PENTA MEZZANINE FUND - Key Persons
Brian J. Panish is a partner in the Law Firm of Panish, Shea & Boyle, LLP, and considered one of the top trial attorneys in America. Panish, Shea & Boyle was named one of the top ten firms in America by the National Law Journal. In 2010 Brian was named CAL-ABOTA Trial Lawyer of the Year and he also received the Champions of Justice Award from Loyola Law School. In 2008 he was named by the National Law Journal as one of the 100 most Influential Attorneys in America. Previously, he was named one of the Nation's Top Ten Litigators by the National Law Journal and to the National Law Journal's Hall of Fame. He has been named by Daily Journal as one of the 100 Most Influential Attorneys in the State of California and was also named Lawyer of the Year by O'Brien's Verdictum Juris and O'Brien's Evaluator. He is also listed in Best Lawyers in America and named Personal Injury Attorney of the Year in 2009. He has been named by Law Dragon as one of the top 500 lawyers in America. In 1999, he was named Trial Lawyer of the Year by the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles. Mr. Panish has obtained more than 200 multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements including nineteen (19) jury verdicts in excess of Ten Million Dollars (10,000,000). In Anderson v. General Motors, he obtained a jury verdict of $4,907,321, at that time the largest personal injury and product liability verdict in history. He served as one of the lawyers for the County of Los Angeles in the 3.3 Billion Dollars settlement with Big Tobacco. In Lampe vs Continental General Tire, he obtained a jury verdict of $55,421,000, the largest jury verdict ever obtained in a tread separation case in America. In 2004, he obtained three (3) jury verdicts in excess of Ten Million Dollars ($10,000,000) including $58,137,361 in Griggs v. West- Pac the highest single plaintiff personal injury verdict in California history for a severely burned heavy equipment operator. In Dominguez/Valencia v. City and County of San Francisco, he obtained a verdict of $27,300,000 for the death of a four year old girl and injuries suffered by her mother and friends. It is the largest verdict ever against the City and County of San Francisco. In 2008, in Tilton vs. Sempra Energy, he obtained a jury verdict of $15,000,000 for a 17 year old who suffered a closed head injury. In 2009, in Nelsen v. Hillyard, he obtained a jury verdict of $21,067,093.53, for a 29 year old Iraqi veteran, who suffered a fractured femur leading to a stroke. In 2011, in Curiel v. SSA Marine, he obtained a verdict of $14,000,000 for a a worker injured in the Los Angeles Harbor and a $17,000,000 verdict against the MTA for a 42 year old blind man who was killed when attempting to board a train. He is a Fellow in The American College of Trial Lawyers, American Board of Trial Advocates Diplomate (President Los Angeles Chapter). He is a Member of the Inner Circle of Advocates (limited to 100 of the Best Plaintiff Lawyers in America), International Society of Barristers and Attorneys Information Exchange Group. He received his B.S. from California State University, Fresno, where he was named Scholar Athlete and was the recipient of Athletic Directors Award. He recently received the Top Dog Award as an outstanding alumnus during Fresno State's Centennial (100) Year Anniversary. Mr. Panish received his J.D. with honors from Southwestern Law School.
Job Titles:
- Senior Advisor
- Managing Director and Head of Community Investments for BMO Harris Bank N.a
Carl A. Jenkins is Managing Director and Head of Community Investments for BMO Harris Bank N.A., the U.S. banking subsidiary of BMO Financial Group. He oversees Community Reinvestment Act investments targeting lower middle market companies and community-based real estate development in all BMO Harris markets. Presently, Carl manages a team and investment portfolio with commitments exceeding $500 million and covering the states of Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Washington and Wisconsin. Prior to his current position, he served as a commercial real estate lender for BMO Capital Markets and the BMO Harris Community Development Lending team.
