Michael J. Smith Named Executive Director of the Pinkney Innovation Complex for Science and Technology at Montgomery College

Commercial real estate industry veteran, Michael J. Smith, has been named executive director of the Pinkney Innovation Complex for Science and Technology at Montgomery College (PIC MC) where he will oversee development of a 40-acre innovative science and technology hub in collaboration with academic, corporate and government partners.

Smith has more than 30 years of experience in creating and leading high-profile, transformative, mixed-use real estate development projects throughout the Metropolitan Washington, DC region. Most recently, as EVP of Development for Lantian Development Company, Smith re-entitled a 32-acre, obsolete ‘80s vintage office park in Rockville with plans for a 2.5 million square foot mixed-use community.

“With extensive experience in real estate project development in Montgomery County and his familiarity with companies and economic development in the county, Mike Smith is especially qualified to help the PIC MC Foundation and Montgomery College successfully attract corporate partners into new facilities on the College’s Germantown Campus and enhance the educational opportunities of our students,” said John Compton, chair of the Pinkney Innovation Complex for Science and Technology at Montgomery College. “The PIC MC Board and I welcome Mike as executive director and look forward to working with him to complete current projects, as well as having his insights as we develop new projects to realize our vision for the campus.”

Prior to Lantian, Smith was a development advisor to former Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett, where he led a group of 12 public and private property owners to create a master plan vision for Amazon’s HQ2 on approximately 50 acres of land in North Bethesda. He also led a team that influenced Marriott International to locate its new 700,000 square-foot global headquarters and a co-located 238-room hotel in downtown Bethesda.

Smith was also senior vice president of Development for LCOR Inc., where he and his colleagues were the initial visionaries behind the urban transformation of the White Flint/North Bethesda sub-market developing 1.1 million square feet of corporate headquarters, retail, and apartment space on the property.

Smith earned a master’s degree in real estate development from MIT and a master’s degree in public administration and undergraduate degree in political science from Northeastern University. He is the former chair and current board member of the Maryland/DC Chapter of NAIOP.