RPAI - Key Persons
Ann M. Sharp Hult joined the Company in June 2006 and currently serves as Vice President and Secretary for RPAI. Ms. Sharp Hult works with the Company's Board of Directors and executive management team on corporate governance matters. As Secretary of RPAI, Ms. Sharp Hult is responsible for the Company's corporate records, equity awards and trademarks. She also is involved in real estate acquisitions, dispositions and financings. Prior to joining RPAI, she worked at a large corporate law firm in Chicago, Illinois.
Ms. Sharp Hult received her Bachelor of Arts from DePaul University and her ABA-approved paralegal certificate from Roosevelt University. Ms. Sharp Hult is an active member of her local community.
Job Titles:
- Certified Leasing Specialist
- Vice - President, Senior Leasing Director
- Vice President, Senior Leasing Director - Eastern Division ( Neighborhood / Community & Power Centers )
Ann Smith serves as the Vice-President, Senior Leasing Director - Eastern Division and brings over 22 years of Commercial Real Estate experience to the Company.
Prior to joining RPAI, Ms. Smith spent five years in real estate development and three years in tenant representation. She has a total of 14 years in Landlord representation. Additionally, Ms. Smith spent 11 years as a District Manager in store operations for a ladies apparel chain. She also served as president and co-founder of an auction company representing buyers and sellers of single family homes, land and investment properties.
Ms. Smith is Certified Leasing Specialist (CLS) and active member of the ICSC , North Carolina Auctioneers Association and National Auctioneers Association. Ms. Smith received her broker in charge license from the Mingle School of Real Estate.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Audit Committee
- Chairman of the Executive Compensation Committee
- Director
Bonnie S. Biumi has been one of our directors since 2015. Ms. Biumi has over 30 years of experience in public accounting and as a Chief Financial Officer or other senior-level financial position at both public and private companies. Most recently, Ms. Biumi served as President and Chief Financial Officer of Kerzner International Resorts, Inc., a developer, owner and operator of destination resorts, casinos and luxury hotels, from 2007 to 2012. Ms. Biumi previously held senior-level financial positions at NCL Corporation, Ltd. and Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd., which are listed on the NYSE, Neff Corporation (now United Rentals, Inc.), which was previously listed on the NYSE, Peoples Telephone Company, Inc. and Price Waterhouse. Ms. Biumi serves on the Board of Caesars Entertainment, Inc. (formerly Eldorado Resorts, Inc.), a Nasdaq-listed company. Previously, from 2012 to 2017, Ms. Biumi served on the Board of Directors of Isle of Capri Casinos, a Nasdaq-listed company, and from 2013 to 2015, she served on the Board of Directors of Home Properties, Inc., a NYSE-listed company. Ms. Biumi received a B.S. in Accounting from the University of Florida and is a certified public accountant.
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President
- Senior Vice President - Information Technology
Colin Joynt is the Senior Vice President - Information Technology and is responsible for the management of the Company's internal systems and applications, including telecommunications, network security operations, computer operations, data warehousing, and enterprise-wide applications. Prior to joining RPAI, Mr. Joynt spent five years overseeing the Information Technology team at Kite Realty Group and maintains over 20 years of experience in various roles related to technology services.
Mr. Joynt obtained his B.A. in Political Science and History from the University of Waterloo.
Job Titles:
- Member of International Council of Shopping Centers
- Vice President of Property Management - Western Division ( TX )
- Vice President of Property Management for the Western Division
Daniel Upton joined RPAI in 2011 and serves as Vice President of Property Management for the Western Division. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Upton was Senior Vice President of Asset/Property Management for Trademark Properties in Fort Worth, Texas where he headed up all Property Operations as well as Tenant Coordination and Construction. Prior to joining Trademark Properties, Mr. Upton served as Regional Vice President of Asset Management for General Growth Management.
Mr. Upton attended Mississippi State University and received his B.S. in Business Administration. Mr. Upton is an active member of International Council of Shopping Centers and and holds a CSM designation.
