RIEDMAN - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Multisite Property Manager
Job Titles:
- Benefits and Payroll Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Construction Contract Administrator
Job Titles:
- President
- Founder and President of Riedman Companies
- Trustee of the Riedman Foundation
David Riedman is the Founder and President of Riedman Companies. Since its founding in 1993, the company has specialized in the development of real estate throughout the Greater Rochester, Buffalo, Finger Lakes, Syracuse, and Northwestern Pennsylvania Regions. With a focus in real estate development, investment, and asset management, Riedman Companies designs, develops, owns, builds, manages, and markets a wide variety of residential, industrial, commercial, and retail properties. David has been active in commercial and residential development since 1987 when he graduated from Purdue University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Landscape Architecture.
David contributes his development and finance expertise both philanthropically and professionally to a number of organizations within the community. He currently serves on the board of Rochester Regional Health and serves as Treasurer and is a member of the Executive Committee and vice-chair of their Finance Committee. He also serves as vice-chair of the YMCA of Greater Rochester, chair of their Properties Committee and as a member of their Executive Committee. He also serves on the board of the Monroe County Sheriff's Foundation and the newly formed ROC2025 Committee. David is an active board member and past chair of the Rochester Home Builders Association.
He previously served as chair of the board for the Seneca Park Zoo. David also serves as a trustee of the Riedman Foundation, a private family foundation.
David is a recipient of Rochester Business Journal's Forty Under 40 Award which recognizes individuals who have achieved professional success and made significant civic contributions. He also received the 2015 Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM) Pillar Award for his accomplishments in the Rochester/Finger Lakes Region. David was named 2004 Builder of the Year by the Rochester Home Builders Association.
David lives in Rochester with his wife Betsy and has three adult children.
Job Titles:
- Property Management Clerk
Job Titles:
- Design & Estimating Associate
Job Titles:
- Manager of Leasing and Resident Satisfaction
When Jay Benesh joined Riedman Companies in 2018 he brought nearly 20 years of residential real estate sales and service experience having helped more than 1,200 satisfied clients across the Finger Lakes and Greater Rochester regions buy and sell their homes.
Jay is a New York State licensed real estate broker and an active member of the National Association of Realtors, the Greater Rochester Association of Realtors, and the Elmira-Corning Regional Association of Realtors.
Jay earned a Bachelor of Science with Distinction from Clarkson University majoring in biology and environmental toxicology. He furthered his education at Temple University, earning a Master of Science with Highest Distinction in occupational health and safety. Leveraging his advanced degree, Jay joined Xerox Corporation in 1991 helping to manage various strategic environmental health and safety initiatives.
Always carrying a quest for learning, Jay had the opportunity to earn his Executive MBA from the Simon School of Business at the University of Rochester. While at Xerox, Jay was recognized with the Xerox Individual Excellent Award for his part in the development of the Ergonomic Resource Center as well as a Xerox Customer First Award for outstanding customer focus and service delivery.
It was this commitment to customer service and satisfaction that attracted Jay to pursue a career in the real estate field, and what continues to make him successful as a general manager at Riedman. Jay is specifically responsible for helping Riedman meet the needs of today's home buyers with the unique floorplans, distinguished features, and modern amenities that will help them change the way they live.
Jay has received numerous real estate industry accolades including earning Quality Service Certified Platinum and Best in the Business awards - an honor only earned by agents with a 98% or higher customer service rating according to third-party surveys.
Jay was raised in Bath, New York and for the past 20 years has called Fairport, New York his home. He has been married to his wife Lisa for nearly 30 years - 15 of which they worked together in the family real estate business. They have a son, Maxwell, and a dog, Coco, a miniature Labradoodle. When Jay's not helping Riedman clients, he's traveling, watching movies or listening to an eclectic mix of music from Belinda Carlisle, Stevie Nicks, Ozzy Osborne or dreaming of being an 80's rockstar.
Job Titles:
- Senior Real Estate Manager
Jerry Watkins joined Riedman Companies in 2012 continuing a 30-year career in the real estate industry.
His primary focus with Riedman Companies is the procurement and development of new investment opportunities. Duties include purchase negotiations, economic feasibility, project design and municipal approvals.
Jerry started his career in banking, spending over 10 years in that field. He was Vice President of Columbia Banking where he managed Loan Operations, moved on to underwriting construction and permanent loans for multifamily, office, retail and senior housing developments and later managed the banks REO portfolio.
