About the National Landing BID

Tracy Sayegh Gabriel is an urbanist, planner and placemaker who has helped communities shape and implement plans for neighborhood and downtown vibrancy, inclusive economic development, capital investment, and programming. Tracy has served as President and Executive Director of the National Landing Business Improvement District since 2018, leading placemaking and promotion for the DC region's fastest-growing downtown district located in Arlington, VA. She has been featured on the Washington Business Journal’s Women Who Mean Business and Power 100 lists. Tracy’s career has spanned public and private sectors and includes management of some of the most complex and high-profile public plans and development initiatives in New York City as a Vice President at NYC Economic Development Corporation and in Washington, DC, as Associate Director at the DC Office of Planning.

Tracy serves on the Board of Directors of the Arlington Chamber of Commerce, Synetic Theater, and the Museum of Contemporary Art (MoCA) Arlington. She received her undergraduate degree in International Affairs from The George Washington University, her Master's in City Planning from MIT, and was a Fulbright Scholar in economic development in Damascus, Syria. She is thrilled to help build community and tell the story of National Landing's exciting evolution.

Since 2007, Rob has played a leading role in the successful transformation of the National Landing area into a vibrant downtown community attracting residents, new businesses, and significant private-sector investment. His background in urban planning and economics, combined with his passion for placemaking and collaboratively building communities for people—not just buildings—drives his perspective and vision.

Rob’s work envisioning and championing a new pedestrian connection to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, the CC2DCA Intermodal Connector, helped propel a unique and differentiating idea into an important infrastructure investment included in the Commonwealth of Virginia’s winning Amazon proposal. Additionally, Rob’s framing of the Greater Crystal City area as a downtown of scale and substance—the largest walkable downtown in Virginia—helped advance the BID’s successful efforts to extend its boundaries to Pentagon City and Potomac Yard.

Rob has earned the International Downtown Association’s Leadership in Place Management certification, a professional credential awarded through demonstrated expertise and examination. He also serves on the IDA Events Committee, contributing to the advancement of the place management profession nationally. In recognition of his two decades of service, Rob was recently honored by the BID’s leadership with the Champion Award for 20 years of “Outstanding Leadership and Exemplary Service” to the organization.

Outside of National Landing, Rob has a track record of active and engaged community involvement grounded in creativity, efficiency, and partnership building to proactively make change—not just advocate for it. He founded a downtown civic association in Norfolk, launched a farmers market in the Petworth neighborhood of Washington, DC, and served a term as an Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, where he championed new bicycle infrastructure and traffic-calming measures, supported community organizations, and advocated for economic development efforts along Georgia Avenue.

Rob previously served as Assistant Cubmaster for Scouts BSA Pack 98, providing leadership and management support for a team of volunteers delivering programming to more than 100 youth. He also served for two years on the Board of Directors of Banneker City Little League and continues to volunteer as an umpire.

Rob earned a graduate degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Virginia Tech’s regional campus in Old Town Alexandria. He is also a graduate of Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, where he earned a degree in Economics and Environmental Studies. Rob resides with his family in the Petworth neighborhood of Washington, DC.

Malaika Abernathy Scriven leads planning and development within the National Landing's three vibrant neighborhoods of Crystal City, Pentagon City, and Potomac Yard. Through a comprehensive budget, she curates on-the-ground projects to support three core BID service areas, including, Public Realm and Beautification, Transportation, and Economic Development. Excited about implementing cutting-edge planning principles to support Virginia’s largest walkable downtown commercial core and all the diverse businesses that thrive here, she also ensures the BID furthers its commitment to engage the National Landing community by elevating diversity and representation, fostering inclusive community building, and advancing racial equity within the organization, its programmatic activities and through public engagement. 

Previously, Malaika served as the Chief of Staff, in the DC Office of Planning. In this role, she spearheaded several community planning projects under Mayor Bowser's administration, including updating the DC Comprehensive Plan, supporting housing production equitably within each Ward across the District, and fostered strategic partnerships with District agency partners and stakeholders.

