Long Island Real Estate Conference

Joe Farkas is CEO and Founder of MRA, a privately held institutional value investor and development company focused on office, retail and industrial properties in the NY Metropolitan area.

Cara Longworth is a VP and Long Island Regional Director for Empire State Development, the State’s economic development agency. She was appointed in February 2015. She also serves as Executive Director of the Long Island Regional Economic Development Council. In these positions, she helps lead New York State’s economic development strategies and programs to attract, grow and retain businesses in Nassau and Suffolk counties. Previously, Cara was the Executive Director of the Long Island Regional Planning Council. She also served as an Assistant District Attorney in the Nassau County District Attorney's Office; Executive Director of the Glen Cove Industrial Development Agency; and Chief Financial Officer of the Nassau County IDA. Her spirited public service includes serving on the boards of the Suffolk County Landbank, Discover Long Island, Hempstead Workforce Development and the MTRC Advisory Board. Cara is married to former U.S. Congressman Steve Israel and between them they have three adult daughters. They live in Oyster Bay with their dogs, Alice and Theo, and cat, Cleo.

Steven Dubb is a principal of The Beechwood Organization (www.beechwoodhomes.com) founded by his father Michael Dubb in 1985. Beechwood is the leading developer of residential housing and sophisticated lifestyle communities on Long Island, and one of the largest in New York State, having built 7,000 homes and 60 communities with new sites in development from the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens across Nassau and Suffolk Counties to the Hamptons. Brand names include Arverne by the Sea, Bishops Pond, Country Pointe, Harbor Pointe, Marina Pointe, Meadowbrook Pointe and The Vanderbilt. Transitioning from small builder to national leader, the National Association of Home Builders cited Beechwood a Top 250 builder for 2018 in the United States where it has also ranked 116th in Professional Builder Magazine’s Housing Giants Top 400. Long Island Business News cited Beechwood as “the most prolific home builder on Long Island” and in 2018 named it Residential Developer of the Year for the fifth year running. Dubb is responsible for developing the company’s acquisition and construction loans; sourcing and structuring acquisitions; managing leasing for commercial holdings; and diversifying the Beechwood Homes brand. Dubb is regularly tapped for his real estate market views by media and industry panels including The New York Times, The New York Post, The Real Deal, Long Island Business News, Newsday, LI Pulse, Haute Living, Hamptons Magazine, Curbed Hamptons, Dan’s Behind the Hedges, NBC NY Open House, CUNY TV The Stoler Report, The Fordham Real Estate Institute and Mortgage Bankers Association of New York. Dubb is a Professional Builder 40 Under 40 rising star; and a Long Island Builders Institute board member. Dubb graduated from New York University where he specialized in real estate. He was with Credit Suisse in its Real Estate Finance and Securitization Group before joining the family business in 2008. Dubb is an active supporter of STOKED (www.stoked.org), a charity promoting personal development, academic achievement and healthy living to the under-served youth through action sports culture. The born and bred Long Islander from Oyster Bay resides in both Manhattan and Amagansett. He regularly covers the 100+ mile stretch of Beechwood projects from New York City and across Long Island where he can also be found surfing the shores of the Rockaways and the Hamptons

Mark DeLillo has 24 years of institutional real estate finance experience, and has contributed to the successful completion of more than $20 billion in real estate assignments. Mr. DeLillo heads BlueGate’s Multifamily Capital Markets team, focusing on raising capital, joint-venture structuring, financing and sales of institutional-quality residential buildings. Having executed more than 125 assignments in New Jersey, including 50 assignments in Jersey City and Hoboken, Mark is one of the foremost experts on NJ Gold Coast multifamily investments. He also sits on the investment committee of Atlantic Creek Real Estate Partners, a Palm Beached based private equity real estate fund that invests nationally in the small to middle-market multifamily development and value-add space. Prior to co-founding BlueGate Partners, Mr. DeLillo was a Managing Director & Partner of DTZ Rockwood, an international property advisory firm. At DTZ Rockwood, Mr. DeLillo led the firm’s multifamily group and was responsible for successfully executing in excess of $6.5 billion of multifamily joint-venture equity, financing, investment sales and advisory assignments and $1.5 billion of residential land transactions. Preceding his accomplished career at DTZ Rockwood, Mr. DeLillo worked at Prudential Asset Management Group, in both its private fixed income and real estate investment divisions.

