Our team brings expertise and vision to every project.
At 3CDC, we are committed to creating a strong and vibrant downtown business and entertainment district supported by great civic spaces and high-density mixed-use development. Meet the group of talented individuals who help bring our vision to life.”
Leadership
Steve Leeper
President and Chief Executive Officer
Stephen Leeper was appointed the first President & CEO 3CDC in 2004. Over the past two decades, Leeper has managed 3CDC’s investment of more than $2 billion in downtown Cincinnati and Over-the-Rhine, resulting in the transformation of six of Cincinnati’s premier civic spaces, the redevelopment of major downtown landmarks including the renovation of the historic Music Hall, the construction of several new headquarters and mixed use office and retail in the heart of downtown and the reimagination of Cincinnati’s convention center. He oversees 3CDC’s strategic revitalization efforts, as well as the management of residential, commercial, and parking assets with annual revenues of $48 million in addition to $217 million in local, corporately-funded, revolving loan funds.
Prior to joining 3CDC, Leeper served as executive director of the Sports & Exhibition Authority of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County (SEA). He was responsible for the development and financing of PNC Park, Heinz Field, the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, the North Shore Riverfront Park, and public parking facilities and related road infrastructure. Leeper is a native of Pittsburgh and received his bachelor’s degree from Ohio University and a master’s degree from Ohio State University.
Paula Boggs Muething
Chief Operating Officer
As Chief Operating Officer at 3CDC, Paula Boggs Muething provides strategic and operational leadership alongside the organization’s senior management team, supporting the President & CEO in guiding the organization through its next chapter. She is an executive and attorney with extensive experience in leadership roles across complex organizations, most recently serving as Chief Legal and Administrative Officer and Chief Business Officer for FC Cincinnati. Previously, she was City Manager for the City of Cincinnati, overseeing a $1.5 billion budget and more than 6,000 employees delivering public safety, utilities, economic development, and public works services.
Boggs Muething serves on several boards, including the Ohio Access to Justice Foundation, Ohio State Bar Foundation, and the Cincinnati Regional Chamber’s Government Affairs Executive Committee. She has been recognized as a YWCA Career Woman of Achievement, Cincinnati Business Courier 40 under 40 honoree, and Harris Distinguished Practitioner by the University of Cincinnati College of Law. She earned a BA in Journalism and a BS in Political Science from the University of Kentucky and a JD from the University of Cincinnati College of Law. She later studied Community Land Reform Initiatives at the Harvard Kennedy School, Executive Education.
Tim Szilasi
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Tim Szilasi joined 3CDC in 2012 as a member of the organization’s audit team. Over time, he advanced within the organization and now serves as Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer.
Szilasi is responsible for the financial and administrative functions of the organization, including budget development and management, accounting and reporting, audit management and oversight, internal controls, tax compliance, capital management, loan portfolio management, risk management, and information technology.
Prior to joining 3CDC, Szilasi obtained his CPA license (currently inactive) and spent seven years as an auditor with accounting firm Grant Thornton LLP. He received his Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from the University of Cincinnati.
Christy Samad
Executive Vice President of Civic & Commercial Space Activation
With a nearly two-decade tenure at 3CDC, Christy Samad currently serves as Executive Vice President of Civic & Commercial Space Activation. She provides leadership and direction to ensure 3CDC’s vision for both civic and commercial spaces is achieved.
Partnering closely with the Public Realm Management and Marketing & Communications teams, Samad oversees the programming, staffing, and financial management of 3CDC’s civic spaces, including Fountain Square, Washington Park, Elm Street Plaza, Memorial Hall, Ziegler Park, Court Street Plaza, and Imagination Alley, as well as venue sponsorships and advertising. She also leads commercial space activation, guiding the leasing process and partnering with business owners to support growth and ensure vibrant commercial spaces throughout Cincinnati’s urban core.
Samad earned her Bachelor’s in Marketing & International Business from the University of Cincinnati.
Caitlin Felvus
Chief Legal Officer & Executive Vice President of Human Resources
Caitlin Felvus joined 3CDC in 2018 as the organization’s Development Counsel. In early 2022, she was promoted to Legal Director, and recently became the Chief Legal Officer and Vice President of Human Resources. In this role, Felvus manages all of the organization’s legal work and is responsible for providing the necessary support and benefits to help staff remain healthy physically, mentally, and financially, as well as ensure they have a positive work-life balance, whether working in the office or the field.
Prior to joining 3CDC, Felvus worked as an attorney at the Cincinnati office of Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP. She also volunteers as a legal advisory to the UC Law small business clinic.
