A Few of our Past Contributors | Speakers:

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Jeff Arrowsmith

Fmr. Managing Director, Capital Markets and Affordable Housing,

CBRE

 

CBRE is one of the world’s most expansive real estate and infrastructure advisory platforms, operating across virtually every dimension of commercial real estate. With more than 155,000 professionals in over 100 countries, the firm combines market knowledge, research, proprietary technology, and integrated service lines to support clients across investment, valuation, leasing, project delivery, portfolio management, and critical infrastructure. Its significance lies not only in scale, but in its ability to shape decisions across capital deployment, space strategy, asset performance, and long-term market positioning.

 

Joseph Bonsignore

President & CEO,

SYSTRA USA

 

SYSTRA USA, Inc. is an architecture, engineering, and construction management firm focused on delivering complex projects in public transportation, educational facilities, and affordable housing. The company describes itself as partnering with clients on transformative transportation and facilities work, and its U.S. materials emphasize decades of experience supporting rail and transit infrastructure and systems across the country. SYSTRA USA is part of the broader SYSTRA Group, which positions itself globally as a leading engineering and consulting group specializing in public transport and sustainable mobility solutions.
 

Rory M. Christian

Chair & CEO,

New York Public Service Commission

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The New York Public Service Commission (PSC) is the state body responsible for regulating New York’s electric, gas, steam, telecommunications, and private water utilities, while also overseeing the cable industry. It is charged with helping ensure that utility service is safe and adequate and with setting rates through its regulatory authority. The PSC operates through the New York State Department of Public Service, which also supports consumer complaint resolution, public participation, and case-file review for matters before the Commission. The Commission itself may have up to seven members, appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. 

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Justin E. Driscoll

President & CEO,

New York Power Authority

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The New York Power Authority (NYPA) is New York State’s public power utility and, by its own description, the largest state public power organization in the nation. It operates 17 generating facilities and more than 1,550 circuit-miles of transmission, and says that more than 80 percent of the electricity it produces is clean renewable hydropower. NYPA also plays a broader statewide role in advancing reliable, affordable, and cleaner energy infrastructure for public customers and New York’s energy transition. 

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Thomas J. Foley

Fmr. Commissioner, 

New York City Department of Design & Construction

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The New York City Department of Design and Construction (DDC) is the City’s primary capital construction project manager, responsible for delivering many of the civic facilities and infrastructure New Yorkers rely on every day. DDC manages the design and construction of public buildings such as firehouses, libraries, police precincts, courthouses, and senior centers, while also overseeing vital infrastructure work including roadways, sidewalks, sewers, water mains, street reconstruction, and pedestrian ramps across the five boroughs. In that role, the agency works closely with other City agencies, architects, engineers, and consultants to help build and maintain a resilient, functional city.

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Doreen Harris

President & CEO,

New York State Energy Research and Development Authority

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The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) is a New York public benefit corporation that serves as a trusted statewide resource on energy policy, programs, and innovation. NYSERDA says it provides objective information and analysis, innovative programs, technical expertise, and support to help New Yorkers improve energy efficiency, save money, expand renewable energy use, and reduce reliance on fossil fuels. Founded in 1975, it also plays a central role in advancing New York’s broader clean energy transition, including efforts tied to economic development, resilience, and a more affordable and reliable energy system.

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Jennifer Bloom Leone

Assistant Commissioner and Chief Sustainability Officer, 

New York City Department of Housing, Preservation & Development

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The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) is the City agency charged with promoting the quality and affordability of housing and the strength and diversity of New York’s neighborhoods. HPD’s work spans affordable housing development and preservation, tenant protection, code enforcement, and neighborhood planning, and the agency describes itself as the largest municipal housing preservation and development agency in the nation. In that role, HPD helps shape housing policy and delivery across the five boroughs while working to maintain safe housing conditions and expand access to affordable homes.
 

L. Charlie Oliver

Founder, 

Oliver Bennett Agency,

Economic Infrastructure Group, 

Green Building Worldwide, & Oliver UnZoned Media

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Ms. Oliver’s ecosystem is a coordinated intelligence-to-execution platform spanning four connected brands—Economic Infrastructure Group (EIG), Oliver UnZoned Media (OUM), Oliver Bennett Agency (OBA), and Green Building Worldwide (GBW). Together, they track the policy, zoning, capital, energy, and infrastructure shifts that reshape development opportunity, translate those shifts into clear market narratives, and turn them into executable strategies. The result is a full-loop system: macro and corridor intelligence, public-facing insight, deal-level planning, and performance-driven guidance—built to help developers, investors, operators, and stakeholders move earlier, de-risk decisions, and create durable value.

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Tanvi Pandya

Executive Director, 

BQE, Design Build & Emergency Contracts,

New York City Department of Transportation

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The New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) is the City agency responsible for the safe, equitable, and sustainable movement of people and goods, while also creating public spaces that strengthen communities. Its work spans a wide range of transportation and public-realm responsibilities, including streets, bridges, sidewalks, traffic operations, ferries, bike and pedestrian infrastructure, and the design and maintenance of key elements of the City’s transportation network. In that role, NYC DOT helps shape how New Yorkers move through the five boroughs while advancing safety, mobility, sustainability, and climate resilience. 

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Alexis Pelosi

Fmr. Senior Advisor, Office of the Secretary

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

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The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is the federal agency responsible for advancing national housing and community development policy. HUD’s mission, as currently stated by the department, is to foster strong communities by supporting access to quality, affordable housing, expanding the housing supply, and unlocking homeownership opportunities for the American people. In that role, HUD helps shape federal efforts related to affordable housing, community development, homelessness, fair housing, and neighborhood revitalization across rural, tribal, suburban, and urban communities

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Jeremy Shannon

Director of Sustainability, Climate Action Group, 

Gensler

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Gensler is a global design firm that describes itself as a catalyst for positive change, bringing together creativity, research, and innovation to create impactful solutions for clients. Founded in 1965, the firm says it has built a team of more than 6,000 professionals working from 57 offices across 16 countries, partnering with clients in more than 100 countries each year. Gensler’s work spans a wide range of sectors and practices across the built environment, supported by a strong research platform that connects design, business, and the human experience.
 

Jannet Walker-Ford

Senior Vice President & Principal Director, National Transit & Rail Business Line Leader,

WSP

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WSP is one of the world’s leading professional services firms, bringing together engineering, advisory, and science-based expertise to help shape communities and advance long-term resilience and growth. The firm describes itself as helping clients envision future possibilities and bring them to life through technical know-how and innovation, with a broad platform spanning planning, design, environmental services, advisory work, and infrastructure delivery. In that role, WSP is positioned as a major multidisciplinary partner across the built and natural environments, supporting complex projects and strategies in transportation, buildings, energy, water, and environmental sectors.

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