Cresa DC's 2026 Annual Conference Award Recipients

At Cresa’s annual conference, teams from across the organization came together to recognize the people whose work, leadership, and dedication continue to drive our success. The event provided an opportunity to reflect on the accomplishments of the past year and celebrate the individuals who made a meaningful impact on our clients, colleagues, and company in 2026. Several professionals across Cresa’s DC-metro region, including team members from Washington, DC, Baltimore, and Bethesda, were among those recognized for their outstanding contributions.

2026 Awards

Cresa awards honor individuals who consistently go above and beyond, whether through exceptional performance, collaboration, or embodying the spirit of our firm.

Jimmy Scancarella Award: Jonathan Harms and Tom Birnbach

These individuals are known for their reliability, integrity and willingness to go above and beyond. Whether supporting complex client needs, mentoring colleagues, improving processes, contributing to business development or helping others navigate challenges, they consistently put the success of the team first.

Culture Champion Award: Scott Wingrat, Tim Kubasik, Ben Lowe, Josh Freedenberg

Each of these Culture Champions contributes to Cresa in a unique and lasting way. They are the heart of our organization and are known for making others feel included, supported and valued every day. What unites them is their commitment to building a culture people want to be part of. They lead by example, celebrate others’ success and help create workplaces where collaboration, trust and genuine connection can thrive.

Rising Star Award: Emma Wolan and Ross Brannigan

These individuals are building momentum through their client-first approach, strong work ethic and commitment to collaboration. They lead with accountability, bring fresh ideas to the table and consistently demonstrate the initiative, humility and persistence that define long-term success.

Top Transaction Award: Tom Birnbach and Sam Heiber

This year’s Top Transaction Award recognized a complex corporate real estate transaction led by Washington DC's Tom Birnbach and Sam Heiber. Their leadership helped bring together a best-in-class team, guiding the assignment with vision, expertise and a strong focus on every detail. Awarded alongside them were Jason Wery, who led the Project Management strategy, George Mack and Brant Bryan, who contributed additional strategic expertise through their capital markets work.

Top Producer Award: Josh Freedenberg, Sebastian Arrivillaga, Ben Lowe, Susan Kay, Matt Ward, Max Misner, Gene Sachs, Erica King

President's Award: Chris Feehley, Steve Schaumberg, Jake Ruben

Chairman's Award: Mindy Saffer, Rich Rhodes, Tom Birnbach, Sam Heiber, Scott Wingrat, Avery Rand, Jonathan Harms, Sam Abramson, William Tidwell

View all recipients of Culture Awards, Rising Star Awards, and Production Awards.