AVALONBAY COMMUNITIES - Key Persons


Alaine S. Walsh

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Executive Officers Team
  • Company 's Executive Vice President
  • Executive Vice President - Human Capital & Administration
Alaine S. Walsh has been the Company's Executive Vice President-Human Capital and Administration since January 2024. Previously, she served as the Company's Senior Vice President, Operations and Investment Services from 2018 until 2023. Ms. Walsh joined AvalonBay in 1998 in the finance group and served in a variety of financial, administrative, and operational positions since then. Prior to joining the Company, her previous roles included providing auditing and accounting services as a licensed CPA at KPMG. She holds a B.S. in Accounting from James Madison University.

Benjamin W. Schall - CEO, President

Job Titles:
  • Chief Executive Officer
  • Member of the Executive Officers Team
  • President
Ben was previously AvalonBay's President, joining the Company in January 2021, and prior to that the Chief Executive Officer and President and a trustee of Seritage Growth Properties, a publicly traded real estate investment trust principally engaged in owning, developing, and managing a diversified portfolio of retail and mixed-use properties throughout the United States. Prior to becoming CEO and President of Seritage in May 2015, Ben served as Chief Operating Officer of Rouse Properties, Inc. from 2012 to 2015; Rouse was a publicly-traded REIT (since acquired) that owned and managed regional malls and retail centers in 21 states. Prior to that, Ben was Senior Vice President with Vornado Realty Trust, a publicly traded REIT that owns, manages, and develops office and retail assets concentrated in New York City with additional assets in Chicago and San Francisco.

Brian E. Fritz

Job Titles:
  • Development ( WA, Denver, TX )

Bryan Westhead

Job Titles:
  • Finance
  • Member of the Revenue Management Team

Craig F. Thomas

Job Titles:
  • Market Research

David J. Alagno

Job Titles:
  • Human Resources

David O. Gillespie

Job Titles:
  • Development

Edward M. Schulman

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Executive Officers Team
  • Executive Vice President General Counsel and Secretary
Ted is a magna cum laude graduate of Harvard Law School and received his undergraduate degree in economics from Princeton University, where he graduated with high honors and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.

Elizabeth A. Smith

Job Titles:
  • Development

Eric S. Wayne

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Revenue Management Team
  • Construction ( MidAtlantic / NC / FL / TX )

Jacqueline L. Todesco

Job Titles:
  • Asset Management ( West Coast )

James L. Graves

Job Titles:
  • Information Technology

Jennifer Wiebrand

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Revenue Management Team
  • Development

Joe Kirchofer

Job Titles:
  • Development ( Northern CA )

John Pitner

Job Titles:
  • Construction

Jonathan R. Busch-Vogel

Job Titles:
  • Development

Jong Chung

Job Titles:
  • Design

Kevin O'Shea - CFO

Job Titles:
  • Chief Financial Officer
  • Member of the Executive Officers Team
  • Trustee of Urban Edge Properties
Kevin is a Trustee of Urban Edge Properties, a publicly traded REIT.

Kurt D. Conway

Job Titles:
  • Corporate Strategy and Communications

Kurt R. Hesser

Job Titles:
  • Finance

Lindsey Romano

Job Titles:
  • Asset Management

Lisa Bongardt

Job Titles:
  • Operations ( Southern CA, CO, DC, FL, MD, TX, VA )

Mark D. Janda

Job Titles:
  • Development ( Southern CA )

Martin J. Howle

Job Titles:
  • Development ( Mid - Atlantic )

Matthew H. Birenbaum - Chief Investment Officer

Job Titles:
  • Chief Investment Officer
  • Member of the Executive Officers Team
Matt became Chief Investment Officer in January 2015. He is responsible for AvalonBay's investment strategy and oversees the Investments, West Coast Development, National Construction, Design, Asset Management and Market Research functions. Before assuming his current position, he was Executive Vice President-Corporate Strategy, a position he held from October 2011 until January 2015.

Melissa Dulski

Job Titles:
  • Associate General Counsel

Micah Conn

Job Titles:
  • Development

Michael J. Roberts

Job Titles:
  • Development

Michael Simel

Job Titles:
  • Capital Markets

Mitch Forlenza

Job Titles:
  • Construction ( Northeast )

Pamela Thomas

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Executive Officers Team
  • AvalonBay As Executive Vice President, Portfolio and Asset Management
  • Executive Vice President Portfolio and Asset Management
Pamela joined AvalonBay as Executive Vice President, Portfolio and Asset Management, in July 2024. She is responsible for leading AvalonBay's portfolio and asset management organization; determining and gaining alignment within the organization on key priorities for driving portfolio performance; and setting capital plans across the portfolio to achieve performance objectives.

Patrick J. Gniadek

Job Titles:
  • Investments

Rajiv Verma

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Revenue Management Team

Ronald S. Ladell

Job Titles:
  • Development

Rukevbe "Rukus" Esi

Job Titles:
  • Chief Digital Officer

Sarah A. Mathewson

Job Titles:
  • Operations ( Northern CA, CT, MA, NY, NJ, NC, WA )

Scott R. Kinter

Job Titles:
  • Construction

Sean J. Breslin - COO

Job Titles:
  • Chief Operating Officer
  • Member of the Executive Officers Team

Sean Willson

Job Titles:
  • Corporate Controller
  • Member of the Revenue Management Team

Stewart Royer

Job Titles:
  • Structured Investments