HR&A ADVISORS - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Partner
- HR & a
- Managing Partner, Dallas
In Texas and across the country, Aaron works with public-sector, private-sector, and nonprofit clients to shape equitable and implementable real estate projects, policies, strategies, and public space investments. Aaron's expertise in real estate, public finance, parks and open space, public policy, economic development, and organizational strategy helps clients develop strong visions and plans and the structures, resources, and processes to implement them. Aaron leads HR&A's Texas office in Dallas.
On behalf of public and private landowners, Aaron has managed some of HR&A's largest district pre-development advisory projects. Aaron has been a strategic partner and development advisor to Rice Management Company, which manages the Rice University Endowment, for both the 300,000 square foot Ion innovation hub and broader 16-acre Ion District, overseeing real estate and programmatic development of the project with the goals of creating a thriving and inclusive tech ecosystem in Houston. This work included the development and adoption of a robust Community Benefits Agreement guiding over $15M in commitments to workforce inclusion, entrepreneurship, and housing affordability. In Denver, Aaron helped guide the owners of the 40-acre Broadway Station project through a market-supportable master plan and a public financing strategy to develop one of Denver's largest and most complex transit-oriented development sites. In Fort Worth, Aaron manages the team developing an updated Strategic Vision for Panther Island, a 400+ acre site adjacent to Downtown with great economic and real estate development potential associated with upcoming transformation of the Fort Worth Central City waterfront through major flood control investment.
Aaron works with cities, nonprofit organizations, and civic partnerships to craft policies and strategic plans that reflect and advance clients' missions and aspirations. Since 2021, Aaron has served as an advisor to the City of Dallas in policy development and implementation for the City's Economic Development Policy that for the first time prioritizes Southern Dallas and communities of color, including crafting updates to economic development incentives, historic preservation policies, and community development functions. Aaron guided Downtown Dallas, Inc., the nonprofit responsible for championing Downtown Dallas and managing the downtown Public Improvement District, through the organization's first strategic planning process, culminating in a new mission and focused priorities for the organization. In Cleveland, Aaron advised the Greater Cleveland Partnership and its public and private sector partners on the development model and governance strategy for the transformation of the Cleveland North Coast Lakefront, resulting in the creation of a new Waterfront Development Authority to steward the project. Aaron also developed a new five-year strategic plan for the Tulsa's Future Initiative, the public-private regional economic development plan led by the Tulsa Regional Chamber, as the organization navigated the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Aaron has provided analysis and implementation planning for transformative urban parks and public spaces. Aaron worked closely with the Buffalo Bayou Partnership on the investment strategy and master plan for Buffalo Bayou East, a four mile extension of the waterfront park system including park, trail, and community development. For the Trinity Park Conservancy, which is driving a vision for Harold Simmons Park in Dallas, HR&A prepared an Equitable Development Toolkit and real estate impact study to help guide planning and implementation. Aaron's work includes impact analysis and implementation strategies for other clients and projects including the Dallas Park & Recreation Department, Klyde Warren Park, the Texas Trees Foundation, Kansas City Washington Square Park, and Shaker Square in Cleveland.
Aaron joined HR&A in 2013 in New York City and moved to Dallas in 2015 to launch the Texas office. Prior to HR&A, Aaron spent two years working in Southeast Asia. As a Princeton in Asia Fellow in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Aaron coordinated fundraising efforts for the Asia Injury Prevention Foundation, an NGO working to reduce road traffic injuries and fatalities in the developing world. He later joined Intel in Bangkok, Thailand, where he supported the regional Corporate Social Responsibility team. Previously, Aaron worked for Slavic Village Development, a community development organization in Cleveland, and for the Supportive Housing Network of New York.
Aaron holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public & International Affairs at Princeton University, where he also received a certificate in Urban Studies.
Aaron provides research and analytical support for HR&A's Broadband and Digital Equity practice to help bridge the digital divide.
As a Research Analyst based in Washington D.C., Aaron works with the Broadband and Digital Equity practice. Before joining HR&A, Aaron worked as a Broadband Program Specialist at the Texas Broadband Development Office. In this role, Aaron provided support in developing the state's first competitive broadband grant program. He has experience in stakeholder engagement, data analysis, and policy research. Aaron worked with federal, state, and local stakeholders to ensure communities will benefit from the historic investment into bridging the digital divide.
Aaron holds a B.A. in International Relations and Government with a minor in Chinese from the University of Texas at Austin. During his studies, Aaron worked in the Texas House of Representatives as a legislative aide, gaining experience in policy analysis. He also studied Mandarin Chinese at National Taiwan University.
Ada Peng provides implementation and financing strategies in the realm of public-private partnership, housing and real estate development.
Ada brings her background and experiences in housing and real estate development to HR&A's real estate advisory practice. She assists public agencies, non-profits, and private developers to achieve their long-term vision with a practical approach suitable for the market condition.
Prior to joining HR&A, Ada contributed to three large-scale mixed-use developments in Southern California with residential, hotel, office, retail, and entertainment components. Her role included financial analysis and project management throughout the full development cycle- from master entitlement, to project positioning, construction, lease-up, and disposition. Ada was previously a graduate student researcher at UCLA, focusing on Asian-American asset building and housing disparity issues.
Ada received her Master of Public Policy from University of California, Los Angeles, and holds a Bachelor of Social Science in Policy and Public Administration with a minor in Economics from the City University of Hong Kong. Ada is an active member of the Urban Land Institute, championing the Diversity Committee and Women's Leadership Initiative at the Los Angeles chapter.
Adina works on projects to create more inclusive cities, build digital equity, and advocate for criminal justice reform. She is guided by the principle that where you live should not determine your quality of life.
As a Research Analyst, Adina started her work at HR&A as a core team member of the NYC Speaks project, a civic engagement initiative designed to translate the ideas of New Yorkers into meaningful policies and help inform the priorities of the mayoral administration. Adina has always been drawn to this type of community-based work, where rigorous analysis of data produces actionable solutions to the most critical challenges facing our communities.
