Chris Bernardo

President and CEO, Commercial District Services

Chris Bernardo is the President and CEO of Commercial District Services, LLC (CDS), a leading managed service provider for the Business Improvement District (BID) industry that serves nearly 30 communities in New Jersey and New York City. Since 1995, Chris has served Business Improvement Districts and other Place Management Organizations in implementing a broad range of public space improvement programs, including Streetscape Improvements, Outdoor Maintenance and Sanitation, Quality-of-Life Management, and Public Space Activation.

Chris is a graduate of Montclair State University, with a degree in Political Science, and is a former member of AmeriCorps, where he served as a Project Manager for the Montana Conservation Corps.

In his spare time, Chris enjoys spending time with his family, volunteering in the communities that he serves and visiting and photographing great downtowns and public spaces.

Affiliations: Downtown New Jersey, International Downtown Association, Strong Towns, North Jersey Chamber of Commerce, Newark Regional Business Partnership, Greater Elizabeth Chamber of Commerce, Hudson County Chamber of Commerce, Greater Paterson Chamber of Commerce, and Gateway Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Bernardo is a member of the Downtown New Jersey Board of Trustees.

Jef Buehler

Leader, Neighborhood Preservation Program

Jef Buehler has worked in facilitating place- and asset-based change since 1989 in American centers of urban poverty, Latin American rural areas, and more than 90 communities in New Jersey, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania and California. Currently, he serves as the Leader/Administrator of the Neighborhood Preservation Program (NPP) in the Division of Housing & Community Resources at the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, providing place-based revitalization, placemaking, and community/economic development assistance and training to numerous district management organizations and municipalities statewide. Mr. Buehler provides place-based revitalization and small business growth guidance and presentations to communities around the state. Prior to running NPP, Mr. Buehler lead Main Street New Jersey for 20 years, was a community organizer and housing advocate in Camden, and served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Dominican Republic.

Buehler is a member of the Downtown New Jersey Board of Trustees.

Aisha Glover

Vice President, Urban Innovation, Audible, Inc.

Aisha Glover has over 15 years of experience as a champion and change agent for economic empowerment and social responsibility. As the Vice President of Urban Innovation at Audible, Aisha works to develop innovative solutions to exemplify what a company can mean beyond what it does. She’s worked in Audible’s headquarters city of Newark, NJ for the past five years, previously serving as the President & CEO for the Newark Alliance and Invest Newark. In both roles, she oversaw a range of innovative and community-focused economic development initiatives, in partnership with Mayor Ras J. Baraka, for the state’s largest City–Newark. Aisha led the city’s bid to attract Amazon for selection of its second headquarters, helping position Newark as a major destination city, strengthening the small business ecosystem, supporting a thriving entrepreneurial base and attracting corporations, investors and developers.

Richard Heapes

Co-founder and Partner, Street-Works

Richard is a nationally recognized expert in the planning and design of urban, mixed-use developments in cities around the world. He has directed the planning, design and public consensus building for more than fifty “Main Street” projects across the country, including many recipients of national AIA and ULI Awards of Excellence. As a developer, Richard led the creation and public education effort for the $285 million Blue Back Square mixed-use development in West Hartford, Connecticut. He also managed the creation and public consensus effort for Streetworks Development’s $2+ billion redevelopment of downtown Detroit, Michigan, along with other major development initiatives in urban downtowns including Port Chester and White Plains, New York, and Detroit, Michigan.

Michael Manzella

Deputy City Manager/Director of Transportation, City of Asbury Park

For the past five years, Michael Manzella has served as the Director of Transportation for the City of Asbury Park. During that time period, the City has implemented its Complete Streets policy by adopting a bicycle and pedestrian master plan, installing over 10 miles of bicycle facilities, launching the Jersey Shore’s first bike share and scooter share programs, and developing several Open Streets programs, among other initiatives. Mr. Manzella is a proud MCRP alumni from the Bloustein School and studied undergraduate engineering at Stevens Institute of Technology.

Rafael Mata

Senior Consultant, SBDC New Jersey

A self-motivated, results-driven leader that “begins with the end in mind;”highly adept at developing new business, creating new processes, and implementing organizational paradigm shifts. Able to apply pragmatic solutions to complex governance/business challenges that result in the creation of essential internal systems, improved team collaboration and increased profitability. An accomplished professional with the ability to grow business through new markets and navigate government.

