Marcus Thornton - Speaker
Marcus Thornton is a highly skilled and experienced commercial real estate broker with T. Dallas Smith & Company. With a robust history in the industry, he leverages his expertise in lease administration, tenant representation and strategic planning in order to drive success in his real estate endeavors. Prior to his corporate career, Marcus was a professional athlete, playing basketball abroad after earning a Master's Degree in Kinesiology, with a focus on Sports Management and Policy, from the University of Georgia - College of Education, where he was the captain of the men’s basketball team and an All-SEC player. His dual career has placed him in a unique position to excel in both the sports and real estate spheres.
David Yankey - Speaker
David Yankey is an accomplished industrial real estate professional based in the Atlanta office of InLight Real Estate Partners, with a keen focus on ground-up development and acquisitions throughout the Southeast. His extensive experience encompasses leasing and asset management of mixed-use assets, as well as developing multifamily properties from the ground up. An Australian native raised in Atlanta, David leverages his unique background of professional football, having played with the Minnesota Vikings and the Carolina Panthers in the NFL after a successful stint at Stanford University. His dual career has provided him with invaluable relationships and teamwork skills that translate seamlessly into his real estate endeavors.
Steve Dils - Speaker
Prior to his retirement in 2023 following a 30-year commercial real estate career, Steve Dils served as Principal and Managing Director of Avison Young’s Atlanta office. At AY, Steve opened the Atlanta office in 2010 and significantly grew the company's presence over the following 13 years to a 140-person full service commercial real estate team. Prior to beginning his commercial real estate career full-time, Steve was an NFL quarterback with the Minnesota Vikings and the Atlanta Falcons, following his stint as quarterback of the award-winning Stanford college team. Balancing his sports and corporate roles, Steve began his real estate career at PC Associates where he served as Director of Leasing and Marketing, managing significant properties such as Piedmont Center. Throughout his career, Steve has been active in community groups and professional real estate organizations, including serving as President of the Atlanta Commercial Board of Realtors.
Lamar Wakefield – Moderator
Lamar Wakefield, an adept architect and founder of Wakefield Beasley, has a passion for building and creating outstanding places. Lamar played an integral role in the development of The Battery Atlanta, a mixed-use project surrounding the Atlanta Braves new Truist Park stadium; a project he often cites as one of his favorites. Now serving as Senior Vice President and national mixed-use practice leader of Nelson Worldwide, following their acquisition of Wakefield Beasley, Lamar uses his extraordinary design ability and his unique people skills to foster relationship-centric cultures that contribute to his company’s success. His commitment to diversity and fostering relationships is unwavering.