Felvus received a Bachelor of Science in journalism, summa cum laude, from Ohio University E.W. Scripps School of Journalism. She earned her juris doctorate, magna cum laude and Order of the Coif, from the University of Cincinnati College of Law, where she was the editor of the inaugural UC Law Review Blog. Before law school, Felvus spent time working on Capitol Hill in both senatorial and congressional offices.
Katie Westbrook
Executive Vice President of Development
Katie Westbrook began her professional career in Real Estate Development at 3CDC, joining the team in 2012 as a development intern. Since then, she has served in multiple roles within the organization.
In her current role as Executive Vice President of Development, her responsibilities include the overall management of the Development team, which involves managing the development staff, project management, underwriting of projects, closing permanent financing for construction, and management of the project team through completion.
Westbrook has directly managed the construction and financing for several of 3CDC's developments, including the headquarters for Empower ($17 million) and the Court & Walnut development ($94 million), among many others. Westbrook most recently focused her time on the redevelopment of the Cincinnati Convention Center ($264 million), which is complemented by a two-acre park and outdoor convention space and eventually by a convention headquarters hotel.
Prior to joining 3CDC, Westbrook received a master’s degree in Community Planning from the University of Cincinnati and a Bachelor of Science in Geography from Ohio University.
Mike Dumbauld
Senior Vice President of Asset Management
Mike Dumbauld joined 3CDC in 2016 as a Financial Analyst, where he analyzed the performance of the organization’s real estate assets and assisted in managing its capital funds. In his current role as Senior Vice President of Asset Management, Dumbauld leads a team responsible for managing the financial reporting and analysis of the organization’s real estate assets and capital funds, 3CDC’s Risk Management program, and ensuring compliance reporting to third-party lenders. Additionally, his team works directly with the Development team to structure, close, and unwind financial transactions of development projects and with the Property Management team to optimize the financial performance of 3CDC’s real estate assets.
Prior to joining 3CDC, he spent six years working in commercial lending at multiple banks in the Cincinnati market. He received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a specialty in Finance from Ohio State University.
Reid VanPelt
Vice President of Parking Services & Property Management
Reid VanPelt joined the 3CDC team in 2016 as Parking Portfolio Manager. In his current role as Vice President of Parking Services & Property Management, he oversees day-to-day management of the organization's properties and extensive parking portfolio, which has grown to nine parking garages and seven surface lots comprising nearly 6,000 parking spaces.
Prior to joining 3CDC, VanPelt worked within the parking industry for 10 years, holding positions in valet management, facility management, and operations management.
VanPelt obtained a Bachelor of Science from the University of Cincinnati.
David Vissman
Vice President of Operations
David Vissman joined 3CDC in 2011 as Site Manager at Fountain Square. As 3CDC grew its operational portfolio to include additional civic spaces, Vissman spearheaded the opening of each site. As the organization grew, Vissman served in a number of roles before being promoted to his current role – Vice President of Operations – in 2018.
Today, Vissman oversees the day-to-day management of all seven 3CDC-managed civic spaces and more than 20 Operations team members. His role also includes oversight of the Over-the-Rhine District Management program, which was developed to ensure a safe and clean streetscape over 35 blocks in the OTR neighborhood.
Before joining 3CDC, Vissman earned his Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Kentucky.
Commercial & Civic Space Activations
Christy Samad
Executive Vice President of Civic & Commercial Space Activation
With a nearly two-decade tenure at 3CDC, Christy Samad currently serves as Executive Vice President of Civic & Commercial Space Activation. She provides leadership and direction to ensure 3CDC’s vision for both civic and commercial spaces is achieved.
Partnering closely with the Public Realm Management and Marketing & Communications teams, Samad oversees the programming, staffing, and financial management of 3CDC’s civic spaces, including Fountain Square, Washington Park, Elm Street Plaza, Memorial Hall, Ziegler Park, Court Street Plaza, and Imagination Alley, as well as venue sponsorships and advertising. She also leads commercial space activation, guiding the leasing process and partnering with business owners to support growth and ensure vibrant commercial spaces throughout Cincinnati’s urban core.
Samad earned her Bachelor’s in Marketing & International Business from the University of Cincinnati.
Marketing & Communications
Development
Katie Westbrook
Executive Vice President of Development
Katie Westbrook began her professional career in Real Estate Development at 3CDC, joining the team in 2012 as a development intern. Since then, she has served in multiple roles within the organization.
In her current role as Executive Vice President of Development, her responsibilities include the overall management of the Development team, which involves managing the development staff, project management, underwriting of projects, closing permanent financing for construction, and management of the project team through completion.
