Advisory Council

President, R Brown Partners

R. Brown Partners Real Estate, Boston

Ronald Brown founded R Brown Partners in 1985. Ronald Brown, a lifelong resident of the Town of Brookline has been in the property management field since 1967.  He has more than 40 years of experience in new construction, renovation and rehabilitation of property; held a Class B & C building license and has a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering and Master of Science in engineering management.  He is a member and former director of the Greater Boston Real Estate Board and a member of the Condominium Associations Institute.  He is a Certified Manager of Community Associations (CMCAÒ)-National Board of Certification for Community Associations.

Principal, Ann Beha Architects

Ann Beha Architects, Boston

As a Principal at Ann Beha Architects, Philip Chen’s innovative design for new and historic structures, his project leadership, and his expertise in sustainability and technical innovation have brought distinction and honors to his civic, academic and cultural clients throughout the United States.  Based in Boston, ABA provides dynamic planning and design for arts, education, and the civic realms, focusing on the intersection of heritage and contemporary design. Philip Chen has led planning and design for ABA’s most prestigious clients, and his projects have received awards and recognition from the Society for College and University Planning, the Boston Society of Architects and local historic commissions.

Philip Chen holds a Master of Architecture from the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University and a Bachelor of Environmental Design from Texas A&M University. He has been a Guest Critic at Northeastern University, the University of Houston, and Tulane University, has led lectures for the American Institute of Architects’ Philadelphia Chapter, the Society for College and University Planning, and the New England Museum Association, and was recognized as an Emerging Leader in the Boston Business Journal.

Hacin + Associates Inc., Boston

David Hacin is the President of Hacin + Associates, an architecture and interior design firm recognized internationally for its work in housing, retail, and interior design, as well as a Principal at Sasaki Associates, Inc. Mr. Hacin is active in civic, academic, and professional organizations, and has chaired and served on numerous boards and juries in Boston and across the country.

He currently serves on the Northeastern University School of Architecture Advisory Board and regularly serves as a guest critic at design schools across the country. A Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, Mr. Hacin was also recently inducted into the New England Design Hall of Fame. Originally from Switzerland, Mr. Hacin graduated summa cum laude from Princeton and received his Masters in Architecture with distinction from the Harvard Graduate School of Design.

Partner, Cabot Properties, Inc., Boston

Howard B. Hodgson Jr., Partner and Executive Vice President, Asset Management, has 33 years of experience in the real estate services industry and has been employed by Cabot for 21 years.  Mr. Hodgson leads the Asset Management Group and serves on the Investment Committee.  While with the Cabot REIT, Mr. Hodgson served as Senior Vice President, Director of Real Estate Operations.  In this capacity, he was responsible for asset management, property management (which was over 90 percent internalized for Cabot REIT by Mr. Hodgson), leasing, and third-party investment management.  Prior to this, Mr. Hodgson served as a Senior Vice President, Director of Asset Management and member of the Investment Committee of Cabot Partners from 1992 to 1997.  Mr. Hodgson began his real estate career in 1979 with the Boston based real estate firm of R.M. Bradley & Co., Inc., becoming a Vice President and head of its institutional property management group prior to joining Cabot, as a Senior Vice President and head of its property management group.  Mr. Hodgson is an honors graduate of Northeastern University.  He is a Director of the Cambridge Savings Bank and Chairman of its Compensation Committee, a Trustee of Cambridge Financial Group and a founding Director of Cambridge Appleton Trust, N.A.  He is also an Overseer of the Peabody Essex Museum and a Corporate Trustee of The Trustees of Reservations, a Massachusetts Conservation Organization.

Principal and Founder, Hutker Architects

A registered architect in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Mark A. Hutker is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati’s College of Design, Architecture and Art with a Bachelor of Architecture degree (1982).  After working with Jon McKee in Boston, Mark joined Dunn Brady Associates in 1985 on Martha’s Vineyard.  Mark purchased the firm in 1987, and renamed it Hutker Architects to focus his craft on “Heirlooms Worthy of Preservation.”  Possessing over 25 years of experience with residential, commercial, institutional and public projects across the country, he has developed a firm of more than 36 talented, experienced Architects and Designers. They have, under Hutker’s tutelage, developed a complete understanding of New England’s natural and historical environment.  A personal and professional goal of Mark’s is to see Hutker Architects establish within the Northeast, a New Regional Vernacular that defines an epoch of American architecture.  This approach emphasizes the quality, craftsmanship and material ethics developed at the early part of the last century.  While clearly responding to the contemporary social structure of today’s family, these heirlooms remain timeless for use by future generations.

Particularly dedicated to design education, Mark is a long-standing Director and co-creator of the Lyceum Fellowship [www.lyceum-fellowship.org]which was founded in 1985 and awards annual travel fellowships to architecture students.  Mark has served as a speaker or member of design juries for Residential Design and Construction, Build Boston, Residential Design Awards Jury, Custom Home Design Awards Jury, Design Leadership Summit, Boston Society of Architects’ Interior Design Awards Jury and the Un-built Design Awards Jury.