Adina graduated in 2020 with a Bachelor's degree in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University, and is interested in the intersection between urban planning and community health outcomes. Previously, she has worked for the No Boundaries Coalition, a nonprofit and advocacy organization, where she worked to help launch sustainable food markets to improve health outcomes in west Baltimore. In addition, she has experience in community organizing in the Bronx, Public Health research, and in the real estate & mortgage industry in NYC. Adina hopes to reconcile her diverse interests and background through her work at HR&A. As a longtime resident of New York City, Adina is excited to work with New York office colleagues to tackle the complex challenges facing the city.
Alejandra provides research and analytical support to advance sustainable and equitable placed-based solutions through economic development policy, transit-oriented development, community engagement, and governance design.
Alejandra has recently graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelors in Urban studies. While at Penn, she interned with the Philadelphia City Planning Commission where she worked under John Haak, the Director of Planning Policy and Analysis. At PCPC, she produced comprehensive case studies on declining commercial corridors and train station developments. In addition, she wrote her thesis on the correlation between displacement and transit-oriented development along the Los Angeles Exposition Line through a spatial and demographic analysis.
As a director based in the Los Angeles office, Alex is advising state and local governments on planning, strategy, and inclusive stakeholder engagement for historic, federally-funded broadband infrastructure and digital equity initiatives.
Previously, he created and led the SF Digital Equity Initiative at the City and County of San Francisco, bringing free fiber Internet and digital skills training to low-income and public housing residents throughout the city. In this role, he also coordinated connectivity projects for the city's pandemic response and served as staff on the COVID-19 Economic Recovery Task Force and Emerging Technology Working Group.
In the nonprofit sector, he has served in various director roles at the Asian Youth Center, overseeing operations and programs at a community-based organization serving immigrant and system-involved youth and families across Los Angeles County. He supported the organization's expanding work in youth-led advocacy, employment, community health, restorative justice, and addressing anti-Asian hate.
Earlier in his career, Alex managed digital transformation projects internationally at the Asia Foundation and directed a college outreach project at UCLA. He holds a Master of Public Policy degree from UC Berkley's Goldman School of Public Policy and a B.A. in Political Science from UCLA.
Alex leads the firm's approach to business strategy and development, marketing and communications, and product development.
Alex previously led teams and initiatives across communications, marketing, stakeholder engagement, and corporate affairs at Nike. As Senior Director of Industry Engagement, his portfolio focused on the intersection of growth and corporate social responsibility.
Prior to Nike, Alex served as a senior aide to New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, managing partnerships with corporate, philanthropic, community and service organizations. He held positions in the offices of former Congressman Barney Frank and US Senator Barbara Boxer, and worked as a middle school teacher through Teach for America. He also co-founded Youth Run NOLA, a sports-based youth development program that has empowered thousands of young people across dozens of schools in South Louisiana through running for over ten years. Alex served on the board of the largest provider of homeless services in Portland, Oregon, helped pass an early childhood education ballot measure and supports a Boston-based youth development organization advancing food access. He is a graduate of the University of Southern California.
Job Titles:
- Leader
- HR & a
- Principal, Financial Analysis and Transactions
Alex Stokes is a firm leader in real estate financial modeling and strategic planning for economic development and urban revitalization.
Since joining HR&A in 2010, Alex has assessed the financial feasibility of numerous large-scale, mixed use redevelopment projects and crafted strategies to guide the use of public incentives and public financing, the provision of affordable housing and high-quality open space, waterfront redevelopment, developer engagement and university campus redevelopment. His analysis has supported over $1.5 billion in successful public-private financing.
Alex serves as HR&A's in-house advisor for real estate finance, economic impact modeling and other diverse analysis and strategy assignments and leads a team of analytic experts across the firm's five offices. Alex has also taught a seminar on redevelopment feasibility at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Design with HR&A Vice-Chairman Candace Damon since 2015.
Recent projects Alex has directed include the Southern Manhattan Coastal Protection Study, a major public initiative to foster economic development and flood protection in New York, as well as a Kendall Square redevelopment study sponsored by MIT and equitable redevelopment strategies for several neighborhoods in Detroit and Flint, Michigan. Alex supported successful transactions and partnership agreements for the American Dream retail-entertainment destination in New Jersey, mixed-use districts in Denver, Nashville and Charleston. Alex was previously the lead analyst for a strategic growth and modernization plan for the Research Triangle Park in North Carolina, a tax-increment financing strategy for the City of Atlanta and an award-winning master plan for a seven mile stretch of waterfront on the Delaware River in Philadelphia. Alex is currently overseeing implementation planning for a large-scale waterfront master plan in his hometown of Sarasota, Florida.
Prior to joining HR&A, Alex served as a financial advisor to state and local housing finance agencies at Caine Mitter and interned with GE Capital Real Estate in Paris.
Alex holds a Bachelor of Arts from Harvard College and a Master of Real Estate Management from the Université Paris-Dauphine, which he attended as part of a Harvard-sponsored Williams-Lodge Scholarship.
Alex supports the design and implementation of policies to promote inclusive economic development, decarbonization, and climate change adaptation in cities.
As a principal based in the New York office, Alex specializes in the intersection between bold climate action and equitable approaches to economic development. Hand in hand with philanthropy and state and local government, he provides technical assistance to help underserved communities-including rural communities and underserved urban areas-tap into federal funding to deploy infrastructure and investments that drive economic development. For government and private-sector institutions, he guides the planning of projects that integrate decarbonization with inclusive economic development in order to ensure investments in renewable energy and the green economy generate benefits for all. To inform financial decision-making and infrastructure funding strategy, he evaluates and narrates the economic and social impacts of climate risks and climate adaptation investments for residents, businesses, property owners, and local governments. And he advises major government and community anchor institutions on ways to support the growth and longevity of small and disadvantaged businesses via equitable procurement, affordable capital access, technical assistance and training, and other interventions.
