Real Estate Symposium Details

11:30 – 12:00 pm: Registration 

12:00 – 1:00 pm: Plated Luncheon and Welcome

Speakers: Margaret Everett, Ph.D., Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Heather Boujoulian ’97, Richard Godfrey, Executive Director, Cummings Institute for Real Estate

1:00 – 1:15 pm: Opening Address: Congressman Gabe Amo 

1:20 – 2:05 pm: Panel Discussion: Decline and fall of the conventional work model: Reimagining the potential and redefining the use of vacant office space in urban areas. 

2:05-2:20 pm: Networking Break & Dessert

2:25 – 3:10 pm: Panel Discussion: Affordable housing risk and reward: Balancing the need for affordable/multifamily housing development with the uncertainty of investment and an acceptable rate of return.  

3:15 – 3:40 pm: Keynote Address: Phil Mobley

3:45 – 4:30 pm: Panel Discussion: Retail development then and now: Reflections on the golden age of brick-and-mortar shopping, big-box stores, and the impact of e-commerce on this sector of real estate investment. 

4:30 pm: Cocktail Reception and Student Poster Presentations

Opening Remarks: Congressman Gabe Amo 

Congressman Gabe Amo proudly represents Rhode Island’s First District in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Congressman Amo has spent most of his career in public service in Rhode Island and Washington, D.C. In the Biden White House, he served as Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, where he worked as the principal liaison to mayors and local elected officials. In that role, he connected state and local leaders across the country with the federal resources made available to them through historic legislation like the American Rescue Plan, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and Inflation Reduction Act. He also coordinated responses to major national crises including gun violence, extreme weather, and public health emergencies. 

Previously, Congressman Amo was the Director of Public Engagement and Community Affairs for former Governor Gina Raimondo. He served as Raimondo's principal advisor to Rhode Island's cities and towns, business, labor, advocacy, and faith communities. Earlier in his career, he served in the Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs for President Barack Obama as a liaison to governors and state government officials. 

Congressman Amo is a native of Pawtucket, Rhode Island and the son of two parents from West Africa – his mother is originally from Liberia and father is originally from Ghana. As the son of a mother who is a nurse and a father who owns a liquor store, he understands what it is like to grow up in a working class family. His story is one that is familiar to many in Rhode Island: one of hard work, resilience, grit, and determination. 

Keynote Address: Phil Mobley, CoStar 

Phil Mobley has served the commercial real estate industry as a researcher, analyst, and consultant for nearly 20 years. His career includes stints at the commercial brokerage Avison Young, PropTech firm Building Engines, and the research consultancy Kingsley Associates, as well as serving as an independent advisor to industry clients. As the National Director for Office Analytics, Mobley uses CoStar’s unique commercial real estate research platform to help clients formulate strategies, raise funds and close deals. He is a frequent keynote speaker and educational presenter at client and industry events and often contributes to media outlets and trade publications. He holds an MBA from the University of South Carolina.

Heather Boujoulian '97, RWU trustee and RWU Real Estate Advisory Board

Since 2012, Heather Boujoulian has brought extensive multifamily development and construction experience to Berkshire Residential.  She oversees all development investments for the company and serves as Portfolio Manager for Berkshire’s dedicated senior housing fund.  In these roles she is responsible for all multifamily and senior housing development joint-ventures, overall portfolio construction and performance for the senior housing fund, as well as any construction-related challenges across the Berkshire portfolio.  Heather also serves as a member of Berkshire’s Investment Committee, Valuation Committee, and Leadership Team.  

Across her 24-year career, Heather has held leadership roles in both GP and LP positions and participated in over $4.5 billion of multifamily investments, encompassing over 15,000 units across the United States. Prior to joining Berkshire, she served as Vice President at Criterion Development Partners where she oversaw all aspects of multifamily development in New England.  Prior to that, Heather held several different positions for both the construction and development departments at JPI’s Northeast division.  

Heather holds a Bachelor of Science in Construction Management from Roger Williams University and a Master in Urban Planning degree from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design.  Heather serves on the Multifamily Leadership Board of the National Association of Home Builders and is a member of the National Multifamily Housing Council.  She also serves on the Board of Trustees for Roger Williams University, is a member of the Board for the exciting new startup Promise Robotics, and on the Board of Heading Home a non-profit on a mission to end homelessness in Greater Boston. 

