April 17th CRE Symposium The Next Generation: Generational Shift in Places, People and the Portfolio

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April 17th CRE Symposium The Next Generation: Generational Shift in Places, People and the Portfolio

Registration: Members – $125 | Non-members – $250
Breakfast and Lunch are included.

 

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9:00 AM - 9:50 AM - The Place: Designing Neuroinclusive Workspaces

Julie Gauthier, IIDA LEED AP
Managing Principal - Workplace Practice
Perkins&Will

Julie has over 30 years of experience in workplace planning and interior design, creating functional and inspiring spaces for commercial and institutional clients. Her approach blends creativity with practicality, guided by thoughtful discovery and placemaking. She is passionate about designing client-focused, healthy environments through strategic programming, strong communication, and a commitment to spaces that uplift and engage.

Committed to creating neuro-inclusive environments, Julie is responsible for launching an internal research initiative into a consulting service focused on Universal Design Assessment, aiming to create environments that support diverse cognitive needs. Learn more about Perkins&Will’s Neuro-inclusive design strategy here.

Micki Washington, AIA, IIDA, LEED AP, NOMA
Global Strategic Programmes Manager |
Our Workplace

Micki is a Global Strategic Programme Manager for Workplace at bp, where she leads workplace transformation initiatives across the Americas, helping organizations align their workplace environments with evolving workforce needs and future-of-work strategies.

A licensed architect and registered interior designer with more than 25 years of experience, Micki brings a unique perspective that bridges design, corporate real estate strategy, and employee experience. Prior to joining bp, she served as Principal and Regional Leader of Workplace at HOK, where she advised multinational organizations on workplace strategy and transformation.

Micki is a recognized industry thought leader and the 2025 recipient of the IIDA TX/OK ICON Award, celebrating her lasting influence on design leadership. Her work and insights have been featured in publications including Work Design Magazine, Metropolis, Fast Company, and The Wall Street Journal. She has also been honored with several industry recognitions, including the 2023 Houston Business Journal Women Who Mean Business Award, the 2023 Bisnow Houston Women Leading Real Estate Award, and the 2022 Bisnow Women in the C-Suite Leading CRE recognition.

A proud alumna of the University of Houston Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and Design, where she earned her Master of Architecture, Micki recently returned as an Adjunct Professor teaching History and Theory of Interior Architecture to third-year students and mentoring the next generation of diverse design professionals.

In addition to her professional work, Micki currently serves as President of the Houston Chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects.

 

Moderator:

Sofia Fonseca De Nino
Managing Director in Strategic Consulting & Broker
Cushman and Wakefield

Sofia Fonseca De Nino is a Managing Director in Strategic Consulting and a broker at Cushman and Wakefield. She specializes in portfolio strategy and workplace advisory for complex, people‑centric organizations. Based in Houston, Sofia works at the intersection of space, culture, and leadership. She is a strong advocate for neuroinclusive workplaces and believes that recognizing different cognitive styles, through design, policy, and leadership behaviors, is critical to driving innovation, and long‑term organizational success. For the last 13 years, she has been an Adjunct Professor at UH lecturing in the Thesis Prep graduate program. She is married to George for 30 years and 4 kids in their 20s. And she loves dancing flamenco.

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10:00 AM - 10:50 AM - The Portfolio: Future Proofing through Consolidation 

Whitney Bossin Burns
Senior Managing Director and Global Head of Client Partnerships
Hines

As the Senior Managing Director and Global Head of Client Partnerships, Whitney is focused on global strategy, innovation and coordination in order to better solve clients' space and service needs. She is responsible for developing the firm’s vision and strategic roadmap to foster a culture of hospitality firmwide and elevate the client experience across product types, including Hines Workplace Services, the firm’s in-house flexible office and amenity platform designed to maximize efficiencies for clients and add value to assets.

Whitney joined Hines in 2013 as Director of Marketing for CityCenterDC in Washington, D.C., where she successfully brought the 10-acre, mixed-use development online from development to operations, overseeing all marketing, public relations, and public space programming initiatives. She then served as Director of Global Project Marketing and Digital Strategy at the firm’s headquarters in Houston, where she created and consulted on award-winning marketing, PR and placemaking strategies for more than 18-million square feet globally. Whitney joined Hines’ Southwest Region in 2019 as a project manager and regional business generator on the development and management side of the business. She was an instrumental player in the region’s push into the creative office and life science sectors.

Her out-of-the-box, innovative concepts and digital strategies have garnered numerous awards, including an Emmy in 2018 for her work at CityCenterDC. She has been named an Emerging Leader in Retail by Real Estate Forums and as a Woman to Watch by the Houston Business Journal. Whitney was a founding member of the OneHines Women’s Network and is an active member of CoreNet Global and ULI. Prior to her career at Hines, she spent time in marketing and production with Discovery Networks in Los Angeles and NBC News at Rockefeller Center in New York.

Whitney holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the University of Southern California.

 

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11:00 AM - 11:50 AM - The People: Generational Shifts in the Workforce

Dawn Payne-Cubbage 
Director, Real Estate & Facilities
Murphy Oil Corporation

Dawn Payne-Cubbage brings over 25 years of leadership experience in corporate real estate, facility management, and property administration. She currently serves as Director of Real Estate & Facilities at Murphy Oil Corporation, where she acts as the primary real estate liaison for all domestic and international leasing and commercial negotiations. Dawn leads a team that supports critical business functions including space planning, mailroom operations, print services, travel and corporate card management, records administration, and construction project management.

Her career includes key leadership roles with Aramark, Cushman & Wakefield, and ChaseSource Real Estate. Throughout her tenure, she has overseen multi-site facility portfolios, delivered large-scale construction initiatives, and implemented operational efficiencies that produced meaningful cost savings.

Dawn also serves as Treasurer of the Board of Directors for CoreNet’s Houston Chapter and remains an active contributor within the corporate real estate community. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Management from National-Louis University, along with the Real Property Administrator (RPA) and Facility Management Administrator (FMA) designations from the Building Owners and Managers Institute International. She is also a licensed Texas Real Estate Commission Sales Agent.

 

Michelle Atkinson IIDA  
Managing Director | Principal
Interior Architects

As managing director of IA’s Houston studio, Michelle Atkinson is well known in the design industry.

During 21 years of experience partnering with high-profile clients, she has focused on an array of renovations, relocations, and capital improvements. In 2022, she was named a Houston Business Journal women who means business honoree in the Outstanding Business Leaders in Design/Architecture/Construction category. 

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12:00 PM - Keynote Speaker

Erick Lucken
Strategy Leader
Gensler

Across 30 years in the design industry, Erik Lucken has grounded his work in a deceptively simple idea: research is the engine of great design. As a Strategy Leader at Gensler, he transforms rigorous inquiry into actionable solutions that align physical environments with business performance and evolving workplace cultures.

Since joining Gensler in 2006 to help launch the first U.S. Workplace Survey, Erik has specialized in the "how" and "why" of modern work. Supported by a research grant from the firm, he has turned his focus to a critical but under-examined variable: workforce demographics. By decoding the distinct needs of workers across every career stage, he has uncovered key insights into designing spaces that truly support the people who use them.

A longtime Gensler thought leader and frequent speaker, Erik does more than describe the challenges of the future workplace—he delivers the strategic clarity to act on them.

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1:00 PM - Closing Remarks

1:30 PM - Tour of 4 Westlake Amenities