flourishing under fire: the future of Black men.

alphonso david

President, Human Rights Campaign

Alphonso B. David, an accomplished and nationally recognized LGBTQ civil rights lawyer and advocate, is the president of the Human Rights Campaign. Mr. David is the first civil rights lawyer and the first person of color to serve as president of HRC in the organization’s nearly 40-year history. Mr. David has significant litigation and management experience in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. He has been at the forefront of the movement for LGBTQ equality for more than a decade and worked at both the state and national level.

In 2015, Mr. David was appointed by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to serve as Counsel to the Governor. Prior to his appointment as the Governor’s Chief Counsel, Mr. David served for four years in the Governor’s cabinet as the Deputy Secretary and Counsel for Civil Rights, the first position of its kind in New York State. Mr. David also previously served as Special Deputy Attorney General for Civil Rights for the Office of the New York State Attorney General and he previously served as Deputy Commissioner and Special Counselor at the New York State Division of Human Rights.

Prior to working in the public sector, Mr. David served as a staff attorney at the Lambda Legal Defense and Educational Fund. At Lambda Legal, Mr. David litigated precedent-setting civil rights cases across the nation affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer individuals as well as those living with HIV and AIDS. In addition, Mr. David served as a litigation associate at the law firm Blank Rome LLP. He began his legal career as a judicial clerk to the Honorable Clifford Scott Green in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. He is a graduate of the University of Maryland and Temple University School of Law.

amri johnson

Chief Executive Officer, Inclusion Wins

For more than 20 years, Amri Johnson has been instrumental in helping organizations and their people create extraordinary business outcomes. He is a social capitalist, epidemiologist, entrepreneur and inclusion strategist. Amri’s dialogic approach to engaging all people as leaders and change agents (most recently at the research division of Novartis, as Global Head of Cultural Intelligence and Inclusion) has fostered the opening of minds and deepening of skill sets with organizational leaders and citizens enabling them to thrive and optimally contribute to one another and their respective organizations.

As CEO/Founder of Inclusion Wins, Amri and a virtual collective of partners converge organizational purpose to create a global impact with a lens of inclusion. Amri is currently working on a manuscript answering the question: How can we make inclusiveness more accessible (for all stakeholders), actionable (clear, universal contributions) and sustainable (purposeful and perpetually impactful)?

Born in Topeka, Kansas (USA), Amri has worked and lived in the U.S, Brazil and currently lives in Basel, Switzerland, with his partner Martina and their three kids.

andre anderson

First Vice President/Chief Operating Officer, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta

Andre Anderson is first Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, a position he assumed in July 2018. He oversees the day-to-day operations of the Atlanta Fed, including all operating and support activities at the corporate headquarters in Atlanta and at the branch offices in Birmingham, Jacksonville, Miami, Nashville and New Orleans. He is also Vice Chair of the Bank's Management Committee and a member of the Discount Committee that reviews district discount window lending. He is also the backup to the Atlanta Fed president in the execution of his monetary policy responsibilities.

In addition to his responsibilities at the Atlanta Fed, Mr. Anderson is the Retail Payments Product Director for the Federal Reserve System. His responsibilities in this area include the management and direction of check collection and automated clearing house products and services that the Federal Reserve System provides. He is also a member of the Conference of First Vice Presidents and is involved in various projects and initiatives to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the Federal Reserve's System-wide operations.

Mr. Anderson began his career at the Atlanta Fed in 1984 at the Birmingham Branch of the Atlanta Fed as a management intern in the data processing department. In January 2010, he was promoted to Senior Vice President and member of the Management Committee, responsible for the Corporate Engagement Outside of the Bank. Mr. Anderson currently serves on the board of directors of the Atlanta Police Foundation, the Midtown Alliance and Leadership Atlanta.

A native of Mobile, Alabama, Anderson holds a bachelor's degree in corporate finance from the University of Alabama. He also completed the executive development program at Cornell University.

andre dickens

Chief Development Officer, TechBridge/At-Large City Council Member, City of Atlanta

Andre Dickens is a City of Atlanta Post 3 At-Large Council Member. He is a vocal and legislative leader on educational opportunities for Atlanta Public Schools students, affordable housing, transportation, workforce development and seasoned citizens programming. He currently serves as the chairman of the Transportation Committee and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

Dickens is the Chief Development Officer for TechBridge, a nonprofit that drives community impact by bringing affordable technology and business expertise to other nonprofit organizations. In 2018, he co-founded the Technology Career Program. The free program is designed to prepare the unemployed and individuals experiencing a disadvantage in the work field for a career in the growing technology job market.

