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eter Kasabach

    Executive Director of New Jersey Future, Kasabach has steered the nonprofit’s policy agenda since 2007. Prior to that, he served as chief of policy for the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency and led planning and real‑estate programs at Isles, a Trenton‑based community‑development group. In the summer of 2025 he unveiled New Jersey Future’s policy roadmap at the state’s Planning and Redevelopment Conference, presenting actionable recommendations on sustainable land use, strategic redevelopment, infrastructure, climate resilience, affordable housing and equitable opportunity. Kasabach framed the plan as a “call to action” for candidates and voters alike, urging decisions that will shape New Jersey’s future for generations.

    Taiisa Kelly

    CEO of Monarch Housing Associates since 2019, Kelly champions housing as a right. The Cranford nonprofit expands affordable and supportive housing by partnering with finance developers, coordinating teams, and reviewing project feasibility. Monarch’s portfolio now exceeds 3,000 units and has secured more than $85 million for homelessness‑support projects. Kelly’s background in federal, state and local funding has broadened the agency’s services to include strategic planning, grant writing, oversight, monitoring, administration and data analysis. She was named a NJBIZ Best 50 Women in Business honoree and inducted into the NJ Housing and Economic Development Hall of Fame in 2013.

    Daniel Kennedy

    Kennedy assumed the CEO role at NAIOP New Jersey in 2023, succeeding Mike McGuinness. He also directs NAIOP NJ’s Developers PAC, amplifying advocacy for the organization’s 850+ members. Under his leadership, NAIOP NJ released a four‑year Strategic Plan with six core goals: advocacy, member value, branding, industry perception, higher‑education research and community action. Kennedy emphasized transparency and the plan’s importance for member engagement.

    Michael Klein, Michael Oliver & Jose Cruz

    Klein and Oliver head JLL’s Capital Markets office in Morristown, overseeing New Jersey, suburban New York and Connecticut clients. Their recent sale of The West in West Orange involved dual representation and a life‑insurance‑backed loan. Klein, formerly a managing director at Holliday Fenoglio Fowler and an Ogilvy PR account director, and Oliver, also a Holliday veteran, joined JLL in 2019. Cruz, a senior managing director, has closed more than 1,145 deals totaling $64 billion across office, industrial, retail, multifamily and land transactions. In early 2025, Cruz’s team sold the 417‑unit luxury tower The Morgan at Provost Square, Jersey City’s largest such sale.

    Jeff Kolakowski

    Kolakowski, CEO of the New Jersey Builders Association, brings over 20 years of government‑relations and policy experience. The association represents residential and mixed‑use builders, developers, remodelers, subcontractors, suppliers, engineers, lawyers, architects and consultants. Kolakowski’s advocacy focuses on land use, redevelopment, economic development, utilities, environmental issues and building codes. After Governor Murphy’s State of the State address, he urged modernizing zoning and permitting to address the state’s housing shortage and lower costs for middle‑income residents.

    Kara Kopach

    Executive Director of the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority, Kopach oversees redevelopment of the 1,100‑acre former military installation. Since joining FMERA in 2014, she has closed 34 transactions, created 1,500+ jobs and attracted over $2 billion in capital investment. In 2024, Netflix announced a $1 billion campus on the site, signaling a dramatic transformation of the area. Kopach’s leadership has accelerated development across three towns and positioned Fort Monmouth as a new economic hub.

    Robert Kossar & David Knee

    JLL’s Vice Chairs for the Northeast Industrial team, Kossar and Knee manage a 100‑person group covering 1.8 billion square feet, the largest U.S. region for the firm. They earned the NAIOP New Jersey Top Industrial Deal of the Year Award for a 1.7 million‑square‑foot lease to TJX at Kingsland Meadowlands and a 200,000‑square‑foot lease to an e‑commerce firm in Kearny. Their portfolio drives billions in annual transaction volume and positions JLL as a leader in industrial leasing.

    Jonathan Kushner

    President of Kushner Real Estate Group, a Jersey City‑based family firm, Kushner oversees acquisitions, development, property management and leasing of 9,000+ rental units, with an additional 7,000 in the pipeline. The company manages more than 6 million square feet of office, retail and industrial space across New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Florida. Under Kushner’s guidance, the firm has become known for luxury multifamily projects and commercial properties. In 2025, the signature Journal Squared towers were fully leased, and a $225 million refinancing underscored investor confidence in Jersey City’s market.

    Allison Ladd

    Newark’s Deputy Mayor and Director of Economic and Housing Development, Ladd drives the city’s affordable‑housing strategy. She has introduced policies, programs and financing tools to preserve and build affordable units, prevent evictions and repurpose vacant properties. Ladd’s office activates public and private land for mixed‑income housing and uses inclusionary zoning to embed affordability in new developments. She chairs Invest Newark and the Equitable Growth Commission, supporting small‑business growth and broader redevelopment goals. In July, she expanded the affordable‑housing trust fund to include down‑payment assistance for homeownership.

    Ron Ladell

    Senior Vice President and lead executive at AvalonBay Communities, Ladell directs the company’s New Jersey residential and mixed‑use development. Based in Westfield, he has overseen premier communities across 30 municipalities, including projects in Parsippany, Roseland, Wayne, West Windsor, Saddle River and Somerville. Ladell chaired the Rutgers Center for Real Estate’s executive committee and, since 2022, its chair, expanding the center’s curriculum and scholarship offerings. He emphasizes experiential learning for students, highlighting the industry’s breadth beyond traditional home sales.

