At Gera, Bernstein assisted in proposal development, financial analysis and research support. Prior to Gera, from 2005 to 2007, he was a consulting associate at Charles River Associates, a global consulting firm offering economic and financial expertise. Bernstein began his career in 2001 with Navigant Consulting Inc. Bernstein recently received his master's in business administration from the University of California at Berkeley.

"It's an exicting time to join the company," Bernstein tells GlobeSt.com, citing the company's successful $90-million offering earlier this month and its growth in the Bay Area.

Mark Geisreiter, executive vice president and managing director of Grubb & Ellis' Bay Area operations tells GlobeSt.com that Berstein replaces Jesse Gundersheim, a senior research analyst who recently left the firm. Geisreiter describes Berstein as "very, very bright" and says his choice was validated by Richard Lyons, dean of the UC-Berkeley Hass School of Business, who recently sent him a note saying 'you got a good one.'