Job Titles:
- Vice President, Asset Management - Eastern Division ( FL, GA, NC, TN & VA )
David Bennett is Vice President, Asset Management, for the Eastern Division and joined RPAI in 2006. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Bennett held the position of Vice President, Corporate/Retail Real Estate Transactions at Chase Bank. Prior to Chase Bank, Mr. Bennett served as the Vice President of Asset Management, Midwest Region, for Beacon Capital Partners. From 1987 to 1997, Mr. Bennett held several positions at The Balcor Company, including Vice President, Portfolio Management.
Mr. Bennett received his B.S. in Finance from the University of Illinois, Chicago. He is an active ICSC member and maintains a CRX certification with the organization. Dave is also a member of Lambda Alpha International and is a State of Illinois licensed real estate managing broker.
Job Titles:
- Certified Retail Property Executive
- Vice President, Property Management - Eastern Division
Fran Davanzo joined RPAI in September 2013 and currently serves as the Vice President of Property Management for the Eastern Division. Before joining the Company, Mr. Davanzo was the Director of Property Management for DDR Corp. Prior to DDR Corp., he worked at Prime Retail for 12-years where he facilitated several successful outlet mall grand openings and streamlined operating procedures.
Fran Davanzo is a Certified Retail Property Executive (CRX) and an active member of the ICSC.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Member of the Executive Compensation Committee
- Member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
Frank A. Catalano, Jr. has been one of our directors since our inception in 2003. Mr. Catalano has been President of Catalano & Associates, a real estate company that engages in brokerage and property management services and in the rehabilitation and leasing of office buildings, since 1999. Mr. Catalano served as Regional Vice President at Gateway Funding Diversified Mortgage Services, L.P., a residential mortgage banking company, from February 2008 to 2011 and as Vice President of American Home Mortgage Company from 2002 to August 2007. Mr. Catalano served as Regional Vice President of Flagstar Bank from January 2001 through March 2002 and as President and Chief Executive Officer of CCS Mortgage, Inc., which was sold to Flagstar Bank in 2000, from 1995 through 2000. Mr. Catalano is Chairman of the United Cerebral Palsy Seguin Board and formerly served as the Chairman of the Board of the Elmhurst Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Catalano is a NACD Board Leadership Fellow and holds a real estate broker's license. Mr. Catalano received a Certificate in Cybersecurity Oversight from Carnegie Mellon University.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Board
- Chairman of the Board of Directors
- Member of the Executive Compensation Committee
- Member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
- Chariman of the Board
- Executive Compensation Committee
Gerald M. Gorski has been one of our directors since 2003 and Chairman of the Board since 2010. Mr. Gorski was a Partner in the law firm of Gorski & Good LLP, Wheaton, Illinois from 1978 through 2016. Mr. Gorski's practice focused on governmental law, and he represented numerous units of local government in Illinois. Mr. Gorski has served as a Special Assistant State's Attorney and a Special Assistant Attorney General in Illinois. Mr. Gorski served as the Vice Chairman of the Board of Commissioners for the DuPage Airport Authority and the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the DuPage National Technology Park. Mr. Gorski has written numerous articles on various legal issues facing Illinois municipalities and has been a speaker at various municipal law conferences. Mr. Gorski is a National Association of Corporate Directors, or NACD, Board Leadership Fellow. Mr. Gorski received a B.A. from North Central College with majors in Political Science and Economics and a J.D. from DePaul University Law School.
Job Titles:
- President
- Member of ICSC
- President - Western Division
Gerry Wright joined RPAI in 2009 and currently serves as President - Western Division. In this role Mr. Wright is responsible for executing the strategic plan for the Company's western region portfolio, including the oversight of asset management, leasing, property management and re-development. Mr. Wright has over 25 years of experience in the real estate industry and has held the following positions prior to joining RPAI. Mr. Wright served as Vice President - Senior Asset Manager at BPG, Vice President - Asset Manager at ING Realty Partners, Vice President - Regional Asset Manager - Citigroup and Portfolio Manager JMB Realty Advisors.
Mr. Wright received his B.S. in accounting from the University of Illinois - Chicago. Mr. Wright is an active member of ICSC and supports numerous charities throughout Chicago and neighboring suburbs.
