Hosts for this year’s event include Damon E. Duncan, a 30-year public housing professional
who owns and operates Clesia Ventures, LLC, an affordable housing development and consulting firm based in metro Atlanta, and
Kim Kuerten, executive director, Graduate Executive Programs at the Harbert College of Business.
Other hosts include Greg Winchester, head, Industry & Alumni Relations and adjunct professor at Harbert, and Justin Benefield, faculty director of the Auburn MRED program.
A Unique Opportunity
A select group of prominent commercial real estate industry experts and community
development officials will share their views surrounding the challenges and promise
of affordable rental housing development in major southeastern markets. The symposium
begins at 2 p.m. (ET) with a series of three panel discussions:
“Partnerships and Industry Leaders”
“Capital and Credit Providers”
“Innovation: Developers, Contractors, and Architects.”
Following the plenary sessions, an exclusive industry networking event will be held
at Harrah’s Cherokee Casinos Back Porch of Truist Park. From this venue overlooking
center field, attendees will watch the Atlanta Braves v. Philadelphia Phillies starting
at 7:20 p.m.
Register by May 6 for discount tickets of $150. Tickets can be purchased May 7-15 for $175.
Seating is limited so early registration is encouraged. In addition to the symposium,
networking event, and ballgame, tickets also cover parking and food.
“This year’s event is going to benefit anyone in the affordable housing market,” Duncan
said. “Navigating the challenges and opportunities of affordable rental housing development
offers worthwhile advantages to businesses and communities for a host of reasons.”
“For Auburn, this event points to the legacy of success delivered by Auburn MRED leadership,
faculty, partners and alumni over the past decade in serving the needs of the real
estate development community,” said Kuerten
An Impressive Line Up
Panelists for this year’s symposium include key contributors to the affordable housing
development industry in the Southeast, including Doug Shipman, president, Atlanta
City Council: Eugene Jones, CEO of Atlanta Housing; Steven Reed, mayor, City of Montgomery;
Adrianne Todman, HUD deputy secretary; George Guy, CEO, Fort Wayne Housing Authority;
and David A. Northern, Sr., CEO, Houston Housing Authority. Visit the CityBuilders
website for the latest updates to sessions and panelists.
Winchester, who also is the MRED Advisory Council chair, commented on the extensive
range of experience and expertise represented by this year’s program. “Our faculty,
partners and alumni have gone beyond the call of duty to help create unparalleled
value for attendees at this event,” Winchester said. “More importantly, the enthusiastic
participation of our hosts and line-up of expert panelists is a testament to the MRED
program’s commitment to furthering the education and real-world engagement of both
existing professionals and our pipeline of new real estate development graduates.”
Sponsorship Opportunities
Sponsorship opportunities for this year’s event remain open for companies looking
to raise their visibility and support for affordable housing development. Sponsors
receive multiple avenues of recognition for their support for this event and the ability
to advance the continuing education and outreach initiatives of the MRED program.
Click here to learn more about sponsorship opportunities.
The Auburn MRED Program
The MRED program, offered jointly through the Harbert College of Business and the
College of Architecture, Design and Construction, delivers the skills and insight
required for its graduates to shape communities and change the way people work, live
and play within them. MRED graduates plan, finance and build economically sustainable
real estate developments based on principles taught in our classrooms and experienced
firsthand via field study trips to successful developments in the U.S. and abroad.
The Harbert College of Business is a nationally ranked hub of undergraduate, graduate,
and continuing business education that is inspiring the next generation of business
leaders. Our world-class faculty deliver unparalleled academic rigor in the classroom,
while our research-driven scholarship advances thought leadership and best practice
in emerging business disciplines. Our alumni and industry partners actively engage
our faculty and students to integrate business theory with practical experience and
to instill the level of proficiency and integrity demanded by employers around the
globe.
More than 1,600 students from around the world are enrolled in Auburn’s CADC. Our
rigorous and nationally ranked programs are firmly rooted in Auburn University’s land
grant mission. Our classes are small and taught by highly engaged and innovative faculty,
most with significant industry experience. We leverage our design thinking and building
skills to focus our work on today’s most pressing challenges, addressing sustainable
and equitable solutions in all areas of the built environment and product development.
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