Registration & Networking
8:00 -
9:00 AM
Kick off the NAI Florida Forum with this networking opportunity to meet new professionals and reinforce long standing relationships.
Welcome Address
9:00 -
9:15 AM
Francis Suarez
City of Miami Mayor
Francis Xavier Suarez is an American attorney and politician serving as the 43rd mayor of Miami. He was elected on November 7, 2017 with 86 percent of the vote. Suarez is the first Miami-born mayor.
Domestic Opportunity Zone Panel
9:15 -
9:35 AM
South Florida Business Journal (Moderator)
Brian Bandell is the senior reporter at the South Florida Business Journal. His main beat is real estate, and he also covers the business of law and the business of education. Brian has won more than 25 awards for his journalism, including recognition for the Best Business Reporting in Florida.
EisnerAmper
Steven Kreinik is a Tax Partner and member of the Private Wealth Advisors Group, has over 20 years of experience providing comprehensive tax consulting and compliance services to family offices, individuals, trusts and estates, and closely held businesses. Steve leads the Real Estate Industry Group for Florida, and works with businesses to implement best practices and policies for financial controls and procedures. He also assists clients with philanthropy and charitable giving, wherein he advises family offices and other donors on charitable planning, including charitable trusts, private foundations and donor-advised funds.
Duane Morris
Brad A. Molotsky practices in the area of real estate law. He serves as a team lead for the Duane Morris Project Development/P3 industry group and as co-head of the firm's Opportunity Zones practice group. Mr. Molotsky’s primary practice is focused in the areas of opportunity zone fund creation and fund deployment, financing, public private partnership (PPP or P-3), real estate joint ventures (including mixed-use and multi-family development), commercial leasing (including a focus in cannabis leasing), and acquisitions and divestitures. He also has deep experience in environmental, social, governance, public company issues such as enterprise risk, internal audit, compensation, as well as energy efficiency, sustainability and corporate social responsibility.
U.S Virgin Islands Opportunity Zone Panel
9:15 -
9:35 AM
Governor of the US Virgin Islands
Albert Bryan Jr. is the ninth-elected governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands and currently the only African American governor in the United States. He is an entrepreneur, not-for-profit executive, and a tireless and compassionate advocate for the people of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Chief Legal Counsel of the Governor of the US Virgin Islands
Attorney Bornn has over 35 years’ experience in the private sector practicing in the fields of corporate/business matters, real estate transactions, wills/trusts/probate, and government relations. In January 2019 Governor Albert Bryan, Jr. requested Attorney Bornn to join his Administration as Chief Legal Counsel to the Governor. He has also been tasked with facilitating multiple economic and community development projects. Attorney Bornn has been a board member or participated in multiple community organizations, including being a founding member and past-President of Downtown Revitalization, Inc. [DRI].
US Virgin Islands Economic Development Authority
Kamal I. Latham has helped facilitate over $5 billion in economic growth throughout his nearly 20 years of combined experience as a non-profit executive, entrepreneur, Fortune 500 adviser, U.S. diplomat, and Wall Street financial analyst.
Latham advanced numerous successful initiatives during his career including facilitating over 70 business growth recommendations being adopted by local governments in Florida, designing a strategy resulting in millions of dollars in new revenue for a Fortune 500 company, helping negotiate a multi-billion dollar trade deal between the United States and China, securing European support for a multi-million dollar Middle East/North Africa investment program, and helping raise approximately one billion dollars in debt and equity capital for financial services corporations.
RT Park
An accomplished economic and community re-development strategist and practitioner, Peter holds over twenty years of executive leadership experience in several other U.S. markets including Boston, Nashville, Denver, and Virginia. During this time he conceptualized and implemented a diverse array of award-winning and nationally-recognized projects and initiatives promoting comprehensive neighborhood revitalization, entrepreneurship and global commerce. Peter was recruited to the RTPark from the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation (DEGC), where he served as Executive Vice President. While at DEGC he crafted and led execution of a sector-based strategy to encourage multinational domestic and foreign companies to locate and expand operations in Detroit. Among other successes, he re-energized and expanded the organization’s business development function by establishing a high-performing team that facilitated approximately 4,600 new jobs through the attraction of companies such as Tata Technologies, Google and Microsoft.