He also serves as a member of the Georgia Tech Alumni Board of Directors, an Alumnus of Leadership Atlanta, Diversity Leadership Atlanta, United Way VIP, Regional Leadership Institute, member of Kappa Alpha Psi, Fraternity, Inc., deacon of New Horizon Baptist Church and several other organizations and affiliations.

Dickens served as the Assistant Director of Outreach Initiatives for Georgia Tech’s Office of Institute Diversity. He spearheaded the African-American Male Institute, which resulted in a significant increase in the GPA and graduation rate among Black males. He also managed the Focus graduate school recruitment program and the Challenge Program that helps hundreds of students successfully transition into college life each year.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a master’s of public administration degree in Economic Development at Georgia State University.

andrew mccaskill

Career, Culture and Economics Expert, LinkedIn

Andrew is a culture analyst, inclusion champion and marketing executive. Before joining LinkedIn, he most recently led diversity and inclusion strategy for the global sales, marketing and public affairs function at Facebook and U.S. consumer marketing and global communications at Nielsen.

While at Nielsen, he led communications for Nielsen China, was named one of PR Week's "Top 40 Under 40 PR Executives" and co-authored the award-winning Diverse Intelligence Series on the economic and cultural impact of multicultural consumers. Called a diversity champion by Fortune magazine, he also served as the global executive sponsor for Nielsen's LGBTQ employee business groups all over the world and was part of the team of professionals who worked with queer advocacy groups to bring LGBTQ audience measurement to fruition.

Andrew has given consumer and cultural analysis in The New York Times, USA Today, Forbes, Fortune and AdWeek. The staunch consumer advocate also delivers African-American-focused political, cultural and economic commentary as an on-air contributor to SiriusXM’s 38 million subscribers, is an inclusive marketing expert for BET’s digital series THE GLAM GAP and is an investor and culture consultant with early stage tech startups based in Georgia and California. At LinkedIn he is a Career Expert and communications executive. He’s a former Harlemite living in Mozley Park (Atlanta) with degrees from Morehouse College and Goizueta Business School at Emory University.

audra jenkins

Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer, Randstad North America

As chief diversity and inclusion officer, Audra spearheads initiatives both within and outside of our organization. She not only advances diversity and inclusion among internal employees, she also partners with customers as they work to achieve their own diversity goals. Audra firmly believes that diversity and inclusion must be woven into every aspect of the talent life cycle to attract quality candidates, enhance employee engagement and drive performance. She brings more than 20 years of human resources, diversity and compliance experience, along with a passion for advocating on behalf of underserved populations. She is the executive sponsor for Randstad’s Hire Hope program and was recognized as the Most Powerful Influential Woman by the National Diversity Council in 2018.

bob lopes

Chief Human Resources Officer, Randstad North America

Bob is responsible for leading Randstad’s human capital strategy in North America. With more than 35 years of global experience leading private, mid-stage and public technology and services businesses in outsourcing, consulting and HR-related services, he was most recently the North America Group President for Randstad Sourceright. Combined with his strong operational skills and passion for talent strategy and building inclusive, high-performance workplace culture, Bob will develop Randstad North America’s internal human resources practices.

craig robinson

Former Global Head, WeWork

Craig Robinson is the former Global Head of Powered by We for WeWork. Robinson oversaw WeWork’s integrated portfolio of solutions for Powered by We clients, including program and project management, design and build services and facilities management.

Prior to WeWork, Robinson served as Chief Executive Officer of Global Corporate Services at Newmark Grubb Knight Frank (NGKF). In this role, he had responsibility for NGKF’s overall strategic direction for occupier clients, overseeing business development, client operations and platform investments. He brings to NGKF nearly 20 years of experience leading commercial real estate outsourcing businesses within large global public companies, as well as mid-cap growth businesses.

Robinson currently serves as a Board advisor to StateBook, the first online marketplace for site selection and economic growth and development, as well the Board of Managers for the Harvard Club of New York.

Robinson earned his bachelor of science degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a MBA from Harvard Business School.

dk bartley

Chief Diversity Officer, Moody’s Corporation

Mr. Bartley is the Chief Diversity Officer for Moody’s Corporation where he works with Moody’s business leaders and HR team to identify diversity and inclusion opportunities and ensure they are embedded in programs and initiatives across the company. Additionally, Mr. Bartley will partner with Moody’s Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), which help promote diversity within the company.

