Ann Tyler is Director of Business Development for BCT Architects and is Co-Chair of ULI Baltimore’s Programs Committee. She oversees business development efforts in the United States and has more than twenty years of experience in marketing, public relations, and business development. She resides in Baltimore and graduated from Vanderbilt University. BCT Architects specializes in all aspects of master planning, architecture, interior design, landscape design, and environmental graphics. The firm, based in Baltimore, is recognized as an international leader in the design and planning of pedestrian-oriented, mixed-use projects.

Kristina E. Williams is a Community Economic Development professional whose work focuses on strategic equity initiatives. Kristina has worked with communities throughout the City on efforts from commercial revitalization, equitable economic development, and community development. She has served the City in many capacities, from the neighborhood to the nation, representing the City at conferences, workshops, and fellowships, highlighting Baltimore as a great place to live, work, and play. As the Executive Director of the Charles Village Community Benefits District (CVCBD), Kristina uses similar platforms and best practice strategies to support the district and the City in achieving equitable outcomes in safety and sanitation, by addressing root causes of both. By engaging the community in strategic priorities and expanding programs that meet the greater need of the community, the CVCBD is focused on driving down crime and improving the environment by addressing indicators in public health that lead to disparate outcomes in economic and community vitality.

BONNIE CROCKETT, SMALL BUSINESS DIRECTOR Bonnie Crockett has extensive experience in banking and commercial law, community and economic development leadership, and small business training. At BCL, Bonnie manages the small business team, develops program policies and guidelines, enlists and oversees partners, and facilitates program funding.

Jennifer S. Vey is a senior fellow with the Brookings Institution Metropolitan Policy Program and the director of the Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Center for Transformative Placemaking. Vey’s work primarily focuses on how place-based policies and practices can generate widespread economic, social, and environmental benefits. She is the author or co-author of dozens of Brookings publications examining the changing place needs of people and businesses; the implications of these shifts on how we live and work; and how transformative placemaking investments can support the development of more vibrant, connected, and inclusive communities. She also co-edited “Retooling for Growth: Building a 21st Century Economy in America’s Older Industrial Areas,” published by the American Assembly and Brookings Institution Press. Prior to joining Brookings in 2001, Vey was a community planning and development specialist at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. She earned a Master of Planning degree from the University of Virginia and holds a B.A. in Geography from Bucknell University. She lives with her family in Baltimore. work primarily focuses on how place-based policies and practices can generate widespread economic, social, and environmental benefits. She is the author or co-author of dozens of Brookings publications examining the changing place needs of people and businesses; the implications of these shifts on how we live and work; and how transformative placemaking investments can support the development of more vibrant, connected, and inclusive communities. She also co-edited “Retooling for Growth: Building a 21st Century Economy in America’s Older Industrial Areas,” published by the American Assembly and Brookings Institution Press. Prior to joining Brookings in 2001, Vey was a community planning and development specialist at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. She earned a Master of Planning degree from the University of Virginia and holds a B.A. in Geography from Bucknell University. She lives with her family in Baltimore.

Mac McComas is the senior program manager at Johns Hopkins’ 21st Century Cities Initiative. His research focuses on small business growth and local entrepreneurial environments in U.S. cities with a primary focus on Baltimore. He is the co-author of the new book, joint with Matthew E Kahn, Unlocking the Potential of Post-Industrial Cities, published by JHU Press in February 2021. He lives in Baltimore City and is on the board of WYPR and The Friends of the Jones Falls. Prior to joining Johns Hopkins, Mac worked as a data analyst and community program coordinator at the Charles Village Community Benefits District. He has a Master of Letters degree in Scottish Historical Studies from the University of St. Andrews and a Master of Arts degree in Scottish History from the University of Edinburgh.