Job Titles:
- Vice President, Leasing Director - Eastern Division ( Mixed - Use / Lifestyle Centers )
Greg Goldberg joined RPAI in 2012 and currently serves as Vice President, Leasing Director - Eastern Division. Previously, Mr. Goldberg was a Retail Specialist for Uniwest Commercial Realty, a large commercial development company in the Greater Washington D.C. area. Prior to joining Uniwest, Mr. Goldberg was Vice President - Leasing for Starwood Ceruzzi's Mid Atlantic office. Mr. Goldberg started in the industry as a retail broker at Carey Winston/Transwestern in 1994, giving him twenty years' of experience in retail real estate.
Mr. Goldberg received his B.A. from Purdue University. Mr. Goldberg holds Real Estate sales license in Maryland and Virginia and is a member of ICSC.
Job Titles:
- Vice President and Senior Leasing Director
- Vice President, Senior Leasing Director - Western Division ( TX )
Jason Kasal serves as Vice President and Senior Leasing Director for the Western Division. Since joining the Company in 2006, Mr. Kasal has completed over 2,000 lease transactions. Prior to joining RPAI, Mr. Kasal oversaw management, marketing, leasing and development for Cooper & Stebbins.
Mr. Kasal received his B.S. in Economics from Texas A&M University and an M.S. in Real Estate from The University of North Texas. Mr. Kasal is also a board member for the Southlake Town Square Association, President of the Roanoke Community and Economic Development Corporation and Commissioner of the Roanoke Planning & Zoning Commission.
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer
- Executive Vice President
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Member of the Executive Management Team
- Treasurer
Julie Swinehart joined RPAI in June 2008 and currently serves as the Company's Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer. Prior to assuming her current role in February 2018, Ms. Swinehart served as the Company's Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer since July 2015, Senior Vice President and Corporate Controller since April 2013, and held various accounting and financial reporting positions since joining the team in 2008. Prior to joining RPAI, Ms. Swinehart was a Manager of External Reporting at Equity Office Properties Trust for two years and she spent eight years in public accounting in the audit practices of Arthur Andersen LLP and Deloitte & Touche LLP.
Ms. Swinehart received her B.S. in accountancy from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and is a Certified Public Accountant.
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President, Director of Operations & Construction
Kevin Woods joined RPAI in 2015 and currently serves as the Company's Senior Vice President, Director of Operations and Construction. In the role, Mr. Woods is responsible for providing strategic direction and management of multi-disciplinary teams including Operations, Architectural Design, and Construction to in order to facilitate new store openings and capital improvement projects, as well as large-scale development and redevelopment efforts throughout the entire RPAI portfolio.
Prior to his current position, Mr. Woods served as RPAI's Director of Development where he led development and redevelopment efforts, including land acquisition, entitlement, design, budgeting and construction on a part-time consulting basis. Prior to his current role, Mr. Woods spent more than 25 years in various leadership positions with the Corporetum Companies, Inc., a commercial real estate development and property management firm, leaving the Company as Partner, Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer.
Mr. Woods graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a Bachelor's degree in Accounting. He is also a Registered Certified Public Accountant, a Licensed Real Estate Broker and an active member of the ICSC with a Certified Retail Property Executive (CRX) designation.
Job Titles:
- Vice President, Marketing & Business Development
Kim Fuhrman is the Vice President, Marketing & Business Development where she is responsible for the management of the Company's ancillary income and property marketing initiatives. Prior to joining RPAI, Ms. Fuhrman spent nearly ten years supporting Marketing and Business Development services at General Growth Properties (GGP).
Ms. Fuhrman obtained her B.A. from Marymount University in Arlington, VA.
Job Titles:
- Compliance Officer
- Director of Human Resources
- Vice President
Lauren Whaley is the Vice President, Director of Human Resources and Compliance Officer and is currently responsible for leading the Company's people strategy, national HR initiatives, policies and practices.
