Crispus Gordon, III Vice President of Government Relation and Strategic Affairs for Monumental Sports and Entertainment. In this role, he is responsible for leading and executing the government relations strategy and public policy initiatives for five venues and six sports teams, including the Washington Wizards (NBA), Washington Mystics (WNBA), and Washington Capitals (NHL). Crispus previously led the government affairs strategy for Destination DC, serving as the primary liaison to the Government of the District of Columbia, Council of the District of Columbia as well as the Destination DC’s Board of Directors. Prior to that, he worked as a legislative assistant for the Chairman of the Council of the District of Columbia. He is a member of the board of directors for the Downtown BID, Anacostia BID and a trustee for the Federal City Council. He has a J.D. from American University Washington College of Law, a MPA from American University School of Public Affairs and a B.A. in Political Science from Dillard University. He currently resides in Ward 7 of Washington, DC.

Kristin Connall is vice president of development for Akridge. She is responsible for coordinating all aspects of commercial real estate development activities from acquisition to completion, including financing, entitlements, design, construction, marketing, and leasing. Kristin has nearly 15 years of experience in the commercial real estate industry. She oversees The Stacks, a 2.1 million-square-foot mixed-use development located in the Capitol Riverfront neighborhood, Buzzard Point. Kristin is an active member of Urban Land Institute (ULI) and National Association for Industrial and Office Parks (NAIOP), a former member of ULI’s NEXT program, a past participant in the ULI Young Leaders Mentorship program, and served as both a team mentor and judge for NAIOP’s annual Capital Challenge. Kristin earned her Master of Business Administration in Finance and Economics from The University of Chicago, Booth School of Business and graduated Magna Cum Laude from Boston College with a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Marketing.

Mark Simpson is a economic development and real estate professional trained in urban land development, multifamily development, urban design and architecture. He has a keen interest in the economic, demographic and regulatory systems that ultimately inform development and place-management in the District of Columbia downtown core. Mark is adept at applying the theories of urban design and planning to the market-driven realities of contemporary real estate questions, applying a breadth of private sector experience to help revive the vitality of Downtown DC.

Nick has nine years of experience in the real estate industry and is a member of MRP’s Residential Development Team, specializing in residential and mixed-use development opportunities. Prior to joining the firm, Nick worked for Heitman in their North America Private Equity and Private Debt divisions for four years, specializing in acquisitions and financings across all major asset types. Nick transferred to Heitman’s European Private Equity Group in London, where he focused on the emerging rental residential sector in Europe. This was highlighted by the successful capitalization of two large residential developments in the UK and leading Heitman’s entrance into the Irish residential market. Nick graduated from Miami University (Ohio) with a BS in Finance and a minor in History.

Erin Talkington is a Managing Director based in RCLCO’s Washington, DC office and leads RCLCO’s sports and entertainment and large-scale mixed-use practice, including the majority of the firm’s public sector work. She provides real estate consulting services including market and financial analysis, fiscal and economic impact work, implementation strategy, and development partner selection for private and institutional landowners (such as universities), sports teams, public entities, and real estate developers. Her clients span locations across the country, focused on urban reinvestment and suburban infill. Since joining the firm in 2010, Erin has engaged with a wide variety of clients in both the public and private sectors to provide market and economic analysis that guides development and planning decisions. Applicable to projects of all types and scales, Erin’s strength is her ability to quickly synthesize the key market opportunities and strategic positioning for a particular site and communicate that vision to project team members, clients, and community stakeholders. Previously, she led the Real Estate Economics’ human capital initiatives as Director of Consulting in addition to directing project work for clients.