Job Titles:
- Manager, Strategic Initiatives
Job Titles:
- Executive Assistant
- HR & a
Alexandra joins HR&A's New York City Office as an Executive Assistant where she brings over 6 years of executive assisting experience across private and public sector projects.
In her previous roles, Alexandra's day-to-day work included assisting the President/CEO as well as the sales team. She worked closely with an abundance of clients - facilitating all communications for their requests and preparing for market presentations and tradeshows. Alexandra also managed calendars, coordinated travel arrangements, and provided administrative support wherever it was needed.
Alexandra holds a Bachelors degree in Fashion Merchandising and Retail Marketing from Johnson & Wales University
Allie brings extensive experience in economic and workforce development, where she uses quantitative analysis to increase inclusive economic prosperity and reduce geographic disparities.
Before joining HR&A, Allie worked at CIC, a social enterprise that develops innovation campuses that provide shared wet labs, public civic spaces, industry hubs, and initiatives to help startups grow. As a member of the expansion team, she identified, evaluated, and pursued opportunities in new cities, partnering with commercial real estate developers as well as academic institutions, community organizations, and local stakeholders.
Previously, Allie worked at Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC), a national nonprofit focused on expanding economic prosperity in under-resourced communities. At ICIC she worked on the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program, a public private partnership that helps small businesses grow and create jobs in their communities. Allie led data analysis for the team, using quantitative analysis and mapping to increase equity within the program. She also led the launch of the program's first ever rural site, which became a model for future site launches. Allie also worked as a researcher and community organizer for a union in Boston, where she focused on issue-based campaigns around wage theft and other economic and workforce issues.
Allie has a Master of Urban and Regional Planning from UCLA, where she focused on economic and workforce development and quantitative analysis. She received her B.A. in Geography from the University of Washington.
As an Analyst based in HR&A's New York City office, Amelia's work focuses on community and economic development projects that leverage both public and private support. Amelia's prior work has also centered around advanced quantitative and qualitative analyses of the built environment. As a Product Trainer and Product Development Consultant for Social Explorer, a leading cloud-based demographic insights tool, Amelia conducted training for clients and advised on the platform's growth opportunities. Before joining Social Explorer, Amelia served as the Post-Baccalaureate Fellow for the Barnard College Empirical Reasoning Center where she conducted an empirical suitability analysis recommending equitable distribution of small plazas across New York City in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Amelia holds a Master of City and Regional Planning from The University of Pennsylvania Stuart Weitzman School of Design where she specialized in Land Use and Environmental Planning and Urban Redevelopment techniques. Amelia also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies with Honors from the Barnard College of Columbia University.
Amelia's work focuses on organizational and governance design, sociopolitical analyses of place, and building technological infrastructure that combats disenfranchisement.
Based in HR&A's Los Angeles office, Amelia has helped produce city and county-wide economic development strategies, value-capture models for open spaces, and evaluations of the real estate industry's adoption of health and social equity practices.
Prior to joining HR&A, Amelia managed editorial and podcasting content for Archinect, an online architecture and urbanism publication. She has reported as a freelancer for Curbed.com, Places Journal, Hyperallergic, and the Atlantic's CityLab, covering topics from street vending policy to art in transit stations. She served as guest editor for the Van Alen Institute's editorial series on cities and mental health, and an anthology of papers for the Conscious Cities conference. In partnership with an epidemiological study on brain health at Massachusetts General Hospital, her graduate thesis research also focused on the relationship between the built environment and public health. She has also supported research on municipal managed retreat policy while an associate at the Consensus Building Institute, a non-profit dispute resolution and mediation firm.
Amelia has a Bachelor of Arts in Rhetoric with Honors from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Masters of City Planning from MIT.
Amitabh brings over 20 years of national and international experience and a deep understanding of public private partnerships (P3s) and value capture strategies to support a wide range of public infrastructure investments and economic development. Amitabh combines rigorous diagnosis, robust policy testing, and diverse stakeholder input to craft implementation strategies for complex public private partnerships.
Amitabh helps implement real estate leveraged P3s in a way that optimizes public real estate value and creates broader community benefits. With analytical acumen and multidisciplinary thinking, Amitabh designs credible P3 solutions that effectively balances public and private sector objectives. He helped negotiate the development agreement between the City of San Jose and Google, where Google has committed to deliver a $200 Million community benefits package related to their planned Downtown West project in San Jose. For the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, he developed a joint development strategy for station-adjacent sites along the BART Silicon Valley Extension, which helped VTA secure one of the first allocations under the Federal Transit Administration's (FTA) Expedited Project Delivery (EPD) program. He is also supporting the San Diego Association of Government (SANDAG) on the P3 implementation of it's Central Mobility Hub project.
Amitabh designs creative value capture strategies to support infrastructure and community benefits. His work is particularly focused on ‘Restorative Infrastructure' that seek to redress previous disinvestment and create broad economic and environmental benefits. Utilizing tools ranging from impact fees, assessment districts, and tax increment financing, transfer of development rights and incentive zoning, Amitabh creates funding strategies for infrastructure. He worked with the City of Los Angeles to analyze the funding capacity of an Enhanced Infrastructure Financing District (EIFD) to support the restoration of the Los Angeles River, for the City of Seattle he developed a financial plan for the I-5 freeway lid proposed in downtown Seattle, which would stitch together historically disconnected neighborhoods, and he evaluated value capture strategies to support the extension of the Crenshaw/LAX Line between LAX and Hollywood, connecting some of the region's historically disinvested neighborhoods to its major employment centers.
Amitabh leads strategies supporting transit-oriented development (TOD), repositioning transportation assets to align community priorities with market opportunities. As an industry leader in TOD, he has advised on planning and implementation for TOD projects across all forms of transportation systems ranging from Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) to High Speed Rail. He worked with LA Metro to develop a TOD implementation framework along the planned West Santa Ana Branch light rail line, formulated land use vision and strategy for the ARRIVE Corridor, a commuter rail along six municipalities in San Bernardino County, and supported development concepts leveraging the Ultimate Urban Connector, a future autonomous vehicle shuttle transit system in Jacksonville, Florida. Amitabh's work also includes station area planning for future California High Speed Rail stations in Bakersfield and Palmdale.
