COLUMBIA VENTURES - Key Persons
Amy is primarily responsible for the financial and business operations of Columbia Ventures. On top of the daily business transactions, she handles the financial reporting, budgeting and asset management functions for the entities in Columbia Ventures portfolio. She works to keep our online presence up to date via the website and social media. Amy also provides support to partners and development managers along with maintaining outstanding vendor and investor relationships.
Amy is the newest team member at Columbia Ventures. She holds degrees in Accounting and Psychology from Georgia Southern University. She is a native Texan but has lived in Savannah for 7 years. Amy has three teenagers and one spoiled rotten fur baby. She enjoys traveling, food and playing tennis.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Investments
As VP of Investments, Diana is responsible for leading the company's project financing efforts, acquisitions, asset management and dispositions. While maintaining and expanding the company's relationships with lenders and investors, Diana is also responsible for market research and feasibility analysis, leading projects from idea to financial closing.
Fascinated by the redevelopment of former industrial platforms in Bucharest (Romania), Diana took her first step towards a career in real estate in 2002. She got to work with developers and investors from all over the world and experienced the early days of an emerging market. Today she leverages that experience in the execution of highly complex market rate, LIHTC and mixed-use projects.
Driven by her passion for learning and constant desire for new challenges, Diana occasionally participates in public speaking competitions, and volunteers as a TEDx Atlanta Speaker Coach.
Job Titles:
- Co - Founder
- Managing Partner
"This talented team of individuals delivers incredible value for our partners, residents and tenants. I'm very fortunate to be working with them" observes Baynes, a lifelong entrepreneur who founded the company with his Columbia partners in 2013. With a diversity of commercial real estate experience outside affordable housing, he establishes markets and opportunities for the company, overseeing development activity and also focuses on the human aspect of Columbia Ventures. His early career in hospitality informs his approach to community development today, seeking to delight and attract new stakeholders to Columbia Ventures projects while maintaining the fabric and ties into the existing neighborhood. "The ultimate compliment we receive is that we have created a great place", he notes. Baynes graduated from Georgetown University and splits time between Atlanta and Savannah.
Job Titles:
- President, Mountain West Region
Iván is based in Denver, CO and serves as the Mountain West Market President. Iván's primary focus as Market President is to expand the company's investments, social impact, and physical footprint across Colorado and the Mountain West by leading the strategic vision, execution, and continued growth of Columbia Ventures' portfolio within the region. Iván's development experience is in mixed-use, multi-family, and community impact projects and is naturally drawn to Columbia Ventures' integrity based entrepreneurial and innovative approach to transformative community development, be it affordable, missing middle, or market rate. Iván's finance and capital markets background leads his collaborative, relationship-based approach to sustainable community building.
Iván grew up in Denver, CO and holds a Bachelor of Science: Business Administration, Finance degree from the University of Northern Colorado. He is civically engaged as a board member of the Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation, Colorado Uplift, and the Sun Valley Eco-District Trust. Outside of work Iván enjoys cycling, hiking, camping, and snowboarding with his
Jake is primarily responsible for the successful operations of Columbia Ventures as well as for strategic and financial planning for the company. This extends down to the project level and includes fostering and maintaining relationships with the capital markets to ensure alignment and liquidity in project capitalization, recapitalization and investment disposition. Jake is on the Columbia Ventures Investment Committee.
Jake grew up in Charlotte, Vermont and met his wife, Betsy, while attending Boston College where he earned a BS in Finance. Jake also holds a Certificate in Real Estate Finance from Boston University and a Masters in Real Estate Development (MSRED) from the MIT Center for Real Estate. Jake lives in Savannah, Georgia with his wife and three children and enjoys distance running in his free time.
Job Titles:
- Co - Founder
- Partner
- Founding Partner and Investment Committee Member
Jim Grauley is a founding Partner and Investment Committee member of Columbia Ventures. He is the President and Chief Operating Officer for Columbia Residential, managing development, finance, asset management, and corporate operations.
Jim brings more than 20 years of experience in the successful urban development of 15,000+ housing units throughout the U.S. Since joining the Columbia family in 2008, Jim has led the development of more than 2,000 affordable and mixed-income multifamily units in Georgia and Louisiana. His commitment to purpose-built, sustainable revitalization has resulted in numerous LEED® and EarthCraft distinctions and the industry's most coveted awards, including the ULI Award of Excellence, NAHB Pillars of the Industry, and the Edson Award of Excellence.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Senior Development Manager
As a true cradle-to-grave development manager, there are very few aspects of a project that Josh is not responsible for. From feasibility, financing, and design through construction, closeout, and transition - Josh takes pride in executing at the highest level on every Columbia Ventures deal via a hands-on approach. With an extensive construction and design background, he also enjoys mentoring the broader team and supporting much of the Columbia Ventures pipeline.
Josh is one of those rare Atlanta natives, while currently residing with his wife and three boys in Cobb County. He holds an undergraduate degree from Georgia Tech and a graduate degree from George Washington University. When not working, you will find Josh and the Thigpen family either camping, hiking, beaching, or generally just traveling.
Noel founded Columbia Residential in 1991 on a foundation of excellence and commitment to integrity. We're sincerely grateful for his years of leadership and honored to advance that legacy.
Job Titles:
- Development Manager
- Partner
Ryan is responsible for the end-to-end management of the development lifecycle for multiple Columbia Ventures projects, from acquisition through disposition. This includes, in close collaboration with the Columbia Ventures team, the assembly and orchestration of the professionals for due diligence, design, financing, construction, marketing, and property management while serving in whatever capacity is necessary along the way.
Ryan grew up in Florida and holds degrees from the University of Florida and Georgia Tech. He and his wife (and dog!) live in the Old Fourth Ward neighborhood of Atlanta where they are part of Blueprint Church. Ryan serves on the board of Noble Clay Fitness, a local non-profit gym. He enjoys learning new skills, building relationships, adding value through driving processes, financial modeling, and collaborating with experts in their respective fields throughout each project lifecycle.
Sam reinforces the lead Development Manager on any given project, in any facet, all while building the foundations to grow within Columbia Ventures. He is passionate about establishing and nurturing positive relationships with vendors, as well as, repurposing his attention to detail for quality/efficiency that allows continued success for Columbia Ventures. Like the Marine he was, you'll find him in the ‘'trenches'' with every trade and profession throughout the development lifecycle.
Sam was born in Puerto Rico and grew up in low-income housing in south New Jersey, where in hindsight, now understands the importance of a strong community backbone. More recently, he has spent the last 11 years gaining wide-ranging, valuable industry experience and intrapersonal skills via mainly the hospitality and construction sectors. In his off time, Sam enjoys numerous interests and is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu blue belt practitioner and enthusiast, a hobby attributed to expanding neuroplasticity and assisting in real world problem solving.