Panel 1

Decline and fall of the conventional work model: Reimagining the potential and redefining the use of vacant office space in urban areas.

Moderator: Young K. Park, President, Berkeley Investments

Young Park is president and founder of Berkeley Investments. As such, he sets strategic priorities for the firm, leads all investment production and investor relations and oversees development activities. Young is an active board member and former president of the Massachusetts Chapter of National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP) and a board member and Executive Committee member of A Better City (ABC). Young is active on a number of non-profit boards, including Beth Israel Lahey Health (BILH) together with his wife, Anja Langbein-Park. He is currently a member of the Visiting Committee of the Department of Architecture at MIT and the Real Estate Advisory Board of Roger Williams University. Young is a graduate of MIT (BS Urban Studies) and Harvard University Graduate School of Design (Master of Architecture in Urban Design). Young lives in Cambridge, MA with his wife and their two children.

Julia Georgules,Head of Americas Research & Strategy, JLL

Based in Boston, Julia is responsible for guiding the strategic vision and organization of the Americas’ 200-person Research team, which includes the United States, Canada and Latin America. She is a member of the Global Research Executive Board and closely collaborates with JLL’s EMEA and APAC regions to bring the best of JLL’s research to its global and national clients.

In her 15-year career with JLL, Julia has held a variety of roles within the Research organization. She began her career with the Staubach Company in San Francisco, taking on research responsibilities in the Bay Area after its acquisition by JLL in 2008. Since that time, Julia has led JLL’s U.S. office research platform, co-founded and led JLL’s U.S. technology research practice and launched multiple national research programs and initiatives. Most recently, she led the research platform across the East Region and Canada.

Julia’s subject matter expertise spans both the occupier and investor businesses at JLL, with a special focus on innovation markets as well as the technology and life sciences sectors, two industries that have had a significant impact on the commercial real estate industry over the past decade. Additionally, Julia has spent nearly a decade studying the future of work and the impact of the macroeconomy on the built environment.

Samuel H. Gilbert, Partner, Dechert LLP

Samuel H. Gilbert is a partner in Dechert's global finance practice and co-leads Dechert's Commercial Real Estate Finance group. Mr. Gilbert focuses his practice in the area of commercial real estate finance and securitization, with concentrations in the origination, acquisition, syndication, and securitization of mortgage loans, mezzanine financing, and subordinate debt, as well as post-closing modifications, work-outs, and foreclosures. He also has experience in collateralized loan obligations and synthetic lease transactions.

Mr. Gilbert also serves as a co-host on Dechert 4 Real, a commercial real estate finance podcast.

Prior to joining Dechert, Mr. Gilbert served as a law clerk for the National Football League Management Council.

Edward T. Broderick, President & CEO, Gilbane Development Company

Edward Broderick is the President and Chief Executive Officer at Gilbane Development Company, where he leads an all-executive development team and serves on the board of the Gilbane, Inc. holding company and its investment and executive committees. Ed is responsible for the development and execution of Gilbane Development Company’s strategic plan as well as management of all aspects of the company and its activities, including new development opportunities, acquisitions, financings, and project leadership. 

Prior to being named as CEO of Gilbane Development Company in 2018, Ed held the positions of Vice President of Operations, Executive Vice President, and President within the company. Ed, who celebrated his fortieth anniversary with Gilbane in 2022, began his career as a management trainee with Gilbane Building Company as assistant superintendent for a 42-story high-rise project in Boston, Massachusetts. His experience encompasses every sector of the building development and construction industries, from engineering and development to contracts and financial modeling. Ed combines experience with exceptional leadership, a demonstrated ability to adapt to changing markets, and consistently strong bottom-line results. 

Under Ed’s supervision, Gilbane Development Company has experienced significant growth in its multifamily and mixed-use portfolio, with expansion into new markets and innovative multifamily and affordable housing developments in Washington, D.C. and New York City. Ed specializes in collaborative pursuits that involve structuring transactions in both the public and private sectors. His notable projects include the development of dynamic mixed-use community Madison Yards in Wisconsin and The Peninsula in New York that is transforming a former youth detention center into a vibrant new community. Ed holds a Master of Business Administration degree in finance from Providence College and a Bachelor of Science degree from Manhattan College, and he completed an advanced executive management program at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. 

Panel 2 

Retail development then and now: Reflections on the golden age of brick-and-mortar shopping, big-box stores, and the impact of e-commerce on this sector of real estate investment.

