Meet the Leadership Team
Providing the highest level of guidance and support for the Center's mission, our Advisory Board is composed of principals and senior executives from leading real estate firms and organization in the Washington, D.C., area.
Center Leadership
Executive Director, Center for Real Estate Entrepreneurship
Additional Roles: Executive Director, Master's in Real Estate Development ProgramDavid Tarter is the executive director for the Center for Real Estate Entrepreneurship and Master’s in Real Estate Development Program.
Assistant Director, MS in Real Estate Development
Additional Roles: Adjunct Faculty, Finance; Manager of the Center for Real Estate EntrepreneurshipMay Abou Ghazaleh the assistant director of the MS in Real Estate Development program.
Administrative Assistant, Center for Real Estate Entrepreneurship and the Master’s in Real Estate Development
Cara Williams is the Administrative Assistant for the Center for Real Estate Entrepreneurship and the Master’s in Real Estate Development program at the Costello College of Business.
Board Chairperson
Principal, Eyremount Investment Group
President, Green Valley Custom BuildersRoger Lin is the President at Green Valley Custom Builders and Managing Partner of Eyremount Investment Group, LLC, two small-scale real estate development firms in Northern Virginia he founded with his family. Since 2007 he has been investing in income producing properties and developable land in the Washington D.C. area.
Board Members
Owner, Buchanan Partners, LLC
Brian S. Benninghoff is the Owner of Buchanan Partners, LLC., one of the largest commercial real estate developers in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.
Policy Director for Fairfax County Chairman of the Board
Barbara Byron is a registered landscape architect who spent her career working for Fairfax County in real estate-related roles. Prior to her current position as Policy Director for Fairfax County Chairman of the Board Jeff McKay, Ms. Byron headed the division of the Department of Planning and Development charged with development review and entitlements; started the Office of Community Revitalization which focused on fostering redevelopment in seven activity centers within the county most in need of intervention; and served as Director of the Department of Planning and Development.
Executive Vice President, Skanska USA Commercial Development
Mark Carroll is the executive vice president for Skanska USA Commercial Development in the Washington, D.C. metro area. His responsibilities include the pursuit, acquisition, and execution of development projects.
Principal, Bowman Consulting
Packie Crown has been a Principal with Bowman Consulting, a multidisciplinary engineering, planning, landscape architecture, environmental services, and surveying firm since 2007.
President, NVCommercial, Inc.
Stephen Cumbie is chief executive officer and principal of NVCommercial Incorporated, NVRetail and the Metro Realty group, commercial real estate investment, development and services companies which projects exceed $500 million completed or in process in the Washington, D.C. and Denver, Colorado metro areas.
COO, New Homes, Manafacuring and Van Metre Land, Van Metre Companies
COO, New Homes, Manafacuring and Van Metre Land, Van Metre Companies
Managing Partner, Freedom Development
Colin Hart is the co-founder and Managing Partner of Freedom Development, a commercial real estate investment company. Established in 2010, the Company provides equity capital to acquire and re-develop multi-family and mixed-use properties in and around the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.
President, Hassinger Real Estate Development Services
Additional Roles: Adjunct Faculty, Real Estate DevelopmentMark S. Hassinger is an adjunct faculty member within the Masters in Real Estate Development program in the Costello College of Business at George Mason University.
President, Commonwealth Development Solutions
Partner, The Christopher Companies
Craig Havenner is the President at Commonwealth Development, Solutions, LLC. (He retired from the Christopher Companies earlier this year and joined Commonwealth Development Solutions immediately after, as a self-employed president.)
Vice President, Rooney Properties
Greg Hoffman is the Vice President of development firm Rooney Properties based in Arlington, VA.