Member updates – July/August 2019

CPM Emeritus George Allen is making a career move that is a little different from many of those taken by our members. He’s stepping away from his firm, Indianapolis-based GFA Management, Inc. (dba PMN Publishing) to go into semi-retirement and spend more time writing about land lease communities (aka manufactured home communities), a property type he’s quite familiar with, having owned and managed fees for properties in this category for over 40 years. The first book he wrote, Mobile Home Park Management, has been retitled Manufactured Housing & Community Management, and is now in its eighth edition; his most recent, Swan Song (2017), traces the history of the realty asset class and is the industry’s first official record of manufactured housing shipments from 1955 to present day.

Chicago-based real estate investment holding company CA Ventures has put Steve Boyack, CPM, in the role of CEO for its recently formed property management arm, CA Management Services (CAMS), which oversees the company’s portfolio of student housing and global residential communities. “I am thrilled to join the CA Ventures team and lead the firm’s expansion in property management. I have a high alignment with the values that CA sets forth, including a passion to identify opportunities, move past obstacles and lead the industry in building and process innovation,” Boyack said. He added, “Our goal is to remove friction from our residents’ everyday lives not only through the amenities they have come to expect from a CA community, but also through cutting-edge service offerings residents didn’t even know they needed.”

Three IREM AMO Firms are represented on Forbes magazine’s 2019 list of America’s Best Large Employers. Joining 2018 honoree Cushman & Wakefield are CBRE and Colliers International. The magazine teamed up with market research company Statista to create the list, based on a survey of more than 50,000 employees in 25 different industries who work for companies with at least 1,000 people employed in their U.S. locations. The evaluation was based on recommendations both direct (willingness to nominate one’s own employer) and indirect (willingness to nominate another employer). Cushman & Wakefield received an additional recognition earlier this year when it also appeared on Forbes’ Best Employers for Diversity list.

Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal has recognized Jennifer Gordon, CPM, as one of its 2019 Women in Business Honorees. A 22-year veteran of the real estate industry and past president of the IREM Minnesota Chapter, Gordon is currently president and partner of the multifamily division at The Excelsior Group in Minneapolis, whose press release about the honor had this to say about her: “Jennifer identifies and builds strength into others by championing and serving her growing team of 110+ employees. Whether it’s a simple act of compassion or building a future for our upcoming business leaders, Jennifer’s focus is to always move others ever-upward so they can achieve their fullest potential.”

John Linscott, CPM, CCIM, recently made a move up at Greenleaf Properties in Lincoln, Neb., to become its president and director of asset management. Greenleaf Properties is a full-service commercial real estate company, and Linscott—who has been with the company since 2012 and was made partner in 2018—is involved in all aspects of operations, including property leasing; sales; acquisition and development; owner, investor and tenant relations; and the oversight of the Greenleaf’s facility and asset management division.

With an eye on growth and increased property management assignments in Maryland, Northern Virginia and the District of Columbia, EDGE Commercial Real Estate has brought Christina Martin, CPM, CCIM, on board as its new director of property management in Washington D.C. Regarding the move, Martin commented, “The EDGE platform provides property owners with an all-inclusive suite of commercial real estate services, and I was attracted by the opportunity to apply my leadership skills to this division and work side-by-side with a highly respected commercial real estate team that places a high value on teamwork.” Prior to this position, she served for 15 years as president of Investment Properties.

San Diego-based Sunrise Management, AMO, has added Shane Robinson, ARM, CAM, as its newest regional vice president. Robinson will work from Sunrise’s Los Angeles office and take charge of overseeing all property management functions for the firm’s rapidly growing Los Angeles County portfolio. “Shane’s solid expertise and understanding of financial and operational processes coupled with his long-term career in Los Angeles is exactly what we need to continue to successfully expand our Southern California presence,” said Joe Greenblatt, CPM, Sunrise president and CEO. With almost 20 years of experience in the multifamily arena, Robinson’s previous role was that of regional manager for GHP Management, AMO, in Los Angeles.