes professional certification in 2022. In his spare time, he enjoys golfing and other outdoor activities.

Alicia Case leads the sustainability services team for the southeast with JLL’s Project and Development Services group based in Atlanta. She has over fifteen years of sustainability consulting and project management experience, focused on leveraging the bottom-line benefits of sustainability initiatives to achieve positive environmental impact. She serves as a consultant and technical expert enabling companies to expand in the green building industry. Leading a team of experts, Case advises on sustainability integration at all stages including acquisitions, site selection, lease negotiation, capital projects, ongoing management and portfolio-wide strategy. She has worked with multiple national and international companies developing robust environmental, social, governance and resilience programs (ESG+R). Prior to joining JLL, Case consulted on sustainability projects large and small and was involved in pursuing certification through programs such as LEED, Energy Star, SITES, WELL Building Standard and Living Building Challenge. She also provided technical expertise for LEED certification and the advancement of the LEED Rating Systems, serving as a primary technical subject matter expert for the evaluation of projects pursuing LEED certification. She has worked with several certification representatives to develop accreditation exams for professionals in her fields.

Jim Connolly has 35 years of experience in real estate, facilities, and construction management. He has worked on both the tenant side at Nortel and Raytheon, and the landlord side at Plymouth. He has an MBA from Northeastern University and an undergraduate degree from the University of Massachusetts. Connolly also served as a combat engineer sergeant in the United States Army Reserve.

Luke Corsbie brings 19 years of civil engineering and land surveying expertise to the Ware Malcomb team. As regional director, he is responsible for leading and expanding the civil engineering group for Ware Malcomb across all markets. He is focused on fostering client relationships, staff management and overseeing companywide civil engineering projects.

David Crist is the director of sustainability at ARCO Design/Build. He graduated from Penn State University with a bachelor’s degree in Energy Engineering. Crist comes from the former warehouse REIT, Duke Realty, where he worked on ESG and renewable energy initiatives. Prior to Duke, Crist was the energy and sustainability manager at NFI Industries, managing the sustainability program in North America.

Since 2019, Jesse Curtis has led Centuria’s industrial real estate business, providing strategic direction and leadership over a portfolio of more than $6 billion of assets. Additionally, he oversees the strategy, operation and performance of the $4 billion Centuria Industrial REIT (ASX:CIP), Australia’s largest domestic pure-play industrial Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) listed on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX). CIP is part of the S&P/ASX-200 Index and the FTSE EPRA Nareit Global Index. He has over 15 years of real estate investment and funds management experience, having joined Centuria from real asset manager Dexus where he held senior funds management, transactions and portfolio management roles. Prior to this, Curtis worked at global industrial specialist Goodman Group across various management roles. He is a representative on the Property Council of Australia’s National Industrial Roundtable committee, an associate of the Australian Property Institute, and holds a Master of Applied Finance from Macquarie University and Bachelor of Business (Property) from Western Sydney University.

Beth Demba is the head of capital deployment in the East region at Prologis, focusing on the Northeastern United States and Eastern Canada. Demba was previously a managing director at the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPP Investments) overseeing the industrial and data center business across the U.S. Prior to joining CPP Investments, she was a managing director at Hines and spent ten years in portfolio management for a series of closed-end value-added office vehicles. Demba spent four years in equity research, having worked for Donaldson, Lufkin and Jenrette and Credit Suisse. She graduated from Smith College with a BA in Economics and received an MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Demba is a member of New York Women Executives in Real Estate (WX), NAIOP and a council member of the Urban Land Institute.

As regional vice president, Frank Di Roma is responsible for leading Ware Malcomb’s continued growth in Canada and oversees the management of the Toronto, Vaughan and Ottawa offices. He is also responsible for business development, account management, and project visioning and design. He is a licensed architect in in five provinces including British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Newfoundland and Ontario.

Richard Eyre is vice president, leasing, for the east region at GLP US. Prior to joining GLP US, he oversaw asset management and leasing for the Northeast Region at Mapletree Investments. Prior to his time at Mapletree, Eyre served as vice president, regional director at GLP. He graduated from the University of Lynchburg.

Keely Felton oversees Nova’s Sustainability and Energy Group, a team of 25 energy engineers who work nationwide on identifying opportunity for decarbonization of commercial real estate assets. In this capacity, she supports the technical and field teams conducting energy, water and waste assessments and drives strategy and thought leadership within the team to identify solutions to support client decarbonization goals. Felton develops and reviews report deliverables while working closely with Nova’s clients to ensure that goals are met and pertinent information is communicated throughout the process. She is a Certified Energy Auditor with AEE and a Green Globes Professional with GBI.

