Gregg Logan, a managing director of RCLCO (Robert Charles Lesser & Co), has more than 25 years of real estate development and consulting experience and has conducted and supervised consulting assignments throughout the U.S. and abroad. He is the national leader of RCLCO’s Communities Practice Group, which consults with land owners, developers, investors, regional planning entities, cities, counties and others on strategic planning, economic development, market and financial feasibility and large scale regional visioning. A member of Urban Land Institute (ULI), Gregg has contributed to several ULI books, including Transforming Suburban Business Districts, Housing for Niche Markets and Developing Active Adult Retirement Communities. He has published articles and/or been quoted as an industry expert in The New York Times, San Francisco Examiner, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Real Estate Today, Urban Land, The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta Business Chronicle, and Builder, with regard to a variety of economic development, land use and real estate related issues.

Denise Ryan is a magna cum laude graduate of the University of South Carolina with a master’s degree in business. She has worked as a business consultant, as well as in downtown development, and now has her own company, FireStar, which specializes in enthusiasm. Ryan is an author and a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), a designation of excellence held by less than 10% of professional speakers. She has spoken for Fortune 500 companies as well as small businesses, and she has done everything from facilitating board retreats to leading corporate pep rallies. Audiences love Ryan’s infectious enthusiasm, her big smile and her candor. Her closing keynote is going to help you reach out to younger generations as well as get re-energized about your work.

Mitchell J. Silver, AICP, an award-winning planner with more than 25 years of experience in the public and private sectors, is president of the American Planning Association (APA) and the chief planning & economic development officer and planning director for the city of Raleigh, North Carolina. He is nationally recognized for his leadership in the planning profession and his contributions to contemporary planning issues. Known by his colleagues as a creative thinker, problem-solver and visionary leader, Silver has been at the center of many cutting-edge trends, innovative solutions and visionary plans. As Raleigh’s planning director, he has led the comprehensive plan update process to create a vibrant 21st century city and is now overseeing a rewrite of the city’s development code. Silver is a contributing editor and author of ICMA’s “Local Planning: Contemporary Principles and Practice,” which was released in February 2009. His work and commentary has been featured in Time.com, the New York Times, Planning Magazine, CNBC.com, the Triangle Business Journal, Crain’s Business Journal and National Public Radio (NPR).