Kristi Smith has been appointed as president of Howard Hughes Holdings Maryland region. Smith assumes the role of regional president from Greg Fitchitt, who has been with Howard Hughes since 2013 and succeeded the late John DeWolf as regional president in 2018. Smith will oversee the growth and revitalization of Downtown Columbia, as part of a $5 billion, 30-year redevelopment plan.  

With over two decades of experience in commercial real estate development and investment, Smith’s background includes serving as executive vice president for JBG SMITH, where she played a key role in projects like Amazon’s HQ2 in Arlington, Virginia. 

“I am thrilled to join Howard Hughes at this significant point in the trajectory of Downtown Columbia, as the community is uniquely positioned to meet today’s renewed demand for a walkable, high-quality work environment with short commutes, in a location continually ranked as one of the best places to live in the country,” said Smith.