Prior to joining the bank, Carl worked for the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), a national community development financial institution. He earned his bachelor's degree in architecture from Washington University in St. Louis and holds an MBA from the Kenan-Flagler School of Business at the University of North Carolina. He serves on the board of directors for several organizations, including; National Association of Affordable Housing Lenders, Cook County Land Bank Authority, Disability Opportunity Fund, Small Business Investor Alliance, Chicago Sinfonietta and Goodman Theatre. Carl also serves on the advisory committee of several lower middle market private equity funds.
The former managing director of Universal Parks and Resorts, and the former chief operating officer for Toys "R" Us, where he implemented new business strategies, technologies, processes and disciplines throughout the entire corporation. He is also a member of the American Medical Association (AMA) Board of Trustees (BOT). Mr. Kay is the chief operating officer for the Trust for Public Land (TPL), a national tax-exempt organization that conserves land for people to enjoy as parks, playgrounds, community gardens, farms, historic places and wilderness. Mr. Kay practiced law for 24 years, handling cases ranging from complex business litigation to corporate mergers and large real estate transactions. Mr. Kay has served as a member of the board of directors of a number of charitable organizations, including the PGA Caddie Foundation (which he co-founded along with Mark O'Meara, a professional golfer), the Toys "R" Us Children's Fund, the Florida Citrus Sports Association and the Universal Studios Florida Foundation. He is a graduate of the University of Missouri and received his JD from the Duke University School of Law. He is a board-certified trial lawyer and a board-certified business litigator, as well as a fellow in the American Bar Foundation.
Job Titles:
- Senior Advisor and Investment Committee Member
Prior to founding Penta Mezzanine Fund, Grant was the Founder of Hill Ventures, Inc., an Orlando-based marketing company. He has invested more than $150 million in major commercial real estate transactions. Mr. Hill has also been the principal spokesperson for numerous iconic brands and products including McDonald's, Sprite, GMC Trucks, Northwest Airlines, Tag Heuer and Kellogg's. Grant earned a B.A. in History from Duke University, where he also played collegiate basketball. Grant Hill on CNBC
President of Investment Advisors, Inc., and Triple J. Ranch Inc. Mr. Johnson is a past President of the Florida Bankers Association and the American Bankers Association. He also served on the University of Florida Warrington College of Business Advisory Council. He is presently President of the University of Florida Gator Boosters, Inc. He has served on the Salvation Army Service Committee and as Chairman of the Trustees of Saint Leo University, St. Leo, Florida. He was inducted into the Tampa Bay Business Hall of Fame and was a Board member of the Fannie Mae National Advisory Council. He is involved in numerous other professional, fraternal, and community organizations. He also serves as a Member of the Advisory Board at Hyde Park Capital Partners, LLC. Mr. Johnson graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Industrial Engineering with High Honors in 1958, and is a U.S. Army Veteran, having served as a Counter-Intelligence Officer at U.S. Army Europe Headquarters, Heidelberg, Germany. He received a Juris Doctor from Birmingham School of Law in 1965 and is a member of the Alabama Bar and the Bar of the United States Supreme Court. He is a 1968 graduate of the Stonier Graduate School of Banking, Rutgers University.
Job Titles:
- Founding Member and Managing Director of Cantaro Capital
- Managing Partner and Investment Committee Member
Mr. Black is a Founding Member and Managing Director of Cantaro Capital, LLC. He began his career as an investment analyst at Financial Network Investment Corporation, a subsidiary of ING. In 2001 he founded and managed his own real estate investment and asset management firm, managing over $200 million of real estate, alternative investments, and small business assets by 2007. He served as president of Tribunus, LLC from 2007 to 2009 where he was responsible for managing and servicing a $490 million privately held portfolio of secured loans for distribution to investors in Europe, Asia and the United States. Jeff became CEO of MidCap following Cantaro's acquisition in 2009 and is responsible for its recapitalization and restart, and the execution of its strategic business plans. He is a graduate of Emory University's Goizueta Business School.