Jack Fraker has over 35 years of real estate experience, specializing in the sale of investment properties for institutional clients, as well as tenant representation for corporate clients. He has personally completed over 1,800 capital markets transactions totaling 1.5 billion square feet/$85 billion and approximately 12,000 acres of development sites and 300 office/industrial leasing transactions in more than 60 U.S. cities, Mexico, Europe, Japan and South America (these figures do not include his active involvement and leadership in the broader team metrics for U.S. investment sales – 3.3 billion square feet / $220 billion).

James Geshwiler is co-founder and chief strategy and investment officer at Catalyze, a leading national energy transition company that builds, owns and operates solar, battery storage and electric vehicle charging systems for large commercial and industrial customers. He brings 25 years of entrepreneurial, technology, finance and energy expertise to renewable energy analytics and strategy.

As principal, Sean Gilbert spearheads the origination, evaluation and closing activities for Saxum’s acquisition and joint venture opportunities. He leads Saxum’s cold storage platform which is among the largest in the country and compromises over 2.5 million square feet nationwide.

Sebastian Gonzalez serves as chief investment officer of Thor Urbana, a Mexico City-based real estate investment and development company with over U.S. $3 billion in AUM. He leads acquisition, structuring and fundraising activities for the company and has led and supervised over US $1.3 billion worth of transactions. He joined Thor Urbana in 2013. Gonzalez also serves on the board of the Harvard Club of Mexico and the Harvard Business School Club of Mexico. He received a BS in industrial engineering from Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

As a managing director based in the New York office, Tom Griggs is responsible for leading the industrial and logistics practice for Hines in the East region. His primary focus is on sourcing and executing new development and acquisition opportunities for the New York, Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C., offices. Prior to joining Hines in 2019, Griggs worked on transportation infrastructure projects for Macquarie Infrastructure & Real Assets (MIRA), along with industrial acquisition and development roles with Realterm, JLL and LaSalle Investment Management in North America and Central and Eastern Europe. He earned his MBA from The Booth School of Business at The University of Chicago along with his Bachelor of Science, Finance from Smeal College of Business at Pennsylvania State University.

Andrew Hunt is senior vice president of business development for Solar Landscape, where he leads the team responsible for developing and managing partnerships with the nation’s premier industrial and self-storage real estate owners. Hunt is a veteran of the energy sector, having worked in energy policy, project development, and building decarbonization across the continent. He has originated over 140 megawatts (MW) of operational PV solar assets representing over $500M of capital investment and has deep experience working with large enterprises to develop renewable energy strategies. He resides in Los Angeles and earned his bachelor’s degree in computer engineering from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, and his MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.

Steven Hussain serves as head of government and community relations for Prologis. In that capacity, he leads the organization's efforts to engage the public sector to deepen relationships and advance Prologis' business objectives.

Prior to joining Galvanize as the Head of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) and Sustainability for real estate, Nicolette Jaze served as Vice President of Client Engagement, Communications, and ESG at Esusu, a fintech/proptech startup that reports on-time rental payments to consumer credit agencies with the goal of helping renters improve their credit scores and ultimately bridging the racial wealth gap. Prior to Esusu, Jaze spent six years as a Vice President at Goldman Sachs developing and overseeing ESG integration initiatives for real estate, both within the asset management and corporate real estate divisions.

Ed Lerum is head of global logistics real estate at NBIM. He leads NBIM’s unlisted logistics real estate strategy, transactions and asset management. NBIM’s unlisted logistics portfolio consists of approximately 136 million square feet across 12 countries. As of December 31, 2022, NBIM’s equity investment in private logistics real estate was valued at approximately $12 billion. Prior to joining NBIM in 2016, he served in transaction roles at GLP and IndCor, Blackstone’s first U.S. logistics real estate operating platform. Over his career, Ed has been involved in over $21 billion of completed real estate transactions. He holds an MSA and BBA from the University of Notre Dame.

As a senior vice president, Marisa serves as part of the executive team and oversees a portfolio of clients in the cleantech, clean energy, built environment and sustainability sectors. She is a recognized strategist with strength in media relations, policy and advocacy communications, digital media and integrated marketing and branding.

She brings two decades of in-house and agency experience to the Antenna team. She spent nearly 10 years at the Washington D.C.-based global non-profit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), best known as the creator of LEED, where she served as a spokesperson and oversaw media relations, public affairs, social media and PR strategy. She also managed communications for USGBC’s Greenbuild and helped launch multiple products and programs in the U.S. and internationally for both USGBC and its sister organization GBCI.

Marisa has led campaigns for a variety of associations and organizations including the Clean Energy Buyers Association (CEBA), the American Biogas Council, and the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), and she has worked with notable businesses, real estate developers, architects and product manufacturers throughout her career.

