Afternoon Fireside Chat
1:15-2:00pm
Biddle Room
Michael Garner
NYC Chief Diversity Officer
Michael J. Garner, MBA, is New York City’s first Chief Diversity officer. He formerly served as Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, State of New York. His tenure at the MTA spanned 14 years from February 2009- through February 2023. Mr. Garner is a diversity champion, making it his personal and professional mission to create a more diverse business environment. By creating new programs, Mr. Garner and his teams have been responsible for more than $20 billion in payments to New York State/City Minority and Women-owned Businesses. In addition, since Mr. Garner’s arrival, the MTA has improved its hiring of Blacks, Hispanics, and Asians by 20% across the MTA’s six different operating agencies.
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Mr. Garner is an advisor on MWDBE matters to various U.S. Cities and States including the City of Buffalo, the City of Chicago, Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), and the State of New Jersey. President of the Founding Chapter One Hundred Black Men of New York City. As the most immediate past President of the Founding Chapter of the One Hundred Black Men of New York City for six years and current Chairman of the Corporate Board, Mr. Garner led the chapter to new heights.
As the Managing Partner of Exact Capital, Mr. Livingston is responsible for the core aspects of the firm’s Commercial Real Estate development activity including structuring, negotiating, financing and managing the firm’s development pipeline and the respective ventures formed around the firm’s development projects. Mr. Livingston has advised, structured, and executed in excess of $1.5 billion of financing for numerous transactions ranging from market rate luxury condominiums, hotels, & market rate rentals, to middle- and low-income affordable housing. To date Mr. Livingston has developed or preserved over 4,000 residential units and has spearheaded the firm’s national expansion into southern and Midwest markets. He has overseen the firm’s marquee development projects including Harlem’s first world class hotel rising above the site of the historic Victoria Theater, and an adjacent mixed income residential tower. Mr. Livingston also serves as Board Chair of the New York Real Estate Chamber (NYREC), the leading advocacy group for diverse developers within New York state. He has been instrumental in advocating for legislation and policies that support the ideals of increased economic opportunity and access to capital for Minority Commercial Real Estate developers.
Craig Livingston
Managing Partner, Exact Capital
Moderator
