The 37-year-old Papa was at BDO Seidman for only four months. Prior to that time, he was the CFO of Plast-O-Matic Valves Inc. in Cedar Grove, NJ from June 2002 to June 2003, according to a prepared statement from Post CEO and president David Stockert. Before his Plast-O-Matic stint, Papa spent 10 years with Arthur Andersen LLP in Atlanta where he was an audit partner in the real estate and financial services group.

Among Papa's clients at Arthur Andersen were several real estate companies, including Gables Residential and Weeks Corp. where he was also involved in their initial public offerings. Papa, a CPA, graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor of science degree in accounting from Clemson University.

Stockert is counting on Papa to "make an immediate impact" on Post Properties' new growth direction. "He brings a wealth of experience and energy to Post," Stockert says. Ferguson Partners LP helped Post recruit Papa.