His first stint in real estate development was as Director of Acquisitions and Development with Wegman Companies, a development firm diversified in projects including senior housing, mixed use business parks and home building, spending 5 years in this position.
Continuing in the real estate field, Jerry spent 15 years as Vice President of the Farash Corporation, a firm heavily invested in multi-family, office and retail developments. At Farash, Jerry managed all aspects of development projects, including site selection, purchase negotiations, project design and municipal approvals, along with lease and sale negotiations. Other responsibilities included the oversight of property management for more than 1,000,000 square feet of commercial property, along with construction management for new buildings and renovations of existing properties.
Jerry is a life-long resident of the Rochester area. He holds a New York State Brokers License.
Job Titles:
- Production Administrative Assistant
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer
- Board Member of the St. John Fisher College Accounting Advisory Board
Kenneth O. Hall, CPA, CMA, CFM joined Riedman Companies in 2017 as Chief Financial Officer and in this role oversees and is responsible for all financial, accounting and human resource activities. Prior to joining Riedman, Ken spent 11 years as the Vice President and Controller for Home Properties, which until its acquisition in 2015 by private equity, was the 6th largest publicly traded multifamily real estate investment trust with over 40,000 apartment units and a market cap of $7.6 billion. Under Ken's financial leadership, Home achieved clean audit opinions every year and was recognized in 2012 by the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts with the "Gold Award" for top annual report out of over 200 peer companies as judged by securities analysts and portfolio managers.
In 2003, Ken was named a regional award winner of the "Financial Executive of the Year Award", chosen from nominations submitted throughout the country for executives demonstrating exceptional achievements in the finance and accounting fields. Ken has been honored locally as one of the recipients of the "40 Under 40," an award for professionals under 40 years of age that recognizes their service to both their employers and to the community. He has held board and leadership positions with the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA), Financial Executives International and the New York State Society of CPAs, where his current role is Chapter President. Ken is also a regular guest on Rochester‘s WROC-TV 8 on Monday's "Financial Literacy" segment, sharing tips with viewers on a number of topics.
In addition to his professional accomplishments, Ken is a current board member of the St. John Fisher College Accounting Advisory Board and past board member of the Westside Family YMCA and Monroe County Special Olympics and has been active in volunteering for local charities including the Smith Opera House in Geneva, coaching youth sports and assisting with repairs to the homes of the less fortunate through Habitat for Humanity and other charities.
Ken achieved certification, and maintains his credentials, as a Certified Public Accountant (NYS 1988), Certified Management Accountant (IMA 1996) and Certified in Financial Management (IMA 1997); and holds an Accounting Degree from St. John Fisher College, graduating summa cum laude (1984).
Job Titles:
- Senior Project Manager LEED® AP / PMP
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Construction
Job Titles:
- Director of Estimating & Design
Job Titles:
- Homeowner Satisfaction Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Property Management Clerk
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Property Management
Timothy P. Foster is employed with Riedman Companies and in his current position as Vice President of Property Management, is responsible for all management, acquisition and brokerage activities of the firm.
Prior to joining Riedman Companies, Mr. Foster, had managed all operations at DBI Properties, a local property management company that employed over 50 employees and managed over 1,600 multifamily residential apartments. Mr. Foster had also been employed with Trammell Crow Company where he was responsible for the office and retail locations of a nationally recognized bank throughout the Central and Western New York markets. In addition, Mr. Foster gained valuable experience as Senior Property Manager and Director of Sales and Leasing with the S.B. Ashley Management Corporation.
Mr. Foster graduated from St. John Fisher College in Rochester, New York and holds a New York State Broker's license.
He is currently a Certified Property Manager as designated by the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM) and was the 1995 and 1996 Chairman of the Education Committee of the Rochester-Western New York Chapter 58 of The Institute of Real Estate Management. In 1995, he was awarded the CPM Candidate of the Year. He has served the local chapter in 2001-2002 as President Elect, 2002-2003 and 2003-2004 as President. In 2005, he received the CPM of the Year award.
Mr. Foster has also been involved in many committees in the Village of Fairport since 1999. He has served on the Advisory Committee and has also been a member of the Economic Restructuring Committee. In addition he has been involved with Fairport Little League and CYO Basketball as a coach. He lives in Fairport with his wife Katie, their son and their two dogs.