Michael G. McGuinness

Chief Executive Officer, NAIOP NJ

Michael G. McGuinness oversees the daily operations and programs of NAIOP NJ. He works in consultation with the officers and board of trustees to carry out the association’s mission. He is a registered legislative agent, directs the advocacy program and manages the Developers Political Action Committee (DPAC). Mike frequently meets with and testifies before New Jersey legislative committees and regulatory agencies on matters of importance to the industrial and commercial real estate development industry.

Natalie Peneiro

Executive Director, Downtown Somerville Alliance

The Downtown Somerville Alliance is the district management corporation for downtown Somerville – one of New Jersey’s premiere downtowns. The district has become known for its colorful dining scene, flourishing retail, and up and coming arts and culture scene.

As the executive director of this 501C3, Natalie promotes balanced and progressive economic development and leverages the art of creating experiences that continue to bring a new and diverse population to Somerville. She also oversees infrastructure and beautification projects and works with historians and environmentalists alike to maintain and promote the historic charm that is unique to the district.

When she’s not in Somerville, Natalie serves as an adjunct instructor in the School of Communication, Media, and Journalism at Kean University where she teaches Public Relations, Public Speaking and Business and Professional Communication. She also serves on the Board of Trustees of Safe + Sound Somerset, and Downtown New Jersey; is a liaison to Arts on Division – an arts advocacy organization focused on advancing arts initiatives Somerville; and is a Commissioner on the Somerset County Cultural and Heritage Commission. She is also one of this year’s recipients of the Somerset County Business Partnership’s inaugural 40 under 40 award.

Peneiro is a member of the Downtown New Jersey Board of Trustees.

Emily Manz

President, EMI Strategy

Emily Manz is a Newark-based economic development professional seasoned in leading collaborative initiatives, program development and execution, and unlocking potential of quasi-governmental organizations. She is passionate about place celebration. For her clients, this means identifying a places history, current vibrancy, and the people that make the community tick – and highlighting these assets through authentic marketing messages and downtown events. Manz has a MA in City & Regional Planning from Rutgers University and works with clients including Bloomfield Center Alliance, Preservation New Jersey, Downtown West Orange Alliance, and the Borough of Bound Brook.

Manz is a member of the Downtown New Jersey Board of Trustees.

Vanessa Quijano

SVP of Business Development, Invest Newark

Vanessa Quijano is an expert in economic development and brand marketing. She is a dedicated and seasoned manager who successfully leads organizations to achieve brand and market presence.

As the Senior Vice President of Business Development at Invest Newark, Vanessa leads the organization in serving small businesses and entrepreneurs of the City of Newark with access to technical assistance, training and access to capital. Vanessa manages the growth of the Newark Fiber program, the high-speed, low-cost internet service provider based on the city’s fiber infrastructure and oversees Smart City initiatives.

With Jersey City Economic Development Corporation, Vanessa led the Small Business Services division where she counseled entrepreneurs and small business owners on every aspect of starting, owning and managing a business, including access to capital and understanding the permitting and licensing process to open shop.

Previously, Vanessa managed the corporate brand of BASF – The Chemical Company in North America including compliance and training; mergers and acquisitions brand implementation; and launched BASF Kids’ Lab, a sponsored chemistry education for children ages 6-11, at Liberty Science Center. At Engelhard Corporation, she practiced internal communications, marketing communications and public relations as well as produced six award-winning annual reports.

She holds a Master’s in Public Relations and Corporate Communications from New York University; a Bachelor’s in Communications and a Certificate in Digital Marketing from Rutgers University.

Vanessa is a Vice-President of the Downtown New Jersey Board of Trustees.

Jonathan Schultz

Managing Principal, Onyx Equities

Jon Schultz is Co-Founder and Managing Principal of Onyx Equities, LLC. Since its founding in 2004 with partner John Saraceno, Jr., Onyx has become one of the most diversified and active real estate investment, management, development, and property service organizations in the New York metro market. Jon leads investor capital-raising initiatives for the Onyx Phalanx Funds, as well as strategic planning, real estate technology development, and overall investment strategy for Onyx. Jon, as a real estate and CRE technology investor, has combined his passions for both real estate and technology.

