Kim Allonce leads Johns Creek’s efforts to promote economic growth and create job opportunities through a comprehensive development approach. His experience, vision, and commitment align perfectly with the goals of ensuring a vibrant and prosperous future for the Johns Creek community. Allonce brings almost ten years of experience in community and economic development, most recently as the Director of Economic Development for the City of Stockbridge, GA. 

He holds a Master of Public Administration from the University of Georgia and a Ph.D. from the University of Central Florida. He received the Economic Development Leadership Award by the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance, the General Professional Development Scholarship award by the Southern Economic Development Council (SEDC), and the Michael P. Hickey Scholarship award by the University of Oklahoma’s Economic Development Institute. Kim currently lives in Stone Mountain with his wife, Marthe, and enjoys cheering on Atlanta United and the Georgia Bulldogs.

Ellen M. Bassett is the John Portman Chair and Dean of the Georgia Tech College of Design. 

An urban planner by training, she previously worked as Professor and Chair of the Department of Urban and Environmental Planning in the School of Architecture at the University of Virginia. She also served as the School's Associate Dean of Research and Director of the Real Estate + Design and Development program. She is the past Chair of the UVA Faculty Senate and served as the faculty representative on its Board of Visitors (AKA Regents). 

Her areas of research interest and expertise are land use planning and law, climate change/sustainability planning, health and the built environment, and international development, with a special focus on cities of the Global South. In addition to her teaching and research expertise and leadership roles in US institutions of higher education, she also has expertise and experience in international development planning and acts as a consultant to international development agencies working in Sub-Saharan Africa. 

Scott is a Broker with OnPace Partners, an Atlanta-based real estate brokerage firm offering a wide variety of real estate services. Scott co-leads the Land team with partners Jamie Smithson and Conor Welton. The Land team transacts on land and development sites throughout the southeastern United States. 

Prior to OnPace, Scott was a Managing Director in JLL’s Southeast Land Investment Advisory Team in Atlanta. There Scott advised corporate and investor clients on land and development transactions, conducted market research, performed financial and development analysis, valued land and underutilized assets, and conducted site searches. He has experience with acquisition, disposition and advisory projects for clients such as Georgia Power, AT&T, the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, General Motors, Bank of America, Comcast, Georgia-Pacific and Whirlpool Corporation. In addition, Scott has marketed and consulted on development and redevelopment projects in Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Louisiana, Texas, New Jersey and Bermuda. 

Before joining JLL, Scott was a project manager for the St. Joe Company in the Florida panhandle, managing the development of residential resort communities. He also served as the development manager for a golf and beach resort owner, overseeing all aspects of development. He previously practiced real estate law with the firm of Dwyer & Cambre in New Orleans where he advised real estate developers on various opportunities and transactions, and he litigated real estate-related disputes. Scott earned an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University with concentrations in real estate and finance. He earned a Juris Doctorate and a BS in Accounting from Louisiana State University. 

Alex Demestihas is a Managing Director for JLL’s Project and Development Services group in Atlanta. Alex provides proactive leadership and upfront strategy for complex projects. His project management team focuses on headquarters relocations, commercial interiors and capital improvement projects, sustainability consulting, adaptive reuse projects and move management services. 

Alex has invaluable experience in leading teams responsible for constructing multiple Fortune 500 headquarters which have continued to reshape the Atlanta skyline. Some of Alex’s recent headquarters experience include clients such as, Norfolk Southern, Invesco, Inspire Brands, NCR and Warner Media. On each of these complex projects, Alex has excelled in analyzing and adjusting corporate procedures for his clients to help maximize efficiency. Prior to joining JLL, Alex served as a Construction Manager at Jamestown, LP, where he provided construction oversight on capital improvement and tenant improvement projects. Alex has also previously worked at CBRE, Inc. where he served as the project management main point of contact for CBRE Global Investor’s Atlanta portfolio for tenant and capital projects. 

Alex has a Bachelor of Science in Building Construction from the Georgia Institute of Technology and an MBA from Georgia State University’s J. Mack Robinson College of Business. Alex is a LEED Green Associate, a member of the Urban Land Institute, and a graduate and Co-Chair of the Urban Land Institute’s Center for Leadership. Alex received Real Estate Forum’s “50 under 40” award in 2018.

Jay DiMaggio, Data Center Services team, Trammell Crow. Mr. DiMaggio brings over 38 years of architecture and real estate development experience to the Trammell Crow team across a diverse portfolio of real estate development projects.  His primary responsibilities at the Trammel Crow Company focuses on Data Center development and power. He is based in Los Angeles. 

Jay’s most recent tenure with EdgeCore Internet Real Estate saw him responsible for the acquisition, master planning, entitlement, design and engineering of developments in three (3) major U.S. data center markets. Prior to EdgeCore Jay spent 15 years at CoreSite Realty Corporation (NYSE: COR) with oversight of Development and Construction across a portfolio totaling more than 3.5 million square feet. Prior to CoreSite Jay spent 12 years at the Walt Disney Company in a senior role overseeing development for studio and corporate business units in Europe and the United States. Preceding the Walt Disney Company were roles with the Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Los Angeles, Cedar Sinai Medical Center, and Johnson Fain & Pereira Architects. 

