Aakash Thakkar joined EYA in 2004 as a Development Executive and now is a Vice-President for Acquisition and Development with EYA.  His responsibilities overall project stewardship and include new deal sourcing and acquisition, site selection, and project development through the design and governmental and community approval process.  He led EYA’s efforts to be selected as the developer for the 25-acre McMillan Sand Filtration Site in Washington, DC, one of the largest and most unique development sites in the region.  In addition to soliciting new business, he was responsible for garnering entitlements for portions of EYA’s development at the Arthur Capper/Carrollsburg HOPE VI redevelopment in Washington DC. 

He is also the project executive for EYA's Arts District Hyattsville, a 25-acre mixed-use revitalization project, with a development program of over 600 residential units and an eclectic retail mix including Busboys & Poets and Tara Thai.   Prior to joining EYA, Mr. Thakkar was a Senior Development Manager at the National Capital Revitalization Corporation (NCRC).  Mr. Thakkar has completed the Presidential Management Fellowship, a 2-year Federal Government appointed Fellowship during which he served at the Department of Housing and Urban Development and on the House of Representatives Housing Sub-Committee.  Mr. Thakkar is a member of and guest speaker for the Urban Land Institute and a District of Columbia Building Industry Association.  He is a member of the Smart Growth Recognition Award Jury, the Riverdale Park Mixed-Use Town Center Committee, and of the Hyattsville CDC Board. 

He was a member of the Obama for American Mid-Atlantic Finance Committee and a co-founder (along with his wife) of the Thakkar/Giallourakis Scholarship Fund for St. John's College High School.  Mr. Thakkar has a BS in Accounting and Political Science from LaSalle University and holds both an MBA and a Masters in City and Regional Planning from Rutgers University.  Mr. Thakkar is a native Washingtonian and currently resides in Washington, DC.