2021 State of Housing in Charlotte Summit: Panel Discussion
Immediately following the 2021 State of Housing in Charlotte presentation, please join us for a panel discussion featuring topics from the report featuring three industry leaders.
The panel discussion, moderated by Kip Womack, Associate Professor of Real Estate in the Childress Klein Center for Real Estate, will focus on several key topics, with panelists also taking questions submitted from the audience through a live Q&A.
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Kris J. Fountain, Vice President of Family Services, Habitat Charlotte Region
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David Kennedy, 2021 President of Canopy Realtor® Association and Canopy MLS
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Todd R. Williams, Chief Investment Officer, Grubb Properties
Moderator: Kip Womack, Associate Professor of Real Estate
Panelist Bios
Kris J. Fountain
Kris J. Fountain has over 20 years of affordable housing experience that includes licenses and certifications in mortgage lending, real estate brokerage, financial education, property management and professional development disciplines. His passion is helping others, especially the traditionally underserved.
He currently serves as the Vice President of Family Services for the Habitat Charlotte Region (HCR). His department prepares, educates and advocates for homebuyers and homeowners in Mecklenburg and Iredell counties through HCR’s homebuyer and critical home repair programs. HCR’s expressed mission is to provide strength, stability and self-reliance through shelter.
David Kennedy
David Kennedy serves as 2021 President of Canopy Realtor® Association and Canopy MLS. As a Realtor® with more than 15 years of experience, Kennedy’s primary real estate experience has been in the area of residential sales and property management.
As property manager at T.R. Lawing Realty, a full-service realty firm providing management services to individual owners and investors, David has proven experience in managing the overarching issues that arise with tenants and properties, from leasing to maintenance, ultimately ensuring the satisfaction of both tenants and owners.
Kennedy’s service and volunteering with the Association and Canopy MLS began in 2010 with Canopy Housing Foundation, the Association’s charitable-arm. He also serves on a number of committees and boards, most notably Canopy Realtor® Association’s Board of Directors (2015-present), Canopy MLS Board of Directors (2018-present), and on its Executive Committee (2018-present). He has also served on the state level at NC REALTORS® as a Region 8 Director.
Kennedy is affiliated with a number of professional, civic and community organizations, including serving as the President of Latta Square HOA, Treasurer of the Charlotte Chapter of the National Association of Property Managers, and Myers Park United Methodist Church Administrative Council.
Kennedy is married to wife Jennifer and enjoys spending time with his family and three children, Mackenzie, age 6; Jackson, age 5; and Naya, age 5.
Todd R. Williams
Todd R. Williams is the Chief Investment Officer at Grubb Properties and is responsible for leading the company’s private equity real estate investment programs and institutional joint ventures, including the development, launch and fundraising for discretionary funds that provide equity capital for the company's real estate investments.
He currently oversees the company’s investment relations, communications and fundraising teams, and is a member of the company's investment committee, senior management group and executive team.
Williams has more than 25 years of industry experience including prior executive and senior-level roles at Grubb Properties in development, acquisitions, underwriting and debt financing. He has overseen fundraising for more than $750 million in equity capital deployed across $1.5 billion in real estate transactions during his career with the company.
He joined the company in 2005 after 12 years in real estate advisory services, entitlement, and urban planning, where he provided consulting services to cities, states and quasi-governmental bodies as well as to a wide variety of institutional investors, private companies, public companies and real estate investment trusts.
Williams has multi-jurisdictional experience in securing more than 10 million square feet of zoning entitlements, significant local subsidies and Brownfield redevelopment agreements. Mr. Williams has served on a wide range of community boards and committees, including the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of Habitat for Humanity of Charlotte, as chair of an affiliate’s real estate committee, and as vice chair of the affiliate’s Executive Committee and Board of Directors.
Williams served on the Charlotte Department of Transportation Advisory Team for Street Development Guidelines, was appointed in 2004 by the Charlotte City Council to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Task Force – Long Range Strategic Planning Advisory Committee, served as a staff resource to the Committee of 100 for Charlotte’s long-range regional planning, served on the Glen Lennox Neighborhood Conservation District Committee in Chapel Hill and was a past Board Member of the Elizabeth Community Association in Charlotte.
Williams is a licensed North Carolina Real Estate Broker and graduated from the College of Arts + Architecture at UNC Charlotte, where he received his BA and BARCH. Additionally, he served as a staff associate to UNC Charlotte's Urban Institute, as a research and teaching associate in the Architecture Department, and as an adjunct faculty member and guest lecturer for the Childress Klein Center for Real Estate.