Spotlight: The Faith-Based Infrastructure Play – Land, Leadership & Legacy
Moderator
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David Bowers
Vice President & Mid-Atlantic Market Leader; Senior Advisor, Faith-Based Development Initiative, Enterprise Community Partners
David Bowers is Vice President and Mid-Atlantic Market Leader at Enterprise Community Partners, where he oversees affordable housing and community development initiatives across the region. He also serves as Senior Advisor for Enterprise’s Faith-Based Development Initiative, which helps houses of worship leverage land and property to create affordable housing and community assets.
Under his leadership, Enterprise has launched initiatives such as the Housing Leaders Group of Greater Washington, the Purple Line Corridor Coalition, and the GreenPATH transit-oriented preservation effort.
Before joining Enterprise, David was a program manager at the AFL-CIO Housing Investment Trust, an advisor at the U.S. Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund, and a staffer for U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski on the Senate VA-HUD Appropriations Committee.
A graduate of the University of Virginia and Howard University School of Divinity, he is also an ordained minister and the founder of the NO MURDERS DC movement. His work bridges faith, finance, and social justice to strengthen communities across the Mid-Atlantic.
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Panelists
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Bishop Donté L. Hickman, Sr.
Senior Pastor, Southern Baptist Church
Bishop Donté L. Hickman, Sr. is the Senior Pastor of Southern Baptist Church in Baltimore, Maryland, where he leads a growing multi-campus ministry and spearheads transformative community development initiatives. Under his leadership, the church has expanded its mission beyond spiritual growth to include education, housing, and health equity—anchored in the vision of “Restoring People and Rebuilding Properties.”
His ministry has produced a $1/2 million renovation, expanded housing projects, a Transformation Center offering workforce development and behavioral services, and a youth enrichment center. Bishop Hickman’s leadership has also driven the church’s expansion into multiple locations across Maryland.
A graduate of Wiley College, Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, and Wesley Theological Seminary, Bishop Hickman also completed studies at Loyola University’s Sellinger School of Business. He has served on the Baltimore Housing Authority Board and the Maryland Port Authority Commission, and is a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
He is married to First Lady Danielle Curtis Hickman, and together they are proud parents of two sons. His ministry continues to be defined by his passion for faith-driven revitalization and community empowerment.
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Rev. Dr. Reginald Thomas, Sr.
Senior Pastor, Greater Gethsemane Missionary Baptist Church
Rev. Dr. Reginald Thomas, Sr. has served as the Senior Pastor of Greater Gethsemane Missionary Baptist Church in Baltimore since 1994. Guided by his conviction that faith must serve both spiritual and practical needs, he has built ministries that empower individuals, strengthen families, and uplift entire communities.
Pastor Thomas founded Urban Life Solutions, Inc., a community development corporation focused on addressing social and economic inequities in urban communities. He has also served in leadership roles within the Kingdom Association of Covenant Pastors and the Full Gospel Baptist Fellowship, and was a lecturer at the historic Hampton University Minister’s Conference.
His academic achievements include a B.S. in Psychology from Towson University, Bachelor and Master of Theology degrees from Philadelphia Bible College & Seminary, a Master of Arts in Theology from St. Mary’s Seminary, and a Doctor of Ministry from Ashland Theological Seminary.
Pastor Thomas is a husband, father, and lifelong learner whose ministry is rooted in the belief that “when leaders stop learning, they stop growing.” His visionary leadership continues to model how faith and action can work together to transform lives and neighborhoods.
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