Marisa is a graduate of the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University. She is a member of the Public Relations Society of American (PRSA) and currently serves on the Ohio University E.W. Scripps School of Journalism Advisory Board and the USGBC Ohio Market Leadership Advisory Board. She’s participated in several leadership programs and was previously recognized as one of PR News’ Top Women in PR. She is also a sought-after industry speaker and trainer.

Chuck McMahon is a veteran mid-Atlantic commercial real estate developer. During his career he has completed over 7 million square feet of new development, redevelopment and operating property acquisitions, and has been responsible for over 4200 acres of commercial land development. Chuck is Vice President of Development with Baltimore-based MCB Real Estate LLC where he currently has over 2 million square feet of development in progress. He is a lifelong student of the built environment and a passionate creator of places for people and business.

Peter Nicoletti is a global capital markets expert, having executed more than $45 billion in real estate capital markets transactions. Specializing in debt, equity and sales transactions, he has over 33 years of real estate finance and investment expertise. Nicoletti has personally completed industrial capital markets transactions across the U.S., Europe, Asia and Australia, and leads Colliers’ Capital Markets group in New York, steering a team of real estate professionals in all aspects of the real estate capital markets.

Madeline O’Donnell is a senior ESG analyst for Principal Real Estate, the dedicated real estate investment group of Principal Asset Management. In her role, she is responsible for conducting climate risk analysis, managing and analyzing environmental performance data, coordinating ESG projects at property and portfolio level, researching industry trends, supporting ESG reporting efforts, overseeing certifications management, and working with industry partners on ESG initiatives. O’Donnell completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Northern Iowa with majors in Finance and Real Estate and received her Master of Business Administration from the University of Iowa. She is a LEED Green Associate and a Fitwel Ambassador.

Owen O’Neil is the executive director of the Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority (LANTA) which is the regional public transportation system serving Lehigh, Northampton and Carbon Counties in Pennsylvania. He has been in the public transportation field for 25 years and has worked with transit agencies across the country either as staff or as a consultant. Since joining LANTA, O’Neil has led the efforts to modernize technology used by LANTA; instituted an ongoing service performance monitoring system to ensure continuous improvement; and worked with the local MPO on efforts to incorporate transit supportive land use practices into local land development. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Saint Michael’s College, and a Masters of Community Planning from the University of Rhode Island.

With more questions than answers in today’s economic landscape, Dana M. Peterson, chief economist for the Conference Board, has established herself as a visionary, and the go-to expert providing insightful analysis and predictions to corporations, associations and government organizations looking for clarity and foresight into how economic drivers might impact their businesses in the short- and long-term. With over two decades of experience in the field, she serves as the globally recognized think tank’s public face and primary spokesperson on all things related to the economy.

Peterson’s research and insights expand across topic areas that directly impact financial market implications, including monetary policy; fiscal and trade policy; debt, taxation; environmental, social and governance principles; consumption; and demographics. When speaking, she provides a clear-cut, up-to-the-minute overview, helping groups make sense of the economic environment and the risks, challenges, and opportunities it presents to organizations and society. As part of an immersive deep dive supported by her own sought-after quantitative research and findings, Peterson discusses the labor markets, gross domestic product, and inflation, relating the subject matter back to audience members’ organizations and industries and offering practical steps for adapting to economic disruption.

In addition to serving as chief economist of The Conference Board and a member of its Executive Committee, Peterson also leads the organization’s U.S. Economy, Strategy & Finance (ESF) Center – directing and managing its research programs and spearheading the quality and integrity of creation and dissemination of its full knowledge portfolio. Alongside her work and research, Peterson is a member of the Board of Directors for NBER, NABE, and the Global Interdependence Center, First Vice Chair of the New York Association for Business Economics, and a member of the NBEIC, the Forecasters Club, and the Council on Foreign Relations.

John Pollock serves as senior vice president for Trammell Crow Company in the firm’s Northeast Metro Business Unit. In this role, he is responsible for all aspects of industrial development and investment, including sourcing and underwriting prospective projects as well as leasing and dispositions.

Itay Ron serves as the senior vice president of Northeast Markets (DC, MD, VA, DE, PA, NJ, NY) at Faropoint, a private equity firm that focuses on last mile industrial real estate. He oversees a team of 15 real estate professionals, covering acquisitions, asset management, and construction management. Ron joined the company as the first employee in the region and in the past three years grew the operation to more than $600 million gross asset value across 100 assets. He also helps lead overarching strategic initiatives within the company, including the rooftop solar practice, tenant credit evaluation and analysis, asset disposition, and system implementation and integration.

Bethann Rooney oversees the management, operation and ongoing development of the major marine terminal facilities in the Port of New York and New Jersey, the largest and busiest seaport on the East Coast of North America. As the Port Director, she is responsible for managing a nearly $400 million annual budget, advancing major capital programs, increasing cargo and passenger volumes, promoting diversity, equity and inclusion in all of the Port’s programs and fostering safe, secure, sustainable, and innovative practices focused on strengthening the Port’s contribution to the regional economy.

