The half-day conference, which includes a keynote address by former U.S. Housing Secretary Henry Cisneros, is being held from 7 to 11:45 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 11, at the Hilton Hotel in Universal City.

"We hope that by bringing together some of the top players in San Fernando Valley real estate, people will get the latest information on what is happening in the Valley and a better feeling for what the future real estate market will look like," said Donald Bleich, director of Northridge's Center for Real Estate.

The morning will start off with a speech by Cisneros, founder and chairman of Pacific CityHome, which provides capital and support to multiple-home builders with single-family projects in California, and a special presentation by Harvey E. Green, president and CEO of Marcus & Millichap Real Estate Investment Brokerage Co.

Cisneros is also the founder and chairman of American CityVista, a partnership with KB Home that is focused on producing infill housing in the central neighborhoods of major metropolitan areas outside of California. He served as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development from 1993 to 1997 and was president and COO of Univision Communications in Los Angeles.

Green directs the activities of the largest investment real estate brokerage firm in the nation, with more than 650 investment real estate specialists in 34 offices. During his 31-year career, Green has initiated the close of real estate transactions valued at nearly $2.4 billion.

The remainder of the morning will feature two breakout sessions with three panels each. The first session explores emerging trends in the San Fernando Valley real estate market, with the following panels and speakers on:

• "Our Future Neighborhoods: Housing and Urban Villages in the San Fernando Valley," with Daniel Blake, director of CSUN's San Fernando Valley Economic Research Center; Robert L. Scott, president of the Civic Center Group and chairman of Economic Alliance Vision 20/20; Mike Shire, associate professor at Pepperdine University, and moderator Bruce Ackerman, president and CEO of the Economic Alliance;

• "Changing Land Use: Pushing the Development Envelope," with Cliff P. Goldstein, partner with J.H. Snyder Company; Ira D. Handelman, president of Handelman Consulting, Inc.; Larry J. Kosmont, president of Kosmont & Associates; Robert "Bud" Ovrom, CEO of the Community Redevelopment Agency of Los Angeles, and moderator attorney Benjamin M. Reznik, partner with Jeffer, Mangels, Butler & Marmaro; and
• "Financing Your Project: Issues Unique to the SFV as it Relates to Financing, Structuring and Raising of Capital," with Jeff Hudson, president of George Elkins Mortgage Banking; Howard Levine, president and CEO of ARCS Commercial Mortgage; David Liston, CFO of Affiliated Holdings, and moderator attorney Kent Mouton, partner with Kulik, Gottesman, Mouton & Siegel.

The second session will focus on the product of the San Fernando Valley real estate market with panels on:

• "Apartments: Institutional and Entrepreneurial Perspectives on Investment in Multi-Family Housing," with Keith Guerick, president and CEO of Essex Property Trust; Tom McCarty, president of The McCarty Company, LLC; Greg Harris, vice president of investments for Marcus & Millichap; Alfred V. Pace, president and CEO of Pacific Property Company, and moderator Rick Entin, principal of Entin Properties;

• "Office and Industrial: Leasing, Investment and Development Trends," with Russell Goodman, regional president with Sares-Regis Group; Tim Regan, vice president of development and acquisitions with Voit Development; George Stavaris, senior associate with Colliers Seeley International, Inc. and president of NVAPC; Ron D. Wade, first vice president of CB Richard Ellis, and moderator Sanford Paris, owner of Paris Industrial Parks; and
• "Retail: Regional Malls, Big Box, Neighborhoods and Strip CentersÑHear from the Valley's Biggest Players," with Randy Banchik, vice president with Westwood Financial; David Doll, senior executive vice president of development with Westfield America, Inc.; Jim Gorsky, RE Manager with Walgreen Company; Arturo Sneider, partner with Primestor Development, and moderator Chris Wilson, president of Wilson Commercial Real Estate.

The Center for Real Estate is located in Cal State Northridge's College of Business and Economics. The center promotes the professional growth and development of faculty, students and real estate practitioners by providing a forum for the discussion of current real estate issues, providing professional and advisory services and offering educational opportunities.

California State University, Northridge has 33,000 full- and part-time students and offers 61 bachelor's and 42 master's degrees as well as 28 education credential programs. Founded in 1958, it is the only four-year university in the San Fernando Valley and the fourth largest in the 23-campus CSU system. The university serves as the intellectual, economic and cultural heart of the Valley and beyond.