Amitabh helps cities frame their long-term planning with a focus on fiscal sustainability and economic development. He has shaped more than a dozen general plans, specific plans, and economic development strategies that do not simply "check the box," but truly define community values and trade-offs. For the City of Los Angeles, he helped develop a citywide economic development strategy that sets long-term goals of equitable and sustainable economic growth, accompanied by an organizational structure that can most effectively deliver the vision. He is working on the general plan update for Culver City, along with strategies around increasing the resilience of retail and encouraging economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Amitabh brings a wealth of global experience. He has worked on the regional development strategy for the Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor, a high sped freight rail corridor connecting Delhi and Mumbai in India. He has advised governments, private entities, and institutions like the World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, and Asian Development Bank on developing public private partnership and value capture strategies. His projects have spanned more than fifteen countries across the Americas, Caribbean, Asia, and the Middle East.
Prior to HR&A, Amitabh was a Vice President with AECOM and Regional Director for Planning, Design, and Development for AECOM in India. Prior to this, he led AECOM's Economics practice in the US-West region and served as the Global Practice leader for the firm's Economic Planning and Real Estate sector. Amitabh was a Principal with Economics Research Associates until the two firms merged in 2007. Amitabh holds a Masters in Urban Planning and a Masters in Building Science from the University of Southern California. He also holds a Bachelor of Architecture from the School of Planning and Architecture in New Delhi, India.
Before HR&A, Amruta worked at the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA), where she focused on projects ranging from analyzing the coastal adaptive capacity of vulnerable communities to assisting multiple North Texas cities in developing urban design guidelines for missing-middle housing. Throughout her doctoral studies and before, Amruta has actively engaged with regional and local nonprofits and community-based organizations on community engagement projects, youth education on socio-ecological sustainability, and developed community stewardship frameworks for long-term, meaningful engagement of residents. She is also an adjunct faculty at UTA, teaching undergraduate and graduate students to conduct sustainability assessments of proposed projects to alleviate environmental and climate injustices. The course exposes students to multi-scale case studies on water resiliency, transportation, housing, environmental education, equitable food access, and others.
Amruta received her Ph.D. in Urban Planning and Public Policy from the University of Texas at Arlington in May 2023, where she has won federal grants and regional awards for technical reports and high school student training projects. She holds a Bachelor's from Mumbai University and a Master's in Architecture from Penn State.
Job Titles:
- Leader
- Senior Analyst
- HR & a
Ana provides guidance to government and community leaders on closing the digital divide and implementing an equitable broadband future.
Ana is a leader in the Broadband Equity Partnership where she supports projects working to provide effective, efficient, and equitable broadband. Before joining HR&A, she worked in the Office of Commissioner Martha Guzman Aceves with the California Public Utilities Commission, analyzing broadband access and the digital divide highlighted by COVID-19. Ana began her career working with the Obama White House Office of Presidential Personnel where she led leadership and professional development programs for over 3,000 political appointees. Since then, Ana has bridged advocacy efforts with government support on local, state, and federal levels. She has supported research on various policy issues in her capacity at the Arizona State Senate, the City of Oakland, and the California State Assembly Committee on Budget.
Ana holds a Masters of Public Policy from the University of California, Berkeley, a Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies, and a Bachelor of Science in Sociology from Arizona State University. Ana is also a graduate from the Public Policy and International Affairs Program at Princeton University.
Job Titles:
- Managing Partner
- Partner
- Leader in HR & a 's Equity
For over 25 years, Andrea has designed and implemented initiatives for non-profits, governments, and think tanks that make cities better, fairer places.
From her time as a young student member of New York City's school board to her experiences as a queer daughter of an immigrant, Andrea deeply understands how the systems that shape policy are often disconnected from the people they are supposed to serve. Andrea's work acknowledges that conventional approaches to economic development, public policy, public service delivery, and urban planning have created or worsened existing inequities in our society. She is a tireless defender of basic universal rights and leads initiatives with non-profits, local governments, and community organizations to confront the status quo and lead systemic change to benefit historically marginalized and disenfranchised people.
Andrea is a leader in HR&A's Equity in Governance Practice, which has helped to shape how local government engages and serves over 11 million people - from New York City to Oakland to Allegheny County, PA to Miami-Dade, FL to Harris County, TX. With this work, Andrea designs and executes transitions for newly elected leaders to seize the transition period as an opportunity to clarify how they will translate campaign promises into action, generate policies grounded in the reality of people's lives, express their values through their first budget, and attract talent to get things done. Andrea supports new City and County executive leaders who represent a "first" for their office, including the first woman County Executive of Allegheny County and the first Hmong American and the first formerly homeless Mayor of Oakland. Her proven ability to translate their campaign promises into tangible reforms has been enshrined in a playbook prepared for Local Progress, a movement of elected municipal officials who activate the powers of local government to advance racial equity and economic justice.
Andrea was instrumental in the formation of La Liga, an organization that equipped Puerto Rican mayors with unprecedented communication channels in the wake of Hurricane Maria. La Liga is emblematic of Andrea's impact - it presented a first-of-its-kind, community-focused, collaborative vehicle for Puerto Rico to address fiscal, economic, rebuilding challenges and to gain deserved visibility and support from the U.S. mainland.
Andrea consistently drives deep systems change within cities to confront the dangers faced by marginalized people within our nation's food security, criminal justice, mental health, public safety, and housing systems. She works with a broad array of stakeholders to understand the historical challenges they've faced and to co-design strategies for action and policy change. Her projects range from micro to macro scale - from working with a neighborhood to imagine their future to building new systems for large cities to understanding how the policies and funding regimes established by federal government have created and reinforced racial divides. This approach is exemplified through her leadership in Gainesville, Florida, where her team performed focused research to identify and address areas of the City's Comprehensive Plan that failed to combat the increases in racial inequity. Similarly, her leadership and execution of a race equity audit for the City of Beverly, MA, which holistically evaluated policies, practices, and cultures of the city, led to a governance framework that provided a much-needed foundation for the City to build towards racial equity.