Mr. Bartley joins Moody’s from Dentsu Aegis, a media and digital marketing company, where he served as Senior Vice President and Head of Diversity & Inclusion, and was responsible for the company’s global D&I strategy and talent acquisition. He holds a B.A. in Political Science from SUNY at Stony Brook and an M.A. in Communications from the New York Institute of Technology.

earnest deloach jr.

Vice President, Legal, Balfour Beatty US

As Vice President, Legal, for Balfour Beatty U.S., Earnest is a member of the Florida division leadership and national legal teams. In his role, he is responsible for all legal affairs for the Florida Business Unit (including contracting matters, litigation management, human resources, etc.) and serves as the division's ethics and compliance officer. In addition, Earnest serves as National Legal Advisor to the enterprise's Strategic Procurement Division, negotiating partnerships and supply agreements with the company's national commercial vendors. In July 2020, Earnest was named National Co-Chair of the company’s national Diversity Equity and Inclusion initiatives.

Earnest draws on his 21 years as a commercial/construction attorney and business advisor to some of the country’s most recognized businesses, including Ford Motor Co., Walt Disney World and American Express. Over that time, Mr. DeLoach has represented and counseled business and government clients concerning litigation, transactional, business development, administrative and corporate formation matters. In addition to his traditional law practice, he has also performed governmental relations and lobbying services for clients needing assistance interacting and communicating with local, state and federal government agencies.

Earnest is an honors graduate of the University of Miami, where he was an Isaac Bashevis Singer Scholar and member of the varsity track team. He received his law degree from Florida State University where he was a Virgil Hawkins Scholar, Student Bar Association President and an award-winning member of both the Moot Court and Mock Trial Teams.

dr. gregory vincent

Executive Director, Civil Rights and Education, University of Kentucky

Dr. Gregory J. Vincent currently serves as professor, executive director of the Education and Civil Rights Initiative and program chair of the Ph.D Senior Diversity Officer specialization at the University of Kentucky. He is the principal investigator of “Equity, Access, and Education.” Dr. Vincent also serves as the CEO of Vincent Strategies, a global diversity, equity and inclusion consulting firm and founding partner of Wilson Vincent Law, a firm focusing on civil rights, education and child advocacy.

During 2018–2020, he served as the 48th Grand Sire Archon (CEO and Chairman) of Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity (the Boulé), founded in 1904 as the first African American Greek-Letter fraternity. Dr. Vincent also served as the 27th President of the Hobart College and the 16th President of William Smith College in Geneva, New York. He is a Life Member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.

Vincent served at the University of Texas at Austin as vice president for diversity and community engagement, W.K. Kellogg professor of community college leadership and professor of law. Dr. Vincent also served as the vice provost for institutional equity and diversity and law professor at the University of Oregon, vice provost for academic affairs and campus diversity and law professor at the Louisiana State University and assistant vice chancellor for academic affairs lecturer of law at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Prior to entering academia, Dr. Vincent served as the assistant attorney general in the Office of the Ohio Attorney General and as vice president and lead counsel for Bank One.

He received his bachelor’s degree in history and economics from Hobart and William Smith Colleges, law degree from the Ohio State University Moritz College and and his doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania.

indy adenaw

Managing Director, MLT Black Equity at Work

Indy oversees the MLT’s Black Equity at Work platform, a first-of-its-kind program for companies looking to accelerate progress and impact in racial equity. The MLT Black Equity program currently has over 30 leading corporations from a wide range of industries that are all seeking to build robust and structured plans around racial equity. Prior to MLT, Indy was an experienced platform and turnaround leader at Marriott International, where he led a number of new businesses, including the creation of Moxy Hotels, the global transformation of the Sheraton Hotels portfolio and the acquisition and re-positioning of Delta Hotels. In addition, Indy held a number of corporate strategy roles for the company and also led its Growth Venture team, overseeing investments in leading start-ups. Indy also has over eight years of consulting experience at Deloitte and the Corporate Executive Board. Indy holds an MBA from the University of Virginia, an MSc from the London School of Economics and a BA from the University of Maryland.

jamere jackson

Executive Vice President/Chief Financial Officer, AutoZone

Jamere Jackson is the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of AutoZone, Inc. Prior to joining AutoZone, Jackson was Chief Financial Officer of Hertz Global Holdings Inc. Before joining Hertz, he held the Chief Financial Officer position at Nielsen Holdings plc. Jackson also spent nearly 10 years at General Electric in a variety of financial leadership roles in GE Corporate, GE Aviation and GE Oil and Gas. Prior to joining GE, he held several roles in finance, mergers and acquisitions and strategic planning at Procter & Gamble, Yum Brands (Pizza Hut), First Data Corporation and Total System Services.

