Melissa Barry is Vice President of Planning at the Downtown Austin Alliance, where she focuses on planning for the future of Austin's rapidly growing downtown. With over 20 years of experience in public, private, and nonprofit sectors, she has been immersed in a wide range of planning and design challenges in communities of all sizes. In downtown Austin, she led the public-private partnership to transform historic Republic Square, the award-winning Downtown Parking Strategy, the Downtown Austin Vision and she is currently leading a major effort to create a community vision for the I-35 corridor through downtown Austin.

Michael Banner President and CEO Los Angeles LDC Inc. Los Angeles, CA 90017 Experienced high-energy Black financial professional with a 30-year track record of success in community development finance and advisory services. A nationally recognized community development strategist and trustee-key leader with the Urban Land Institute and guest lecturer with USC Department of Economics and Price School. Utilization of a results oriented management style has delivered over $400 million of capital through the design and execution of economic development strategies, nonprofit corporate turnarounds, commercial corridor revitalization, community and economic development programming with community, philanthropic, corporate, educational and governmental stakeholders.

Keith Baker is Managing Director for ReconnectRondo, Inc. a 501c3 community development organization with aim to restore, revive, and reconnect the City of St. Paul‘s historic African American neighborhood of Rondo, by way of the Rondo Land Bridge Project. Baker has more than 35 years of experience in the public, private, and not-for-profit, sectors – 18 years with the Minnesota Department of Transportation overseeing federal and state construction and professional and technical contract administration and compliance monitoring. As a Strategist, Connector, and Influencer, Keith has a reputation for ably seeing the big picture – the connective tissue – skillfully navigating within constrained environments – creating outputs that result in equitable outcomes. These characteristics made possible successful orchestration of a collective impact approach to ensured equitable inclusion of minority and women owned engineering and architect firms on the billion dollar US Bank Stadium project.

Jennifer Ball Vice President of Planning Central Atlanta Progress Atlanta, GA Jennifer Ball is Vice President of Planning and Economic Development for Central Atlanta Progress, Inc. (CAP) where she manages land use and transportation planning efforts, economic development initiatives and implementation projects within Downtown Atlanta. Recent notable initiatives under her direction include the development of the Green Line and Imagine Downtown vision plans, the Downtown Livability Code zoning regulation update and the on-going implementation of $40 million worth of public space capital improvements including streetscape improvements, wayfinding signage and roadway upgrades. Jennifer has been named a member of the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s “Up and Comers: 40 under 40” group of promising young leaders. She is an active member of the Georgia Tech Alumni Association Board of Trustees and the Georgia Tech College of Architecture Affinity Group. Additionally, Jennifer is also a member of the Urban Land Institute as a founding member of the Atlanta District Council Young Leaders Group. Jennifer has been a guest lecturer at Georgia Tech’s City and Regional Planning program and a presenter at national and local conferences on topics ranging from downtown economic development and business improvements districts to transportation planning and plan implementation. She has also authored an American Planning Association Planner’s Advisory Service Report on Street Vending. Jennifer received a Bachelor of Science degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology College of Architecture and a Master of City Planning degree also from Georgia Tech. (December 2011)