Committees, DC Agency Working Groups, and Community Services Corporation
When a company joins, every single DC employee becomes a member and has access to all committees and discounted event tickets.
JOIN DCBIA HERE.
DCBIA committees and agency work groups are where DCBIA thought-leaders are built and industry information is shared. These groups advance solutions-based proposals and ensure DCBIA's agile and responsive approach to market conditions and member needs. Included in all DCBIA groups is a sharp focus on communities of color, on young and emerging real estate development leaders, and on issues impacting the environment, energy and sustainability.
Email info@dcbia.org with your list of committees you are interested in joining in 2026.
Active DCBIA members can participate in any committee.
DCBIA COMMITTEES
1. Capital Markets - The Capital Markets Committee develops roundtable discussions on the current and future capital markets. The Committee also evaluates financial trends and project financing and organizes and hosts a CEO forum yearly. Co-chaired by Alissa Curry-Briggs, Executive Director of Commercial Real Estate FVC Bank and Shawn Weingast, General Counsel/Director of Capital Markets, Acumen Cos .
2. Commercial, Office, and Retail - The COR Committee studies local, national, and international retail trends and monitors and promotes commercial, office and retail leasing in the DC area (formerly Retail Business Development). The Committee also organizes presentations by real estate leaders and hosts walking tours of new spaces. Co-chaired by Chad Shuskey of Washington DC Economic Partnership and Curvin Leatham of Area Probe.
3. Construction & Development - The C&D Committee (formerly Commercial Construction) holds roundtable discussions on commercial construction and development and evaluates trends and federal/local legislative regulatory proposals. Co-chaired by Baboucarr Cham of Coakley & Williams and Mwangi Gathinji, Community Three.
4. Housing - The Housing Committee focuses on creating solutions-based proposals to improve housing in the District of Columbia, including housing production, management, financing, and regulation. Chaired by: Charles Warren, Principal Teass\Warren Architects. & Michelle Giannini, Principal Broker & Executive Vice President, Hoffman & Associates.
5. Membership Committee - The Membership Committee works to recruit and retain DCBIA membership. Its primary goal is to serve as a welcoming arm and soundboard to learn more about how DCBIA can ensure agile service delivery to members in these rapidly changing times. The Committee promotes new member participation, increases DCBIA membership, and promotes overall value. Co-chaired by
Benjamin Wilson, Greysteel &
Tonnie Chamblee, Design Alliance.
6. Public Policy & Regulation - The Committee monitors legislation that impacts DC real estate development and provides written and oral testimony to the Council of the District of Columbia on behalf of DCBIA. The Committee also develops strategies on industry issues, including regulations, taxes, and impositions. Co-chaired by Janene Jackson, Partner, Holland & Knight and Jeff Utz, Director, Goulston & Storrs. (*Participation in this Committee requires approval from DCBIA President).
7. Young Leaders - The Young Leaders Committee focuses on professional development for leaders in real estate development, including networking, educational programs, development tours and community service opportunities. Young leaders under 35 who work for member companies are automatically eligible to join the committee with no additional cost. The Committee has a mission statement:
DCBIA Young Leaders Committee is a multiple disciplinary group of emerging leaders that researches, networks, and gives back to the community to impact the Washington, DC residential and commercial real estate development industry through organizing events, fostering collaboration, and encouraging volunteerism. Co-chaired by
Emily Alexander, Jair Lynch Real Estate Partners and
Jennifer Greenawalt, Thornton Tomasetti.
DCBIA COMMUNITY SERVICES CORPORATION
DCBIA Community Services Corporation (CSC). The DCBIA CSC, formed in 1997, is a separate 501(c)(3) organization that serves as an educational and charitable organization that fosters a commitment to community service and volunteerism among members of the Washington, D.C. real estate development business community. The Corporation's President is
Rob Kurucza of HITT Construction.