Moderator: James H. Leach (Licht), Chairman, Leach Family Office and National Trust, LLC

Mr. Leach is a seasoned executive with over thirty years of experience in both public and private global companies. He is Chairman of the Leach Family Office and National Trust, LLC, which manages the financial interests of one of Rhode Island's oldest industrial families. The Leach Family business was originally established in 1905. 

National Trust LLC's extensive US real estate holdings serve prominent governmental and corporate tenants, including the US Veterans Affairs Healthcare System, Walmart, Home Depot, Lowes, Stop & Shop Supermarkets, Shaw's Supermarkets. In the 1990's Mr. Leach pioneered the remediation and development of large, environmentally-challenged real estate with the cooperation of the US Environmental Protection Agency this process became a model for the country. This public/private process became a model for projects throughout the country. Mr. Leach is a member of the Board of Directors of Kenney Manufacturing Company, a Warwick, RI manufacturer of houseware products established in 1914.

Mr. Leach is Chairman Emeritus of the Rhode Island Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) Foundation, and a former Chairman of the Providence City Planning Commission, where he served for twenty years. He has served as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Lifespan/Miriam Hospital, a 247-bed teaching hospital affiliated with Brown University Medical School and of the Providence Public Library. He has also served as the Vice Chairman of the Touro Synagogue Foundation in Newport, Rhode Island, which preserves this National Historic Site. For his civic and philanthropic contributions, in 2021 Mr. Leach was awarded as Inductee to the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame. He is a member of the Board of Trustees and the Treasurer of the Rectory School in Pomfret, CT. Mr. Leach is a member of the Army Navy Club of Washington, D.C., the University Club of Providence, the University Club at Penn, the London Press Club, the Hyannis Yacht Club, and the Family Office Association.

Mr. Leach is an alumnus of Nasson College and postgraduate at the Harvard Business School in Audit Committee Management, Crisis Management for Leaders, and in Nonprofit Organization Management, and in Innovation Leadership at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Mr. Leach has been awarded a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, Lean Management Just in Time and Forensic Accounting and Fraud Examination Certificate.

Eric N. Zuena '01, Managing Principal/Founder, ZDS Architecture & Interiors

Eric is the founding Principal of ZDS and a lead contributor to the firm’s continuing success. He carries nearly two decades of project management experience in the hospitality industry. He has designed and managed luxury hotels and mixed-use properties through the United States, Middle East, China, and Southeast Asia. Some of his greatest works include luxury hotels in India, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Riyadh.

After 15 years as a Principal, Director of Operations, and Lead Project Manager at his previous firm, Eric turned back to his hometown to build a firm that threads those international experiences into the more regionalized fabric of the United States. Eric’s daily quest for a successful balance between creative thinking, exceptional design, and efficient execution, reinforces his passion for the design industry and his persistent desire to provide his clients with profitable and successful properties.

He received his B.Arch from Roger Williams University in Bristol, Rhode Island. He is licensed to practice architecture in his home state of Rhode Island and many other states in the RI & DC area. Eric is NCARB certified and is LEED accredited. Eric also served as Past President on the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Rhode Island Board of Directors and is a member of the President's Board of Advisors at Roger Williams University. He was born and still a proud resident of the State of Rhode Island.

Mike O’Brien P'19, '27, Galaxy Development

Michael O'Brien has been a licensed real estate professional since 1980. A career that started as a residential real estate agent has evolved over time to become a developer of commercial real estate in CT, MA, NY and NH. Creating Galaxy Development over 20 years ago the company has completed projects that include a vast amount of retail shopping centers, medical facilities, self-storage, land investments and free- standing national credit tenants that have now totaled over two million square feet.

Galaxy projects include retail tenants such as Kohl's, Walgreens, Price Chopper, Market 32, Aldi, Advance Auto, Dollar Tree, Planet Fitness, Panera Bread, Starbucks, Chipotle, Bank of America, Santander, Verizon, T-Mobile, Harbor Freight, Sherwin Williams, Chili’s, Five Guys and many more. Medical buildings have been developed for Fresenius, Tenet Health Care, Fallon Health, St. Vincent’s Hospital, AFC Urgent Care, Physician One Urgent Care, Select Medical, and Velocity Urgent Care along with several dental offices.

