Mark James is the Founder and President of
Urban Green, LLC and brings over 20 years of experience in real estate development and finance to the company. His professional background includes specializations in multi-layered housing finance, affordable housing preservation, low-income housing tax credits, bond financing, sustainable development, and renewable energy solutions.
Prior to starting Urban Green, Mr. James was a Senior Real Estate Development Officer with Community Preservation and Development Corporation (CPDC), the largest affordable housing provider in the DC Metropolitan region. During his five years with CPDC, he established himself as an innovator in green affordable housing while serving as the Project Manager on the redevelopment of the award-winning Wheeler Terrace Apartments, a 116-unit, Section 8 housing community in Washington, DC. Wheeler Terrace was the first 100 percent Section 8 housing community in the country to achieve a LEED Gold Certification in addition to meeting the Enterprise Green Communities Criteria. The project was also the first affordable housing community in the District of Columbia to utilize a ground source heating and cooling system.
Prior to joining CPDC, Mr. James was the Director of Acquisitions for Renewal Housing Associates, an affordable housing preservation development firm based in Portland, MA. His professional dossier includes the operation of a Pittsburgh-based development consulting firm where he structured financing for both home ownership and rental projects in Pennsylvania and Ohio. Preceding this venture, Mr. James served as a Vice President in the Community Investment Division with the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh for five years.