Ms. Whaley joined the Company on February 11, 2013 and has over 20 years of HR Generalist experience and over fifteen years' experience working for several progressive organizations in the commercial real estate industry. Those firms include CB Richard Ellis (F/K/A Insignia ESG, Inc.); The John Buck Company a developer; Lend Lease, a global leader in property and infrastructure solutions providers and Cohen Financial, a mortgage brokerage firm and national real estate capital services company. As an HR Generalist, her functional expertise is in benefits & compensation, business management and strategy, people recruitment, selection and development and employee relations.
Ms. Whaley holds a Master's of Science in Human Resources from Loyola University, Chicago and has a Bachelor's Degree from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio in both Human Resources Management and Organizational Behavior. Previously, Ms. Whaley was adjunct faculty and a professor at Keller Graduate School of Business teaching for the University's MBA program.
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President - Corporate Controller
Leah Marsaglia is the Senior Vice President - Corporate Controller and is responsible for the management of the Corporate Accounting Team, which focuses on external financial reporting. Prior to joining RPAI, Ms. Marsaglia spent 12 years in the Audit practice at KPMG, serving clients in the real estate and professional service industries.
Ms. Marsaglia received her B.S. in Accountancy from Illinois State University and is a Certified Public Accountant.
Job Titles:
- Member of ICSC
- Vice President of Property Management - Western Division ( AZ, CA, IL, MO & WA )
Lynn K. Reissenweber joined RPAI in May 2009 and currently serves as the Company's Vice President of Property Management for the Western Division. Before joining RPAI, Ms. Reissenweber began her career working for Simon Property Group. During her 22 years at Simon, Ms. Reissenweber held various managerial positions; most recently as the Regional Portfolio Manager for the Midwest Community/Lifestyle Centers where she orchestrated all aspects of managing, operating and directing 10+ million square feet of power, community and neighborhood shopping centers.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- President
- Board Member at Spectrum Inmobiliaria
- President - Eastern Division
Matthew Beverly joined RPAI in 2014 and currently serves as President - Eastern Division. In his role Mr. Beverly is responsible for executing the strategic plan for the Company's eastern division portfolio through the oversight of asset management, leasing, property management and development. Prior to his current role, Mr. Beverly was the Senior Vice President, Director of Investments where he executed more than $1.4B of property investment activity encompassing acquisitions, dispositions and includes some of our best in class assets such as Downtown Crown in Gaithersburg, Maryland and One Loudoun in Ashburn, Virginia.
Before joining RPAI, Mr. Beverly served as the Vice President, Investments at General Growth Properties, Inc. (NYSE: GGP). At GGP, he closed over $3.0 billion of investment activity, which included the dispositions of non-core properties and the acquisitions of new shopping centers, urban retail properties, and joint venture ownership interests.
Mr. Beverly currently serves as a Board member at Spectrum Inmobiliaria, a Guatemalan-based real estate company specializing in the development, acquisition and management of shopping malls in Central America and Colombia.
Mr. Beverly has a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign, and a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, with a concentration in Finance and Strategic Management.
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President, Director of Investments
BIO
Michael Hazinski joined Retail Properties of America, Inc. (RPAI) in 2007 and currently serves as Senior Vice President, Director of Investments. In this role, Mr. Hazinski is responsible for both acquisitions and dispositions for the Company. Since joining RPAI, Mr. Hazinski has executed over $3.5 billion in transactions encompassing acquisitions, dispositions, debt financing and joint venture equity. Prior to his current position, Mr. Hazinski was responsible for the asset management of RPAI's institutional joint venture platform and played an active role in the asset management of the Company's office and industrial portfolio. Before joining RPAI, Mr. Hazinski worked as an asset manager for a portfolio of closed-end funds invested in retail and multi-family assets.
Mr. Hazinski received his B.S. in Finance from the University of Dayton and an M.B.A. in Finance and Economics from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
Job Titles:
- Vice President, Asset Management - Eastern Division ( CT, MD, MA, MI, NY, NJ, PA & VA )
Michael Tchang serves as Vice President, Asset Management for the Eastern Division. Mr. Tchang began his real-estate career at Joseph Freed and Associates LLC, a Chicago based real estate development firm that develops, acquires and operates retail and mixed-use properties nationally.