Charlene L. Ellis is Chief of Staff, Americas Data Center Operations, at Microsoft.

Charlene is a strategic leader with a proven track record of driving operational excellence and business transformation across large-scale, complex organizations. As Chief of Staff for the Americas Data Center Operations at Microsoft, Charlene serves as a trusted advisor to the Vice President, overseeing the strategic planning and execution of critical initiatives that impact 300+ global data centers and a workforce of over 3,800 employees. 

With an extensive background in business management, finance, and real estate development, Charlene leverages her expertise to develop and implement strategic frameworks that enhance organizational effectiveness. She is passionate about cultivating a data-driven culture that empowers leadership teams to make informed decisions and drive long-term impact. 

Charlene holds a Master in Real Estate Development (MRED) from Georgia Institute of Technology, an MBA in Finance & Entrepreneurship from Simmons University, and is a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt. 

Beyond her corporate leadership, Charlene is a dedicated community advocate and real estate developer, who integrates her passion for people, technology, business, and service to drive meaningful change both within Microsoft and in the communities she serves. 

Dylan Fader is an Investment Analyst at Peachtree Group, facilitating the underwriting, due diligence and closing processes for Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (CPACE) loans covering all asset classes nationwide. Before his current role, Dylan was an Intern and Junior Analyst at Peachtree Group, assisting with the analysis of $145 million in credit investments. Prior to joining the firm, he gained experience in M&A advisory services at Everest Group International, representing a private equity group client with $3 billion AUM by identifying 50+ potential target investments and corresponding with 200+ owners across various industry verticals. 

Dylan served as President of the Georgia Tech Real Estate Club, cofounding its Analyst and Alumni Mentorship Programs, participated in the NAIOP Georgia School Challenge and co-advised a team for the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Hines Student Competition. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, concentrating in finance with a certificate in real estate development from Georgia Tech. 

Taylor Fairey is Project Manager, Business Development at Georgia Power. Taylor is responsible for managing new commercial and industrial projects where customers have a choice of electric supplier. He supports projects during initial site selection and through infrastructure design, contracting, and construction. Taylor works closely with well-known hyperscale companies, colocation providers and data center developers in his current role, and managed large data center accounts in his previous role. He received his Bachelor of Science in Industrial & Systems Engineering from Georgia Tech. 

Paxton Herrin is Division Manager of Critical Facilities for Brasfield & Gorrie. 

After graduating from Auburn University with a Bachelor’s in Civil Engineering and Master’s in Building Science, Pax began his career in the commercial construction industry in 2009. Having worked predominantly in the Mission Critical / Data Center Market, he has also had stints managing Federal and Healthcare projects.

Pax has been with Brasfield & Gorrie for nine years, where he manages a division that focuses on Mission Critical projects. He and his wife, Julia, and their three children live in Marietta and enjoy hiking, cooking, golf, and a variety of their kids’ sports and activities.

Javen Johnson is a third-year student, pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Economics and is the President of the Georgia Tech Real Estate Club, overseeing and executing initiatives to unite students, alumni, faculty, and professionals across all real estate disciplines. He previously served as Director of Industry Relations, cofounding the Analyst and Alumni Mentorship Programs. 

Javen currently sources and analyzes hotel-to-multifamily redevelopment opportunities for Canopy Capital and will be joining Principal Asset Management as a 2025 Summer Analyst working on the private equity acquisitions team. He has prior internship experience with California State Teachers Retirement System (CalSTRS), Artemis Real Estate Partners, and Tennessee Valley Federal Credit Union’s mortgage lending department.  

KK Loy, a licensed architect in Georgia, brings nearly a decade of experience across multiple architecture disciplines and has navigated a range of challenges that have shaped her into an adaptable and thoughtful leader. Her portfolio includes select built projects such as Piedmont Atlanta Hospital, Emory Musculoskeletal Institute, Trilith Mixed-Use Studios, and Shadowbox Movie Studios. Currently pursuing a Master's degree in Real Estate Development at Georgia Tech, KK is expanding her expertise to include real estate investment, value-added AI application, and sustainable urban planning. Her combined architectural and real estate development knowledge uniquely positioned her to shape both the built environment and the future of urban living. 

Bringing nearly two decades of experience to Portman Industrial, Charles is the Executive Vice President of Industrial, and responsible for sourcing, structuring and executing industrial development projects across the United States, overseeing a team of Regional Vice Presidents and Market Leaders. With Portman Industrial, Charles is focused on regional, multi-market logistics facilities in key transportation corridors serving major population centers, port-centric developments in gateway markets and strategic inland inter-modals, and e-commerce centers including regional, metro, and last-mile facilities critical to the commerce ecosystem of clients. 

In previous roles with Portman, Charles was responsible for nearly four million square feet of office, hotel, retail and mixed-use projects representing over $2 billion in capital. Before joining Portman Holdings, he worked with WestWind Capital Partners on the asset management team managing a multi-billion-dollar Trophy Office and Class A retail portfolio. Charles graduated with honors from the University of Georgia. 