Malaika holds an undergraduate degree in Communications from Xavier University in Cincinnati, OH, and a Master of Community Planning from the University of Cincinnati.

Madeline Long joins the National Landing BID team with nearly 20 years of experience in strategic public relations and marketing for arts nonprofits, cultural tourism organizations, and city government. In her previous role as Director of Communications for the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, she built multifaceted communications campaigns for events in Millennium Park, at the Chicago Cultural Center and in neighborhoods citywide. Her work in crafting brand strategies and developing compelling narratives attracted new audiences, garnered impactful press placements and uplifted creative placemaking initiatives on a local and national scale. She also led communications for the storied Steppenwolf Theatre Company, including the opening of the company’s $73M new theater and education center in 2021—in addition to serving in leadership roles at the Chicago Office of Tourism, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Centerstage, and the PR agency, Carol Fox & Associates.

For National Landing, Madeline spearheads strategy and communications, leading the team in promoting all aspects of the area’s dynamic community, and elevating its position as a hub for innovation and urban living.

Originally from Arlington, VA, Madeline received her B.A. from Boston College and was a Fellow in Executive Arts Management at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. She currently resides in Alexandria, VA with her husband and two children.

Elissa's event experience has centered around connecting the public to arts and cultural experiences in a variety of settings. She comes to the National Landing BID from a position at Visit Alexandria where she launched the Portside in Old Town Summer Festival, led their signature holiday events, including the Alexandria Holiday Boat Parade of Lights and Alexandria Scottish Christmas Walk Parade and managed the Film Office. Previously she worked in event and program management roles at nonprofit arts and cultural organizations, including The Washington Ballet, National Cherry Blossom Festival, and National Council for the Traditional Arts. 

With National Landing, Elissa leads the events and activations strategy. She believes in the power of events to inspire and build community through shared experiences in public spaces, and enjoys developing partnerships with local businesses and nonprofits.

Elissa is a graduate of Grinnell College with a Bachelor of Arts in Music and a Concentration in Latin American Studies and a Master of Arts in Arts Management from American University. She currently resides in Alexandria with her husband, daughter, and dog.

Ashley is a certified urban planner with nearly 15 years of experience in comprehensive and downtown master planning and economic development strategic planning from the public and private sectors. Ashley serves the National Landing neighborhoods and stakeholders in a planning, placemaking, and economic development capacity bringing together her passion for data-driven solutions and inclusive community processes for impactful and equitable outcomes.

Most recently, Ashley served as the Senior Project Director for the Public + Non-Profit Solutions team at Streetsense where she led economic development strategic planning efforts for five jurisdictions across the United States. She also served as an urban planner with the City of Alexandria’s Department of Planning and Zoning where most notably she led the approval processes for the redevelopment of Landmark Mall into a well-connected, multi-use neighborhood.

Ashley is a Texas native and holds a Master of City and Regional Planning from the University of Texas at Arlington and a Bachelor Degree of Landscape Architecture from Texas Tech University. She resides with her son in neighboring Alexandria, Virginia and enjoys being active and outdoors whether it be through running or exploring all the region’s attractions via bike and public transit.

Erica Rivera is a visual storyteller, designer, and overall creative. Hailing from Brooklyn, New York, her creative journey began at a young age, inspired by the legendary Bob Ross. This early spark ignited her passion for visual storytelling and design, setting her on a path of creativity and innovation.

Erica’s professional background includes a tenure at Gensler, where she honed her skills in creating impactful brand activations for a diverse range of cultural events. Her experience in crafting compelling narratives and engaging experiences has equipped her with a keen eye for detail and a knack for captivating audiences.

Erica holds a degree in Industrial Design from Kean University and a degree in Graphic Design from Middlesex College. She brings a multidisciplinary approach to her work and her ability to seamlessly blend creativity with strategic thinking allows her to elevate brands and leave a lasting impression. Erica is dedicated to pushing boundaries and fostering innovation in the marketing landscape. She continues to play a pivotal role in shaping the identity and success of National Landing.

