Visiting Industry Professional (VIP) Series

With more than 25 years of experience in residential, hospitality and mixed-use development, Marc D. Weller '95 has built a real estate legacy through a powerful portfolio of transformative developments. World-renowned projects include the Sagamore Pendry hotel in Baltimore, Maryland, ranked the #1 hotel in the United States in 2018 by Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice, and the redevelopment of the Baltimore Peninsula, formerly known as Port Covington, one of the largest urban revitalization projects in the United States. His team recently announced completion of the first phase of the Baltimore Peninsula project, encompassing 1.1 million square feet of new office, retail and mixedincome residential development.

At the heart of his development projects is a triple-bottom-line approach, designing financially viable strategies that provide returns to investors and benefits both the surrounding communities and the environment.

Weller’s portfolio continues to expand with world-class brands nationally and internationally. Current projects include recently announced luxury resorts and branded residential in Napa, California and Grand Bahama in partnership with world-renowned hospitality brand Six Senses Hotels Resorts & Spas, among other projects that will soon be announced.

In 2012, prior to founding Weller Development, Weller and Under Armour founder, CEO and chairman Kevin Plank founded Sagamore Development Company, a full-service real estate company with expertise in acquisitions, development, leasing, construction management and property management.

Previously, Weller owned and operated Denning LLC, a mixed-use development enterprise constructing market-rate and affordable residential units in urban, mixed-use development projects. As founding partner and president, Weller developed housing units in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area with partners including JBG Companies, Lowe Enterprises, Perry Real Estate Capital, National Foundation Affordable Housing Solutions (NFAHS), Urban Matters, and the District of Columbia.

2023: John Hazen White Jr. '96 Hon.

John Hazen White, Jr. is one of the most prominent business leaders in Rhode Island. He is the executive chairman and owner of Taco Group Holdings, Inc., a $500 million world-class heating and cooling equipment manufacturer leading its industry.

White was born in Providence, Rhode Island, in 1958 and is the fifth child and only son of John and Happy White. He attended Williston Northampton School and graduated from The College of Wooster in Ohio with a degree in English Literature.

He represents the third generation of his family to own and operate Taco. He started his career with Taco in 1980 after serving in sales with manufacturer representative agencies. During his career at Taco, he has held various positions of increasing responsibility. He became executive vice president in 1991, president in 1997, and is now executive chairman. Taco has been grown and developed with a focus on the love of people and community.

White is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Brookings Institution in Washington, DC, where he endowed an annual program on the re-emergence of manufacturing in the United States.

He is a visiting professor at Johnson & Wales University and a member of its Board of Trustees. He serves as Board Chair of the Williston Northampton School Board; in addition, he has served as chairman of the Hydraulics Institute Board. He also served for many years on the Wheaton College Board.

He founded Lookout RI, a public watchdog advocacy group, and writes periodic op-eds for Go Local Prov.com.

The White Family has been long known and recognized for their philanthropic mission and giving. Through the White Family Foundation, hundreds of grants have been made to multiple nonprofit organizations and community-based agencies to support the arts, education and healthcare.

He is married to Elizabeth White and lives in Barrington, RI. He has two sons, Benjamin, who is in the business, and the late John Hazen White III. He has two granddaughters, Madison Marie White and Winona Rose White, which now brings the White family’s involvement in Taco to five generations.

2021: Chip Wade '83, '06 Hon.

As CEO of Union Square Hospitality Group, Chip Wade is responsible for further enhancing and evolving the company’s culture, driving an even greater experience for guests, and bolstering the profitability of its businesses.

Most recently, Wade spent 17 years in leadership with Darden Restaurants, where he oversaw all operating functions, drove best-in-industry people metrics, and enhanced financial performance for several of Darden’s high-growth brands. He also served as chief operating officer for Legal Sea Foods in Boston, Massachusetts, in which capacity he led all operations for the family-owned group’s 31 restaurants and oversaw the launch of the Legal Test Kitchen concept. Earlier in his career, Wade spent 13 years with TGI Fridays, where he progressed through various management positions in operations, human resources, and new business development.

Wade also serves on the following boards: Cracker Barrel; Johnson & Wales University; Share Our Strength, a national organization working to end childhood hunger and poverty in the United States; and Youth Villages, a nonprofit offering services and support for families of children with emotional, mental and behavioral problems. He is also a senior advisor for Junzi Kitchen, a Chinese fast-casual restaurant and concept based in New York.

Wade received an associate in science degree in Culinary Arts from Johnson & Wales in 1983. He has a bachelor of science degree from Widener University and an MBA from the University of Texas, Dallas. In 2006, he received an honorary Business Administration doctoral degree in Food Service Management from JWU. Read more of his JWU story and life advice.

2020: Kamilah A’Vant

Kamilah A’Vant is the director of diversity programs for Color Magazine, a publication that celebrates corporate America’s diverse workforce and empowers communities. She is president for the New England chapter of the National Association for Multi-ethnicity in Communications (NAMIC), a member of the Southern New England Association of Black Journalists, a community advisory board member for the “Reflection in Action” program at Harvard Medical School Office of Diversity Inclusion & Community Partnership, and a board member of the Children’s Friend.

Discussing the challenges of navigating work spaces as your authentic self, A’Vant explains that it is critical to understand the place where you work. “Diversity blooms in an environment that welcomes and serves as an incubator for an array of thought, expression and perspectives,” A’Vant notes. “ I would first suggest finding allies and/or those people where you share commonalities. Build a support system with others that encourages/supports a workplace that focuses on belonging. If you cannot find it internally, then I would suggest channeling efforts to get a support system outside of where you work.”

Read more of her insightful 2020 presentation here.

2019: Cindi Bigelow '19 Hon.

As the third-generation president and CEO of the family-owned Bigelow Tea, Cindi Bigelow knows that keeping a brand thriving and growing takes hard work: “But I think we were able to do it because we’re very much focused on mission over self. When self gets in front of mission, it’s a real issue.”

To Bigelow, every day offers up opportunities to learn: “Obstacles are coming, every single day. How you handle them will define who you are as a person.” Likewise, the seemingly big decisions we take in life — like a new job, or a move to a new city — are often less crucial than the lessons we take to heart. “Whatever you’re doing — yes, it’s important — but it’s almost secondary to who you’re going to become,” she said. “Everything is a building block. It’s a journey of twists and turns, and often you have no idea how they’re going to connect until later on.”

Read more of her illuminating conversation with Maureen Dumas, Ed.D., vice president of Advancement & University Relations.