The New England Chapter of the Counselors of Real Estate is proud to announce that we will be holding a late afternoon joint meeting with CREW-Boston on Thursday, September 15, 2016. The event format will be a Multi-Family Housing Forum/Panel Discussion followed by a cocktail and hors d’oeuvres networking reception.

The following speakers have been confirmed:

Leslie G. Cohen
Principal, Chief Operating Officer
Samuels & Associates

As COO of Samuels & Associates, Leslie Cohan is responsible for executing the strategic vision of the firm across numerous multi-billion dollar developments in Boston and surrounding communities. Since joining Samuels & Associates in 2002, Ms. Cohen has successfully overseen the rise of major projects, including Pierce – a 30-story luxury residence in the Fenway, and Continuum – a mixed-use development in the heart of North Allston, MA. Prior to joining Samuels & Associates in 2001, Ms. Cohen was a Project Manager at Staples, Inc. overseeing new store development. In 2013, Cohen was selected as a Boston Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 honoree, and in 2014 was chosen as a recipient of Biznow’s 2014 Top 50 women in commercial real estate. Ms. Cohen is an immediate past President of CREW Boston and current Board member; she is also a member of ULI and active on the local and national level; serves as a gavel member on the NAIOP Board, and serves on the Board and building committee at the West End House in Allston. She also volunteers at the Heath School. Ms. Cohen is a Cum Laude graduate of Tufts University with a Bachelor’s of Science in Civil Engineering, and a Summa Cum Laude graduate of Babson College with a Master’s in Business Administration.

Lauren O’Neil
Director
HFF

Ms. O’Neil is a Director in the Boston office of HFF with 12 years of experience; joining the firm in August of 2004 as a Real Estate Analyst. She is primarily responsible for originating debt and equity transactions throughout the eastern United States. During the course of her career with HFF, O’Neil has been involved in $8 billion in debt placement, investment sales and equity placement transactions in Office, Industrial, Hospitality, Retail and Multi-housing. She is a Committee Chair of the Real Estate Finance Association (REFA); Committee Chair and National Forum Member of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP), and a member of CREW Boston. Ms. O’Neil holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Boston College.

Thomas N. O’Brien
Founding Partner and Managing Director
HYM Investment Group LLC

Mr. O’Brien previously served as a Managing Partner for JPI, a national owner of multifamily communities, and as a Managing Director in Boston and New York for Tishman Speyer, one of the world’s leading real estate firms. O’Brien also led the Boston Redevelopment Authority as its Director and Chief of Staff, overseeing the development of over 12 million SF of projects in Boston, from 1994 to 2000. He served as the General Counsel and Director of Finance at the Massachusetts Industrial Finance Agency from 1989 to 1994. He began his career as an investment analyst with the American International Group (“AIG”) in New York. O’Brien has served as Chairman of The Greater Boston Real Estate Board and currently serves on the Board of the Taubman Center for State and Local Government at Harvard University and as Vice Chair of the Board of Overseers of The Anti-Defamation League of New England. In 2011, the Governor of Massachusetts appointed Mr. O’Brien to the Board of the Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency. In 2016, Mayor Martin J. Walsh appointed O’Brien to the Board of Trustees of the Rose F. Kennedy Greenway Conservancy. O’Brien is a graduate of Brown University and Suffolk University Law School, and is admitted to the Massachusetts Bar

Come gain insight from the experts on supply, demand, construction costs and the forecast for the multi-family market in Greater Boston.