The Visionary Leader (formerly The Trailblazer) 

Visionary leadership is the driving force behind improving and supporting local communities. The Visionary Leader Award celebrates the professional and philanthropic contributions of a longstanding leader in building a sustainable, transformative path forward in the land use and/or real estate industry in the Metropolitan Washington Region.

Monty Hoffman formed Hoffman & Associates in 1993 with a single townhouse conversion and has since then transformed the company into a nationally recognized market leader across the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast. With more than 30 years of experience, Monty actively leads the company’s business development, market strategy, and design initiatives for every Hoffman & Associates project.

Monty has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times and CNN, and recognized in the power lists of Washington’s SmartCEO’s Future 50, Commercial Observer and was recently recognized as Washington Business Journal’s Developer of the Year and Washingtonian of the Year.

He is a founding board member of the DC Students Construction Trades Foundation, which provides educational and apprenticeship opportunities for District students interested in design, engineering, and construction. He served on the DC Public Schools Engineering Advisory Board and Federal City Council board and is an active board member of the Southwest Business Improvement District.

Monty graduated from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering Technology.

The Groundbreaker 

The Groundbreaker is a mid-career professional in land use and real estate, demonstrating exemplary leadership across the Metropolitan Washington Region. The awardee will be recognized for outstanding commitment to regional success with projects and professional experience focused on community engagement, engaging diverse perspectives, and transformative impact. This person should serve as a role model to young professionals with aspirations for continued leadership development. 

Rhea (Ray-ah) Vaflor serves in the dual roles of Director of Trendcasting at Hickok Cole, diving in in-depth into new innovations/trends in technology, consumer habits and architecture/design as well as Founding Director of Lifestyle, the firm’s award-winning boutique hospitality, residential and retail design studio. A multifaceted designer, she interweaves influences from many places including the natural world, speculative fiction, cinema, anime and our common humanity into her designs. Rhea is the former Chair of the ULI Washington’s Women’s Leadership Institute, a current NEXT member, participant in the ULI DEI Committee as well as the National IIDA Equity Council. Her design work has been recognized by Architectural Record and Design Milk, NAIOP DC|MD, Multi-Housing News, Delta Associates, NAHB’s Pillars of the Industry, AIA DC, and the IIDA Mid-Atlantic.

Born in Philadelphia, Rhea and her family are proud residents of the District of Columbia. In her community life, she is a Master Gardener Intern through the Urban Agriculture Program at the University of the District of Columbia, a Rock Creek Park Conservancy Weed Warrior and community land steward in the historic Glover Park Community Garden.

The Changemaker 

The Changemaker Award is an exemplary regional leader in the public sector and/or nonprofit sphere. The awardee is someone who implements creative thought leadership and takes innovative approaches to address land use and real estate projects. Their accomplishments demonstrate a positive, measurable impact on the Metropolitan Washington Region, and local communities. 

Carmen Romero became President and CEO at APAH in July 2021.

Prior to becoming CEO, Ms. Romero led the Real Estate Development team in creating and preserving more than 1,800 new affordable housing units in Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, and Montgomery counties.

Today, APAH’s portfolio consists of 22 affordable apartment communities in four jurisdictions across the region, totaling 2,800 units, with more than 4,500 individuals and families who call an APAH apartment home. APAH has delivered several innovative, award-winning affordable housing properties, including Terwilliger Place, Queens Court, Gilliam Place, Columbia Hills, and The Springs.

In her first year as CEO, Ms. Romero supervised two projects that delivered in 2022: Lucille & Bruce Terwilliger Place, a 160-unit affordable property born out of an innovative partnership with American Legion Post 139, and a joint venture with E&G Group to develop APAH’s first property in Loudoun County, Loudoun View Senior Residences, which consists of 98 units of affordable senior housing.

Real estate milestones in 2023 included closing on three large-scale projects: 500+ units at The Exchange at Springhill Station in Tysons Corner, Riggs Crossing Senior Residences in Washington, D.C. and Marbella in Arlington. APAH was also awarded the RFP for Crystal House in Arlington, which will consist of at least 655 affordable units.

Most recently, Ms. Romero oversaw the creation of APAH’s new strategic plan, which will guide the organization from 2023 to 2027, and is responsible for its implementation. She has increased the size of APAH’s Resident Services and Accounting teams to align with APAH’s real estate portfolio growth.

Prior to joining APAH in 2011, Ms. Romero was a Director of Real Estate Development and public-private partnerships at Clark Construction. She began her career at Marriott International.

Chair Award for Distinguished Service

The Chair Award for Distinguished Service recognizes exemplary leadership, along with a commitment to good planning, community engagement, engaging diverse perspectives, and having transformative impact.

From July 2013 to October 2022, Gwen Wright was the Director of the Montgomery County Planning Department of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission.  In this role, Ms. Wright oversaw a wide range of projects that aimed to improve the quality of life in Montgomery County by conserving and enhancing the natural and built environment.  Key projects approved during her tenure include a complete rewriting of the Zoning Code, master plans for Chevy Chase Lake, Bethesda, Westbard, Forest Glen, Grosvenor/Strathmore, Rock Spring, Montgomery Village and a countywide Bicycle Plan. She initiated the Department’s Design Excellence Initiative and vigorous Placemaking Program. In addition, with Ms. Wright’s leadership, the county’s general plan was fully updated for the first time in 50 years with the adoption of Thrive Montgomery 2050.

Ms. Wright also worked for the Montgomery County Planning Department from 1987 to 2008.  During this period, she served as the Chief of Countywide Planning, including supervising the Environmental Planning, Transportation Planning and Historic Preservation Sections, as well as serving as Acting Planning Director.

Prior to her appointment as the Montgomery County Planning Director in 2013, Ms. Wright was Chief of the Development Division for the City of Alexandria Department of Planning and Zoning for five years.  In this position, she reviewed development proposals throughout the City of Alexandria and shepherded a wide variety of projects – from urban infill to major brownfields reclamation – through the regulatory process and implementation.

Ms. Wright began her career in Texas as the Director of Architectural Design and Redevelopment for the Galveston Historical Foundation in Galveston, Texas.  She has degrees in Architecture and Architectural History from Yale University and has spoken at numerous national and regional conferences on a wide variety of planning issues.

Ms. Wright is a graduate of the inaugural class of ULI Washington’s Regional Leadership Institute. She serves on the University of Maryland’s Urban Studies and Planning Program Advisory Board and on the Preservation Committee of APA’s Urban Design & Preservation Division. Ms. Wright is the recipient of the Potomac Valley Chapter of the AIA’s Kea Award for Architectural Advocacy and the National Capital Area Chapter of the APA’s Frederick Gutheim Award for Planning Leadership.