Andrea's work consistently challenges traditional economic development approaches to place equity at the heart of progressive change. Her work with the City of Dallas - a city that prioritized communities of color for the first time ever in 2021 - led to an unanimously approved equitable Economic Development Policy and Incentive Policy. In Los Angeles County, Andrea worked to center racial equity and inclusion in the outcome of its regional plan and its internal operations. She also led work on the Gwinnett Place Mall in Georgia, which transformed a conversation around an aging mall into one of opportunity that placed equity foremost in its redevelopment planning, especially when considering anti-displacement and regional inclusion of its diverse surrounding communities.
In her justice reform work, Andrea interrogates existing criminal justice system structures and works with multi-stakeholder groups including formerly incarcerated people, activists, municipalities, and more to design strategies that promote human dignity and more equitable outcomes. In one such project, she is advising the City of Philadelphia in its efforts to reform its parole system to reduce incarcerated populations and envision supportive diversion strategies for the recently incarcerated through the formation of "community resource centers" (CRCs). With city partners, Andrea and the HR&A team conceptualized the holistic strategy for these centers including wraparound care, operations, governance, and financial sustainability.
After working with cities like Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle and others on public banking initiatives, there is a growing interest in Andrea's work around public banking. Andrea partners with leaders and policy innovators across the United States who are exploring the potential of municipal public banking to help cities take bold steps towards addressing banking inequities and associated challenges like racial wealth gaps, poverty, and disparities in local economic development. Andrea has lead studies and initiatives that help clients: understand the impact of significant policy initiatives at the state and local level, quantify the financial feasibility and economic impact of public banking institutions, and work with public, private, and community stakeholders to design and execute tailored plans that address each city's unique needs. Notably, the State of California recently passed legislation (California Public Banking Option Act AB-1177) to explore a banking option grounded by support and analysis performed by Andrea's team.
Andrea joined HR&A after serving as Deputy Director for the United States Program of Open Society Foundations, where she oversaw program operations and grant-making portfolios. She also served as Special Advisor to New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, where she focused on reducing disparities facing young African American and Latino men and spent 10 years running the Drum Major Institute for Public Policy. She holds a Master's Degree in History from Columbia University and the London School of Economics. She is the author of The Death of ‘Why?': The Decline of Questioning and the Future of Democracy.
As an Analyst in the New York office, Andrew provides financial and data analysis to real estate and economic development projects across the county.
Andrew has worked on projects creating financial models to assess the feasibility of asset repositioning and new development, facilitation of both public and private investments in affordable housing, transit-oriented development initiatives, municipal affordable housing plans, and real estate and economic development leveraging professional sports franchises and entertainment assets.
Prior to joining HR&A, Andrew assisted in the underwriting of both real estate and business loans resulting in hundreds of affordable and supportive housing units being developed throughout the county. Andrew interned at the Swearer Center at Brown University where he researched the impact different economic policies had on park accessibility and childhood obesity in lower income areas in Providence, RI. Andrew received his Bachelor of Arts from Brown University in Business Economics and was a four-year varsity athlete on the football team.
As an analyst based in the Washington, DC office, Andrew has helped city and regional clients develop transit-oriented development strategies and forecast economic activity and real estate trends.
Prior to joining HR&A, Andrew planned bus priority projects as a transportation planner at the District Department of Transportation (DDOT). He previously worked as a community engagement specialist at DDOT and as a legislative fellow at the U.S. Senate. He writes for Greater Washington, covering topics like inclusionary zoning and development history, and the urban-focused daily newsletter 730DC.
Andrew has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with Honors from Colgate University and a Master of Urban Planning from New York University.
Anika leverages her cross-sector experience to plan for more equitable, just, and accessible cities. She is passionate about centering joy, healing, and environmental justice in her work.
Prior to joining HR&A, Anika worked for the Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability at Harvard. She also interned with the United Nations' Urban Mobility team in Nairobi, Kenya to develop sustainable urban mobility plans and accessibility guides for walkable streets. Anika is originally from Baltimore, Maryland, where she has worked for their Planning Department's Office of Sustainability, coordinating the City's Connecting Children to Nature program to advance equitable access to green space and forming partnerships between mental health and environmental programs. Anika was also formerly a summer fellow with HR&A.
Anika holds a Masters in Urban Planning from the Harvard Graduate School of Design, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Science & Policy and Cultural Anthropology from Duke University.
Anna has worked to develop affordable housing plans and policies across various regions in the United States. Her experience uniquely blends housing with practical economic, environmental, and equity insights. She brings a wide range of expertise in market research, fiscal analysis, and community engagement.
Prior to joining HR&A, Anna served as an AmeriCorps VISTA with Capital Clubhouse and CNHED. At Capital Clubhouse, she built partnerships with business and civic organizations to increase access to employment opportunities for DC residents living with mental health challenges. She brings additional experience from internships with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, PYXERA Global, and the City Government of Philadelphia.
Anna graduated from the George Washington University with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and International Affairs and a minor in Sustainability.
Anna Mae supports development of HR&A's digital products, and will start by focusing on tools for Broadband & Digital Equity and Housing Affordability clients. This is an exciting new role at HR&A.
As a Product Manager based in the New York office, Anna Mae manages the product development lifecycle to scope, implement, and deliver digital products.
Prior to HR&A, Anna Mae played multiple pivotal roles in product management, community engagement, and account management during a period of rapid growth at Unite Us, a health tech company. As an Associate Product Manager, Anna Mae was responsible for implementing digital features to support key workflows enabling health payers to reimburse non-profits for delivery of social services. Previously Anna Mae led regional engagement strategy and managed a growing team. In that role, she helped nonprofits across communities transition to digital solutions to holistically address the social determinants of health. Anna Mae began her career as a Peace Corps volunteer in Swaziland (eSwatini) where she collaborated with community health workers to develop HIV/AIDS mitigation programs. Anna Mae also has experience in geospatial technologies, energy research, and education tech.