Mr. Tchang received his B.S.E. in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Michigan and his M.B.A. in Finance and Real Estate from The Stephen M. Ross School of Business at The University of Michigan. Mr. Tchang also holds an Illinois Real Estate Managing Broker license.
Job Titles:
- Certified Public Accountant
- Chartered Financial Analyst
- Senior Vice President, Finance
Mike Gaiden joined RPAI in November of 2018 and serves as the Company's Senior Vice President, Finance In his role, Mr. Gaiden serves as RPAI's primary point of contact for Investor Relations matters, including ownership and delivery of RPAI's dialogue with external stakeholders, such as institutional investors and equity research analysts. Mr. Gaiden also oversees the full suite of Finance functions for RPAI, including the Corporate Model team and Internal Reporting function.
Prior to joining RPAI, Mr. Gaiden served Vice President, Equity Capital Markets at Robert W. Baird & Co., where he was responsible for financial forecasting, industry analysis, valuation and written research in several different sectors. Mike earlier held several institutional buy-side roles that focused on investments across the capital structure utilizing various fundamental strategies.
Mr. Gaiden is a Certified Public Accountant and Chartered Financial Analyst. He received his B.S. in Accounting and Finance from DePaul University and earned his M.B.A. from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
Job Titles:
- Vice President, Asset Management - Western Division
Mike Lubinski joined RPAI in December 2011 and currently serves as the Vice Present, Asset Management, for the Western Division. Prior to assuming his current role, Mr. Lubinski supported the asset management of RPAI's institutional joint venture portfolio and played an active role in the management of the portfolio. In 2012, Mr. Lubinski supported the implementation of Argus Enterprise and positioned RPAI to become the first Retail Real Estate company to implement the software. In 2015, Mr. Lubinski established the Portfolio Analytics and Forecasting team and was promoted to Manager of the department.
Mr. Lubinski received his B.S. in Finance and Real Estate from DePaul University in 2011 and is an active ICSC member.
Job Titles:
- Vice President, Property Management - Eastern Division
Neil Burka joined RPAI in February 2020 and serves as the Vice President of Property Management for the Eastern Division. Prior to joining RPAI, Mr. Burka held the positions of Senior Regional Property Manager and Director of Asset Management at Federal Realty Investment Trust. Mr. Burka also served as the Director of Operations for Carl M. Freeman Associates and the Chief Financial Officer for PMM Companies.
Neil Burka received his BS in Business Administration from Washington University in St. Louis and his MSA in Technology Management for Business from the University of Maryland. Mr. Burka is an active member of the ICSC community.
Job Titles:
- Director of Development
- Vice President, Director of Development - Eastern Division
Nick Over joined RPAI as the VP, Director of Development in March 2015 to establish RPAI's re/development team. With 15 years of retail real estate development experience, Nick is an industry leader who can multi-task and do it all. His primary job responsibilities include identifying, evaluating and initiating new real estate development opportunities in the Eastern Division of the U.S.; which includes the master plan development, design, and operation functions related to several large high profile projects. Spending his professional career at The Peterson Companies and Federal Realty Investment Trust supporting some of the largest development projects in the D.C. / Baltimore corridor, Nick has the ability to leverage his local relationships with property owners, developers and municipality officials to identify value enhancement opportunities to serve RPAI's core customer and local communities.
Nick oversees a redevelopment pipeline that will deploy $30 to $50 million in capital, net of air right sales, on a stabilized annualized basis. Each project's returns are projected to be in the high single digits to low double digits. To highlight one of Nick's projects, Towson Circle, is transforming an atypical strip center into a mixed development with double-sided street level retail and 390 residential units above. Nick is overseeing the project and has partnered with our best-in-class residential partner, Avalon Bay. Another transformative project is our Boulevard at the Capital Centre redevelopment in the Washington, D.C. MSA. Nick led our efforts to obtain approval from the county to redevelop approximately 50 acres of land that was previously subject to a long-term ground lease. That coupled with the Certificate of Need that was received from the State of Maryland for their new hospital project, effectively puts a long-term redevelopment plan in motion, positioning RPAI to finalize our densification plans for that asset over the next twelve months.