Between 2021 and 2023 Galaxy Life Sciences acquired the Reactory Bio-manufacturing Park on Belmont Street in Worcester. The Park is already home to AbbVie and a new Wuxi is under construction as well. Galaxy has plans for the remaining 27 acres to build up to 700,000 sf of lab, R&D and bio-manufacturing space. The first building is under construction.

Galaxy companies now have over 100 employees throughout the organization. Its corporate office is located in Webster, MA, which includes its construction and maintenance affiliate, property management company and hospitality arm, which added one of the most historic and decorated golf courses and event venues in Massachusetts known as Pleasant Valley Country Club in Sutton to its portfolio in 2022.

Mike and his wife Sharon reside in Webster, MA, on the shores of the famous Lake Chaubunagungamaug. They have three children Madison, Jack and Blake. Michael is a member of the Harrington UMASS Hospital Board of Directors and past member of St. Louis School and Church finance committees. He also serves on the Real Estate Advisory Board of Roger Williams University. As an avid sports enthusiast, Mike has coached his children's teams in baseball, basketball, football, lacrosse, soccer and had a short stint in the pit crew for Little T Racing.

Ian Poole '05

Ian Poole is the Vice President, Development with Subway overseeing the real estate portfolio of over 20,000 restaurants in the United States and Bahamas.  Ian has 17 years of development experience within the retail space driving new store development and market optimization.  Prior to joining the Subway team, he served as the Vice President of Real Estate & Construction, Corporate Clubs, for Planet Fitness. Ian’s career also includes two years as Chief Development Officer at Ambrosia QSR, one of the largest Quick Service Restaurant operators in the United States and 14 years with Dunkin’ Brands.  As the Director Development, he was instrumental in Dunkin’s expansion into the Western United States overseeing all facets of real estate and construction.

Ian earned his MBA from Bryant University in 2009 and during his graduate studies he was a contributing writer to “Narragansett Brewing Company: The Rebirth of a Brand” which was published in the Operations Management Education Review and won the 2011 Best Teaching Case Award from the Decision Sciences Institute. In 2005, Ian earned his B.S. in Legal Studies from Roger Williams University in Bristol, RI.  While attending Roger Williams, Ian was a 4-year starter on the men’s soccer team earning Academic All American in 2004 and winning 2 conference championships during his time. 

Outside of work, Ian enjoys all things sports whether it be playing golf or coaching his two young children.  He also enjoys traveling to experience new cultures with European cities high on his list of favorite destinations.

Panel 3 

Affordable housing risk and reward: Balancing the need for affordable/multifamily housing development with the uncertainty of investment and an acceptable rate of return.

Moderator: Joelle Rocha L'06, Partner, Duffy & Sweeney, LTD

Joelle Rocha is a partner with a focus on real estate development and land use; she also represents clients in business disputes and general commercial litigation. Previously, she served as Assistant to the Solicitor for the towns of Warren and Lincoln. She is admitted to practice in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. She is a member of the Real Estate Advisory Board of Roger Williams University.

Joelle has successfully permitted several of the State’s largest mixed-use developments. She has represented private developers in residential, commercial, mixed use and solar projects and before municipal and state boards and agencies. She has secured tax stabilization agreements for several private development projects.

In January of 2023, Joelle was hired by House Speaker Joe Shekarchi to work with him and the House Policy team to write his housing package in 2023. The results were the passage of 13 bills signed into law in July of 2023, which represented the first major changes to land use law in three decades. She has been retained by the Speaker for that same role in 2024.  

She has successfully litigated several class actions against municipalities regarding illegal and excessive impact fees and building permit fees, and recovered litigation costs for landowners and developers as a result of unlawful and unsubstantiated government actions. She has argued before the Rhode Island Supreme Court on behalf of several clients in matters involving recovery of attorneys’ fees and challenges to local ordinances.

Adelaide Grady, Senior Vice President, Partner, Leggat McCall Properties

As a Senior Vice President, Addie is responsible for the firm’s multifamily and mixed-use investments.  Over the course of her career, she has been responsible for nearly $1B in multifamily ground-up development activity in the Boston market, performing all aspects of the development process including sourcing, permitting, financing, design and construction oversight, marketing and leasing oversight, and disposition.

Prior to rejoining Leggat McCall, Addie was a Senior Vice President with Pritzker Realty Group (PRG), where she was responsible for the execution of $370M of ground-up development, including a 28-story high rise in the Back Bay. Prior to PRG, she was a Director with Wood Partners, a national multifamily development company, where over the course of eight years she was responsible for the development of ten projects totaling over 1,800 units and over $500M in total cost.