Anna Mae holds dual BAs in Geography and Environmental Studies from George Washington University, an MPA from New York University, and an MBA from Cornell University where she was a Forté Fellow.
As an analyst in our New York office, Anna is passionate about equitable economic development, affordable housing, and urban resilience.
Before joining HR&A, Anna worked as a Program Associate at the Center for NYC Neighborhoods, where she assisted low- and middle- income homeowners across New York. She was previously an intern at Sam Schwartz Transportation Consultants and a Princeton in Asia Fellow in Phang Nga, Thailand, where she taught English at a public high school.
Anna received a B.A. in Urban Studies from Brown University. Her senior capstone project analyzed rental housing ownership in Providence, RI, in service to a local community-based organization. As a researcher with Brown's Climate and Development Lab, Anna attended the 2017 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 23).
Aram combines rigorous analysis with strategic planning to address a variety of issues facing urban communities, including housing affordability and economic inclusion. With an eye toward implementation, he focuses on developing pragmatic, equity-centered strategies that are firmly grounded in economic, fiscal, and political realities.
Prior to joining HR&A, Aram worked for three years as an urban planner, during which he consulted governments across the country on various community development issues. Earlier in his career, he also worked on an anti-displacement program for the City & County of San Francisco and performed extensive data analysis for the UC Berkeley Urban Displacement Project.
Aram holds a Master's Degree from the London School of Economics & Political Science and a Bachelor's Degree from the University of California, Davis.
Arjun leads digital product development at HR&A, focusing on the intersection of quantitative methods, data science, web development, and policy to drive insights and decision-making for clients across the country.
Job Titles:
- Communications Coordinator
For over 20 years, Bob has worked with academic institutions, government and private industry to advance the missions of top research and technology campuses for greater public impact.
Bob Geolas is a nationally-recognized leader in the development of innovation districts, university campuses, and research parks. As the Partner in charge of our Raleigh office, Bob brings his vision of placemaking as a public service to HR&A, working with clients to deliver economic growth and real estate strategies that enhance assets and communities.
Prior to joining HR&A, Bob served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Research Triangle Foundation, the steward organization for the Research Triangle Park in North Carolina. As President, he led the master planning effort to reshape Research Triangle Park, ensuring its place at the forefront of technology and applied science, while also serving its historic mission to support the universities and create opportunities for all North Carolinians. Previously, Bob helped to create one of the country's most successful public-private research and development campuses as Executive Director of the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research.
Bob has received several awards for his work to further the missions of institutions, including the Vision Award from the International Association of University Research Parks, Alumni of the Year Award from North Carolina State University, College of Humanities and Social Science and the Triangle Top 20 CEO of the Year Award from the Triangle Business Journal.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Partner and Board of Directors Co - Chair
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Managing Partner, Los Angeles
Danny bridges the gap between urbanists and technologists when it comes to infrastructure, real estate, planning, and economic development. With deep experience in both the public and private sectors, he has shaped and managed large-scale capital investment programs and district development strategies; led the development of government data products and digital tools; and designed and implemented organizational changes that foster innovation and efficiency in government.
Most recently, Danny served as Founding Director of the Capital Planning Division of the New York City Department of City Planning (NYCDCP), where he was responsible for integrating new technologies and data-driven approaches into the City's capital planning and budget-making process across nearly two dozen agencies. In this role, he:
Conceived and led the development of the Capital Planning Platform, a new civic technology and government efficiency initiative utilizing free and open source software. The platform includes the NYC Facilities Explorer, and its core mapping technology is increasingly being used for other applications.
Led the integration of capital planning into neighborhood planning, ensuring that the City complements changes to zoning with investments that can catalyze and accommodate growth, as with the $250+ million East New York Community Plan. Danny also led the creation, design, and management of a $1 billion Neighborhood Development Fund to support this work.
Jointly developed the City of New York's $95.85 billion Ten-Year Capital Strategy, in partnership with the Mayor's Office of Management and Budget.
Supported the design and creation of NYC Planning Labs, a new division of the Department of City Planning that embraces open technology, agile development, and user-centered design to build impactful products with NYC's urban planners.
Served as Co-Chair of the Core Infrastructure and Services Task Force for OneNYC, Mayor Bill de Blasio's plan for a strong and just city.
Prior to NYCDCP, Danny was a Principal at HR&A Advisors, where he:
Served as Project Director of Talking Transition, an expansive civic engagement initiative sponsored by a consortium of NYC-based foundations that included a team of 250+, a custom web app to survey 70,000 New Yorkers, and events that attracted 15,000 people.
Led development, programming, and management strategies for more than a dozen parks around the world, including New York City's High Line and Boston's Lawn on D Street.
Conducted a comprehensive review of master planning efforts for the 2012 Olympic Parklands in London and economic development assets, organizations, and governance in the City of Los Angeles.
Managed the winning development proposal for Pier 57 in Hudson River Park, and the master leasing processes for the Fulton Center and Paul Union Depot.
Managed innovative civic hacking and economic development competitions, including NYC BigApps, Take the HELM, and Staten Island Storefronts.
Evaluated the economic and fiscal impacts of more than $20 billion of real estate and infrastructure investment, contributing to clients' abilities to secure new sources of public and private funding.
Working at the nexus of economics, public policy, technology, planning, and design has allowed Danny to serve as a trusted advisor to senior leaders in government, real estate, and nonprofits. As Managing Partner of HR&A's New York Office, he is also working to grow HR&A as a place for brilliant professionals to shape the future of urban life.
Danny has been a guest lecturer at Columbia University, New York University, Yale University, and numerous conferences and community events across the country. He holds a Bachelor of Arts with distinction in Architecture and Urban Studies from Yale University.
