New York City State of the Market Conference

Jordan E. Slone is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of HGI, a diversified real estate investment and financial services company with offices in the United States and Israel. Mr. Slone serves as a member of HGI's Investment Committee. HGI’s real estate portfolio totals in excess of $7.3 billion. Prior to forming HGI in 1985, he was co-founder and Vice President of International Spring Corporation, a Portsmouth, Virginia, manufacturer of inner box springs for the mattress industry. In 1986, the Slone family sold International Spring to Leggett and Platt, Inc., a Fortune 500 company. In addition, he is a member of the National Multi-Housing Council Board.

Laurie, an accomplished deal maker, is partner and co-chair of the firm’s global real estate practice. She takes a client-focused approach to her real estate practice, often acting as in-house counsel for her clients and becoming a trusted member of their businesses. She has a long list of clients who have been with her since the beginning of her practice and appreciate her ability to adeptly and efficiently handle any type of real estate deal. She is recognized as a leading lawyer in Chambers USA 2021, noting that she is “a strong negotiator” and “she has a great business sense combined with legal knowledge.” Most recently, for the second year in a row, Commercial Observer included her in their elite “Power 100” list, which recognizes the most powerful players in real estate. Laurie represents real estate private equity funds, companies, institutional REITs, investors and other property owners in structuring and closing real estate transactions such as acquisitions and dispositions, developments, financings, portfolio transactions, preferred equity investments, leasing and real estate joint ventures. Her work touches all asset classes, including office, multifamily, affordable housing, workforce housing, mixed-use, life sciences, hospitality, retail and condominium. She also maintains an active capital markets and fund practice, representing investors in joint venture transactions and sophisticated fund and tax structures. Laurie is also well-versed in the Opportunity Zone program and helps clients through the process of structuring and investing in qualified properties and vehicles. Laurie is involved in a number of non-profit and charitable organizations focusing on increasing diversity in real estate. She serves on the Advisory Board and spearheads the firm’s legal partnership with Project Destined, an organization dedicated to transforming minority youth into owners in the communities in which they live, work and play. She also serves as co-chair for Rebuilding New York’s “She Builds” program, where she organizes an annual renovation day, rehabilitating a New York City community center in need.

Mr. Mandel joined Tishman Speyer in 2014 and oversees the firm's acquisitions efforts for the New York metropolitan area, and the United States more broadly. In this expanded role, he sets the strategy for driving the firm's acquisitions across the United States, growing business and engaging with regional teams. Prior to joining the company, he served in the Bloomberg administration as senior advisor to the Deputy Mayor for Economic Development. In that role, Mr. Mandel was responsible for a number of signature redevelopment initiatives, including the World Trade Center and Essex Crossing projects, as well as several million square feet of public and private re-zonings. Previously, he held positions at Bank of America Securities, Lehman Brothers and Cravath, Swaine & Moore, LLP. Mr. Mandel holds a BA, MBA and JD, all from Columbia University.

Marco Lala is one of the most active investment property specialists in Manhattan, The Bronx, and Westchester County. Marco joined RM Friedland in 2018 with a focus on investment sales in the $1- $100M range in The Bronx and Northern Manhattan. His team of four and growing runs a seamless and expert process that ensures optimal results for their clients. Within his first 60 days at RM Friedland he had already been awarded over $70 M in exclusive seller representation assignments. His sharp focus and intensity have resulted in a string of seventy seller-oriented building transactions in as little as eighteen months during his 20+ year career. He has personally handled the sale of over $1.4 billion in the New York Metropolitan Area amounting to over 400 properties sold.

Jonathan Adelsberg focuses his practice on complex real estate transactions, including sales, acquisitions, large scale developments, financings, workouts, restructurings, leasing, joint ventures and construction projects. Clients, including prominent real estate owners and developers, international retailers, large financial services firms, investors, major corporations and high-net-worth families with significant real estate holdings often call on Jonathan because of his ability to amicably resolve multi-party transactions, and his ability to navigate sophisticated matters involving a governmental component. As the chair of Herrick's commercial leasing practice, Jonathan advises tenants and landlords in millions of square-feet of office and retail leases throughout the U.S. While his leasing transaction experience spans the entire country, Jonathan frequently advises national and international retailers in prime New York City retail locations, including Times Square and Fifth Avenue. His ongoing clients include two of the five largest U.S. banks, and major retailers including LVMH Moët Hennessy and its subsidiaries. Jonathan’s representation of some of the City’s largest landlords also helps him anticipate the needs of each side of a transaction. He has advised New York City landlords in connection with many prominent retail locations, including the E-Walk complex on 42nd Street – one of the busiest blocks in the world.

