David Tarter, former five-term mayor of Falls Church, has been appointed executive director of the Center for Real Estate Entrepreneurship (CREE) and Master’s in Real Estate Development program at George Mason University’s Costello School of Business.
Tarter, an attorney with decades of law and real estate experience, will work to grow the size, reputation and impact of Costello’s real estate program and center while expanding experiential learning opportunities, according to a news release.
“We are excited to have someone with David Tarter’s wealth of experience and knowledge take the Center to the next level,” said Ajay Vinze, dean of the Costello College of Business. “David will enhance the experience our students can expect at CREE while also improving their career readiness. His unique background and skill set will enable Costello to expand opportunities for collaboration and innovation within the real estate industry for our students.”
As Falls Church’s Mayor from 2014 to 2023, Tarter was instrumental in revitalizing the city’s downtown and driving smart growth development. Projects included an innovative public-private partnership to bring 1.2 million square feet of transit-oriented development near the West Falls Church Metro station, as well as attracting businesses such as Whole Foods, Harris Teeter and other grocery stores, a downtown multi-screen theater, hotels, senior housing, offices and other new developments.
He has also testified before the Council on local government issues on behalf of the City. Prior to being elected, he served as Chairman of the City’s Economic Development Agency and led the creation of Falls Church’s “Little City” brand.
During his term as mayor, Tarter served as chairman of the Northern Virginia Regional Commission, a coalition of 13 local governments, and received the Gordon N. Dixon Award from the Virginia Association of Planning Districts for outstanding community leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic. Tarter was also elected chairman of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, a community group.
He previously founded Tarter Nova Law PLC, a boutique law firm specializing in commercial real estate, where he served as lead counsel on government entitlements, land use approvals and transactions for multi-billion dollar transit-oriented development and smart growth projects, including rezoning, site plans and special exceptions for multifamily, office, hotel and special purpose projects.
Prior to founding his own firm, he was a partner at Lawson, Tarter & Charvet LLP, where he specialized in commercial real estate, including Metropolitan Park, a complex of over 3,000 residential units designed by internationally renowned architect Robert A. M. Stern and now home to Amazon HQ2.
The Real Estate Entrepreneurship Center bridges the gap between academia and practice, addressing important issues that will impact the future of the real estate industry and the built environment. The Center supports graduate, undergraduate and non-degree academic programs by providing student scholarships, trade association memberships, networking opportunities, career advising and numerous extracurricular education programs.
