1:00pm
Join us at the 2026 Emerging Leaders & Markets Conference as we honor Cheryl McKissack Daniel with the Lifetime Achievement Award for her visionary leadership and lasting impact on the design and construction industry. As Chair of McKissack & McKissack, she carries forward a 230-year family legacy while shaping transformative infrastructure and expanding opportunities for equity and innovation.
NYREC 2026 Lifetime Achievement Honoree
Cheryl McKissack Daniel
Cheryl McKissack Daniel is the Chair of the Board of McKissack & McKissack, the oldest minority- and woman-owned design and construction firm in the United States, and the Chair of the New York Building Congress, one of the construction industry’s most influential organizations. A fifth-generation builder, civil engineer, and author, Cheryl represents a living legacy of American builders and leadership that spans more than two centuries.
With nearly 40 years of experience in engineering, construction management, and infrastructure development, Cheryl has led some of the nation’s most complex and transformative projects. Under her leadership, McKissack & McKissack has overseen more than $50 billion in construction projects in the past decade, including the New Terminal One at JFK International Airport, the LaGuardia Central Terminal Redevelopment, and the construction of the trading floors for JPMorgan Chase’s new headquarters at 270 Park Avenue. Her family’s journey began with an enslaved Ashanti ancestor in 1790 and continued with her grandfather, Moses McKissack, who founded the firm in 1905, a legacy she continues to carry forward today.
She is also the author of The Black Family Who Built America, which traces her family’s journey from enslavement to modern-day business leadership. A respected national voice on infrastructure, leadership, and generational wealth, Cheryl has been featured across major media platforms and named to Forbes’ 50 Over 50, among numerous honors. As both a builder and storyteller, she continues to shape the future of infrastructure while honoring a legacy that reflects the enduring impact of builders on America’s progress.
Presented By:
Exact Capital
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.
Hudson Square Properties: Procurement and Sustainability Philosophy
