Denholtz Properties names new CEO; Hines taps private wealth group executive; Savills appoints portfolio management leader

Katie Kurtz was appointed to lead Denholtz Properties as its new CEO. She takes the place of Steven Denholtz, who will move into the role of chairman while current company president Stephen Cassidy becomes managing partner. Kurtz has more than 20 years of institutional real estate, capital markets and investment experience. She previously served as chief financial officer at Silverstein Properties, where she managed the firm’s commercial and residential portfolio and lending business. Kurtz has also worked at AR Global, The Carlyle Group and New Mountain Finance Corp. Denholtz is based in Red Bank, New Jersey, and has a regional headquarters in Orlando, Florida.

John Caruso joined the private wealth solutions arm of global real estate asset manager Hines as managing director and head of strategic accounts. The team focuses on serving investors through brokerage, private bank and family office channels. “John has deep expertise in the wealth management industry and proven success in business development and growth which pairs well with our focus on expanding and building on Hines’ commitment to individual investors and their financial professionals,” Paul Ferraro, global head of Hines private wealth solutions, said in a statement.

Caruso previously worked at Goldman Sachs Asset Management as a senior relationship manager for national accounts and at Bank of America’s Merrill Lynch and private bank affiliates.

Michelle Needles has returned to Savills as an executive vice president for global occupier services. She brings more than 25 years of industry experience to her role, developing client solutions and guiding Savills’ expansion. “Michelle’s return to Savills represents a key milestone for our Global Occupier Services practice as we continue to expand our footprint around the world and enhance our service offerings,” said Rick Schuham, CEO of Savills' global occupier services group, in a statement. Needles previously worked at Savills as a managing director before moving to Colliers, where she worked with clients in automotive, manufacturing, life sciences and other sectors. She is a frequent speaker at industry conferences.

New York development and investment firm RockFarmer Properties announced that David Krantz is its new head of capital markets. Krantz has more than 22 years of real estate experience, including in private equity, investment strategy and team leadership. As RockFarmer looks to expand its national presence, he will focus on investment opportunities in targeted US locations. The company is especially focused on distressed multifamily, office, retail and mixed-use assets in New York and in the Sun Belt. "David's extensive experience in managing and optimizing diversified investment platforms will be invaluable in driving our growth,” managing principal John Petras said in a statement. Krantz has also served as head of real estate at Mirae Asset Securities and held senior roles at Savills USA, CBRE and The Praedium Group.

Nashville, Tennessee-based The Clear Blue Co., a developer of workforce and affordable multifamily properties, chose Ashley Stockton-Massie as its director of acquisition rehabilitation. A veteran of Nashville’s affordable housing development community, she will source capital opportunities and support business development as Clear Blue works to tackle housing woes in various markets. Clear Blue President Matthew Nicholson said in a statement that he looks forward to working with Stockton-Massie “to grow our market presence and continue delivering successful results in the communities we operate in." Stockton-Massie previously was real estate development director at Highmark Holdings and held several key positions at CoStar Group, publisher of CoStar News.