Spotlight: From Blueprint to Breakthrough – Lessons in Neighborhood Revitalization
Panelists:
|
Jacob R. Day
Secretary, Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development
Prior to his nomination to lead the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development under Governor Wes Moore,
Secretary Jacob R. Day served as the 28th Mayor of Salisbury, Maryland. Born and raised in Salisbury, he previously served
as City Council President. His tenure as Mayor was marked by a resurgent downtown, including nearly $650 million in new
construction, the establishment of two youth community centers, and the creation of a permanent supportive housing program
to address chronic homelessness.
Secretary Day also previously worked for the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy as Director of the Center for Towns, utilizing
design, planning, and development assistance to establish vibrant, sustainable small cities and towns. He served as national
president of the American Institute of Architecture Students and editor-in-chief of CRIT, a journal of architecture.
A U.S. Army Major, Secretary Day is a Cavalry, Information Operations, and Special Technical Operations Officer assigned to
Special Operations Detachment-NATO. He is a veteran of the Global War on Terrorism and was deployed to Somalia, Kenya, and
Djibouti.
Secretary Day earned a Master of Science in Nature, Society & Environmental Policy from Oxford University, a Master of Urban
Design from Carnegie Mellon University, and a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Maryland. He is the
proud father to two beautiful daughters, Lilly and Olivia.
|
|
Venroy July
Cohen Seglias and Manager, Baltimore Renaissance Development Group
enroy July is a corporate attorney, community developer, and advocate based in Baltimore. He is a partner at Cohen Seglias, where he advises clients across corporate, finance, and real estate matters.
Originally from Jamaica, Venroy emigrated to the U.S. at age 11. He earned a B.A. in Political Science and Economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a J.D. from Duke University School of Law.
Before joining Cohen Seglias, Venroy held leadership roles at prominent law firms including Dickinson Wright, Hogan Lovells, and Miles & Stockbridge.
Beyond legal work, Venroy is the manager of Baltimore Renaissance Development Group, through which he leads mixed-use and community-focused redevelopment projects in Baltimore’s underinvested neighborhoods.
He is deeply engaged in civic life. He co-founded the Baltimore Young Professionals, and has served on the boards of organizations such as Grace Medical Center, the Reginald F. Lewis Museum, and East Baltimore Development, among others.
A former professional boxer, Venroy brings that same drive and tenacity to his work in law, development, and community building.
|
|
Thibault Manekin
Co-Founder, Seawall
From a young age growing up in Baltimore, Thibault Manekin was driven by one question: why are we so divided, and how can we
bridge those divides? In 2002, he co-founded PeacePlayers, a nonprofit that uses basketball and dialogue to unite children
in conflict zones. Since then, PeacePlayers has reached over 100,000 youth across 22 countries and trained more than 2,000
coaches and change agents.
In 2007, Thibault returned to Baltimore and co-founded Seawall, an impact-driven real estate company reimagining the built
environment as a tool to empower communities, unite cities, and launch powerful ideas. Seawall has become a model for
values-based development in Baltimore and beyond.
In 2021, he released his first book, Larger Than Yourself.
Most importantly, Thibault is the proud husband of Lola and father to Finley and Durban.
|
|
