Matt Ladd, AICP, is a principal planner with Arlington County’s Planning Division, working on long range planning and zoning studies. Most recently, he led zoning reform efforts to legalize missing middle housing types in areas previously restricted to single-detached homes. Matt previously served as a senior planner in Fairfax County, where he played a key role in developing and implementing the nationally recognized Comprehensive Plan for Tysons. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Virginia Commonwealth University and Harvard’s Graduate School of Design.

Toccarra Nicole Thomas, AICP, is the Director of Land Use and Development at Smart Growth America. Her role includes leading the Form Based Codes Institute (FBCI) as well as other projects and initiatives. In this role, Toccarra leads thought leadership, advocacy, and technical assistance work to further our mission to create prosperous, resilient, and healthy communities. Toccarra believes that communities should be inclusive and welcoming to all and she is particularly passionate about housing for all. Toccarra graduated from the University of Florida with a Master of Arts in Urban and Regional Planning, where as a HUD Scholar she focused on the deployment and maintenance of affordable homeownership in Florida. Prior to joining SGA, Toccarra worked on a variety of technical projects in North California, including certifying and adopting the 5th Cycle Housing Element for the County of Lake, writing 6th Cycle Housing Elements for Bay Area communities, implementing a pre-approved Accessory Dwelling Unit Permit process, and developing strategies to encourage workforce housing in a rural farming community.

Ed Johnson is a founding member and Partner at Network Realty Partners. He leverages his 20-year real estate career to focus on the firm’s investment strategy, master planning efforts, mixed-use development and asset repositioning, including product expertise in mixed-use office, residential, retail and housing. His previous experience with Clark Construction, Clark Realty Capital, and The JBG Companies uniquely positions him to deliver value throughout the investment lifecycle on a range of asset types. Ed earned his MBA from The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, with a concentration in Real Estate Development. While there, he served as a Fund Manager on the KFBS Real Estate Fund. He also received his Bachelor of Architecture from Virginia Tech.

Rosemarie Hepner serves as Senior Director of the ULI Terwilliger Center for Housing. Rosie is spearheading the Center’s new Attainable Housing for All campaign. She also manages the housing awards program, supports the Housing Opportunity Conference, and collaborates with ULI’s other departments and District Councils on projects. Before joining ULI in 2017, she worked for two international development nonprofits, most recently as the International Capital Markets Specialist at Habitat for Humanity International. In that role, Rosie supported the operations for the MicroBuild Fund (Habitat’s housing microfinance fund), and managed the State of Housing Microfinance survey reports. Rosie holds a Master’s in City and Regional Planning from The Catholic University of America’s School of Architecture and Planning, where her research focused on low-income housing practices and design. Her thesis examined housing reconstruction in informal settlements post-disaster. She also holds a B.A. from The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs.

Anita Morrison Founding Principal Partners for Economic Solutions Washington DC Anita Morrison founded Partners for Economic Solutions after more than 30 years of economic and development consulting. During her career, Anita has specialized in public/private partnerships, real estate advisory services, redevelopment strategies and economic impact analysis. From large cities to small towns, she applies her understanding of real estate economic fundamentals to questions of development, redevelopment and smart growth. She helps decision makers and the community to understand how economics and land planning interact. Her market analysis helps to frame the scale, mix and pace of development. Financial analysis evaluates project feasibility, quantifies any funding gap and required investment, and assesses the potential for long-term returns. Fiscal impact analysis forms the basis for realistic and creative funding strategies and allows decision makers to evaluate the potential returns and risks associated with their investment. Anita is adept at incorporating these economic realities into workable solutions. While working with PES and other consulting firms, she has assisted and represented a number of development agencies with major public/private partnerships, including the City of Charlotte, the District of Columbia Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, the Pennsylvania Avenue Development Corporation, the Atlanta Development Authority, the Maryland Department of Transportation, the Fort Monroe Federal Area Development Authority, the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority, the Orlando Community Redevelopment Agency, the Armed Forces Retirement Home - Washington and the City of Dallas. In her 12 years as real estate advisor to the Pennsylvania Avenue Development Corporation in Washington, DC, Anita quantified the potential returns from redevelopment as the basis for disposition strategies that encouraged residentia