How many years have you been in the industry?

I have been in the industry for the past fifteen years. While my educational background and work experience are in civil engineering, the link between land use and transportation ultimately brought me into the industry. During that time, I have worked closely with real estate developers to ensure that their projects do not adversely impact the state transportation system or that there are adequate transportation infrastructure and resources to support their projects.

What motivates you?

I am motivated every day by the memory of my late parents who instilled in me the values of citizenry, integrity, and hard work. I am motivated every day by the desire to set a good example both personally and professionally for my three children.  I am motivated by multiple aspects of my work that address transportation, access, equity, environmental issues that affect the life of everyday people.  This has been a powerful incentive as well.  It is a mix.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone entering CRE?

To be fully aware of the cross-disciplines that support real estate. Therefore, it is quite important to expand your network by meeting with multiple stakeholders outside your specific areas of interest. It is also important to keep abreast of state policies, regulatory changes and the ever-growing technological innovations that affect real estate.

What’s your favorite thing about real estate?

Real estate is not just about building or selling houses, marketing and meeting potential sellers and buyers; it is about building healthy communities. From afar, I welcome how real estate has evolved over time. From affordable housing, building repurposing, place-making, environmental stewardship, standardizing accessibility, real estate continues to show resiliency and put quality of life for people first.

What’s your biggest career accomplishment?

I cannot pinpoint any particular accomplishment, but I believe that cumulatively my role at MassDOT has provided me with the opportunity to make a positive impact in the area of land use and transportation. I have had the privilege over the years to work with major developers and their consultants on many signature development projects to ensure better coordination of land use and transportation that accommodates pedestrian and bike safety, enhances public transportation service, improves access to the highway system, and includes a multi-modal approach to transportation.

Why do you find ULI valuable?

I have been a ULI member for the past two years and I found a wealth of networking and educational opportunities, professional advancement; as a result I have further developed the skills and expertise necessary to support not just real estate but all the cross-disciplines. I am fortunate as Co-Chair of the Infrastructure and Transportation Council to build on these incredible opportunities.

What are you reading, watching, or listening to now?

I recently paused my reading, watching, or listening for now to focus on tennis coaching. I have been playing tennis for many years, and I have coached my daughter Sophia who is currently part of her high school team. As part of outreach and networking to support her, I was offered a scholarship last year to train as a coach at the United States Tennis Association (USTA) center in Orlando. For the past two months, I have been preparing lessons, conducting and video-recording some practices, traveling as a referee, and reflecting on the video analysis for submission to USTA to obtain a Level 2 Coach certification.  I am excited about this hobby as a side career opportunity.

What are you looking forward to?

I am a member of the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Access Management Committee, and we are currently planning the 4^th International Access Management Conference in Boston from June 24-26, 2024. This event will promote the sharing of practitioner-ready techniques and academic work on the interactions between transportation and land use. As Conference Chair, I look forward to welcoming to Boston staff from transportation agencies from all levels of government, metropolitan and regional planning organizations.  We also expect high level representation from academia, the legal sector, commercial real estate owners and the developer community from around the world to engage on how to support economic development while making transportation for our communities safer, accessible, healthier, and equitable for all users.