Jackson received his undergraduate degree in finance and business economics from the University of Notre Dame in 1990 and is a certified public accountant. He serves on the board of directors for Hibbett Sports, Inc. and Eli Lilly and Company.

dr. jamie riley

Director, Racial Equity, The Center for Law & Social Policy

Dr. Jamie R. Riley is The Center for Law & Social Policy (CLASP) director of racial equity. He leads and coordinates internal and external efforts to enhance CLASP’s overall commitment to racial equity and justice.

Jamie has an extensive 15-year career as a social change agent in higher education and nonprofit administration. He has served in leadership and faculty roles at the University of California, Berkeley, University of Maryland, University of Alabama, Johns Hopkins University and Longwood University. He also served as executive director for the non-profit operations of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., the first intercollegiate fraternity for African American men. Jamie’s published academic research, which is informed by critical race theory, investigates the systemic and environmental impact of race and racism within American institutions and culture. Jamie is a member of the 100 Black Men of America, Inc., National Conference on Race & Ethnicity, NASPA-Student Affairs Professionals in Higher Education, American College Personnel Association, Association of College Unions International, American Educational Research Association and the Association for the Study of Higher Education.

Jamie earned his bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration and planning and master’s degree in education leadership and administration from Tennessee State University. He also earned his Ph.D. in counseling and student personnel services from the University of Georgia.

dr. jarik conrad

Vice President, Human Insights and HCM Advisory Ultimate Kronos Group (UKG)

Dr. Jarik Conrad, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, is the VP of the Human Insights and HCM Advisory team at UKG, one of the world’s most innovative human capital management and workforce management companies. Dr. Conrad also serves as the Executive Director of the UKG-sponsored Equity at Work Council (EWC), an interdisciplinary group of experts and practitioners dedicated to providing you with evidence-based strategies to workplaces of inequities.

Immediately prior to joining UKG, he led The Conrad Consulting Group, where he served as an executive coach, keynote speaker and management consultant. He has held human resources leadership roles in the private, public and non-profit sectors. He has also been a research collaborator with the Mayo Clinic and an adjunct professor at Jacksonville University.

Dr. Conrad earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois, two master’s degrees from Cornell University, and a Doctor of Education degree from the University of North Florida. He holds certifications in intercultural sensitivity, emotional intelligence, plant-based nutrition, personal training and weight management.

He is a sought-after speaker in the areas of leadership, health and wellness, emotional intelligence (EI) and diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) and has been recognized as one of the world’s top people practitioners on HRD’s 2021 Global 100. He is also the author of the Amazon best-seller, “The Fragile Mind.” His next book, “In Search of Humanity,” will be published in 2021.

karen fichuk

Chief Executive Officer, Randstad North America, Executive Board Member

Karen leads Randstad’s core business brands in the U.S. and Canada. With her expertise in data, analytics and technology gained from over 25 years of experience, she plays an integral role in driving Randstad's transformation as a data-driven organization with a powerful human touch. Karen also has a strong track record of leading teams where performance, customer centricity and people development are key pillars.

keith brown

Director, Community Impact, Randstad North America

Keith Brown serves as the Director, Community Impact with Randstad North America. Keith served as the Managing Director of Urban Infrastructure Partners, LLC, an infrastructure program and project management consulting firm and most recently served as the Vice President, Strategy & Business Development, leading public-private partnership efforts nationally for McCormack Baron Salazar.

Keith also served as the Joint Use Development Officer/Head of Real Estate responsible for a regional public transportation authority’s transit-oriented development and comprehensive real estate development strategies. Additionally, Keith worked with CBRE's Global Corporate Services as an Infrastructure Director engaged in the program operations for site selection, lease tracking, store design, construction project management, budgets, scheduling and change management activities for corporate clients. Prior to joining CBRE, Keith served as Development Manager with the Atlanta Housing Authority and as the Regional Transaction Manager with Jones Lang LaSalle’s Strategic Consulting Group. Keith has also worked as an Environmental Consultant to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, primarily engaged with the social justice Superfund Environmental Clean-Up Program.