Rick Porter is the Director of Georgia Tech’s Master of Real Estate Development program. 

Rick began his residential development company directly out of college in 1975. Over the past 40 years, Richport has built several thousand homes in numerous communities throughout Metro Atlanta. Through subsidiary companies, Rick also has many years of experience in land development and real estate brokerage. His companies have developed over $550 Million of real estate during his career. In 2006 Rick expanded his industry involvement by accepting a Professor position in the College of Design at Georgia Tech. In 2016 he became a Professor of Practice and Initial Director of the Master of Real Estate Development program in the College of Design. 

Rick’s career has been punctuated with industry leadership and environmental stewardship. He represented the development industry in negotiating side by side with representatives of the environmental community, public utilities and the State of Georgia Environmental Protection Division to develop the first successful General Permit for Stormwater Discharge under the EPA’s NPDES program in Georgia. He has developed several conservation communities that resulted in over 400 acres being placed in permanent conservation easements in favor of local and state land trusts. In 1994, Rick was recognized by the national Keep America Beautiful program for an on-site construction waste recycling program that included a recycled construction material component for the new homes. Of the limited number of Development of Excellence awards presented by the Atlanta Regional Commission for projects throughout the Atlanta region, Rick’s communities have received two—one in 2001 for his Old Suwanee traditional neighborhood community that spurred the redevelopment of Historic Old Town Suwanee, and one in 2008 for Davis Oaks urban conservation community that displayed sustainability in an urban infill setting. Rick co-chaired in 2005 the Dekalb County Infill Task Force that resulted in innovative regulatory guidelines for streetscape massing in existing neighborhoods. 

Chase joined Landmark Properties in 2021 and is a Senior Director on the Student Housing team. He is responsible for executing all functions of development with a focus on planning, entitlement, identifying and underwriting development opportunities, design, capitalization efforts, and overall management of the development process from inception to stabilization. Since joining Landmark, Chase has overseen the development of eleven different projects representing over $1.5 billion in total development costs. 

Prior to joining Landmark, Chase led the student housing efforts of Haven Communities where he served as Vice President of Development. Chase has held various development positions at MidCity Real Estate Partners, Portman Holdings, and Legacy Ventures, where he worked on projects in multiple asset classes ranging from boutique office developments to large mixed-use, public private partnerships. 

Chase attended Saint Joseph's University graduating with a B.S in Political Science and Business Administration. He also holds a Master of Real Estate Development from Georgia Tech. Chase lives in Athens, GA with his wife Lauren and their two children. 

Since 2003, my journey has taken me across the globe, immersing myself in the dynamic worlds of restaurants, hospitality, and retail. Recognized as a real estate expert, food enthusiast, and social connector, I thrive on unlocking potential in people and brands, guiding them to success. 

Originally from New Jersey, my upbringing instilled a relentless work ethic and a refusal to take "no" for an answer—a tenacity I bring to every project and have passed on to my team. My career in entertainment and hospitality began in Atlanta in the late 1990s, where I made my mark as a nightclub promoter and hosted at several notable restaurants. 

Living by the principle that we should "listen more than we speak," I’ve had the privilege of collaborating with esteemed chefs in Atlanta, Orlando, Nashville and Charlotte, assisting them in site selection and expansion strategies through Terra Alma. 

As founder of Terra Alma, I specialize in crafting vibrant, walkable communities by weaving together retail strategy, food-focused placemaking, and human-centered design. With over 20 years of experience in retail real estate and a perspective shaped by studying human behavior in 29 countries, I guide master-planned communities and developers to create thriving spaces that go beyond transactions, fostering social connections and local economic vitality. 

As Strategic Solutions Manager for Georgia Power’s Community & Economic Development organization, Jennifer Zeller directs the engineering, research and creative teams that support business recruitment, expansion and retention initiatives, and the department’s work in helping communities prepare for growth. Jennifer is also responsible for the Georgia Experience Center, a world-renowned multimedia facility created as a place to work toward strategic location decisions. A self-proclaimed "data nerd", Jennifer is passionate about every aspect of support her team provides to statewide projects, and her leadership encourages both individual and team growth in the organization.

Formerly Vice President of Research for the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, where she worked for more than 10 years, Jennifer joined the Georgia Power team in 2007. Before her time at MAC, she worked for the Lee County, Florida Office of Economic Development.

Jennifer serves on the boards of the federal Workforce Information Advisory Council (WIAC) and is the Chair of the Council for Community & Economic Research (C2er). She is a member of the National Association of Business Economics and serves on the Brand Awareness Committee of the Technology Association of Georgia. Jennifer holds a Bachelors degree, concentrated in Economics and Political Science from Florida State University. She also received a certificate in economic development and Web design from Georgia Tech.

Originally from Toronto, Jennifer resides in the City of Atlanta with her family. She enjoys spending time in the North Georgia mountains and is a big Harry Potter fan.