KeyNote Submission
This curated collection of published or publishable content authored by LAI members showcases our industry’s best thought leadership. Articles and excerpts share a wealth of knowledge — from industry trends and academic research to expert perspectives.
KeyNotes Post Suggestions:
Content for KeyNotes posts consist of land-economics topics and directly relate to a LAI member, chapter, or a global LAI event.
Chapter meeting synopses are perfect for KeyNotes posts as well as articles written by a LAI member or honoring a member.
Personal or business travel that ties in land economics within images and copy are interesting KeyNotes posts.
Peruse past KeyNotes posts for inspiration on crafting a unique post.
Articles of any length are accepted, though long articles may be best broken into a series. Multi-media material such as ppt, charts, video, links to other material, etc. are often integral to substantiating post content.
Bringing Together
Foresight.
And Insight.
Welcome to Our 2025-26 New Members
October 27, 2025
- Austin Ehrat: Austin is a University of Memphis graduate who started his career as a broker on commercial and multifamily properties across the Midsouth and now serves as a Director in Newmark’s Multifamily Marketing Team in Memphis. He has been involved in over 500 transactions in his 10 year career in sales brokerage and consultant on multifamily assets across the Mid South. Austin is a consistent winner at the Pinnacle Awards for being a leading producer in apartment sales.
- Patrick Johnston: Patrick earned his BS degree in Building Science at Auburn University. His 22 year career in the commercial construction business has included multiple projects in the Memphis area for Turner Construction before joining RKA as an EVP in its Commercial Division. He was selected for Leadership Memphis Class of 2022 and as a Top 40 under 40 by the Memphis Business Journal. Patrick is active in the community serving in numerous leadership and trustee roles.
- Scott Kern: Scott received his BA from San Diego State in Environmental Design and worked in retail development in the western states before landing in Memphis with the Poag Group where was active in several retail and mixed use projects. In 2019, he formed KPS Development Partners, a full service team specializing in mixed use projects. He is currently engaged with the prominent local investor team on the redevelopment of Oak Court Mall. Scott is an active member of ULI and ICSC.
- Chris Mefford: Chris earned his Bachelors in Math and Economics at Northern Iowa, his Masters in Urban Planning at University of Iowa and MBA at the University of Washington. He founded Community Attributes Inc. in Seattle in 2005 and has offices in Denver and Seattle. He relocated his family and headquarters to Memphis in 2022. Community Attributes has expanded its focus on land use and economics into the greater Memphis area. It is working closely with the Chamber on Memphis 3.0 and other strategic planning initiatives.
- Tony Pellicciotti: Tony received his Bachelor’s in Engineering and Masters in Architecture at the U of M. He has been an important part of the award winning team at LRK for over 30 years. Tony tends to gravitate toward Memphis projects where he has made the impossible possible: Adaptive reuse of Crosstown Concourse, the Tennessee Brewery, the Chisca Apartments on Main and the National Civil Rights Museum. He and his partners at LRK have focused on the world of preservation design across Memphis and the USA.
- Michael Winter: Michael earned his Bachelor of Architecture at Mississippi State University. He started his career as an intern at Fleming Architects in 2010 and has risen to Project Manager, then Vice President of Fleming to Managing Partner at now 4FDesign. Michael has been involved in design of a diverse range of projects including multifamily, commercial and educational uses. He was in the Leadership Memphis Class of 2022, the Top 40 under 40. Michael currently serves on the Downtown Memphis Commission and the Landmark Commission.