Meet the Leadership Team
Providing the highest level of guidance and support for the Center's mission, our Advisory Board is composed of principals and senior executives from leading real estate firms and organization in the Washington, D.C., area.
Center Leadership
Board Chairperson
Board Members
Principal, Baker Tilly
Brad Nicklin is a Principal in Baker Tilly’s D.C. office and has been with the firm since 1998. He serves as the team lead for Baker Tilly’s East Region real estate practice. He works closely with private equity investment real estate portfolio companies and privately held property owners all across the country.
CEO, The Peterson Companies
Jon Peterson is the CEO of Peterson Companies and serves as the Chairman of the Company’s Executive Committee.
Founding Principal, Equinox Investments, LLC
Scott Plein is the founding principal of Equinox Investments, LLC, a real estate investment, development, and management firm specializing in community planning and entitlements in Northern Virginia.
President and CEO, Shirley Contracting
Mike Post is the President and CEO of Shirley Contracting. Mike began his career with Shirley Contracting in 1981, and has over 30 years’ experience in heavy civil construction.
Managing Partner, JR Real Estate Group
Saifaldin (Saif) Rahman is Managing Partner of JR Real Estate Group, and President of the Prince William Chapter of the Northern Virginia Building Industry Association (NVBIA).
Executive Vice President and Chief Real Estate Lending Officer, EagleBank
Ryan Riel has been working in Commercial Real Estate with EagleBank for more than 20 years and currently oversees EagleBank’s almost $5 billion CRE Lending portfolio and its 50+ employees.
Senior Vice President, Trammell Crow
Chris Rodriguez is a Senior Vice President in the MidAtlantic office of Trammell Crow Company, specializing in commercial office, healthcare, industrial and multifamily product types.
CEO, Northern Virginia Building Industry Association
Deborah L. Rosenstein, CEO for the Northern Virginia Building Industry Association, has extensive experience in all aspects of the real estate industry, including research, product analysis, transactional analysis as well as operational sales and marketing management.
Director of Development, Rooney Properties
A northern Virginia native, Cassie graduated from George Mason University in 2015 with a Master’s in Real Estate Development (MRED) from the School of Business.
Senior Vice President, Commercial Lender, Founders Bank
Experienced commercial lender with specialization in commercial real estate financing.