Westbrook has directly managed the construction and financing for several of 3CDC's developments, including the headquarters for Empower ($17 million) and the Court & Walnut development ($94 million), among many others. Westbrook most recently focused her time on the redevelopment of the Cincinnati Convention Center ($264 million), which is complemented by a two-acre park and outdoor convention space and eventually by a convention headquarters hotel.
Prior to joining 3CDC, Westbrook received a master’s degree in Community Planning from the University of Cincinnati and a Bachelor of Science in Geography from Ohio University.
Finance
Tim Szilasi
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Tim Szilasi joined 3CDC in 2012 as a member of the organization’s audit team. Over time, he advanced within the organization and now serves as Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer.
Szilasi is responsible for the financial and administrative functions of the organization, including budget development and management, accounting and reporting, audit management and oversight, internal controls, tax compliance, capital management, loan portfolio management, risk management, and information technology.
Prior to joining 3CDC, Szilasi obtained his CPA license (currently inactive) and spent seven years as an auditor with accounting firm Grant Thornton LLP. He received his Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from the University of Cincinnati.
Mike Dumbauld
Senior Vice President of Asset Management
Mike Dumbauld joined 3CDC in 2016 as a Financial Analyst, where he analyzed the performance of the organization’s real estate assets and assisted in managing its capital funds. In his current role as Senior Vice President of Asset Management, Dumbauld leads a team responsible for managing the financial reporting and analysis of the organization’s real estate assets and capital funds, 3CDC’s Risk Management program, and ensuring compliance reporting to third-party lenders. Additionally, his team works directly with the Development team to structure, close, and unwind financial transactions of development projects and with the Property Management team to optimize the financial performance of 3CDC’s real estate assets.
Prior to joining 3CDC, he spent six years working in commercial lending at multiple banks in the Cincinnati market. He received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a specialty in Finance from Ohio State University.
Legal Services & Human Resources
Caitlin Felvus
Chief Legal Officer & Executive Vice President of Human Resources
Caitlin Felvus joined 3CDC in 2018 as the organization’s Development Counsel. In early 2022, she was promoted to Legal Director, and recently became the Chief Legal Officer and Vice President of Human Resources. In this role, Felvus manages all of the organization’s legal work and is responsible for providing the necessary support and benefits to help staff remain healthy physically, mentally, and financially, as well as ensure they have a positive work-life balance, whether working in the office or the field.
Prior to joining 3CDC, Felvus worked as an attorney at the Cincinnati office of Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP. She also volunteers as a legal advisory to the UC Law small business clinic.
Felvus received a Bachelor of Science in journalism, summa cum laude, from Ohio University E.W. Scripps School of Journalism. She earned her juris doctorate, magna cum laude and Order of the Coif, from the University of Cincinnati College of Law, where she was the editor of the inaugural UC Law Review Blog. Before law school, Felvus spent time working on Capitol Hill in both senatorial and congressional offices.
Public Realm Management
David Vissman
Vice President of Operations
David Vissman joined 3CDC in 2011 as Site Manager at Fountain Square. As 3CDC grew its operational portfolio to include additional civic spaces, Vissman spearheaded the opening of each site. As the organization grew, Vissman served in a number of roles before being promoted to his current role – Vice President of Operations – in 2018.
Today, Vissman oversees the day-to-day management of all seven 3CDC-managed civic spaces and more than 20 Operations team members. His role also includes oversight of the Over-the-Rhine District Management program, which was developed to ensure a safe and clean streetscape over 35 blocks in the OTR neighborhood.
Before joining 3CDC, Vissman earned his Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Kentucky.
Parking & Property Management
Reid VanPelt
Vice President of Parking Services & Property Management
Reid VanPelt joined the 3CDC team in 2016 as Parking Portfolio Manager. In his current role as Vice President of Parking Services & Property Management, he oversees day-to-day management of the organization's properties and extensive parking portfolio, which has grown to nine parking garages and seven surface lots comprising nearly 6,000 parking spaces.
Prior to joining 3CDC, VanPelt worked within the parking industry for 10 years, holding positions in valet management, facility management, and operations management.
VanPelt obtained a Bachelor of Science from the University of Cincinnati.
Interested in joining the 3CDC team?
Whether you’re drawn to a traditional office environment or prefer work that takes you out into the heart of the city, 3CDC offers a wide range of roles to match different skills and interests. No matter the position, every team member is connected by a shared commitment to our mission—creating a vibrant Cincinnati and strengthening the communities we serve.
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