A Q&A with Director of Development, Kaleena Francis Lee
By Abdi tolessa, urban alliance summer intern
In any career, the combination of knowledge and experience is crucial for achieving success. A solid foundation of knowledge equips you with the tools to solve problems, while experience gives you the confidence to make informed decisions and accurate predictions. In this blog, I had the opportunity to sit down for a Q&A session with Kaleena Francis Lee, Director of Development at Jair Lynch Real Estate Partners. With a Master of Science in Environmental Science and 20 years of experience with Jair Lynch, Kaleena embodies the essence of these vital career pillars. Here’s a glimpse into our insightful conversation.
Q: Please introduce yourself
Kaleena Francis Lee, Director of Development. I started my career in commercial real estate as an intern at Jair Lynch. Before that, I interned at a civil engineering firm in Adelphi Maryland, and a law firm in Fort Lauderdale Florida. Like my career, I am a sucker for monogamy! I started dating my husband, Marcus, in 2006 and we were joined by our son, Jupiter, in 2017. IKYK! My hobbies are brunch, astrology, and British murder mysteries. I kick-box and weight-lift to avoid atrophy and to help with stress. My weekly therapy session on Wednesday is sacred, please do not double-book me.
Q: What music have you been listening to recently?
Well, I love Madonna, Beyoncé, and Billy Joel. But somehow, my Apple Music is always on KidzBop.
Q: What are your Roles and Responsibilities?
As Director of Development for Jair Lynch, I lead teams and provide support on project & product visioning, financial underwriting, entitlements, branding, architectural design, retail leases, negotiating construction contracts, monitoring construction, tenant fit-out guiding lease-up, and supporting future disposition. With over 1 million square feet of premier buildings in central DC submarkets such as H Street NE and Half Street SE, and now expanding my footprint into Northern Virginia in Alexandria and Arlington, I am very proud of my tenure and impact.
Q: You graduated from American University with a B.A. and a Master of Science in Environmental Science. What influenced you to study the field?
The original goal was to become an environmental lawyer and support communities of color in improving their neighborhoods. I was raised in Florida and the environment has a big impact on communities from hurricanes to heat wave index. I was motivated to use science and law to create a positive impact. I fell into real estate, and it saved me from being a terrible lawyer but still had an impact on hyper-local communities.
Q: In what ways have you found your degree/field of study to be useful in your development projects and role?
I was the first professional at the firm to earn LEED accreditation in 2005 when the field of green building design was relatively new. I passed that test because I was only one year out of college!
Q: As someone passionate about sustainability, how do you incorporate green practices into your projects?
The great thing about effective policy is when it is done right, it becomes standard and is no longer hard to incorporate. After 20 years of green design, all projects in the submarket have some elements of green design that are easy to implement with little-to-no cost impact. But, the jurisdiction and policymakers are seeking to move towards higher levels of sustainability that have significant cost impacts such as Benchmarking, Energy Star, Zero Energy Ready Home. I’m eager to put my experience, knowledge of sustainability best practices, and creativity to work as the bar raises higher for sustainability in real estate.
Q: Any standout examples from your portfolio?
The giant illuminated “K” on Half St is for Kaleena! Just kidding, it’s for “Kelvin”…
Every project I deliver is my baby and I am proud of all of them. Each is a labor of love and takes so much time and commitment. From working with third-party clients such as UNCF and the African-American Civil War Museum to delivering sponsored investments such as Anthology and The Kelvin, I greatly enjoy the work I do. I have also built 10 LEED projects to date. Other highlights include the Solea Condominium and 3Tree Flats which were certified as LEED Neighborhood Development for helping to create better, more sustainable, well-connected neighborhoods. We are currently working on 431 Columbus and 605 RIA, both designed to meet LEED Multifamily Midrise by improving indoor air quality, incorporating safe building materials, and reducing energy and water.
Q: with two decades of experience with the organization, can you share what’s driven you to remain with the company for so long?
Every project has been more challenging than the last, but it has pushed me to become more creative, more innovative, and to continue learning. Truly, I enjoy the work and its challenges; I love our staff and our commitment to each other; and I continue to be proud of the impact and brand we continue to foster. I look forward to the future!
Q: For students like me, pursuing undergraduate studies and considering future graduate studies, would you recommend exploring graduate opportunities?
I have observed that you get the best return from graduate school after working for a few years and then honing in on exactly what you want your degree to be in. Too many people end up with two masters degrees because they chose too early. Give yourself time. I only did mine because it was a dual program with undergrad and one extra year.
Q: how did you juggle both your professional and academic responsibilities through your masters?
I have so many credits of independent study from Jair Lynch! (Thank You, James Fennelly!) But also, when you are young, you (generally) have so much energy and free time.
Q: When you started your professional career, what were your initial priorities?
Trial and error for sure. A lot of observing and asking questions. I started as an intern, and my managers said, “Just try, and even if you get it 30-50% correct, you’re gaining the skill of learning something new.” So, I took that challenge head-on. I also made sure to make connections with consultants readily. It’s important to make connections with people you can rely on and learn from.
Q: As Director of Development, You do a lot of work in residential and mixed-use buildings. tell me what you’ve learned about this side of commercial real estate.
Multifamily and Mixed-Use development are very hard asset classes to develop. Lots of complexity in design, regulatory/zoning challenges, community engagement, risk in the capital stack to mitigate, economic shifts, and long-term operational/maintenance issues, but huge upside when delivered correctly. Equally, the impact on a community is significant, you may be providing live, work, and play in one space, the highest and best uses. Coupled with affordable housing and green design, it’s the best of what we want to achieve.
Q: what technology has largely influenced project development?
Big data and data analytics have been the most impactful for sure, in everything from market analysis and property valuations. But also, smart buildings and uses of technology such as BMS to improve sustainability and monitor efficiency have improved significantly.
Q: Do You see anything coming to disrupt how project development is run?
AI is the next wave, and the disruption is unclear but exciting. I’m eager to see how it will shape trends or help predict risks.
Q: What advice would you give your younger self, before you started your career, on how to be successful in the field of your choice?
I should have leaned into pro forma underwriting sooner!
Conclusion
Throughout her 20-year career, Kaleena Francis Lee has emphasized that knowledge and experience are fundamental pillars of a successful career. After speaking with her, it became clear that these pillars are complemented by her bright and bubbly personality. For the new generation entering the workforce, she offers invaluable insights on career growth and provides excellent advice. Personally, her suggestions—such as not rushing into a master’s program and focusing on meaningful work that benefits the community—resonate deeply with me and are vital for other young professionals to consider.
If you enjoyed this Q&A, come back next week to hear from our Director of Project Management at Jair Lynch, Bert G. Springer. To stay up to date on the happenings of Jair Lynch and more, follow us on LinkedIn. Additionally, if you’d like to follow along on my internship journey, follow me, Abdi Tolessa, on LinkedIn.
ABOUT ME
Hello! I am Abdi Tolessa, and I am fortunate to be working with Jair Lynch through Urban Alliance’s Alumni Internship for the summer of 2024.
I have been working with Urban Alliance for two years now, starting my career with their World Bank program. During that time, I gained hands-on experience with new technology and software that completely opened my eyes to the vast opportunities in my field of interest, computer science. Ever since that formative experience, I have been a proud Urban Alliance alumni, finding ways to apply myself in ways I haven’t thought of before.
