Progressive Emergency Response Planning for Commercial Real Estate in 2023

Matt Smith is the Vice President, Director of Security for JBG SMITH, responsible for security and emergency preparedness for JBG SMITH’s portfolio throughout the National Capital Region including commercial, residential, and retail assets.  Matt joined JBG SMITH following the merger of JBG and Vornado/Charles E. Smith in July 2017.  Matt was the Director of Security for Vornado/Charles E. Smith for 2 ½ years preceded by 4 years as the Director of Security for Monday Properties.  Matt retired as a Captain from the Arlington County Police Department in 2011.

Matt is active locally, regionally, and nationally in several professional associations including the following:

- Chair – BOMA International Emergency Preparedness Committee
- Past Chair and current member - AOBA (Apartment and Office Building Association) Emergency Preparedness Committee
- Past Chair and current member  – ASIS (Association for Industrial Security) Commercial Real Estate Council
- Past Sector Chief for Commercial Facilities - FBI Infragard’s National Capital Region Chapter
- Past Member - Arlington County’s Emergency Preparedness Commission to the Arlington County Board.

Matt has a BS in Business Administration from Old Dominion University, and an MS in Public Administration from Central Michigan University.  Matt is a graduate of the 239th Session of the FBI’s National Academy and the Police Executive Research Forums Senior Management Institute for Police taught by faculty from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. 

Walter F. Ulmer III, MBCP, has over 35 years national and international emergency preparedness planning, education and exercise development experience.  He has developed response, crisis management and business continuity plans and training programs for facilities, local jurisdictions, financial investment firms, health departments, colleges and universities, pharmaceutical corporations, law firms, commercial real estate corporations and security service companies.

Prior to his retirement from the United States Army as a lieutenant colonel, Mr. Ulmer was the Associate Dean of Administration and Resources for the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies, a bi-lateral United States-German higher education institution that educates former Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact officials on the tenets of democracy.  In this position Mr. Ulmer helped develop graduate-level curricula for crisis management and emergency response programs for international military and civilian officials and was the academic support representative for the Center’s Distance Learning Program. Upon his retirement, he was selected to be the Director of Administration in Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, a position he occupied on September 11, 2001.

Mr. Ulmer has been a certified instructor for the United States Department of Homeland Security, teaching in its Executive Management Programs, which included workshops for executive-level emergency management, public health, law enforcement, fire and life safety, and elected and appointed officials throughout the United States.

Mr. Ulmer has been an active member of the New York City Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) Preparedness Committee where he completed numerous initiatives, including a study on best practices in hi-rise emergency preparedness planning in metropolitan areas (2005); chairing a task force which developed strategies to mitigate the potential impacts of a flu pandemic on the commercial real estate industry (2006); chairing a task force which developed the BOMA Hi-Rise Drill Book, a series of drills designed to increase preparedness in hi-rise building staffs (2008); and was the primary author of the BOMA/NY “Hurricane Sandy Lessons Learned Study” (2013). In 2010, Mr. Ulmer received the “Pinnacle Award” in recognition as BOMA/NY’s Outstanding Local Member of the Year, for his contributions to commercial real estate preparedness.  Mr. Ulmer continues to be an active advocate for business resilience and for developing realistic, workable and affordable emergency preparedness, crisis management and business continuity solutions for clients worldwide.

Ulmer is a frequent contributor on topics involving emergency preparedness in general and high rise buildings in particular.  He holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering from the United States Military Academy at West Point, a Master’s of Science in Administration from Central Michigan University, has graduated from Harvard University’s School of Higher Education Management Development Program and attended the inaugural MIT program on crisis management and business continuity.

Mark Wright is the Security, Life Safety Director for Brookfield Properties in the Houston Region. He has been in this position for over 20 years directing and administering security, emergency response, and training for the twelve Class "A" high-rise office buildings owned and operated by Brookfield Properties in Houston’s central business district. 

Brookfield’s Houston properties are comprised more than 11.5 million square feet. The associated parking garages are comprised of over 16,000 parking spaces. Brookfield employs a single source contract security service firm in the Houston Region which provides Brookfield over 7,000 hours per week of uniformed security personnel coverage. 

Other Community Roles:
1. Founding member, current president, Houston High Rise Triad committee formed by the city's fire chief to improve emergency responses of building occupants and responding firefighters. 
2. Founding Chair, Houston Police Department's Positive Interaction Program for Houston’s Central Business District. 
3. Charter member, Emergency Planning Committee for Houston Downtown Management District. 
4. Former Chair, Security Preparedness Committee for Houston Building Owners and Managers Association. 
5. Former Chair, Commercial Real Estate Council of ASIS International.

Tracy is currently the Business Development Manager for Tenure with Allied Universal Security. Her experience includes maintaining client relationships, developing prospective clients and providing value to the community in life safety and security through industry associations and partnerships.