Mr. Over has a B.S. in Business Administration and Accounting from the University of Louisiana-Lafayette and a J.D from Loyola University College of Law in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
- Director
- Member of the Executive Compensation Committee
Peter L. Lynch has been one of our directors since 2014. Mr. Lynch served as Chairman of the Board of Directors, President and Chief Executive Officer, from 2006 to March 2012, and Chief Executive Officer, from 2004 to 2006, of Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc., a supermarket chain operating approximately 485 combination food and drug stores throughout the South and a Nasdaq-listed company prior to its merger with BI-LO, LLC in December 2011. From 1998 through 2003, Mr. Lynch held various positions of increasing responsibility, including President and Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President-Operations, with Albertson's, Inc., a national retail food and drug chain comprised of 2,500 stores operating under the Albertson's, Jewel/Osco, ACME, Sav-on and Osco names. While at Albertson's Inc., Mr. Lynch spearheaded the successful merger of American Stores Company, which operated food and drug stores in the Midwest, into Albertson's Inc. Mr. Lynch also held executive positions with Jewel/Osco, including President of the ACME division and Senior Vice President of Store Operations. Mr. Lynch began his career with Star Markets Company, a regional retailer, serving as Vice President of Operations and Vice President of Human Resources before being named its President. Mr. Lynch serves on the Board of Directors of Liquor Stores of N.A. Ltd., which is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange. Mr. Lynch also serves on the Board of Sid Wainer & Son, a privately-held company, located in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Mr. Lynch is a member of the Board of Trustees of Nichols College and is a Trustee of the Willowbend Country Club. Mr. Lynch received a B.S. in Finance from Nichols College.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Member of the Audit Committee
- Member of the Executive Compensation Committee
- President and Founder of the Uniplan Companies
Richard P. Imperiale has been one of our directors since 2008. Mr. Imperiale is President and founder of the Uniplan Companies, a Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based investment advisory holding company that, together with its affiliates, manages and advises over $2.5 billion of assets. Mr. Imperiale founded Uniplan, Inc. in 1984, which specializes in managing equity-income, REIT and micro-cap specialty portfolios for clients. Mr. Imperiale began his career as a credit analyst for the First Wisconsin National Bank (now U.S. Bank). In 1983, Mr. Imperiale joined B.C. Ziegler & Company, a Midwest regional brokerage firm where he was instrumental in the development of portfolio strategies for one of the first hedged municipal bond mutual funds in the country. Mr. Imperiale serves as a Director of Reven Housing REIT, Inc., a Nasdaq-listed company, with a regional focus on single-family residential properties. Mr. Imperiale is widely quoted in local and national media on matters pertaining to investments and is the author of several books on investing, including "Real Estate Investment Trusts: New Strategies For Portfolio Management" published by John Wiley & Sons, 2002. Mr. Imperiale is a NACD Board Leadership Fellow. Mr. Imperiale received a B.S. in Finance from Marquette University Business School.
Job Titles:
- Vice President, Director of Development - Western Division
Scott Miller joined RPAI in July of 2018 and serves as the Company's Vice President, Director of Development - Western Division. In this role, Mr. Miller will be responsible for identifying, evaluating and initiating new and existing real estate development opportunities in the Company's Western Division, which include the master plan development, design and operation of class-A mixed-use projects such as Main Street Promenade and Plaza del Lago in the Chicago metropolitan statistical area (MSA) and Southlake Town Square in the Dallas MSA.
Mr. Miller joins RPAI with over 20 years of real estate finance, asset management, and development experience, largely in the retail real estate sector, where he held positions at GGP, Westfield, and most recently, Lillibridge Healthcare Services. Mr. Miller received a B.A. in Political Science from Indiana University and an M.B.A. in Real Estate and Urban Land Economics from the University of Wisconsin.
Job Titles:
- Chief Operating Officer
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Member of the Executive Management Team
- President
Shane C. Garrison is the President and Chief Operating Officer for RPAI. In this role, Mr. Garrison is responsible for several operating functions within the Company, including leasing, property management, and asset management, as well as investments, development, joint ventures, and operations. Mr. Garrison has overseen more than 14 million square feet of leasing transactions which have resulted in occupancy gains of 210 basis points since the Company's IPO in April 2012. He has also spearheaded the Company's capital recycling program and repositioning, completing over $3.8 billion in transactions through 2015. Additionally, Mr. Garrison has served as an Executive Committee member of our joint venture entity MS Inland Fund, LLC and as an Advisory Board member of our joint venture entities RC Inland L.P. and RC Inland REIT LP.
Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Garrison served as Vice President of Asset Management of Inland US Management LLC, which was a property management company affiliated with our former business manager/advisor, since 2004. In this prior role, Mr. Garrison underwrote over $1.2 billion of assets acquired by us and went on to spearhead our development and joint venture initiatives. Prior to joining RPAI, Mr. Garrison served as head of asset management for ECI Properties, a small boutique owner of industrial and retail properties, and the general manager of the Midwest region for Circuit City, a large electronics retailer.
Mr. Garrison received his B.S. in Business Administration from Illinois State University and an MBA in Real Estate Finance from DePaul University. He is an active, CRX certified, ICSC member and will serve as a NOI+ committee member for his third consecutive year. He is a member of the Commercial & Retail Development Council (Green Flight), appointed by the Urban Land Institute in 2014 and was recently selected to serve on the Executive Committee of DePaul University's Real Estate Center.
Job Titles:
- Vice President and Leasing Director
- Vice President, Leasing Director - Western Division ( AZ, CA, IL & WA )
Stacy Short serves as Vice President and Leasing Director for the Western Division which includes managing the leasing responsibilities for RPAI's properties ranging from Chicago West to California. Ms. Short joined the Company in August 2010. Prior to joining the Company, Ms. Short was a Vice President with GVA Williams, a retail brokerage firm based in Stamford, CT. Ms. Short represented RPAI and other landlords with their leasing efforts in the State of Connecticut.
Stacy received her bachelor of arts in urban economics from The University of Connecticut and is a credentialed Certified Leasing Specialist (CLS) with the ICSC. She is also a professor at the John T. Riordan School for Retail Real Estate Professionals in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Member of the Executive Management Team
- Member of the International Council of Shopping Centers
Steve Grimes is the Chief Executive Officer, Director of RPAI. He joined the Company in November 2007 and became CEO in October 2009. In 2011 he was also elected to RPAI's Board of Directors. Mr. Grimes has led RPAI's transformation into a leading independent owner of multi-tenant retail shopping centers, highlighted by the Company's successful initial listing on the New York Stock Exchange in April 2012. Since the Company's IPO, Mr. Grimes continues to take a proactive approach to the active asset management of the portfolio and the enhancement of the Company's financial position, championing the Company's strategic plan to focus on its target markets, owning approximately 3 to 5 million square feet per market, as well as enhancing the Company's financial profile and brand.
Mr. Grimes previously served as RPAI's President from October 2009 through May 2018; Chief Financial Officer from November 2007 through December 2011; Chief Operating Officer from October 2009, and Treasurer from October 2008 through December 2011. Shortly after joining the Company, Mr. Grimes successfully led the restructuring and capitalization of RPAI's debt during the global financial crisis. In addition, he oversaw an effort to re-tenant a significant number of big-box retail spaces in the RPAI portfolio following several notable bankruptcies/liquidations.
Mr. Grimes has been an active member of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) for more than 12 years and is a driving force in the cultivation of RPAI's partnership with the ICSC organization. Under his leadership, the Company has become one of the first ICSC North American Partners, increasing the brand's presence within the Commercial Retail Real Estate Industry. Mr. Grimes also challenges his team to serve as thought leaders and industry experts by supporting the organization through a number of committee and education opportunities. In addition to ICSC, Mr. Grimes is also an active member of other retail real estate trade associations, including NAREIT and The Real Estate Roundtable.
Mr. Grimes also leads RPAI's charitable giving programs which include partnerships with The Wellness House in Hinsdale, IL, the Hephzibah Children's Orphanage in Oak Park, IL, and the Chicago All Stars Project.
Prior to joining RPAI, Mr. Grimes served as a Director with Cohen Financial, a mortgage brokerage firm, and as a senior manager with Deloitte in their Chicago-based real estate practice, where he was a national deputy real estate industry leader.
