Steven DeFrancis is the founder and CEO of Cortland. He has more than 25 years of experience in complex multifamily development and management, specializing in unique development and value-add opportunities. Since its founding in 2005, Cortland has expanded into a global, vertically integrated, multifamily real estate investment, development, and asset management company. Anchored on providing a beautiful, yet affordable living environment and an enriched lifestyle to its residents, the company has adopted the unique approach of internalizing the majority of the functions dedicated to achieving those two objectives – from construction and design to product development.

Steven and his team manage a portfolio of multifamily assets located in twelve states, primarily throughout the Southeast, Midwest, and Texas. Internationally, Cortland maintains a global materials sourcing office in Shanghai and a development and management platform in the UK. The company employs more than 2,000 associates and owns and manages more than 60,000 apartment homes. Cortland is a National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) Top 50 Owner and Manager and is ranked 6th among Atlanta’s “Top Workplaces” in the large employer category (2019).

Steven earned his bachelor’s degree in Real Estate from The University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business. He is a member of The Buckhead Coalition and serves on the board of the Atlanta Neighborhood Development Partnership. He is also a member of The Real Estate Roundtable, The Urban Land Institute, and the National Multifamily Housing Council.

As Senior Managing Director, Head of Investor Relations and Capital Markets, Ned Stiker spearheads the firm’s capital generation, fund, and investor relation strategies. To this role, Ned brings a successful track record of developing and managing successful institutional investor relationships, as well as extensive expertise in financial analysis and modeling. Ned joined Cortland from Morgan Stanley's Institutional Securities Group, where he served in several leadership roles in interest rate products over the course of his 16 years with the company. Most recently, he was Managing Director, Global Interest Rates Products and Head of Global Macro Derivatives Product Marketing, Americas, where he was responsible for expanding Morgan Stanley's structured rates client business, both domestically and globally. Previously, he served in other roles including head of US interest rate sales and head of US agency/GSE coverage, in which capacity he was responsible for Morgan Stanley's interest rate relationships with Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the FHLB system. Prior to Morgan Stanley, Ned worked with UBS Securities as Director of Interest Rate Derivatives Marketing and with Bankers Trust Co. as an associate in their investor coverage group. Ned holds his bachelor’s degree in Economics from Williams College, Williamstown, MA.

Brian Metzler manages all front end, financing and disposition activities for Pollack Shores’ development business. Over the last ten years he has led the development and financing of 9,385 multifamily units at a total cost of over $1.5 billion.

Prior to joining Pollack Shores, Brian managed $145 million of multifamily development at Lane Company and Brand Properties.

Brian received his MBA with a concentration in Real Estate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and his undergraduate degree with honors from Georgia Tech. Brian is a member of NMHC, ULI’s center for leadership and the Board of Directors at Northside Methodist Preschool. He resides in Atlanta with his wife, Heather, and two sons. He enjoys golf and traveling.

James Kelly is a Director with Hunt Real Estate Capital. Mr. Kelly is based in the Atlanta

office and is responsible for structuring and financing multifamily and commercial real

estate through Hunt’s mortgage banking platform. Hunt offers Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae,

and FHA executions as well as its proprietary products, which include fixed rate, bridge,

and equity.

Mr. Kelly has 21 years of commercial real estate experience in mortgage banking,

securitization, underwriting, and asset management. Before joining Hunt in 2010, Mr.

Kelly valued loan portfolios, failed bank assets, and distressed banks on behalf of private

institutional investors seeking acquisitions. Prior to this role, Mr. Kelly was a Senior

Production Associate at CWCapital where he focused on the origination of CMBS,

Mezzanine, and Bridge loans.

Mr. Kelly earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from Virginia Tech. Mr. Kelly

is an active member of the Real Estate Group of Atlanta (REGA) and the Real Estate

Investment Advisory Council (REIAC).

As Senior Director, Jake Reid specializes in assisting both private and institutional clients in the disposition and acquisition of multifamily properties throughout Georgia.

During his career, Mr. Reid has represented clients in the dispositions for more than 200 properties totaling over $600 million. Through the Franklin Street collaborative platform, Mr. Reid is able to focus on clients’ financial needs and goals as a focal point of the exit strategy – including a detailed marketing plan tailored for a seamless transaction to achieve maximum proceeds for his clients.

Initiating Franklin Street’s Atlanta multifamily sales practice in 2010, Mr. Reid oversees Atlanta’s growing team dedicated to serving the multifamily communities throughout the Southeast. Prior to joining Franklin Street, he served as part of the apartment sales team for Marcus & Millichap’s Atlanta office for more than nine years. Before his career in investment sales, Mr. Reid gained valuable experience in apartment management with LIT Properties based in Midtown Atlanta. In addition to existing multifamily sales, he has unique experience with the marketing of suburban land, urban infill, and adaptive reuse properties.

Mr. Reid is currently a member of the National Multi Housing Council (NMHC) and a recipient of numerous awards including being recognized as one of Real Estate Forum’s 2016 50 Under 40 professionals. He has received Franklin Street’s Sales Achievement Award from 2012 to 2018 and was a Top Earner Award winner in Atlanta for 2015.

