2011 Speakers

Steven Grissom
Deputy Secretary of Economic Development
Louisiana Economic Development

Steven Grissom serves as LED's deputy secretary, managing administrative functions of the department and working closely with the state Legislature, budget office, fiscal office and legislative auditors. Grissom is also responsible for establishing new initiatives related to increasing state economic competitiveness.

Prior to joining LED in February 2008, Grissom served as executive vice president of Baton Rouge Area Chamber. At the chamber, he oversaw a wide range of activities and initiatives, including governmental affairs, policy research, economic analysis and business recruitment/retention, and played an integral role in transforming BRAC into one of the nation's leading regional economic development organizations. He was also instrumental in the creation of The Campaign for a Greater Baton Rouge, BRAC's five-year economic development program, which has raised over $15 million to date.

Prior to joining BRAC, Grissom was director of corporate development for The Shaw Group Inc. and a management consultant with the Houston office of McKinsey & Company. Grissom also consulted with companies such as Accenture, Conestoga-Rovers & Associates and Trinity Consultants.

Ted C. Jones, Ph.D.
Chief Economist
Stewart Title

Director of Investor Relations, Stewart Information Services Corporation NYSE-STC

Ted C. Jones, PhD is the Senior Vice President-Chief Economist for Stewart Title Guaranty Company and also Director of Investor Relations for Stewart Information Services Corporation (NYSE-STC). He addresses the information needs of stockholders, conducts on-going research and supports economic and financial analysis for the company and its customers. Jones earned a PhD in finance with a minor in statistics and a master’s degree in land economics and real estate from Texas A&M University. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Colorado State University.

Ted C. Jones' recognized specialty is applied real estate research. Jones has completed numerous mass-appraisal assignments including more than $3 billion of income producing property owned by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, retail properties, hotels, motels, offices, commercial land, multifamily housing, residences and numerous other special use properties. He completed a study on the impact of the Resolution Trust Corporation on real estate values and testified before the Oversight Board. Expert witness testimony has included analysis and evaluation of a solid rocket missile and carbon fiber plant, hydro, gas and coal-fired electric utilities and co-generation plants, an internal pipe coating plant in Scotland servicing the North Sea oil and gas production, and arguments on the treatment of deferred income taxes in the valuation of regulated public utilities. He has consulted The Boeing Company on property valuation issues relating to ad valorem property taxes at Boeing’s diverse aerospace and aircraft manufacturing plants in Washington.

Brian Andrews
Principal
Andrews Commercial Real Estate Services

Brian Andrews is the principal of Andrews Commercial Real Estate Services and
- Arranges short term and long term financing for commercial real estate projects throughout the country.
- Provides consulting services for investors including analysis of investment opportunities, review of appraisals and feasibility studies, and preparation of decision making financial models.
- Consults on real estate loan workout strategies and assists with bank negotiations.
- Has been engaged as an expert witness in banking and commercial real estate cases in Louisiana and Texas by law firms representing the borrower as well as the lender.

Brian is currently on the board of the Greater Baton Rouge Growth Coalition and has moderated panel discussions on Community Development Districts and GO Zone legislation for the Growth Coalition membership.  He has been the Master of Ceremonies for the Good Growth Awards Banquet for the past several years.

He is a regular columnist for Real Estate Weekly, the weekly enewsletter published by the Greater Baton Rouge Business Report. He was a contributing author of the “Louisiana Gulf Opportunity Zone Business Guide” presented by Louisiana Economic Development and published by the Greater Baton Rouge Business Report.

Brian is an adjunct instructor in the Finance Department at LSU and has also been a speaker at LSU’s Paul M. Hebert Law Center at the Center for Continuing Professional Development concerning commercial real estate lending.

He is a past member of the Mortgage Bankers Association of America and holds their coveted Commercial Mortgage Banker designation. In 2008 and 2009 he was an instructor for the MBA’s Commercial Mortgage Banker continuing education program focusing on commercial lending practices.

Shannon Burke
Political Representative
National Association of REALTORS

Shannon Burke is the representative for the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® in Washington, DC representing Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Virginia, and West Virginia. In this role, Shannon works to connect REALTORS® with their elected officials on the federal level; equipping them with the tools to be a voice for the real estate industry in Washington. Through Realtor campaign initiatives, grassroots, community outreach and Legislative Programs, she works extensively with state and local leadership to advise and educate members of the real estate profession on how to be politically involved.

Scott D. Johnson
General Counsel, Louisiana REALTORS

Scott Johnson is General Counsel with Louisiana REALTORS. He is responsible for oversight of legal/risk management services for members, professional standards hearings, and for providing general advice to both the state association and local boards on a variety of issues, including association law, antitrust issues and employment law. Scott also works closely with the governmental affairs department and is the staff liason to the Housing Opportunities/Diversity team.

Scott earned his B.A. from Louisiana State University in 1990 and J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1993. Scott served as a Judge Advocate in the U.S. Marine Corps and practiced with the Kean Miller law firm for 10 years, focusing on toxic tort, expropriation and admiralty litigation as well as representation of teachers in administrative hearings on grievances and other employment-related matters. Scott joined Louisiana REALTORS in January 2008.