Job Titles:
- Founding Partner
- Senior Advisor
Prior to joining Penta Mezz, John Morgan co-founded and was a Principal at Florida Mezzanine Fund, WonderWorks Attractions, and Morgan and Morgan, PA. Mr. Morgan is a serial entrepreneur and has founded and co-founded several companies in diverse industries, including Morgan and Morgan, PA, one of the largest personal injury law firms in the U.S. Additionally, he co-founded WonderWorks Attractions, a major attractions platform with venues in more than five locations in the Southeast U.S. Mr. Morgan co-founded Center State Bank, a publicly-traded bank holding company, as well as Beech Outdoor Advertising. He currently serves on the boards of the Florida Justice Association, Greater Orlando Chamber of Commerce and Harmony Institute. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Levin College of Law at the University of Florida as well as a member of The Florida Bar, Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, and Orange County and Seminole County Bar Associations. Mr. Morgan holds a BA and JD from the University of Florida.
Prior to joining Penta Mezz, Lisa Porter worked at a top Atlanta CPA firm for over 25 years. Her expertise includes preparing financial statements, monitoring and managing all components of cash flow, developing management and external financial reports and handling every financial and accounting requirement of a business. Lisa is efficient, detail-oriented, and driven to producing the highest quality financial product. She received her Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Auburn University and holds a non-active Georgia CPA license.
Mark Ferraro, co-founded and headed up the TMC Companies in 1985, which acquired, entitled, constructed and sold real estate projects throughout Southern California. The group's urban infill division developed apartments, shopping centers and single-family housing. Large-scale master-planned community projects were undertaken in the group's Communities division, which at its peak, controlled over 5,000 acres of land with entitlements for approximately 14,000 residential units, one million square feet of retail, commercial and hotel uses, and four golf courses.
In 1993, Mr. Ferraro shifted the group's business strategy from direct development to equity investment by establishing TMC America, LLC, of which he serves as president. Under his guidance, the company has placed and managed, on behalf of domestic and international investors, in excess of $180 million of equity capital into projects with a build out value in excess of $2.8 billion.
Prior to his founding of the TMC Companies, Mr. Ferraro held the position of senior advisor at the highly respected real estate consulting firm Tarantello & Company of Newport Beach. In that capacity he advised clients with respect to their real property holdings, including highest and best use studies, property valuations, pricing studies, and land development strategies. Mr. Ferraro's clients included General American Life, Mobil Land Development and the Warmington Companies.
Mr. Ferraro holds a Bachelor of Science degree in finance with a real estate emphasis from California State University, Long Beach, and is a licensed California real estate broker. He has been a member and frequent conference speaker at, the Building Industry Association of Southern California, and has sat on various company and non-profit boards such as The Real Estate Development Advisory Network, Aseptic Solutions, LLC, the Pacific Symphony Orchestra, and Bibles for America. Mr. Ferraro lives with his wife and three children in Irvine, California.
Job Titles:
- Senior Advisor
- Principal in Hill Family Advisors
Mrs. Hill was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. She attended Wellesley College in Wellesley, Massachusetts and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics in 1969. She attended the University of Chicago Graduate School and the Graduate School of Education and, in 1972, received a Masters of Arts in Mathematics.
Mrs. Janet Hill is a Principal in Hill Family Advisors, where she oversees the family's assets and investments. She retired as the co-owner and Vice President of Alexander & Associates, Inc., a corporate consulting firm in Washington, D.C. after 30 years in management and ownership. She provided corporate planning, advice and analyses to directors, executives and managers in the areas of human resource planning, corporate responsibility, corporate communications and government consultation.
Mrs. Hill is a member of the Board of Directors of Echo360; The Wendy's Company; Dean Foods, Inc.; and The Carlyle Group. Mrs. Hill is also Vice President of Hill Ventures, Inc., her son's real estate investment business. Mrs. Hill is a Senior Advisor to Penta Mezzanine Fund, where her son is a Partner. Mrs. Hill has served on three boards from which she retired at the time of the sale of the underlying companies: Tambrands, Inc. (which was sold to Proctor & Gamble); Security Capital Group, Inc. (which was sold to G.E. Capital); and Houghton Mifflin Company (which was sold to Vivendi International). She served as a public member of the New York Cotton Exchange for four years ending in 1992.