Caroline joins the BID with a background in destination marketing, digital content creation, and brand voice curation. During her previous tenure with Visit Alexandria, she managed website content, led social media strategy, and helped shape the destination’s distinctive brand voice across owned media. Caroline first explored the world of tourism and placemaking as a research intern for Manumission Tour Company, which leads Black history and cultural tours in Old Town Alexandria. 

A lifelong Northern Virginia resident, Caroline has witnessed National Landing’s incredible transformation firsthand. As Marketing & Communications Manager, she plays a key role in deepening community engagement and further elevating our area's story of urban reinvention on a local, regional, and national level. 

Caroline earned her B.A. as an Echols Scholar at the University of Virginia, where she studied Spanish as well as American Studies with a Concentration in Race & Ethnicity. She currently resides in Alexandria’s West End. 

Matt Jones is an urban planner, storyteller, and transit advocate who strives to connect people of all abilities to sustainable transportation. While he was born and raised in Washington, DC, Matt is passionate about people-first mobility throughout the region, and has led several projects around the region including: Montgomery County, MD's bus rapid transit project; Washington Union Station's expansion project; City of Boulder, CO's bike, pedestrian, and vision zero efforts; Baltimore City's BaltimoreLink project; and the District Department of Transportation's goDCgo initiative to encourage Washington, DC's 22 million annual visitors to use sustainable transportation.

Matt received his undergraduate degree in Marketing from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and a Master's in Community Planning from the University of Maryland (UMD). In 2020, he was named to the Association for Commuter Transportation's TDM 40 under 40 list. He serves on the Board of Governors of the University of Maryland and President of UMD's School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation Alumni Network. When he's not cheering on the Terps, you can find him giving walking tours of Washington Union Station or at one of the many art galleries in the DMV.

Alex Michael is the Public Realm Operations Manager for the National Landing BID, where he leads a range of on-the-ground initiatives to enhance the district’s public realm—spanning landscaping, banners, community cleanups, stakeholder walks, public art, and long-term operations and maintenance strategy. His work supports a more vibrant, inclusive, and sustainable neighborhood for all who live, work, and visit the district.

Alex brings urban planning experience from the City of Takoma Park, MD, where he led public space and transportation projects through an equity-focused lens. He has a strong background in GIS and geospatial analysis, and his work is shaped by a passion for urbanism, racial and social equity, and community-centered design.

Originally from Dayton, OH, Alex discovered his love for cities in 2016 while studying abroad in Edinburgh, Scotland. He holds a Bachelor’s in Environmental Geography from Ohio University and a Master’s in Geography from The George Washington University, along with a Professional Certificate in GIS. He has also completed training through the National Charrette Institute at Michigan State University and is a graduate of the ULI Washington Leadership Institute.

Alex lives in National Landing and walks to work.

Haroni is an operations management professional with a passion for building effective, human-centered systems. As Office Manager at the National Landing BID, she supports key administrative and HR functions to keep internal operations running smoothly. 

Haroni brings a background in program development and project management, having designed cross-functional initiatives, built continuous improvement programs, and implemented org-wide technology systems like Salesforce and Asana. With impact in mind, Haroni's tenure has displayed her dedication to mission-driven organizations in the nonprofit, philanthropic, and for-profit sectors. 

Haroni holds a degree in Business Information Systems and Operations Management with a minor in Public Health from George Mason University. As a California native who has called DC and Northern Virginia home for over a decade, Haroni enjoys engaging in vibrant, people-centered communities. Outside of work, you’ll find her taking long walks throughout DC, attending local events, and exploring new cafes.

Elise O'Leary brings a strong background in event production, marketing, and guest experience. She has supported large-scale events and activations across the Washington, DC region and internationally, including coordinating operations for public events, contributing to festival marketing and logistics, and managing VIP experiences, fan events, and client services in live music venues. She also currently supports social media and marketing efforts for Songbyrd Music House.

Elise graduated Summa Cum Laude with a B.S. in The Recording Industry and a minor in Media Management at Middle Tennessee State University. She is excited to bring her entertainment background to the events and activations that foster community in National Landing.