    Kerri Levine

    Principal of Fidelco Realty Group, Levine spearheads Newark’s revitalization through real‑estate investment and community‑focused redevelopment. She is a philanthropist supporting education, arts and social equity initiatives. Fidelco’s flagship project, 550 Broad St., a former First National State Bank building, now hosts diverse tenants—including nonprofits, tech startups and engineering firms—after a comprehensive modernization. The building’s occupancy rose from 50 % to near full capacity, revitalizing Newark’s North End.

    Seth Levy

    President and CEO of SOCO Construction, a Bedminster‑based employee‑owned contractor, Levy succeeded Matthew Lorenzo in 2025. He has guided the firm’s growth from a regional construction manager to a multi‑sector developer, completing projects such as the Monmouth Mall revamp, Eataly at Short Hills and West Side Square in Jersey City. In June, SOCO broke ground on a new 149‑unit apartment tower at The Park in Berkeley Heights, featuring wellness amenities, a rooftop lounge and a game area.

    Dan Loughlin & Timothy Greiner

    JLL executives, Loughlin (Vice Chairman of Brokerage) and Greiner (Executive Managing Director) lead a Parsippany‑based team of 50+ brokers. Their portfolio includes high‑profile deals such as Blackrock’s 178,000‑square‑foot lease at 1 University Square, Day Pitney’s move to 8 Sylvan Way, and large industrial leases in East Hanover, Madison and Secaucus. Greiner is a three‑time NAIOP Deal of the Year winner, while Loughlin provides strategic advisory services for acquisitions and dispositions across New Jersey.

    Clark Machemer

    Senior Managing Director at Crow Holdings Development, Machemer heads the firm’s Northeast office. He oversees site selection, acquisition, entitlement, design, construction and capitalization. Over the past two years, Crow has added 3.5 million square feet of new development in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, including leasing a 1.2 million‑square‑foot Carteret logistics campus to YunExpress and BroadRange Logistics, relocating GMB’s headquarters to Burlington, and securing a 207,000‑square‑foot MLB Network facility in Elmwood Park. Machemer’s 25‑year career spans 19 million square feet of industrial space, 1 million square feet of office and 250 residential units.

    Jim McGuckin

    Vice President and Regional Manager at Marcus & Millichap, McGuckin rose from a 2013 sales intern to lead the Saddle Brook office. He manages a team of investment sales professionals, capital‑markets originators and operations staff, focusing on multifamily, retail, industrial and mixed‑use sectors. Recent transactions include a 45,135‑square‑foot retail center in Parsippany ($18.5 million) and a 53,077‑square‑foot center in Lawrenceville ($11.3 million). McGuckin’s office also supports community initiatives such as backpack building for Paterson schools and the Community FoodBank of New Jersey.

    Jeff Milanaik

    Partner for Bridge Industrial’s Northeast Region, Milanaik opened the firm’s Parsippany office 11 years ago. He specializes in acquiring and developing investment‑grade industrial properties, having built over 22 million square feet of warehouse space across New Jersey, Eastern Pennsylvania and Brooklyn, valued at more than $5.5 billion. Recent projects include BridgePort II, a 1.24 million‑square‑foot logistics park in Perth Amboy, and the 1.3 million‑square‑foot lease of Kingsland Meadowlands to TJX. Milanaik received the Charles Klatskin Lifetime Achievement Award in May 2025.

    Gus Milano

    President and COO of Hartz Mountain Industries, Milano has led the company’s expansion for a decade. The Secaucus‑based firm owns 260+ properties totaling 45 million square feet across the Northeast, Midwest and South. In summer 2025, Hartz launched The Reserve at Estuary, a 218‑unit luxury rental in Weehawken’s Lincoln Harbor, achieving 80 % occupancy and the fastest lease‑up in company history. The firm also moved into logistics, data centers and infill industrial assets, recently acquiring warehouse space in Cranford.

    David Minno

    President of Minno & Wasko Architects and Planners, Minno co‑founded the firm 30 years ago. With 85 staff in Lambertville and Newark, the firm focuses on private‑sector, mixed‑use redevelopment, transit‑oriented projects and large residential components. Notable works include Birch House in Jersey City, The Pearl at Station Bay in South Amboy, Urby Harrison multifamily phases and The Parkway Lofts in Bloomfield. Current projects span Paramus, Newark, and Long Branch, delivering mixed‑use, residential and retail developments.

    Laurent Morali, Nicole Kushner Meyer & Michael Sommer – Kushner

    Kushner, a New York‑based multi‑generational developer, manages a portfolio of 27,000 units across 15 states, with 11,000 units in New Jersey and South Florida under development. CEO Laurent Morali, President Nicole Kushner Meyer and Chief Development Officer Michael Sommer drive the firm’s growth. Morali, who joined in 2008, has led finance, acquisitions and capital markets before becoming CEO. Meyer oversees investor relations, acquisitions and asset management, while Sommer directs all development and construction. Recent highlights include leasing The Journal, a nearly $1 billion mixed‑use project in Jersey City.