This week's People of Note includes the following markets: Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Houston, South Florida and Washington, DC.
WASHINGTON, DC
Stein Returns to Studley
By Christian Rahe
Gary Stein returned to Studley’s Washington, DC, office as an executive vice president and co-regional manager. Stein will continue to advise
commercial real estate tenants throughout the metropolitan area and will also counsel his clients on corporate real estate transactions throughout the country.
He rejoined the firm from the DC Cresa office that he opened in 2008 and oversaw as managing principal. Stein spent the first 16 years of his career as a tenant advisor at Studley.
After 27 years in the industry and having completed more than 500 transactions totaling 7.5 million square feet, he has made a strong reputation as one of the town’s most respected brokers and leaders. He's worked with clients like the National Association of Manufacturers, Business Roundtable, National Democratic Institute and Davis Polk & Wardwell on their leases.
Editor's Note: CoStar's People of Note is published each Friday covering the latest commercial real estate executive level promotions and new hires. Click on the headline of each article to jump to full coverage. Follow the news on Twitter [at] LaurieForbes and [at] TheCoStarGroup.
DENVER
Hashimoto, Grooters Joined Newmark in Denver
By Autumn George
Riki Hashimoto (pictured far left) and Dan Grooters joined Newmark Knight Frank Frederick Ross as executive managing directors. Together, they bring nearly 32 years of experience representing institutional and private clients in the Denver market and throughout the west. The duo specializes in the the acquistion and disposition of office, retail and industrial
investment properties throughout the region.
Prior to joining NKFFR, Hashimoto and Grooters both served as a senior vice presidents at CBRE. The team also spent nine years as senior vice presidents at Grubb & Ellis Co. (now Newmark Grubb Knight Frank), where they consistently ranked among the firm's top professionals nationwide.
Over the course of their careers, the team has closed more than 165 investment transactions valued at more than $1 billion. Hashimoto and Grooters have received multiple awards and designations over the years, including being consistently named as Top 10 Investment Brokers in Colorado by DMCAR.
DALLAS
Transwestern Hires Rowland as SVP
By Chris Woodall
Transwestern expanded its investment sales operation in Dallas with the hiring of Steve Rowland as senior vice president. Rowland will serve as the head of industrial investment sales.
He has 29 years of experience in commercial real estate. Rowland specializes in the sale of leased office, R&D and industrial developments.
Prior to joining Transwestern, Rowland led institutional office and industrial investment sales as senior director of the San Diego office of Cushman & Wakefield.
The senior executive has completed more than $1.8 billion in deals. Rowland has represented clients including GE, TA Realty, Citibank, MetLife and RREEF.
HOUSTON
Henry S. Miller Adds 2 SVPs to Houston Office
By Shontae Dennis-Scott
Lyle Cowand (pictured far left) and Nick Limperos joined Henry S. Miller Brokerage LLC in Houston. Lyle Cowand was appointed senior vice president, corporate services and Nick Limperos was named senior vice president in the office-industrial division.
Cowand has more than three decades of commercial real estate experience. His primary focus is the representation of retail clients who are interested in expanding, leasing new space, acquire, dispose, and other estate needs. Lyle's clients have included The Weitzman Group and Transwestern as well as shopping centers owners Friendswood Development Co., America General Life and General Electric.
Limperos brings 25-plus years of industry experience to the company. Prior to becoming a member of Henry S. Miller, he worked at Grubb & Ellis Co. as a vice president in its industrial services group. He was also recognized as a top producer for the Houston division. Limperos' primary role will be to specialize in the sales and leasing of industrial land and investment properties.
DALLAS
Berkadia Selects Wernick as SVP, Co-Branch Manager
By Laurie Forbes
Stuart Wernick and a team of mortgage banking veterans joined Berkadia Commercial Mortgage LLC. Berkadia is expanding its operations across Texas and appointed Wernick as senior vice president and co-manager in the Dallas branch. Wernick brought with him Jason Rice as senior vice president and Eli Gershenson vice president.
Wernick has more than two decades of industry experience. He will oversee the group’s loan production efforts and build a fee-based business through the origination of conventional debt and equity, agency and other lending deals alongside senior vice president and fellow branch manager John Koeijmans. Rice and Gershenson will focus on government-sponsored enterprise loan origination, and the life company and securitization business for the local office.
The trio’s relationship began more than a decade ago at Quantum First Capital, Wernick’s Dallas-based real estate finance firm. After Quantum was purchased by Grandbridge Real Estate Capital LLC, Rice and Gershenson remained as vice presidents under Wernick.
WASHINGTON, DC
Blocher Joins First Potomac as EVP, CFO
By Charlie Schwieger
First Potomac Realty Trust, a Bethesda, MD-based real estate investment trust, named Andrew Blocher as executive vice president and chief financial officer. Blocher's appointment will be made effective October 8, 2012.
His responsibilities will include overseeing the accounting, capital markets, investor relations, corporate communications and information technology functions within the company. Additionally, Blocher will focus on further refining and executing First Potomac’s capital plan, and will work closely with investors, advisors and capital providers.
He has more than 20 years of finance and capital market experience. Blocher most recently served 12 years at Rockville-based Federal Realty Investment Trust as CFO. While there, he was successful in executing capital markets and investor relations strategies that dramatically improved the quality of Federal Realty’s balance sheet, which ultimately lead to leading to one of the strongest valuation metrics in the public REIT sector.
CLEVELAND
Cresco Taps Piunno as SVP
By Holly E. Polivka
Kevin Piunno joined Cresco Real Estate as senior vice president. He will focus on the sale and leasing of office properties in the Cleveland market.
Piunno has more than 20 years of experience in office leasing, commercial sales and tenant representation. He previously worked for KMP Real Estate Advisors, LDT and the King Group on office leasing and sales transactions.
SOUTH FLORIDA
By Terez Buford
Studley Names Hopper Managing Director
Studley promoted Mike Hopper from associate director to managing director in its South Florida office.
His background includes brokering more than 1 million square feet of transactions on behalf of clients such as Hogan Lovells, Phillips Lytle LLP and YUM Restaurants International.
Since beginning his real estate career, he has earned several awards as a real estate advisor in Miami Dade County and is a recipient of several CoStar Power Broker Awards. Hooper is also a member of the Studley National Law Firm Advisory Group.
WASHINGTON, DC
Beggs Joins Tartan Properties
By Richard Collins
Steve Beggs joined Tartan Properties as principal with the commercial sales and leasing team.
Beggs will focus his expertise serving Tartan's existing landlord clients as well as growing the tenant representation practice in Northern Virginia. He previously was at Transwestern for seven years where he represented both buyers and sellers of commercial property in transactions with value exceeding $50 million.
CINCINNATI
Former Miller Valentine Brokers Start New Firm
By Thomas Vayda
Former Miller Valentine brokers Chuck McCosh, SIOR (far left) and Jordan Romberger, CCIM formed Our Corporate Real Estate Department in Springboro, OH.
OCRD will identify and manage commercial real estate opportunities in the Dayton region specializing in all areas of commercial real estate brokerage.
While at Miller Valentine, McCosh was an executive vice president of sales for 25 years and Romberger was a sales associate for eight years.
Follow the news on Twitter [at] LaurieForbes and [at] TheCoStarGroup. Check out last week's edition of People of Note.