Mrs. Hill is a member of the Board of Trustees of Duke University. She also serves on the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics. She is a member of the Board of the BCS Military Bowl. Mrs. Hill was the Special Assistant to the Secretary of the Army from 1977 - 1981. She advised the Secretary on specific positions prior to policy decisions, formulated programs to improve and enhance soldier quality of life, prepared speeches for public presentation and testimony for Congressional Hearings, served as a liaison to the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the White House, Congress and other government agencies; and prepared briefing and position papers on issues affecting soldiers, material readiness and operations and maintenance.
Prior to her work for the Army, Mrs. Hill provided mathematical research for a private consulting firm in the Washington, D.C. area. She was responsible for data analysis regarding ambient noise levels and shipping distributions; coordination and analysis of technical evaluations of noise levels in the perfection of sonar detection systems; design of ship movement models under contract to the U.S. Navy; the research and editing of environmental regional assessments in the Northeast Pacific and Northeast Atlantic for various Navy intelligence units; and the development of computer programs to evaluate data on Soviet submarine surveillance.
Job Titles:
- Managing Partner and Investment Committee Member
Prior to founding Penta Mezzanine Fund, Rebecca focused on public and private companies in a wide range of industries, along with entrepreneurial and middle market entities. Her expertise includes mergers and acquisitions and capital sourcing along with internal and external financial reporting and controls, related management as well as risk management. Rebecca co-founded RVR Consulting Group, which provides corporate finance and transaction advisory services to middle market companies. She is the former CFO of Arcadia Resources, a $175 million public company, where she led the acquisition of 25 companies and expansion from two to five business lines. In addition, she was the founder of a home healthcare company serving patients in 4 states which she sold to the company before joining as its CFO. Prior to Arcadia, Rebecca was the CFO of Rotech Medical Corporation, a $600 million public company, where she raised over $200 million in subordinated debt and equity and completed more than 300 acquisitions over her 7 year tenure. Rebecca began her career as a CPA with Ernst & Young. She received a B.S. in Accounting from Mississippi College.
Held the title of Vice Chairman of Raymond James Financial, Inc. as well as Executive Vice President of Raymond James & Associates, Inc., Mr. Shuck was also a Trustee and Executive Committee Member of the National Endowment for Financial Education in Denver. Mr. Shuck is also a former Long Range Development Committee Member for the Florida Council on Economic Education, a former Sales and Marketing Committee Member of the Security Industry Association, a Director of the International Association for Financial Planning and former Policy Board Member of the Tampa Bay Partnership for Regional Economic Development. He began his career with Ernst & Ernst and as a Controller for John M. Smythe Co. He held the designation of Certified Financial Planner and was a Certified Public Accountant license holder in the State of Illinois.
Job Titles:
- Senior Advisor and Investment Committee Member
Prior to founding Penta Mezzanine Fund, Seth was a Principal and Co-Founder of the Florida Mezzanine Fund, a $30 million mezzanine fund based in Orlando, FL. He is the former CEO of Digital Infrared Imaging, Inc. and led the company through 18 acquisitions and an eventual public merger with ICX Technologies, Inc. Previously, Seth co-founded Florida Regional Emergency Services, the largest hospital based ambulance management company in the U.S. at the time, ultimately engineering that company's sale to American Medical Response, Inc. Seth began his career as an auditor with Ernst & Young and KPMG. He is a CPA and received a B.S. in Accounting from the University of Florida.
Prior to joining Penta Mezzanine, Mr. Harrington was a Senior Analyst at Bank of America Merrill Lynch where he conducted financial analyses for a team of Senior Bankers in the North Florida market. Prior to Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Mr. Harrington was an Investment Analyst for Bayshore Capital Advisors where he focused on investment due diligence and capital allocations across a wide range of asset classes. Mr. Harrington graduated magna cum laude from Rollins College with a degree in International Business and a concentration in Spanish. Mr. Harrington is a CFA charterholder.