Executive Watch

In “The Graduate,” Dustin Hoffman received some great career advice: “Plastics.” Well, in today’s green environment, plastics don’t play that well, but real estate has been a growing attraction. One would think that the current market would be impacting freshly minted real estate MBAs looking for internships. I took a sample poll of a few real estate programs and the news is not as bad as you might expect. It seems that most students have secured internships, although it took longer to nail them down than it usually does. On the hiring front, my informal poll indicates that 60% to 70% of the graduates have secured jobs, and most of the rest are in active interview processes. Another interesting insight is the strong demand for graduates for overseas jobs, especially in Asia. I spoke to David Funk, who heads up Cornell’s graduate real estate program, and he reported that, while hiring is down, the overall trend is better than most expected since this cycle took hold during the fourth quarter of 2007.

Job Opportunities PRUDENTIAL Director of Asset Management (SAN FRANCISCO, CA) The director will provide general management of a portfolio of properties; analyze property and investment decisions; conduct property-specific analyses; review monthly financial and operational performance, assist with environmental and insurance issues and assume primary responsibility for annual property budgets and strategic plans. INLAND MORTGAGE CAPITAL CORP. Financial Analyst (WALNUT CREEK, CA) The successful candidate will be responsible for supporting the loan originator’s financial underwriting and analysis of prospective real estate lending opportunities for development and re-development of apartments, office, industrial, retail and condominiums. ESSEX PROPERTY TRUST Director of Due Diligence (PALO ALTO, CA) The successful candidate will perform due diligence on specific transactions. The specific duties will include evaluating and underwriting investment opportunities and supervising the preparation of an investment-summary package. HIMCO Portfolio Manager, CMBS (HARTFORD) The successful candidate will be responsible for all aspects of managing the portfolio, which consists of both general-account and third-party assets as well as leading the three-person team. BANK OF AMERICA Commercial Real Estate Product Delivery Manager (INDIANAPOLIS) The manager is responsible for leading a team of debt specialists and analysts who originate, underwrite and service credit products to existing and prospective commercial real estate clients. He or she is directly responsible for overall revenue growth, appropriate loan monitoring and credit quality of the loan portfolio. NEW YORK LIFE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT LLC Asset Manager (NEW YORK, NY) An experienced candidate is required to manage a regional portfolio of conventional and structured commercial mortgage assets, maintain the integrity of the assets, minimize losses and maximize profitability. The manager will also ensure compliance with both financial and non-financial loan-agreement terms. CLEVELAND-CUYAHOGA COUNTY PORT AUTHORITY Real Estate Director (CLEVELAND, OH) The organization requires an experienced applicant who can lead our expansion into a master-developer role. Responsibilities include developing strategic business plans for current port properties (including prime downtown waterfront property); creating transformative regional strategies; and developing and implementing initiatives to create large-scale investment through public and private financing. SUNRISE SENIOR LIVING INC. Acquisition Director (WALNUT CREEK, CA) The director will assist the senior vice president in identifying and acquiring sites for development of senior living/assisted living communities in Northern California and other areas within Sunrise’s Northwest territory. Promotions No more than one submission per company will be considered per week. Submissions with multiple names will be capped at three for coverage in Executive Watch. CUSHMAN & WAKEFIELD (NEW YORK CITY) The firm has raised Andrew Kahn from director to senior director. OPUS EAST LLC (ROCKVILLE, MD) Opus has promoted three in its local office. Michael Newland has been named vice president of construction, Matt Holbrook becomes senior director of real estate and Bob Mazzuca has been appointed senior director of construction. SKANSKA USA BUILDING INC. (NEW YORK CITY) Deborah Ippolito has risen to director of business development for the New York office. She has been with the company for slightly more than a year, most recently as director of marketing. CASSIDY & PINKARD COLLIERS (WASHINGTON, DC) Senior vice president Edward Harrell has been appointed the firm’s industrial practice leader. THE ROWLAND COS. (SCOTTSDALE, AZ) Brian Rowland has been named president of the company. He most recently served as managing principal, Western region and has also held the positions of chief financial officer and vice president of finance. GRUBB & ELLIS REALTY INVESTORS LLC (SANTA ANA, CA) Ross Crowe has been elevated to vice president of asset management. He joined the company in 2007 as a regional asset manager. In addition, acting president of global client services Dylan Taylor has been confirmed as president, global client services. He came on board in 2005. CB RICHARD ELLIS (CHICAGO) Tony Smaniotto has moved from CB Richard Ellis Capital Markets to Global Property Advisors, where he will serve as senior vice president. Also, Lynn Cirillo and Steven Triolet have been promoted to Texas and Oklahoma research managers. They will co-manage the research operations for the firm’s offices in the two states. MADISON MARQUETTE (SAN FRANCISCO) The company has named Whitney Tresidder regional marketing director for the Western region. She joined the company in January 2007. GVA SMITH MACK (WAYNE, PA) Tim Pulte has been elevated to partner and president with the firm. He has served as executive managing director for the past two years. SKANSKA USA BUILDING INC. (NEW YORK CITY) The company has raised Deborah Ippolito to director of business development for the New York office. She joined the firm in March 2007. MARCUS & MILLICHAP (ENCINO, CA) Adam P. Christofferson has been named first vice president. Christofferson, who