Mark has served on various civic associations and was the Governor’s Appointee to the Dukes County Regional Housing Authority where he served for 5 years, Commissioner of the West Tisbury Historic District Commission for 9 years and the Board of Island Elderly Housing for 17 years.  In 2008, the New England Design Hall of Fame inducted Mark as an Honoree [www.nedesignhalloffame.com]. Mark’s first book, Heirlooms to Live In; Homes in a New Regional Vernacular, was released in August 2010.  Currently, Mark is a member of the Board of Falmouth Academy and is head of the Facilities Committee along with serving on the Executive Committee.  He is the liaison for the Housing Assistance Corporation (HAC) with the Boston Architectural College, helping to create a net zero affordable housing prototype.  In 2013, he was asked to sit on the Northeastern University, School of Architecture Advisory Council.  He and his family live in Falmouth, Massachusetts.

Founder, Apologue

Obsessed with all things immersive, Tali Krakowsky is the founder of the Experience Design firm Apologue, Inc. For over a decade she has been imagining, strategizing, conceiving and building interactive environments that seamlessly integrate digital storytelling, architecture, design and technology. The bespoke process of these new spaces challenge traditional understanding of narrative and collaboration, and Tali continues to re-imagine both the projects and the multi-disciplinary process that they demand. Over the years, her clients include CHANEL, HBO, Victoria’s Secret, Timberland, Qualcomm, Sephora and Van Cleef & Arpels.

Principal,Elkus Manfredi Architects

As a founding principal of Elkus Manfredi Architects, David Manfredi has worked plan, expand and rebuild urban places all across the United States, creating a thriving new generation of neighborhoods, academic campuses, and main streets that honor their heritage and environment while embracing the 21st century.  His architectural and planning practice is grounded in a commitment to create inspiring spaces and durable, livable communities, and has earned long-term relationships with leading institutions, corporate entities, and the nation’s most successful developers.

Always conceived within a framework of sustainability and environmental preservation, David’s design work has transformed tired retail precincts into vibrant mixed-use “downtowns.”  He has pioneered the prototype design of urban, high-rise research buildings to support the collaborative imperatives of today’s science; and opened educational campuses to engage with adjacent communities, invigorating both the student experience and the economy of surrounding neighborhoods in the process.  A sought-after, compelling speaker at architectural and development forums, David educates both clients and communities about the value that thoughtful, experienced design can bring to everyday life.

David is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame with Bachelor degrees in both English and Architecture, and also the University of Chicago, where he received a Master of Arts degree.  Prior to co-founding Elkus Manfredi, he was a vice president at The Architects Collaborative in Cambridge.

Handel Architects, New York

Blake Middleton is a Founding Partner at New York-based Handel Architects LLP, recognized leaders in high-rise mixed use urban design. Recent notable projects designed by Mr. Middleton include Millennium Place in downtown Boston, a 2.4 million s.f., four building complex that has dramatically re-vitalized the Theater District; the Hemenway Building for The Boston Conservatory, and the Flushing Meadows-Corona Park Natatorium in New York City. Mr. Middleton is the designer of the new Millennium Tower at Downtown Crossing in Boston, a 1.4 million s.f. mixed-use project that includes the renovation of the historic Filene’s Building.  Other current projects include a new rehearsal facility for The Boston Conservatory in the Fenway, renovation of the historic Santa Barbara Bowl Amphitheater, and the Idlewild Park Nature Center in New York City.

Handel Architects has, since 1994, centered its work on the complex issues of urban development and appropriate architectural solutions in dense urban fabric. The firm is known for its deep knowledge and skill in negotiating and harnessing the economic and political forces that influence large scale urban design. Handel Architects has multiple projects completed in major cities across the US and in Asia and the Middle East, with120 architects and staff in offices in San Francisco, Hong Kong, and New York.

Mr. Middleton has taught and lectured at numerous universities including Harvard, Yale, Syracuse, Cornell, and the University of Virginia. His design work has won distinction from the Boston Society of Architects / AIA New York Chapter, Society of American Registered Architects New York Council, AIA New York State Chapter, AIA New York City Chapter, AIA Santa Barbara Chapter, the Urban Land Institute, and the Congress for the New Urbanism. His design work has been published widely and has been exhibited nationally. He is a Visiting Professor for the Spring 2013 Semester Graduate High Rise Studio at Northeastern.

Mr. Middleton received his B. Arch. from Cornell University in 1978. In 1981he received his Masters in Architecture in the Cornell Urban Design Studio of renowned theorist Colin Rowe. In 1982 he was awarded the prestigious Rome Prize in Architecture at the American Academy in Rome. Prior to joining Handel Architects, he worked with James Stewart Polshek for thirteen years. He is a Fellow in the American Institute of Architects, and a member of the U.S. Institute of Theater Technology, the Van Alen Institute, The Institute for Urban Design, the Society of Fellows of the American Academy in Rome, and the Architectural League of New York. He is also a Board Member of the Riverside Park Conservancy. Mr. Middleton is a LEED Accredited Professional and a registered architect in New York, California, North Carolina, New Jersey, Florida, and Massachusetts.