Keith holds an executive master's degree in business administration from The University of Georgia, and a bachelor's degree in finance from Morehouse College. Keith has also been engaged as a board and executive advisory committee member to several local non-profit organizations.

maurice jones

Chief Executive Officer, OneTen

Maurice Jones is the CEO of OneTen, a coalition of companies dedicated to creating one million jobs for African Americans by the end of the 2020s. Previously, he was President and CEO of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation, a national community development financial institution.

Prior to joining the Local Initiatives Support Corporation, he was the Secretary of Commerce for the Commonwealth of Virginia, where he managed 13 state agencies focused on the economic needs in his native state.

Before that, Mr. Jones was second in command at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, serving as deputy secretary in charge of operations. He has also been Commissioner of Virginia’s Department of Social Services and Deputy Chief of Staff to then-Governor Mark Warner.

At the U.S. Treasury Department during the Clinton Administration, he managed the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund. His private sector experience includes top positions at the Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk, a Richmond law firm and a private philanthropy investing in community-based efforts to benefit children in Washington, D.C.

He earned a bachelor's degree in political science from Hampden–Sydney College, where he graduated Omicron Delta Kappa, before attending Magdalen College, Oxford on a Rhodes scholarship and the University of Virginia School of Law.

michael bush

Chief Executive Officer, Great Place to Work

Michael C. Bush is a global chief executive with over 25 years of experience leading small and mid-sized organizations through transformational growth. Through certification programs, Great Place to Work® recognizes outstanding workplaces and produces Fortune’s annual list of the 100 Best Companies to Work For, the World’s Best Workplaces™ list, the 100 Best Workplaces for Women™ list, the Best Workplaces for Diversity™ list and dozens of other distinguished workplace rankings around the world.

Prior to his current role, from 2003 to 2015, Michael led private-equity backed turnarounds. In two different businesses he became the CEO and managed both exits that substantially rewarded all investors and stakeholders. From 1996 to 2003, Michael spent one year as the COO of Whalen and Company, a global telecommunications project management firm that was purchased in 1997 by Tetra Tech Communications. Following that acquisition, Michael was promoted to CEO of Tetra Tech Communications, where revenues grew from $40 million annually to $300 million, until 2003. Michael became a member of the Board of Directors at Workday, Inc. in April 2020.

Michael Bush received his MS in management from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business.

milton little

President, United Way of Greater Atlanta

Milton J. Little Jr. became the first African-American president of United Way of Greater Atlanta, the second-largest in the national system, in July 2007. Altogether, Little has helped raise more than half a billion dollars for local community needs and priorities.

Before joining United Way, he served as chief operating officer and interim president and CEO of the National Urban League.

He graduated magna cum laude from Morehouse College with a B.A. in sociology and earned an M.A. in urban sociology and social policy from Columbia University. He is a member of many boards and advisory committees. Notable among them are the Center for Assessment and Policy Development, chair of the Southern Education Foundation and as vice chair of the board of directors for Ways to Work.

nathaniel smith

Chief Equity Officer, Partnership for Southern Equity

Nathaniel Smith serves as Founder and Chief Equity Officer of the Partnership for Southern Equity (PSE), which advances policies and institutional actions that promote racial equity and shared prosperity for all in the growth of metropolitan Atlanta and the American South. Among PSE’s notable accomplishments was the creation of the American South's first equity mapping and framing tool, the Metro Atlanta Equity Atlas, and co-authoring numerous reports including: "Growing the Future: The Case for Economic Inclusion in Metropolitan Atlanta," and "Employment Equity: Putting Georgia on the Path to Inclusive Prosperity."

PSE also led a coalition of diverse stakeholders to support a $13 million transit referendum that expanded Atlanta’s metropolitan transit system into a new county for the first time in 45 years. Smith’s advocacy activities were instrumental in the ratification of a 15 percent set aside of Atlanta Beltline Tax Allocation District (TAD) dollars for the development and maintenance of affordable workforce housing within the Atlanta BeltLine Planning Area — $250 million dollars over the 25-year lifespan of the Atlanta BeltLine TAD. A child of Civil Rights Movement and Atlanta native, Smith holds a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies from Morehouse College and a Master of Science from the New School. Among his many accomplishments, The Huffington Post honored Nathaniel as one of the eight “Up and Coming Black Leaders in the Climate Movement” in 2017. Nathaniel was also designated one of the 100 “Most Influential Georgians” by Georgia Trend magazine and named to the Grist 50 by Grist Magazine in 2018.

otis rolley

Senior Vice President, US Equity & Economic Opportunity, The Rockefeller Foundation

Otis Rolley joined The Rockefeller Foundation in 2019. Immediately prior to joining the foundation, Otis served as a North America managing director for 100 Resilient Cities (100RC), an initiative of the foundation. There he provided urban resilience technical assistance and portfolio management for 29 cities throughout the U.S. and Canada. Prior to his work at 100RC, Otis served as CEO of Newark, New Jersey’s economic development corporation.