Opening Remarks
10:15 -
10:30 AM
Federal Reserve
Karen Gilmore is a vice president and regional executive at the Miami Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. On behalf of the Atlanta Fed, she is responsible for the Miami Branch's board of directors, leads Miami's community and economic development outreach activities, and oversees its economic and financial education programs. As part of the Regional Economic Information Network, she is responsible for economic intelligence gathering in the local business and academic community to support the Atlanta Fed's contributions to the monetary policy process.
South Florida Real Estate Market Panel
10:35 -
10:55 AM
NAI Miami | NAI Fort Lauderdale
Jeremy Larkin has more than 25 years experience in retail, industrial and office investment sales, as well as tenant and landlord representation. His process driven approach and keen market insight has assisted clients in consistently capturing unseen revenue for their assets; a process that includes reducing expenses, maximizing revenue and increasing occupancy. Investors and owners appreciate Jeremy's passion for the industry and personal approach, which has helped him develop long-term relationships as a trusted advisor and consultant.
Neil Merin
NAI Merin hunter Codman, Inc.
Mr. Merin is a commercial real estate expert with a broad background in all phases of commercial real estate work, including investment sales, tenant representation, site acquisition, development consulting, corporate facilities, and industrial facilities. Mr. Merin’s specialty within the commercial real estate field involves the sale and leasing of office and retail facilities. Over the past 20 years, Mr. Merin has represented both owners and tenants in over 30,000,000 square feet of property negotiations representing over $7 billion in real estate transactions. Mr. Merin is the founder and Chairman of NAI Merin Hunter Codman, Inc., a property management company in West Palm Beach is currently responsible for managing 5,000,000 square feet of office and retail space and, in addition, is the largest commercial real estate firm in Palm Beach County.
Marijuana/Cannabis/CBD Panel
11:00 -
11:20 AM
Justin Stern
Duane Morris
Justin M. L. Stern is a member of the firm's Trial Practice Group as well as the Cannabis industry group and focuses primarily on commercial litigation and regulatory compliance.
Mr. Stern is a 2018 summa cum laude graduate of the University of Miami School of Law, where he was online editor of the University of Miami Law Review and elected to the Order of the Coif, and a magna cum laude graduate of Columbia University, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.
Dr. Fernando
LifeCann MD
Fernando Fandiño-Sende, MD is an established and highly skilled Board-Certified Internal Medicine Doctor and Cardiologist with over 35 years of experience. He became an advocate for the use of Medical Cannabis and dedicated his time in the last few years to the study and educate about the benefits of Medical Cannabis.
Kristen Yeager
Green Treets CBD
Kirsten Yeager is Director of Operations for Green Treets CBD. Ms. Yeager helped develop the Green Treets marijuana and Green Treets CBD product lines, including tinctures, concentrates, vape cartridges and topicals. She has written the applications for several of the company’s licenses and managed the buildout and opening for the operations and websites. Ms. Yeager earned her bachelor’s degree from Florida International University. Where she studied computer science and web development. Prior to joining the Green Treets team, Kirsten worked in accounting and business consulting where she counseled clients on efficient business practices and worked with them to resolve tax issues, implement compliance strategies, and build internal tracking systems.
Jon Barack
Jushi
Jon brings extensive financial and cannabis industry investing experience (both public and private) to his roles as Founder, Corporate Secretary and EVP of Business Development at Jushi Holdings Inc. He spent over 10 years in investments in the hedge fund space, including five years at One East Capital Advisors where he focused on cannabis investments. As Corporate Secretary and EVP of Business Development of Jushi, Jon is responsible for spearheading the execution of the company’s acquisition endeavors. Additionally, he oversees the implementation of operations for closed deals throughout the country.
Jon earned his BA from Princeton University as well as a JD and MBA from Northwestern University.
Keynote Address
11:25 -
12:30 PM
Economist
Our keynote speaker at this years NAI Florida Forum, K.C. Conway, is a Sr. VP - Credit Risk Management, with responsibilities for REVAL (Real Estate Valuation and Environmental Services) and Market Intelligence. He has 30 years experience as an appraiser, underwriter, lender, credit officer and economist.