Danny integrates technology with city building and specializes in managing complex and creative urban development initiatives.
Danny bridges the gap between urbanists and technologists when it comes to infrastructure, real estate, planning, and economic development. With deep experience in both the public and private sectors, he has shaped and managed large-scale capital investment programs and district development strategies; led the development of government data products and digital tools; and designed and implemented organizational changes that foster innovation and efficiency in government.
Most recently, Danny served as Founding Director of the Capital Planning Division of the New York City Department of City Planning (NYCDCP), where he was responsible for integrating new technologies and data-driven approaches into the City's capital planning and budget-making process across nearly two dozen agencies.
Conceived and led the development of the Capital Planning Platform, a new civic technology and government efficiency initiative utilizing free and open source software. The platform includes the NYC Facilities Explorer, and its core mapping technology is increasingly being used for other applications.
Job Titles:
- Chief Finance and Operations Officer
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Partner and Board of Directors Co - Chair
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- Partner
Jon has deep experience advising public and private sector clients on the financing and implementation of complex real estate projects. With a dedicated focus on real estate policy, carbon reduction efforts, and strategic approaches to implementation, he is able to develop sound and effective strategies for deploying public-private partnerships.
In 2016, Jon returned to HR&A after serving as the Chief Operating Officer of the Trust for Governors Island, where he was responsible for capital projects, operations, and finance for a complex redevelopment project in New York Harbor.
During his initial tenure at HR&A, Jon was instrumental in creating an economic rationale for the re-use of the High Line in New York City. He led HR&A's efforts to estimate the impact of saving the High Line as a public open space as an alternative to demolishing the historic structure. Jon also served as the project manager for HR&A's work creating economic development strategies for downtown Columbus and Cincinnati, Ohio.
Jose Serrano-McClain brings expertise in urban innovation, technology policy, and community economic development.
As a leader in the HR&A's Inclusive Cities and Urban Tech & Innovation practices, Jose works across the country with municipal governments, economic development organizations, technology companies and foundations that are seeking to play catalytic roles in regional economic transformations that are grounded in equity, sustainability, and next-generation public infrastructure.
Prior to joining HR&A, he was Program Director of NYCx for the NYC Mayor's Office of the Chief Technology Officer, where he led the creation of an urban innovation R&D program that convenes community-based organizations, technology companies, academic partners, and city agencies to collaborate on design of smart infrastructure, new technologies and business models that help the city achieve its ambitious strategic goals for resilience, sustainability, and economic equity. Before joining City government, Jose worked on macroeconomic analysis and financial regulations at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Jose has also worked as a community organizer on behalf of vulnerable immigrant communities in Queens NY equitable public space and transportation policy reforms, and he co-founded a social enterprise to support the arts, creative development, and social innovation.
Jose earned his Master of Fine arts from Queens College and a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Pennsylvania.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- HR & a
- Industry Leader
Judith leads forward-looking market and economic analyses that help public and private clients identify and implement transformational, yet achievable, real estate development strategies.
Since joining HR&A's Los Angeles Office in 2013, Judith has focused her expertise in transit-oriented development (TOD) and economic and placemaking strategies for suburban, exurban, and historically disinvested communities. Judith has a breadth of experience providing customized economic analyses including real estate market analysis, economic impact analysis, fiscal impact analysis, development advisory assistance, revitalization strategies, and funding and value capture strategies, to aid clients in optimizing unique development opportunities.
Judith's TOD work includes financial analysis and the development of a community benefits strategy for the Expo Light Rail Phase II Transit Neighborhood Plans for the City of Los Angeles and an innovative integrated TOD corridor planning effort for the proposed West Santa Ana Branch Light Rail for Metro.
Judith has also developed economic strategies to leverage the value of the proposed California High Speed Rail for the City of Bakersfield and is providing development advisory services for the City of San Jose as it looks to develop the station area of the largest new multi-modal high-speed rail station west of the Mississippi, Diridon Station.
Throughout her career Judith has provided analysis and developed revitalization strategies for aging suburban corridors and districts in cities such as the Palmdale, Montclair, Upland, Cathedral City, and Indio, California. Judith has also been on the forefront of health and wellness-anchored redevelopment districts and currently is working on a project in Lancaster, CA.
Judith analyzes and supports community-desired development in historically disinvested neighborhoods. Judith led the financing and funding analysis for the $1 billion Jordan Downs Public Housing Redevelopment Masterplan for the City of Los Angeles Housing Authority while at Economics Research Associates and has completed a number of studies for public and private clients for the Crenshaw/LAX Light Rail Transit stations in South Los Angeles at HR&A, including real estate advisory for a community-informed Design for Development used to support the recent Metro-led solicitation process for publicly-owned land around two Crenshaw/LAX stations.
In addition to her TOD and market analysis work, Judith is an industry leader in economic impact analysis. She led the economic impact analysis for several high-profile sports and entertainment events, projects, and firms, such as the proposed Seattle NBA Arena, the proposed City of Industry NFL Stadium, Cirque du Soleil's KOOZA and Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. Judith has also provided fiscal and economic assistance to private clients such as Hines, Pardee Homes.
Prior to joining HR&A, Judith served as the Director of Real Estate and Economic Planning practice at Pro Forma Advisors and as a Senior Associate with the former Economics Research Associates. Judith is a graduate of Stanford University with a Bachelor's of Arts in Economics, and holds a Master's in Public Policy and Urban Planning from the Harvard Kennedy School. Judith is an active member of ULI and APA. In her spare time Judith enjoys hiking, biking, and mentoring foster youth.
Kate works at the intersection of tech and city building helping clients build places, train people, and deliver infrastructure to make today's cities ready for tomorrow's opportunities.
She provides real estate advisory, conducts impact assessments and develops programs and policies to support governments, developers and businesses on growing tech and innovation ecosystems in cities around the world. Working at the company, district, and city scales, Kate helps her clients leverage technology for economic development and to encourage more equitable urban environments.