joined the company in 1997, serves as the regional manager of the Denver and Fort Collins, CO offices. He also oversees the Salt Lake City office. OPUS EAST LLC (ROCKVILLE, MD) The company has promoted three in its Rockville office. Michael Newland, who joined in 2006, has been appointed vice president of construction; Matt Holbrook, who has been with the company thee years, was named senior director of real estate; and 12-year veteran Bob Mazzuca has been promoted to senior director of construction. New Hires No more than one submission per company will be considered per week. Submissions with multiple names will be capped at three for coverage in Executive Watch. STAUBACH CO. (CHICAGO) Kelly Gray has joined the company’s industrial services team and logistics practice group as an associate. She was previously with CH Robinson Worldwide. HDG MANSUR INC. (INDIANAPOLIS) Richard Henderson has been named HDG Mansur Properties community project manager. He moves from Arbor Homes, where he was a project engineer. NAI JAMES E. HANSON (HACKENSACK, NJ) Leonard Suskin comes on board as an associate vice president. He was previously with Grubb & Ellis. TRANSWESTERN (CHICAGO) Stephen L. Martinez has been named senior vice president of development and project management services. He was most recently with Cushman & Wakefield and previously worked for NAC Corp. GRUBB & ELLIS (SANTA ANA, CA) The firm has hired Greg Coxon to fill the newly created position of president, transaction services, Western region. He moves from CB Richard Ellis, where he was senior managing director in the Arizona region. DAUM COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE SERVICES (NEWPORT BEACH, CA) David Howard and Michael Sawdon have joined the team as first vice president, corporate services and associate vice president, respectively. Both move from Lee & Associates. COMBINED PROPERTIES INC. (WASHINGTON, DC) Numa Jerome Jr. has been appointed senior vice president, East Coast leasing. He was previously with Acadia Realty Trust and has held positions at Federal Realty Investment Trust and Edens & Avant. TRADE COMMERCIAL GROUP INC. (SAN FRANCISCO) The retail investment sales team at Staubach Retail Northwest has formed an independent brokerage. Don Tepman, formerly the vice president and head of the investment sales team and Andrew Reeder, formerly a senior associate, are the principles of the new firm. LIGHTSTONE SECURITIES LLC (MAHWAH, NJ) Kara H. Howard has been hired as regional vice president for external sales. Before joining Lightstone, she was with Cole Cos. HOLLIDAY FENOGLIO FOWLER (ATLANTA) Several former members of the Staubach capital markets team are joining HFF. Whitney Knoll, who has been named senior managing director and Lynn De Marco and Bradley Peterson, who have been appointed managing directors, are among the new employees. FAMECO REAL ESTATE (PLYMOUTH MEETING, PA) Brokers Steven Winters and Carlo J. Caparruva have been hired to handle the growth of the firm’s retail clientele in Central and Northern New Jersey. Winters moves from the Schultz Organization LLC, and Caparruva was with Fidelity Properties LLC. COHEN FINANCIAL (CHICAGO) James T. McCartney will fill the newly created position of chief underwriter. McCartney worked for Cohen from 1997 to 2004, when he left to pursue opportunities with Cosmopolitan Bank and Trust and Merrill Lynch Capital. VERTICAL INFILL (CARLSBAD, CA) Keegan McNamara has been appointed a principal with the firm. MARCUS & MILLICHAP (CHICAGO) Mark Hellwig has been hired as a senior director with the national office and industrial properties group. He spent the last seven years in the investment properties division of CB Richard Ellis. GVA WILLIAMS NEW JERSEY (PARSIPPANY, NJ) Dick Hecker joins the team as first vice president, focusing on the industrial and office markets in Bergen County. He moves from Palisades Financial LLC, where he was senior director of acquisitions and originations. JONES LANG LASALLE (NEW YORK CITY) Michael Berne has come on board as a managing director to support JLL’s expansion of its corporate capital markets practice to include a dedicated seniors housing offering. Mark Silver and Richard Donohue have also taken managing director positions with the company. POAG & MCEWEN LIFESTYLE CENTERS (MEMPHIS) The company adds two new employees to its payroll. Alison Thompson has been named specialty leasing representative, and Tim Thompson comes on board as controller. The former was previously with CBL & Associates Properties. The latter spent the past 11 years with CBRE/TCC in Memphis. ARC PROPERTIES INC. (CLIFTON, NJ) Michael Holl has been named vice president of site acquisition. He previously worked for Jeffery Realty Inc. and Vanguard Realty Inc. TRANSWESTERN (DALLAS and DENVER) Ward Richmond has joined the company as vice president of the industrial services group. He will specialize in tenant advisory, investment sales and agency leasing services for clients in the Dallas market. In addition, Bill Swackhamer has been named managing director of the Denver office. FIRST INDUSTRIAL REALTY TRUST (CHICAGO) The company has added Dave Lindner to the payroll as senior vice president, portfolio management for the East region. He joins First Industrial from Highwoods Properties. VOIT COMMERCIAL BROKERAGE (SAN DIEGO) Grubb & Ellis/BRE Commercial founding partner Anthony Villasenor comes on board as senior vice president, bringing with him his four-person retail team. He and his team specialize in landlord and tenant representation. CLAYCO INC. (ST. LOUIS) Elizabeth Lohman has been appointed project engineer, responsible for overseeing design coordination, preconstruction and post-construction services and construction management. She was most recently with Heitman & Associates Inc. SIGNATURE ASSOCIATES (KALAMAZOO, MI) The company welcomes Peter Fotieo to its advisory services team. He moves from a Detroit-based commercial real estate firm, where he was director of property management. GRUBB & ELLIS REALTY INVESTORS LLC (SANTA ANA, CA) Dan O’Hare rejoins the company as vice president of asset management. He worked for Grubb & Ellis as a senior asset manager from 2003 to 2004. TELES PROPERTIES (LOS ANGELES) Karen Nation comes on board as a broker, focusing on eco-friendly properties.