Mr. Grimes received his B.S. in Accounting from Indiana University.
Steven P. Grimes has served as Chief Executive Officer of the Company since 2009 and as a Director since 2011. Previously, Mr. Grimes was President of the Company from October 2009 through May 2018; Chief Financial Officer of the Company since the internalization of our management in November 2007 to December 2011; Chief Operating Officer of the Company from November 2007 to October 2009 and Treasurer of the Company from October 2008 to December 2011. From February 2004 to November 2007, Mr. Grimes served as Principal Financial Officer and Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer of Inland Western Retail Real Estate Advisory Services, Inc., our former business manager/advisor. Previously, Mr. Grimes served as a Director with Cohen Financial, a mortgage brokerage firm, and as a senior manager with Deloitte & Touche LLP in their Chicago-based real estate practice, where he was a national deputy real estate industry leader. Mr. Grimes is an active member of various real estate trade associations, including NAREIT, ICSC and The Real Estate Roundtable. Mr. Grimes received a B.S. in Accounting from Indiana University.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Director
- Member of the Audit Committee
- Member of the Executive Compensation Committee
Thomas J. Sargeant has been one of our directors since 2013. Mr. Sargeant served as Chief Financial Officer of AvalonBay Communities, Inc., a NYSE-listed multifamily real estate investment trust, from 1995 until his retirement in May 2014. From 1986 through 1995, Mr. Sargeant held various finance positions with AvalonBay Communities, Inc.'s predecessor companies, including Chief Financial Officer, Secretary, Treasurer, Group Financial Officer and Controller. From 1984 to 1986, Mr. Sargeant held a finance position with Ingersoll Rand. From 1980 to 1984, Mr. Sargeant held various roles at Arthur Andersen & Company serving clients primarily in the real estate and construction industries. Mr. Sargeant is a member of the Board of Directors of Morgan Stanley Private Bank, N.A., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Morgan Stanley. Mr. Sargeant received a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of South Carolina and is a certified public accountant.
Job Titles:
- Vice President, Corporate Communications and Sustainability
Tim O'Connell is the vice president, corporate communications and sustainability at RPAI, where he is responsible for the Company's corporate communications, branding, public relations, and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) reporting. Mr. O'Connell is a leader amongst his peers and has been an important part of RPAI's team since joining the Company in 2007. He played an integral role in the Company's re-branding initiatives as part of the 2012 IPO. In 2013, Mr. O'Connell was elected an officer of RPAI and continues to play a key supporting role in the messaging of the Company's strategic objectives and milestones.
Since 2020, Mr. O'Connell has led the Company's expanded ESG disclosures, ratings, rankings, and communications of the Company's progress in its Annual Report/10-K, Proxy, ESG microsite, quarterly investor updates, and annual sustainability report. Mr. O'Connell plans and prioritizes the Company's ESG actions based upon stakeholder importance, impact, timing, and execution strategy. Mr. O'Connell co-chairs the Company's ESG Taskforce and delivers regular updates to the Senior Leadership Team and Board of Directors.
Mr. O'Connell has lectured courses on digital marketing and corporate branding initiatives at the University of Shopping Centers - East, at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania; the University of Shopping Centers - West, at the University of Southern California; The John T. Riordan School for Retail Real Estate Professionals; and RECon Academy at the industry's largest deal-making event. Mr. O'Connell was the recipient of the 2011 ICSC US Silver MAXI Award for an inter-disciplinary campaign, the 2012 ICSC US Silver MAXI Award for New Media Excellence within Emerging Technology, and the 2012 John T. Riordan Professional Education Scholarship Award. Mr. O'Connell also served as a committee chair for the ICSC marketing and social media conference known as MOCIAL+, from 2014 through 2015. Mr. O'Connell served as the 2016 MOCIAL+ event Chairman.
Mr. O'Connell received his BBA in Marketing from Benedictine University in Lisle, Illinois, where he is an active alumni member for the College of Business. Mr. O'Connell is an active member of his local community, where he sits on the Board of Directors for a local Northwest suburban 501(c)(3).