PWC holds Developers’ Forum at the Manhattan Club; Panel moderated by Buckley of Nixon Peabody

Shown above (from left) are: Campbell; Gomez; Buckley; Novak; and Chelsea LeMar, executive director, PWC.

New York, NY PWC’s Developers’ Forum gave perspectives from featured development companies at the Manhattan Club. The event included a networking session, keynote presentation, and panel discussion.

Betsy Mallow, executive deputy commissioner and chief operating officer or New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) began the program with a keynote presentation. She illustrated the importance of affordable housing and the increased weight that will be put on programs and funding. “Housing is the building block of society and family,” said Mallow. As the need for housing becomes a priority for the government, the opportunities for development are critical.

The panel offered perspectives from developers in the development industry. The discussion covered topics like current and upcoming projects to firm culture and management styles. Moderating the panel was Erica Buckley, partner specializing in Real Estate and Affordable Housing at Nixon Peabody. On the panel was Lisa Gomez, chief operating officer and partner at L+M Development Partners, Bonnie Campbell, principal at Two Trees Development, and Alison Novak, principal at Hudson Companies. 

The panel provided insightful advice on administrative challenges and community development strategies. By making resources more accessible for community members, reconnecting communities is possible. As developers, they are also owners, builders, managers and investors. The event left attendees with valuable knowledge and new business opportunities. 

Additionally, the panel elaborated on how business is acquired and maintained in the development industry. The panelists covered the importance of offering benefits such as paid parental leave for both men and women. When questioned about hiring styles and what is looked for in a candidate, the panelists all agreed that cultural fit, pragmatic design decision-making and safety priorities were key. 

The event was sponsored by Red Stone Equity Partners at the gold level and Dixon Projects and Duane Morris at the bronze level. Co-chairs for the event were Amy Beckman, HOK; Sasha Durcan, Ryder Construction and Nicole Woolard, Duane Morris.