Samia Byrd, a native of Hampton, Virginia, has been a resident of Fairfax County since 1995. She has more than 20 years of experience in urban planning, housing and community economic development in the public, private and nonprofit sectors. She is the Chief Race and Equity Officer for Arlington County leading the County's work to advance racial equity in the organization and in partnership with the community. She was appointed to this role after serving for three years as Deputy County Manager in Arlington, where her portfolio included the Department of Community Planning Housing and Development which is comprised of the County’s Planning, Housing, Neighborhood Services, Historic Preservation, Zoning and Inspection Services Divisions. She was also liaison to the County Board on behalf of the County Manager. Prior to this position she served as a Principal Planner in Arlington County’s Planning Division. She has managed and facilitated the review of several notable complex, multifaceted, development proposals and, having served as both Site Plan and Use Permit Coordinator, she was instrumental in providing oversight of, and managing the County’s special exception land use and development review processes. Her work as a planner for Arlington County builds upon her career providing consulting expertise, research and information to state and local practitioners on housing and community economic development policy, practices and programs. Prior to joining the County, Ms. Byrd served for more than eight years as a Manager with an affordable housing management consulting firm, Quadel Consulting. She has also served as Director of State Fiscal Analysis and Policy for the National Council of Nonprofit Associations, and a Research Associate with the Urban Land Institute. Ms. Byrd holds both a Bachelor and Master of City Planning from the University of Virginia and Georgia Institute of Technology. She is an Alumni of the ULI Regional Land Use Leadership Institute a

Ahmed Kurtom is the Founder and Managing Principal of Designforce, an impact-driven career and workforce consultancy that specializes in working with career professionals and firms within the A|E|C industry. With more than two decades of industry-specific experience, Ahmed believes that in order to foster harmonious relationships between employees and employers, firms must enhance the employee experience by creating an inclusive people-first, collaborative, and safe working environment. Ahmed utilizes his expertise to consult his clients on creating long-term business strategies, developing marketing and business development efforts, and effective change management.

I’m passionate about the intersection of social entrepreneurship and technology. My interests include digital product development, brand management, impact investing, and innovation consulting. I strive to translate technologies into meaningful experiences. I like finding answers through music, books, and conversations with others. If you're ever in town and want to go for a walk or grab tea, let's connect! Email: [email protected]

Sonja M. Ewing, AICP is currently the Division Chief of the Land Management and Environmental Stewardship Division for the Department of Parks and Recreation of the Prince George’s County (a part of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, M-NCPPC). She began her care at DPR in the Spring of 2016 as a Supervisor of the Park Planning Section. She served as Assistant Division Chief for the Park Planning and Development Division, from the Fall of 2019 until September 2023. Sonja has a rich background and extensive experience as an urban planner, urban designer, college professor, and urban planning consultant in both urban and suburban settings. Her team has completed park master plans for Watkins Regional Park, Walker Mill Regional Park and the DPR Trail Network, as well as supporting the outreach for projects such as the Tucker Road Ice Rink, Peppermill CC, SAARC. Ms. Ewing’s work focuses on community engagement, placemaking, participatory design and sustainable development. Previously she was with the Fairfax County Office of Community Revitalization, where she served as the Revitalization Program Manager and Urban Designer for the Silver Line Transit stations in Reston, VA. In a previous role as a Planner Coordinator for the Prince George’s County Planning Department, also a part of M-NCPPC, she was the Project Leader for the Subregion 4 Master Plan. Subregion 4 is the “Heart of Prince George’s County” and encompasses an area 29 square miles, extending from US Route 50 southward to Suitland Parkway, between the District of Columbia and the Capital Beltway. The plan encompasses an area where new and older suburban neighborhoods are balanced by planned development that is more urban in character near the study area’s 8 metro stations. Sonja was also responsible for preparing the Land Use, Resource Prioritization and Urban Design elements of the Plan Prince George’s 2035 General Land Use Plan. In addition, Sonja served as the liaison to park department’s Formula 2040 Master Plan. She holds dual masters’ degrees in Urban Design from the Washington University School of Architecture in St. Louis, Missouri, and in Community Planning from the University of Cincinnati School of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Washington University in Architecture and African American Studies. Ms. Ewing has instructed courses in urban planning and urban design at Catholic University, the University Detroit Mercy and the University of Cincinnati.

Alecia Hill is Vice President of Impact Investments and Assistant Portfolio Manager at FCP, a privately held real estate investment company headquartered in Washington, DC.  With expertise in community development finance, Alecia is responsible for co-leading the firm’s Housing Preservation Fund and related ESG initiatives. Prior to joining FCP, Alecia was a member of the Impact Investing team at Enterprise Community Partners, where she focused on Opportunity Zone Fund development, transaction underwriting and innovation within affordable and workforce housing. Alecia has been recognized as a rising multifamily leader by the National Multifamily Housing Council and has been a featured facilitator on community with HUD and the EPA. She holds an MPA in Management and Finance from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, a BA from Columbia University, and is an alumna of Mckinsey & Company’s Black Leadership Management Accelerator and the Wharton Social Impact Initiative. Alecia is an Advisory Board Member for the BILT Foundation and the iGlobal ESG & DEI Real Estate Summit, and Steering Committee Vice Chair for Smart Growth America’s LOCUS coalition to advance inclusive, transit-oriented development across the U.S.