CATHERINE MCVAY HUGHES Top

Catherine McVay Hughes is the former Manhattan Community Board 1 Chair and has served as a member of Community Board 1 for two decades. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Princeton University and a Masters of Business Administration from the Wharton School. Catherine McVay Hughes has provided over 25 years of service in lower Manhattan including serving on various boards and committees including the World Trade Center Scientific Technical Advisory Committee, NY Rising Co-Chair, Trust for Governors Island, Manhattan CB1 Resiliency Task Force, School Overcrowding Taskforce, WTC Health Program Survivors Steering Committee.

MEHUL PATEL Top

Mehul J. Patel has enjoyed a career in real estate and economic development spanning the public, private and non-profit sectors over the past two decades. Mehul is currently the Head of Commercial Office for Rudin where he oversees asset management, property management, development, leasing and marketing for a 10.5 million square foot portfolio in New York City.

Patel comes to Rudin from Midtown Equities, where he served as Chief Operating Officer and led deal execution for development, leasing and asset management across the firm’s office, retail and hospitality portfolio. Prior to joining Midtown Equities, Mehul was the Chief Operating Officer of Midwood Investment & Development which owns, develops and manages retail, office, residential, hotel and mixed-use properties in New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles and Washington D.C. Before joining Midwood, Mehul was the Chief Operating Officer & Chief of Staff at Empire State Development, New York State's real estate and economic development agency. Previously, as a Vice President of the Moynihan Station Development Corporation, Mehul worked with various public and private sector stakeholders to expand New York’s Penn Station into the historic James A. Farley Post Office Building. Prior to that, he was a Senior Project Manager at The Hudson Companies where he oversaw the development of J Condominium in DUMBO and was responsible for managing all aspects of the 33-story, 267-unit new construction project. And before joining Hudson, Mehul was a Senior Analyst at HR&A Advisors, which specializes in real estate, economic development, and public policy consulting.

Mehul is currently a Trustee of the Urban Land Institute, a Board Member of the Coro New York Leadership Center and an Adjunct Professor at Columbia University teaching Public Private Partnerships in Real Estate Development. He also serves as a Director on the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation and the Moynihan Station Development Corporation. Previously, Mehul served as President of the Columbia Real Estate Development Alumni Association, co-chair of the Yale Alumni Real Estate Association, and co-chair of the ULI New York Young Leaders Group. Mehul received a Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture and Urban Studies from Yale University and a Master’s Degree in Real Estate Development from Columbia University.

CARL RODRIGUES Top

Carl Rodrigues serves as the Chief Executive Officer for Harvard Allston Land Company (HALC). Prior to joining HALC, Carl completed seven years serving in various real estate and economic development roles for the City of New York. Most recently he served as the Chief Operating Officer of the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) and helped manage key aspects of the agency’s mayoral transition. He also served as Chief of Staff to the NYC Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development, acting under both Deputy Mayors Vicki Been and Alicia Glen. As Chief of Staff, he managed the development, tracking, and improvement of City policy and programs focused on equitable economic growth. Prior to joining NYCEDC, Carl was involved in residential and office acquisitions in Los Angeles and worked in global securities at Goldman Sachs. Carl earned his B.S. and M.S. in Electrical Engineering from Tufts University. Carl is also a graduate of UCLA’s Anderson School of Management and is a Chartered Financial Analyst.

JOSHUA KRAUS Top

Josh Kraus serves NYCEDC as Director of Project Implementation. Most recently, Josh has served as Director of the New York City Mayor’s Office of Capital Project Development. Since joining that office in 2013, Josh has worked to deliver high-priority capital projects across the five boroughs, from Pre-K sites and post-Sandy recovery to health clinics, cultural facilities and public plazas. Another major focus of Josh’s work was coordinating the City’s engagement on planning for regional megaprojects, particularly the Gateway tunnel,Moynihan and Penn Stations, and Port Authority Bus Terminal.

Prior to joining the Mayor’s Office, Josh spent seven years as a member of the Lower Manhattan Borough Commissioner’s Office of the NYC Department of Transportation. There he worked primarily on supporting the rebuilding of the World Trade Center site, as well as reconstructing streets and utilities across lower Manhattan, following the 9/11 attacks. Before moving to New York City, Josh worked for the City of Montréal, where he contributed to the development of the City’s Comprehensive Master Plan.

Josh holds a Master’s in Urban Planning from McGill University in Montréal, Canada, and a Bachelor of Arts from Boston University in Social Geography and Urban Development. He lives in the Bronx with his wife and three children.