Through Jon’s vision and creativity, Onyx has embraced innovations that few other real estate companies have adopted, transforming nearly every aspect of the company’s operations. A serial blogger and authentic public speaker, Jon has helped foster a new culture of tech savviness and awareness in commercial real estate. Sharing his thoughts and experiences in everything from mentorship to real estate technologies, his weekly blogs, and often outspoken social media feed, have landed him on numerous “Top Influencer” lists in both the real estate and CRE tech spaces.

Roger S. Smith

Design Director, Gensler

Roger Smith believes that cities can be transformed through the power of design. Roger is a practice area leader for Cities + Urban Design, Mixed Use + Retails Centers, and Office Buildings. Roger received the 2020 AIA New Jersey Distinguished Service Award which recognizes individuals who demonstrate exceptional leadership and have made significant contributions to the architecture profession. As a Design Director in our Morristown office, his collaborative style and unwavering pursuit of excellence has not only resulted in award winning buildings but he has developed a cadre of talented professionals. He shares his love for architecture with students at the Hillier College of Architecture and Design at NJIT, and the Michael Graves College at Kean University and at the Weitzman School of Architecture at the University of Pennsylvania where he received his Master of Architecture degree. Roger also serves as a member of Gensler’s Global Race and Diversity Committee and is Co-Chair of the Gensler Research Institute’s Center for Research on Equity and the Built Environment.

Ralph Zucker

President, Somerset Development

Ralph Zucker is President of Somerset Development, one of the New York Metropolitan region’s foremost pioneers of New Urbanism and Traditional Neighborhood Design development. Throughout his career, Zucker has worked hands-on in every facet of the building and development process, and has demonstrated a commitment to working with municipalities to create innovative communities based on the principles of New Urbanism. Zucker is perhaps best known for Bell Works, the two-million-square-foot redevelopment of the former Bell Labs property in Holmdel, N.J., where he and the Somerset Development team successfully transformed the iconic Saarinen-designed research facility into a “metroburb,” a term that Somerset coined to describe the suburban building’s revival into a blossoming, downtown-style ecosystem of technology, traditional office, retail, dining and hospitality. Today, Zucker and his team are in the midst of redeveloping The Ameritech Center in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, originally built as the former AT&T research facility, into Bell Works Chicagoland. The 1.65-million square foot building, which has already welcomed retail and office tenants, is quickly transforming into another successful metroburb. Under Zucker’s leadership, Somerset and its projects have earned numerous industry awards and recognition for their contributions to furthering responsible development practices, including the New Jersey Future Smart Growth Award for Wesmont Station, Somerset’s 70-acre transit-oriented mixed-use redevelopment located in Wood-Ridge, N.J., where Somerset partnered with NJ TRANSIT to build a brand new train station that provides access to Manhattan.

Bob Zuckerman

Executive Director, Downtown Westfield

Bob Zuckerman just began his third year as President of  Downtown New Jersey. Bob is the Executive Director of the Downtown Westfield Corporation, serving in this position since March, 2020. Bob is also a member of the South Orange Board of Trustees, where he was elected in May, 2019.

After spending a number of years living in Brooklyn and Manhattan, Bob, along with his husband Grant Neumann, a Vice-President of Random House, returned to his Essex County roots in 2014 to make a new home in South Orange. Bob served from 2013-2019 as the Executive Director of the South Orange Village Center Alliance (“SOVCA”), the nonprofit organization that manages the special improvement district for downtown South Orange. Bob presided over the opening of over two-dozen new businesses during his tenure at SOVCA, and personally recruited many of those businesses, including Pet Wants SOMA which he co-owns.

Prior to leading SOVCA Bob served as Executive Director of the Lower East Side Business Improvement District in New York City, where he led that organization’s efforts to attract more shoppers, diners, businesses, and investment in one of the city’s most rapidly changing neighborhoods. Bob is a graduate of Livingston High School, received a Bachelor of Business Administration from Emory University and a law degree from American University.

Bob is the President of the Downtown New Jersey Board of Trustees.