A true urbanist, Otis’s career has been dedicated toward advancing economic and community development in cities, leading organizations in the for-profit and nonprofit private sectors. His 20 years of experience also includes serving in various leadership positions in the public sector. He has held cabinet roles with five different mayors in three large U.S. cities. He has been a chief of staff managing a $2 billion budget, city planning director for America’s largest independent city and he has served as the first deputy housing commissioner for the fifth largest public housing and community development agency in the U.S.

Otis has a master’s in city planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and graduated with honors with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Rutgers University.

rebecca henderson

Chief Executive Officer, Randstad Global Businesses, Executive Board Member

Rebecca's responsibilities include overseeing the company's global businesses portfolio, including Randstad Sourceright, Randstad RiseSmart and Monster. In this role, she drives the strategic direction of these organizations, with a focus on enterprise customer engagements. Rebecca has demonstrated an ongoing commitment to the advancement of women in the workforce and was instrumental in developing Randstad’s corporate-wide mentorship program for early- and mid-career women. Rebecca is a globally recognized human capital expert, including a member of Staffing Industry Analysts' Hall of Fame and a regular contributor to Forbes.com.

sekou kaalund

Head of Consumer Banking, Northeast Chase

Sekou Kaalund is currently the Head of Consumer Banking and formerly the Head of Advancing Black Pathways, a JPMorgan Chase program aimed at helping Black people, families and businesses share fully in economic growth. Prior to this role, Kaalund served for 11 years in JPMorgan’s Corporate and Investment Bank in numerous leadership positions — including as Head of U.S. Pension Fund Coverage and as a senior relationship manager for some of the firm’s largest clients. Kaalund joined J.P. Morgan in 2007 as Managing Director and Global Head of Sales for Private Equity and Real Estate Fund Services.

Kaalund also held leadership roles at Citi, including Head of Strategy for the Securities and Funds Services Group and Head of Strategic Initiatives for the Consumer Lending Group. Kaalund began his career at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and was a Commissioned Bank Examiner.

Kaalund earned a Master’s of Public Policy from Duke University and a Bachelor’s from Hampden-Sydney College. He currently serves on the board of INROADS and the Public Policy and International Affairs Program. His previous board services include the Duke University School of Public Policy, New York City Parks Foundation and the Council of Urban Professionals (CUP). He is a member of the Executive Leadership Council, Truman National Security Program and the Aspen Institute Vanguard Society, where he serves on the Advisory Board.

vince bennett

President/Chief Executive Officer, McCormack Baron Salazar

As Chief Executive Officer of MBS Properties, Inc., Vincent Bennett is responsible for the overall performance of the McCormack Baron companies, including McCormack Baron Salazar (development division), McCormack Baron Management (property management division), McCormack Baron Asset Management and MBS Urban Initiatives, CDE. As President of McCormack Baron Salazar, he oversees all aspects of operations and manages a talented multidisciplinary team of design, construction, legal, finance and project management staff across the country. He has particular expertise in the development of public housing transformations (though Choice Neighborhoods, HOPE VI and other public housing funding) and large-scale neighborhood master redevelopment efforts.

Mr. Bennett’s experience includes structuring and negotiating mixed-finance/mixed-income transactions that include Low-Income Housing Tax Credit equity, Community Development Block Grants, HOME, HOPE VI/Choice Neighborhoods, PHA Capital, foundation, corporate donations, grants and conventional debt. He facilitates communication with local community organizations and elected officials, neighborhood residents, lenders, foundations and state, local and federal agencies.

Prior to joining the firm in 1993, Mr. Bennett managed commercial and economic development activities for a community development corporation in the city of Pittsburgh. He is a graduate of the University of California in Santa Cruz with degrees in economics and psychology, and received his master’s degree in management and public policy with concentrations in financial management and urban development and planning at Carnegie Mellon University. Mr. Bennett serves on the boards of the YMCA and RBC.