Prior to joining HR&A, Kate served as a Director of Corporate Real Estate for Sony where she managed real estate acquisitions, dispositions, and lease activity for various business groups for a portfolio that included 20 million square feet of retail, office, industrial and manufacturing. Kate earned a Master of Science in Real Estate Development from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies from the University of Pennsylvania. Kate is also an adjunct Professor at Columbia University where she teaches graduate students about tech and city building.
Job Titles:
- Director of Human Resources
Job Titles:
- Director of Business Development
With extensive experience in innovation district planning, development and operations, Mason leads the firm's growing Knowledge Economy Practice from Atlanta, GA.
Mason joins HR&A after serving as the Vice President of Operations at The University Financing Foundation (TUFF), a non-profit financing organization based in Atlanta, where he advised on a wide variety of local and international university projects managing assets in excess of $1.5 billion which include innovation districts such as Georgia Tech's Tech Square in Midtown Atlanta and healthcare networks such as Northwell Health in Manhattan New York. Prior to TUFF, Mason was the Chief Operating Officer at the Research Triangle Park Foundation (RTP) and led the organization's business development, marketing, real estate, and partnership efforts. Responsible for leading the convergence of higher education including three R1 universities, two community colleges, and a Historically Black College and University (HBCU), Mason championed the redevelopment of RTP as a multi-use innovation destination for the Triangle.
With an extensive international network, Mason traveled to Sweden and Saudi Arabia as an Eisenhower Fellow and studied the global evolution of innovation districts and the impacts of place-based design and public-private convergence on their success. Mason is the Past President of the Association of University Research Parks (AURP), Co-Chairman of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) University Development & Innovation Council, and member of the Atlanta ULI Center for Leadership.
Mason holds a BS in Architecture & Design and a Master's of City & Regional Planning from Clemson University.
Job Titles:
- Director of Strategy and Operations - Broadband & Digital Equity
Job Titles:
- IC Practice Project Coordinator
Paul J. Silvern draws on over 30 years of non-profit, public, and private professional experience, including serving as the Partner in charge of HR&A's Los Angeles area office between 2007 and 2020, and a member of the firm's Board of Directors 2007-2022.
In his time with HR&A, he has directed the analysis of major regional airport expansion plans, military base conversions, television and film studio expansions, hotels, office parks, high-rise office buildings, industrial developments, shopping centers, hospital complexes, university campus expansions, urban residential developments, mixed-use developments, and a wide range of planning initiatives.
A 5.2 million square foot Specific Plan to guide future academic facility, housing and commercial development at the University of Southern California's University Park campus;
Redevelopment of the Hollywood Park Racetrack in Inglewood into a major mixed-use development including 3,000 housing units, regional retail, office and public uses;
Phillip Kash is a nationally recognized practitioner and thought leader on housing affordability, and resilience and recovery.
A leading expert on urban policy, Phillip works across the country to address two of the most pressing challenges facing cities today: housing affordability and resilience and recovery. He works with local governments, community advocates and private stakeholders to develop strategic frameworks to establish priorities and approaches; designs programs and policies to achieve public policy goals; and advises on the implementation of projects.
As a leader of HR&A's affordable housing practice, Phillip focuses on improving housing affordability in American cities through comprehensive strategies that integrate land use policy, public funding, and tenants' rights. He has worked with dozens of local governments in the past four years to develop and implement affordable housing plans. This includes the development of comprehensive affordable housing plans to guide local governments as they grapple with the growing challenge of affordability. Recently he has worked with Detroit, MI on a Multifamily Housing Strategy, with El Paso, TX on a Regional Housing Plan and with Wake County, NC on an Affordable Housing Plan that dedicates $75M in local funding to affordable housing over the next five years.
As part of his work, Phillip also advises on the development of specific affordable housing programs and policies. This includes an inclusionary zoning policy and short-term rental affordability policy in New Orleans, LA, as well as the design of single-family rehabilitation, multifamily gap financing and emergency rental assistance programs for the Housing Opportunity Fund on behalf of the Urban Redevelopment Authority. He lead the development of a housing affordability calculator that evaluates the impact of local policies on housing affordability and production for Seattle, Portland, and Charlotte. He advised on Norfolk, VA's successful Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant application to redevelop Saint Paul's Area and undertake a People First strategy that focused on the needs of public housing residents.
Phillip's work on resilience and recovery began in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina and has continued in other cities across the country. He advised the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority on the development of disaster recovery programs that successfully revitalized neighborhoods and commercial corridors throughout the city. Phillip joined HR&A in 2015 to help lead the delivery of technical assistance to states and local governments throughout the country as part of the National Disaster Resilience Competition (NDRC). From 2015-2016, he led a multidisciplinary team of engineers, climate scientists, and landscape architects to develop Climate Ready Boston, a comprehensive climate adaptation plan for the city and its regional systems that won the Gold National Planning Achievement Award from APA. He advised on financing, development, and governance strategies for the Ohio Creek Watershed Transformation project in Norfolk, VA, and the Gentilly Resilience District in New Orleans, and the Ilse de Jean Resettlement Project effort in Southern Louisiana. Following Hurricane Michael, he lead the development of an Economic Recovery Plan for Panama City, FL that lead to reinvestment in the city's urban core, historic neighborhoods and commercial corridors.
Prior to joining HR&A, Phillip worked at Enterprise Community Partners where he advised on affordable housing, nonprofit business planning, neighborhood revitalization and resilient recovery programs. As a Director, he provided technical assistance to local governments and nonprofits nationwide; designed and implemented programs; and advised on affordable housing development projects. Several of his technical assistance engagements were part of HUD's One Community Planning and Development program and the National Resource Network.
Phillip volunteers with All Souls Housing Corporation to support and preserve the affordability of Columbia Heights Village, a 400-unit development in the heart of DC. He holds a Master's in City and Regional Planning and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Job Titles:
- Business Development Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Director of Communications
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Managing Partner, Washington DC
Job Titles:
- Chief People and Culture Officer
Job Titles:
- Technology Resource Manager