Addie began her career in real estate as a sustainability consultant. She originally joined LMP in 2004 in a development management role.

Jennifer Hawkins, President & CEO, One Neighborhood Builders

Jennifer Hawkins is the President and CEO of ONE Neighborhood Builders. She is a trusted and respected expert in the nonprofit community development and housing sectors and has emerged as a leading voice on the affordable housing crisis impacting Rhode Island.  

With over 25 years of experience within the housing and community development fields across several cities including Providence, Boston, New York, and San Francisco, Jennifer understands how to organize diverse partners and navigate an environment with unrelenting demand for scarce resources. She continues to prove her ability to motivate a talented team to generate high impact, coalesce around a shared vision, and drive forward results that improve the health of and equity in communities. 

Under her leadership, ONE Neighborhood Builders has made dramatic changes to address the housing crisis. She has led the building of a robust, statewide real estate development portfolio that will double the organization’s real estate holdings within five years. Jennifer’s collaborative and effective approaches to serve historically disenfranchised constituencies can be seen in her work; she has prioritized housing developments that will serve youth aging out of the foster care system, LGBTQ+ seniors, the formerly unhoused, and recently incarcerated individuals. She has prioritized building and construction approaches that include the adaptative reuse of a former church, modular construction, and a commitment to all-electric properties that maximize solar generation. 

Jennifer’s passion for community development can be seen clearly in her commitment to the work. Throughout her career, she has addressed issues of insecure and unaffordable housing by loudly championing bold reforms and transformative investments. She has revitalized and strengthened unsafe and physically blighted neighborhoods through collaborative partnerships and community engagement. Her work has made the lack of access to parks, healthy foods, and community services top priorities for community investments. She has helped tackle the most pressing housing and community health challenges in leadership roles at respected institutions including the Women’s Development Corporation in Providence, RI, Providence Housing Authority, Rhode Island Coalition to End Homelessness, Madison Park Development Corporation in Roxbury, MA, and Breaking Ground in New York City.

Jennifer is currently serving as commissioner on NeighborWorks America’s National Real Estate Advisory Council, the Rhode Island Senate’s Housing Resource Commission and its’ Distributed Generation Board for the Office of Energy Resources, and the RI House of Representatives’ Special Commission to Study Housing Affordability. 

Jennifer serves on the Housing Network of Rhode Island’s Board of Directors and the Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island Corporation Board. Jennifer served on the Town of Smithfield’s Planning Board from 2017-2023.

Jennifer received her Master of Public Administration from New York University and her Bachelor of Arts from Connecticut College. She has received executive leadership certificates from the Harvard University Business School and the Harvard University Kennedy School. She resides in Smithfield, Rhode Island with her husband and daughter.

Michael Mineau L'09

Michael serves as Counsel at Partridge Snow & Hahn LLP, focusing on land use and development, commercial real estate transactions, and property-related litigation.  Michael represents developers, owners, landlords, tenants, investors, and joint venturers in Rhode Island and Massachusetts in their land use and development projects and in all phases of deals, including acquisitions and dispositions, leasing, due diligence, zoning and permitting, subdivisions, drafting and negotiating easements and restrictions, and resolving title issues. Over the years, Michael has represented some of the largest area developers in a variety of transactions and settings. Michael also has significant experience in real estate-related litigation, including boundary and title disputes, adverse possession and prescriptive easement cases, breach of contract suits, specific performance claims, requests for declaratory and injunctive relief, land use litigation, and zoning appeals. Michael has extensive litigation and first-chair trial experience (jury and non-jury) and has represented clients in appeals to the Rhode Island Supreme Court. Michael’s trial experience has included trials in the Rhode Island Superior Court and Massachusetts Land Court.  

Michael resides in Portsmouth, RI with his family, where he is very active and serves as a member of the Portsmouth Economic Development Committee and Secretary and a board member of Portsmouth Little League.  He is also on the Roger Williams University Real Estate Advisory Board and Aquidneck Island Planning Commission. Michael earned his J.D. from RWU Law in 2009 and a B.A. in Political Science from Miami University (Ohio) in 2006.

Unless otherwise noted there will be one partner, per level.
Sponsorships can be purchased online with registration or by contacting Bo Gillie at rgillie@rwu.edu.

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