Kate specializes in place-based development that pairs physical investment with policies and programs promoting inclusive economic growth. Her career has encompassed management of complex public and private development initiatives in New York City, to cultivation of economic turnarounds in small and mid-sized cities across the Midwest, to downtown revitalization and adaptation efforts along the West Coast. Kate served as HR&A’s first Managing Partner for its New York headquarters, overseeing staff and institutionalizing new systems to support growth. Prior to joining HR&A, she managed pre-development for Manhattan West and other mixed-use projects as Development Director with Brookfield Properties, and led large-scale planning initiatives as Senior Vice President at NYC Economic Development Corporation. 

Kate’s approach to inclusive neighborhood & community development focuses on building from existing community assets rather than imposing external solutions. She develops comprehensive investment frameworks for cities across the country — from New York, Detroit, Seattle, Philadephia, Grand Rapids, Erie, Sandusky, and more — that strengthen local businesses and cultural institutions while attracting complementary new development. Her methodology emphasizes community-led planning processes that identify economic opportunities and create governance structures that ensure residents maintain decision-making power throughout the development process. 

Kate shapes and implements neighborhood, downtown, and waterfront investment strategies that revitalize communities across the United States.  She has created targeted investment strategies and new governance entities to drive economic opportunity in cities like Erie, North Adams, Sandusky, and Columbus, demonstrating how strategic planning can strengthen post-industrial communities. Her design of a grant program for small Western Pennsylvania cities with academic anchors shows how philanthropic investment can leverage institutional assets to build local capacity and advance community-driven priorities. Through her work with New York State’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative, she helped local planning committees deploy $70 million across seven downtowns while leveraging substantial additional private and public capital. Her strategic planning for Detroit neighborhoods and transit-oriented development areas illustrates how comprehensive planning can secure federal funding for affordable housing while advancing community economic development goals. 

Her work with mission-driven development focuses on helping public, institutional, nonprofit, and for-profit organizations leverage their real estate assets to advance their missions while generating sustainable revenue streams. Her approach involves designing innovative partnerships and financing mechanisms that enable institutions to unlock value while contributing to broader neighborhood development objectives. From working with jurisdictions to redevelop underperforming malls and office parks into vibrant mixed-use districts to helping cultural institutions create community-serving amenities to unlock asset value while expanding programming — Kate understands how to maximize community impact and financial returns for mission-driven organizations.  

Kate’s regional economic growth strategic planning expertise centers on creating strategies that build competitive advantages while advancing economic opportunity for all. She develops comprehensive frameworks that connect workforce development, business attraction, and infrastructure investment to create economic ecosystems that generate shared prosperity. Her methodology emphasizes building local capacity and leadership while attracting strategic external investment that complements existing community strengths. 

Kate has served on the faculty of NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service and as an advisor with the ULI/National League of Cities’ Rose Center for Public Leadership in Land Use. Her leadership experience includes serving as Development Director at Brookfield Properties, where she managed commercial and mixed-use development projects, and as Senior Vice President at NYC Economic Development Corporation, where she led large-scale planning and development initiatives including work on Brooklyn Bridge Park, Downtown Brooklyn, and Coney Island.