David Smith | MAG Partners

David R. Smith is Head of Vertical Development at MAG Partners.

He previously served as Senior Vice President – Development with Strategic Property Partners (SPP) on the 56-acre Water Street Tampa project, overseeing the development of three multifamily high-rise towers containing 1,300 residential units and 80,000 SF of retail.  He began his career in commercial real estate development in 1995 with Hines Interests LP in Washington, DC and later as Vice President of Development with Forest City Realty Trust and Brookfield Properties, working on large scale urban mixed-used projects in DC.  Over his 27-year career in real estate development, Mr. Smith has had direct oversight for all phases of the development cycle from masterplanning, land use and entitlements through design and construction, involving the delivery of over 700,000 SF of office space, 180,000 SF of retail, and 2,100 apartment units, valued at over $1.3 billion of real estate.

David earned his undergraduate degree from Duke University, receiving a BSE with a double major in Civil Engineering and Economics. After Duke, he began working in Technical Marketing with General Electric’s Lighting Business Group in Cleveland, OH and New York, NY. He attended graduate school at the University of Pennsylvania, receiving a Master of Architecture. After practicing architecture for three years with Francis Cauffman Architects in Philadelphia, PA, he moved to Evanston, IL to attend Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, where he received an MBA majoring in finance and marketing.

Professionally, Mr. Smith is a member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and sits on ULI’s Urban Development and Mixed-Use Council (UDMUC). He currently serves as a Director on the Board of Trustees of University School, his alma mater in Hunting Valley, OH, on the Duke University Annual Fund Advisory Board, and on the Dean’s Council of the Stuart Weitzman School of Design at UPenn.  David also volunteers extensively with A Better Chance, Inc. (ABC), through which he received a scholarship to attend University School.