Alfred L. Amato is the founder and managing partner of Amato Law Group, PLLC, which was established in 1995. Today, the firm is one of the largest real estate and land use firms on Long Island. With a sophisticated real estate practice cultivated over 27 years, Amato Law Group, PLLC strategically focuses on commercial real estate development and transactions, land use and zoning, litigation, telecommunications and renewable energy. The firm represents some of the nation’s largest commercial, industrial and multi-family developers, telecommunication companies, health care and assisted living providers, retailers, and public agencies, along with international energy companies and regional developers and businesses. The firm’s clients depend upon Al’s comprehensive experience to successfully navigate the challenging and complex Long Island development environment. Mr. Amato is admitted to the New York State Bar, the New Jersey State Bar, the United States District Court Eastern District of New York and the United States District Court Southern District of New York. He is a member of the American Bar Association, the New York State Bar Association, the Nassau and Suffolk County Bar Associations, the New Jersey Bar Association and the New York State Wireless Association. Al serves on the boards of the U.S. Green Building Council and the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society.

Keith Rennard is a partner with over 20 years of experience providing audit and consulting services to his clients. He works with companies in a variety of industries, but his primary focus is in the real estate industry, serving private equity real estate firms and owner operators. Keith has experience in many facets of the real estate industry. He has advised his real estate clients on deal structuring, real estate investment trust (“REIT”) compliance, and overall planning including cost segregations, carried interest projections, and loan refinancing. Overall, Keith takes a proactive approach with his clients, focusing on strategic planning and preparation. He relies on his combination of attention to detail and prioritizing of risk to efficiently solve issues for clients. His strong work ethic and emphasis on loyalty provides clients with a relentless focus on providing superior client service, and the ability to quickly and effectively resolve issues at hand. Education Bachelor of Science in Accounting, Boston College Licenses Certified Public Accountant in the State of New York Affiliations Member, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) Member, International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) Member, New York Private Equity Networking Real Estate Group (Citrin Cooperman Sponsor) (NYPEN) Member, National Council of Real Estate Investment Fiduciaries (NCREIF)

Michael Guerriero is a member of the firm’s Real Property Tax Certiorari & Condemnation Law Practice Group. Michael is a property tax attorney and strategic valuation consultant who concentrates his practice in complex commercial property taxation disputes, valuation law, and related litigation. He serves property owners, developers, investors, and tenants in all real estate market sectors throughout New York and other states across the country. Michael also provides economic development representation to clients offering strategic valuation and property tax mitigation guidance for development projects, and regularly counsels clients applying for Industrial Development Agency (IDA) and Municipal Development Incentive Programs. His consulting services include due diligence and feasibility analysis for the acquisition, disposition, leasing and financing of commercial real estate properties and development projects. With extensive experience in real property assessment appeals, valuation, and advocacy, Michael successfully litigates property tax matters throughout New York State, including Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester and Rockland Counties and municipalities throughout Western New York and the Hudson Valley. He also represents property owners before the New York City Tax Commission and in Eminent Domain Proceedings before the Court of Claims. Michael obtains property tax refunds and reductions for a wide array of property types including shopping centers and big box stores, retail chains, institutional banks, office, industrial and manufacturing plants, specialized properties such as golf & country clubs, marinas, self-storage, multi-family residential, condominiums, and cooperatives. Michael’s practice includes the energy and utility sectors, serving clients across industries such as renewable energy, offshore wind, solar, battery storage, and traditional power generation facilities. In his capacity as legal counsel to the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA), Michael regularly represents LIPA in property tax and assessment matters and related litigation. Practical management guidance is the hallmark of Michael’s practice. He provides sophisticated advice on the property tax components of national and local real estate portfolios. He advises on the property tax consequences of acquisition, sales, leasing, exemptions and abatements. Michael regularly advises clients on the negotiation and tax impact of IDA payments-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) agreements and municipal tax incentive. An active member in the field, Michael publishes thought leadership articles covering property tax and assessment, valuation, and economic development issues impacting market participants nationwide. Prior to joining Farrell Fritz, Michael practiced at Koeppel Martone & Leistman, LLP, a well-known regional New York law firm devoted exclusively to the practice of Real Property Tax Certiorari and Condemnation.