View the 2025 Community Services Corporation Board of Directors
Since 1998, DCBIA hosts a "Community Improvement Day" to renovate a DC community recreation center or park each fall. Preceded by months of design and community engagement meetings, teams of DCBIA members gather on different zones across the site to finalize design plans and significantly improve a deserving DC community asset.
DCBIA partnered with the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington "network with a purpose, safely." In spring and summer of 2021, DCBIA connected designers, general contractors and other DCBIA volunteers to design and build up to 8 streateries for DC restaurants in need of the support during this exceptionally uncertain and difficult time. We are grateful to be able to work together to find relief, to begin to recover, and to focus on our collective efforts on a brighter future for all DC neighborhoods!
In 2022, DCBIA returned to Oxon Run Park at THEARC and 2023, DCBIA renovated Marvin Gaye Park in Deanwood. DCBIA upgraded Anacostia Park on September 20, 2025. DCBIA Community Services Corporation is currently securing the 2026 site for September 19, 2026.
Join the Community Services Committee
WORKING GROUPS
1. DC Agency Working Groups - The DCBIA Agency Working Groups serve as the frontline of our work, complementing our committee structure by fostering direct collaboration with DC Government leadership to align city-wide priorities with the practical needs of the real estate development industry. Recognizing that building a thriving city is a long-term, sustained endeavor, these groups provide a platform for shared problem-solving and solutions. We are committed to advancing the District’s ambitious goals for residential and commercial corridors, sustainability, and infrastructure, while ensuring that mandates remain practically, technically and economically viable.
Beyond agency engagement, these working groups play a critical internal role by advising DCBIA executive leadership on major city initiatives and crafting formal policy recommendations as needed. By participating, members become strategic advisors, providing the essential input that balances short-term regulatory requirements with the long-term health of DC’s development ecosystem.
Get Involved: To learn more about the specific topics currently being addressed or to join a working group, please contact
Erika Wadlington, DCBIA, Vice President for Public Policy & Strategic Affairs.
- Department of Buildings (DOB) - Modernizing the permitting and inspections lifecycle to accelerate project delivery.
- Department of Energy & Environment (DOEE) - Navigating the evolution of building performance standards and sustainable mandates.
- DC Water - Coordinating critical infrastructure capacity and utility connection efficiencies for new developments.
- Department of Housing & Community Development (DHCD) - Driving the implementation of housing production tools and affordable housing compliance.
- District Department of Transportation - Advancing public space regulations and transportation infrastructure that support urban growth.
- Office of Planning / DC Comp Plan 2050 - Shaping the long-term roadmap for the District’s land use, density, and neighborhood character.
- Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO) - Engaging on fiscal policies, tax assessments, and the economic impact of development.
DCBIA DC 2050 Working Group
What is DC 2050?
DC 2050 represents the District’s first full rewrite of the Comprehensive Plan in nearly 20 years. This plan is the long-term vision and roadmap that will guide the city's future, determining where housing and jobs will be prioritized; the overall strategy for growth and development; and how the city invests in transportation, utilities, parks, and other public assets.
Despite facing declining city revenues, the District of Columbia maintains strong financial fundamentals. The Comprehensive Plan process offers a generational opportunity to strategically adjust land use policies as economic development tools, thereby securing DC's long-term future and ensuring the city meets critical economic, social and environmental goals. This new Comp Plan process is crucial for our city to develop equitably, creating vibrant and resilient neighborhoods. This process is a not-to-be-missed opportunity for developers, architects, engineers, attorneys, and all real estate development stakeholders to:
DCBIA will lead a panel of real estate and economic development experts to share recommendations to ensure this plan prioritizes sustainable growth and economic viability for the city through 2050. The process will include robust stakeholder and public engagement, culminating in Council's approval of the updated plan in 2027. Led by
Jeff Utz, Goulston & Storrs.
More details
are here. Join an OP virtual workshop
here.
All committees and working groups are for DCBIA members only. Not a member? Join here.
Contact DCBIA at (202) 966-8665 or email us at info@dcbia.org for more information about any group.
page updated January 2026