Born and raised in Massachusetts, Mr. Middleton lives with his wife Dr. Martha Eddy and their teenage daughter in Manhattan.

designLAB Architects, Boston

Robert Miklos, FAIA, is founding Principal of designLAB architects. The work of his firm, while contemporary, establishes a deep connection to the history and legacy of a building or site. Throughout his 30 year career as a design leader of several of Boston’s most prominent Architectural design firms, Bob has focused on arts, cultural and educational projects ranging from the restoration of the venerable Boston Athenaeum to the interpretive transformation of Paul Rudolph’s pivotal work at University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth.

Bob believes that the practice of Architecture is fundamentally a cultural art. By leading a creative planning process that enthusiastically engages clients and communities, his projects have dramatically transformed the institutions they serve.

The work of his studio has been consistently recognized by National Awards and Press, including the American Institute of Architects National Awards, Chicago Athenaeum Architectural Awards, Business Week Awards, Society of College and University Planning Awards and the AIA Committee on the Environment. In 2000 he was inducted into the AIA College of Fellows for his career achievements.

Bob has served as design faculty at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design, Rhode Island School of Design and Northeastern University. designLAB recently served as ‘Firm in Residence’ at Roger Williams University where they led the Community Partnership pilot program. He currently serves on the Board of the Boston Society of Architects as Commissioner of Education and Research and previously served as Commissioner of Design. Bob is also a member of the Board of Advisors for northeastern University’s School of Architecture and Design. In his spare time he collects and restores American decorative arts and antiques, often regaling his colleagues with stories of their past.

Partner, Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects LLP, Portland, OR

Bob Packard is ZGF Architects’ managing partner, responsible for directing the firm’s strategic, financial and operational activities. In this role for nearly three decades, he has been instrumental in building ZGF’s internationally recognized design practice, and has utilized this platform to promote and encourage the profession to deliver design excellence.  He also serves as partner-in-charge on a broad range projects, including most recently U.S. consulates and embassies worldwide; Children’s Hospital Colorado; Pearl Izumi Headquarters; and expansions to Portland International Airport.

Throughout his career, Bob has led a wide range of nationally recognized professional and civic activities, providing leadership in architecture, education and the arts, as well as public policy and sustainable design initiatives. Bob is past chair of the American Institute of Architects Large Firm Roundtable and past chair of the Board of Trustees for Willamette University; he is also a former board member of the Architecture Foundation of Oregon Board and the AIA Portland Board of Directors. He serves on numerous other national and regional boards and advisory groups, including the AIA 21^st Century Embassy Task Force; the Design Colloquium Advisory Board; Pacific Northwest College of Art Board; the Mayor’s Economic Advisory Board and Committee on Creative Service; and the Portland Business Alliance China Mission Committee.

Bob has been a speaker and panelist for groups including the Center for Health Design, Stanford University, AIA Federal Procurement Task Group, the AIA, University of Washington and Harvard Design School. He received his B.A. from Willamette University in 1973 and his Masters in urban and regional planning from the University of Colorado, College of Environmental Design, in 1976.

President, Gerding Elden

Kelly Saito has been involved in real estate for his entire 20-year professional career. His areas of expertise include all aspects of real estate development including project sourcing, feasibility, financing, planning, construction, leasing and property operations. Mr. Saito’s primary responsibility is overseeing Gerding Edlen operations with a specific emphasis on execution of development projects. Mr. Saito has been responsible for on-time and on-budget construction of 13 million square feet of office, high-technology, retail and multi-family properties with an aggregate value of nearly $4 billion. Mr. Saito was among the first employees of Gerding Edlen, having been hired during the company’s first year of operation in 1996. Prior to that, Mr. Saito was a sales consultant for an international commercial real estate firm. Mr. Saito received his B.A. in Business Administration, Finance and Marketing from the University of Oregon.

President and CEO, Walsh Brothers

Richard Walsh represents the fourth
generation of the Walsh family. Walsh
Brothers, Incorporated, a 113-year-old
construction management firm, was
founded by Richard’s great-grandfather
and great-granduncle. Having joined
 the firm right after college, Richard is
currently the firm’s President and Chief
Executive Officer and as such is involved in all aspects of the company’s operations.

Richard has direct responsibility for some of the firm’s key clients with whom long standing relationships are held including: Partners HealthCare, Boston University, Emmanuel College, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and the Boston Symphony Orchestra to name a few. Many of the firm’s client relationships span multiple decades and involve the successful completion of some of the region’s finest landmarks and most complex projects. He is responsible for establishing the company’s strategic direction, ensuring its leadership position in the industry and honoring its tradition of providing the highest quality construction management services.

Mr. Walsh is also active in a multitude of civic organizations. He served on Mayor Menino’s Management Council on Permitting for the Boston Inspectional Services Division. He currently serves as Director at the Massachusetts Building Congress, and board memberships on the Advisory Council of Northeastern University’s School of Architecture and at the Schwartz Center, The Labor Relations Division of the AGC, Belmont Hill School and the International Yacht Restoration School.

A graduate of Dartmouth College, Richard lives with his wife and their two children in Hingham.