Mr. Reid graduated from the University of Georgia in 2001 with a bachelor’s degree in International Business with a concentration in Finance. He is a licensed Real Estate Salesperson in the state of Georgia.

John joined Gables in 2016 as Executive Vice President and Chief Investment Officer. Prior to joining Gables, he was the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Investment Officer at the Flournoy Companies. Before Flournoy, John was a Senior Vice President at Carter where he led multi-family investment and development efforts on behalf of the Carter Funds and Senior Vice President of Development and Investments at Novare Group. In his real estate career, John has overseen the financing, development, and acquisition of nearly $2 billion worth of multi-family and mixed-use projects totaling more than 7,000 units. Previously, John worked as a Principal at The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and a Senior Consultant for Ernst & Young. He is active in the National Multifamily Housing Council and serves on the board of the Fort McPherson Redevelopment Authority. John received a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Georgia and an MBA from Duke University.

Matt joined MAA in December 2016 following the merger with Post Properties, Inc. Since joining Post in 2013, Matt has been responsible for the execution of MAA’s development activities in Raleigh, N.C. and Post Centennial Park in downtown Atlanta. Prior to joining Post, he was Senior Vice President at Novare Group, a vertical, mixed-use developer, where he was involved in developing over 2,000 residential units. He brings with him 21 years of experience in project coordination, strategic planning and development.

Matt graduated from the University of North Carolina in 1992 with a BA and Emory’s Goizueta Business School in 1999 with a Master in Business Administration. He is member of the board of directors for Central Atlanta Progress, and served on the ULI Livable Communities Council from 2013-2015.

Harvey comes to Portman Residential from Mill Creek Residential Trust where he led development operations for the Atlanta region, and prior to that, Jamestown Properties. He brings a strong focus on mixed-use development, urban high-rise construction and strategic multi-family development to our team, managing national operations and overseeing strategy and execution. Harvey has spent his fifteen-plus real estate career building Atlanta, and has been involved in the development of more than 4,000 multifamily homes with a total capitalization of over $1.2 billion. He is an active member of the Urban Land Institute, Real Estate Group of Atlanta, and the International Council of Shopping Centers.

Kerman Haynes serves as senior vice president for Berkshire Hathaway

HomeServices, and co-founder of CITY HAUS, the company's developer

solutions division, and as the managing broker for the company's Midtown

office.

Kerman’s extensive development experience over the past 15 years spans the

globe. Kerman established an innovative development, financing, and sales &

marketing firm in Houston, Texas. The firm combined in-house equity

financing along with in-house sales & marketing disposition services, for

multifamily and urban infill developers, to increase transparency for equity

investors, and to speed up the financing and development process for

developers. Over a course of just 24 months, Kerman and his team captured

24% of the “for sale”, new development market share in Houston, Texas.

An entrepreneur at heart, Kerman founded an international real estate sales &

marketing firm, to connect international investors with new construction

development opportunities in the United States. Having lived in Dubai for

several years, and working around the world from 2007 until 2012, Haynes

provides clients with a global perspective and a proven tract record. Kerman’s

experience working with developers ranges from; apartment conversions, new

construction high-rise condominiums, master planned communities, urban

townhomes, infill housing, and repositioning of stalled condominium assets,

provides his clients with a broad skill set – unmatched in the Atlanta market.

Kerman, when not looking for development opportunities in his spare time,

enjoys traveling, hiking, boating, and reading. His passion for the real estate

development business is truly inspiring and is the primary driver for his high-

level of success.

As co-founder and co-Chief Executive Officer of CF Real Estate Services, Mr. Cocke leads the operations, construction and business development team. His responsibilities involve strategic planning and growth of the company. He oversees all aspects of CF Real Estate Services working alongside leadership with decades of multifamily experience.

After receiving his Bachelor’s of Science in Commerce, with concentrations in Accounting and Finance, Byron was an investment and merchant banker with Burke Capital Group, he specialized in financial services mergers and acquisitions with an expertise in community bank. In partnership with Brett Finkelstein, Byron co-founded Cocke Finkelstein, Inc (CFI) in 2004 which evolved into a full-service real estate investment, multifamily property management, asset management, consulting and development firm, providing services to owners, investors and financial institutions throughout the country. CFI acquired Lane in 2013 forming CF Real Estate Services property management. CF Real Estate Services is a top NMHC national provider of multi-family real estate services overseeing over 30,000 units.

Mr. Tague is President of AMLI Residential & Chairman of ADC and started with AMLI in 1981. He oversees AMLI's development and construction activities. Prior to joining AMLI, Mr. Tague worked for the Chicago law firm of Mayer Brown. He received a B.S. from Northwestern in 1971 and a J.D. from Ohio State in 1977. He is a past president and/or chairman of the Atlanta Apartment Association, the Georgia Apartment Association, and the Atlanta Community Food Bank. Mr. Tague is an officer or member of the ULI, NAIOP, REIAC, IDRC, and the NMHC. He is a LEED Accredited Professional.