The Trailblazer Award, presented by Matt Klein, President, and CEO of Akridge, was presented to Anthony Williams, the former Mayor of Washington DC (1999-2007) and the current Chief Executive Officer of the Federal City Council, in recognition of his professional and philanthropic contributions as a longstanding leader in building a sustainable, transformative path forward in the land use and the real estate industry in the Metropolitan Washington Region.  Mayor Williams is widely credited with leading the comeback of Washington DC during his two terms as Mayor, restoring the finances of the nation’s capital, and improving the performance of government agencies, all while lowering taxes and investing in infrastructure and human services. (Watch Video)

The Groundbreaker Award was presented by Jamie Weinbaum, Executive Vice President of MidCity Development, to Caroline Kenney, Managing Director of Public-Private Ventures at Urban Atlantic. Caroline completed nearly $1 billion in real estate projects since joining Urban Atlantic in 2006 and currently oversees more than $3 billion in public-private development underway in Washington including the 66-acre Parks at Walter Reed, 80-acre Villages at Armed Forces Retirement Home, and 20-acre Arthur Capper/Carrollsburg. (Watch Video)

Yolanda Cole, Senior Principal, and Owner, Hickok Cole, presented the Changemaker Award to Stewart Schwartz and the Coalition for Smarter Growth in recognition of their positive and longstanding impact on the land use industry in the metropolitan region. Stewart is the Executive Director and Founder of The Coalition, which is the leading organization in the Metropolitan Washington region advocating for walkable, bikeable, inclusive transit-oriented communities as the most sustainable and equitable way to grow and provide opportunities for all.
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