Grayson Scott is a senior consultant and member of CBRE’s supply chain consulting practice. As a member of CBRE Supply Chain Consulting, Scott helps provide supply chain and location strategy consulting services for industrial and logistics clients in the Americas region. He is also part of CBRE Americas Consulting, where he is joined by colleagues with expertise in site selection, incentives, labor analytics, location intelligence and more.

Brewster Smith leads the Supply Chain Solutions team for Colliers' Occupier Services group. He is a supply chain consulting leader focused on developing and implementing solutions for OPEX reduction and service improvement. Over the course of his career, he has helped clients to identify and/or achieve $141 million in logistics related cost savings. Smith’s functional specializations include supply chain network optimization, site selection, transportation strategy, distribution center design, inventory targeting, 3PL strategic sourcing and robotics/automation evaluation. In his 25 years of experience as a supply chain practitioner, Brewster has advised 60+ organizations on three different continents in both the private and public sectors.

Anne Strauss-Wieder is a nationally respected senior executive with over 40 years of public and private sector experience involving supply chains, industrial and economic development, resilience, and freight movement. She was the 2022 recipient of the Transportation Research Board’s (TRB) Thomas B. Deen Distinguished Lectureship. Strauss-Wieder is in leadership roles in several national professional organizations. She was an appointed member of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Advisory Committee on Supply Chain Competitiveness and the U.S. Maritime Administration’s Marine Transportation System National Advisory Committee. She also teaches a graduate class on freight and public policy at Rutgers. Strauss-Wieder has a B.A. and M.A. in Regional Science from the University of Pennsylvania and was a 2010 Lead New Jersey Fellow.

Shepard Stuart serves as vice president, development/construction for the Logistics Property Company’s Atlanta office, responsible for site acquisition, due diligence, entitlements, design, construction management, marketing and leasing for ground-up developments throughout the Southeast. Prior to joining LPC, Stuart served as director of credit and asset management at Trimont Real Estate Advisors managing complex credit for commercial real estate lenders and investors around the world. He spent 10 years in construction consulting and engineering design and currently holds professional engineering designation in the state of Georgia. His project experience includes commercial, retail, multifamily, and industrial projects.

Bob Ulliman oversees the activities of the entire National Cold Storage team and is responsible for assisting projects from initial concept to successful completion. He has significant experience and knowledge in all facets of the building thermal envelope, pre-construction, design and construction, project management and national relationships with subcontractors in the cold storage industry.

Amanda Valdés is the manager of the Business Development & Industry Relations Unit at The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey – which is responsible for operating the largest port on the East Coast of North America and the second largest in the nation. Valdés has been with The Port Authority since 2001. Her responsibilities have included market analysis, customer outreach, leasing, and management of the Port’s Foreign Trade Zone No. 49. Valdés is currently responsible for oversight of the Port Department’s international and domestic cargo activity and trade development strategies, external maritime relations and communications efforts, customer service and outreach programs, and port efficiency initiatives. She and her team regularly engage with port customers, stakeholders, and service providers to collect and share market data and assess evolving trends in the maritime industry while working collaboratively to identify solutions to maximize the Port’s ability to move cargo efficiently, reliably, and sustainably through the local, national, and international markets it serves. Valdés is a graduate of St. Peter’s University with a bachelor’s degree in international business and trade and an MBA with dual concentrations in international business and trade and business management.

Jeffrey Garza Walker focuses on expanding NAI’s capabilities in global portfolio services through key industrial clients with requirements in North and Latin America. He is a U.S. Armed Forces veteran and Phoenix Business Journal 40 Under 40 recipient.

Shelah Wallace has over fifteen years of experience in commercial real estate. Prior to joining Nuveen Green Capital, she held various lending roles including commercial real estate lending specialist for Capitol Bank, vice president commercial real estate loan officer for Bancorp Bank, and senior investment analyst for PGIM Real Estate Finance. Additionally, Wallace spent many years working as an advisor to commercial real estate developers, aiding in structuring their JV partnerships, and helping raise debt and equity. She received a BS in economics from the Wharton undergraduate program at the University of Pennsylvania.

Blair Wegescheide currently serves as the manager of Port Efficiency – Facilities & Goods Movement in the port department of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. In her role, she is responsible for collaborating with regional trucking and warehouse/distribution center partners conducting business at the Port. Her and her team work to ensure cargo fluidity and best-in-class customer experience, as well as promote effective data visibility resources and effectively manage the Port’s Foreign Trade Zone. She holds a dual bachelor's degree in architecture and urban studies from the University of Pittsburgh and an M.A. in urban affairs and planning from the Graduate School of Public & International Affairs (GSPIA) at the University of Pittsburgh.