Managing Partner and CEO Jim Simmons serves as head of Asland Capital Partners’ investment committee and runs the day-to-day operations of the firm. With more than two decades of real estate investment experience, Mr. Simmons focuses on sourcing and structuring transactions through his deep relationships across the public and private sectors. Mr. Simmons was most recently a partner at Ares Management, where he ran the $485 million Ares Domestic Emerging Markets Fund, and he was previously a partner at Apollo Real Estate Advisors. Prior to his private equity fund management career, Mr. Simmons was president and CEO of the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone Development Corporation. He held previous roles at Bankers Trust and Salomon Smith Barney. Mr. Simmons holds a BS degree from Princeton University, an MS from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and a Master of Management degree from Northwestern University’s J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management.

Martin Nussbaum is the co-founder and principal at Slate Property Group. He has over twenty years of experience buying, developing and operating real estate across the United States. He currently oversees the strategic visionary behind the business platform, investment decisions and overall operations of the company. With a focus on multifamily and mixed-use properties, Martin leads strategic repositioning, ground-up development and conversion projects. Under Martin’s leadership, Slate has remained an active lender in the New York metropolitan real estate market with over $1 billion in loans closed and $300 million in the pipeline. Many of these deals came through Slate’s active lending affiliate called SCALE Lending, a direct lender providing first mortgage financing secured by commercial real estate assets with a focus on senior transitional loans. SCALE leverages off the Slate platform to guide investment decisions and assess the valuation of collateral, including land acquisition, construction, new development, re-development, inventory and assets with a lease-up or reposition component. It has more than $2 billion spread across 4.2 million square feet in ongoing developments. Prior to co-founding Slate Property Group, Martin served as the co-founder and managing partner of Silverstone Property Group, a full-service real estate owner and operator in New York. While overseeing Silverstone, he purchased more than $1 billion in real estate assets. Earlier in his career, Martin worked for a family office based in New Jersey overseeing a portfolio of over 5,000 apartments and three million square feet of commercial property throughout the tri-state area. He started his career in real estate investment banking working at Wells Hill Partners. Martin received a Bachelor of Science degree from the State University of New York Albany.

Sergey’s lifelong passion has always been to build. He founded RYBAK Development immediately after graduating from New York University, starting the company from scratch while continuing his real estate development education as a post-grad. What began with a modest 6 unit condominium property in South Brooklyn has evolved over the years into a trend-setting, industry-leading firm, with Sergey staying hands-on throughout each and every project. During that span, Sergey has managed the construction of Brooklyn’s largest multi-sporting facility, featured as an Industry Executive of the Month by New York Real Estate Journal, and managed RYBAK Development’s growth while keeping the firm agile to increase profits, not overhead. As a RYBAK Principal, Sergey personally guarantees all project completions and project debt where applicable.

Shimon Shkury is the President and Founder of Ariel Property Advisors. As President he oversees all investment sales, capital services and research initiatives that the company undertakes. Since 2002, Mr. Shkury has advised private clients, institutions, operators, equity providers and lenders on pricing, positioning and selling assets throughout New York City. This experience has enabled Mr. Shkury to emerge as an expert within the various asset classes, city, state and federal regulatory agreements and market indicators. Mr. Shkury is routinely sought out as a resource for the industry and has been featured in publications such as The Real Deal, Commercial Observer, The Wall Street Journal, Crain’s New York, Bisnow and many others. As a contributor to Forbes, he writes about trends in commercial real estate and is the host of Ariel’s Coffee & Cap Rates podcast. In 2023, he was named to the Commercial Observer’s Power 100 list of commercial real estate leaders and, in 2022, to Crain’s New York’s list of Notable Leaders in Real Estate. Along with his partners, he was honored with Connect CRE’s Top Broker Award 2022, Globest.com’s Multifamily Influencer Award 2022, and Commercial Property Executive’s Best Investment Transaction 2022 in the portfolio category. Originally from Israel, he came to the United States in 1999 to earn an MBA in finance at the Wharton School of Business and a master’s degree in international studies from the University of Pennsylvania’s Lauder Institute. He previously served as a lieutenant in the Israel Defense Forces. Prior to starting Ariel Property Advisors, Mr. Shkury was a Partner with Massey Knakal Realty Services, now Cushman & Wakefield. Mr. Shkury lives in Manhattan with his wife, son and daughter. He can be reached at 212.544.9500 ext. 11 or via email at sshkury@arielpa.com.

Stephen has built BHSDM into a market leader through record-setting sales, unparalleled client service and creative marketing, leading an unmatched team of sales and marketing professionals. Stephen Kliegerman is trusted advisor to developers and investors, a leader and mentor to real estate agents and marketing professionals, a respected and often called-upon pundit to members of the media, and a 20-year veteran senior executive at Terra Holdings. He has overseen more than $15 billion in sales, representing over 10,000 units in the New York City area. He has also spearheaded some of the fastest-selling developments with the industry's most prominent developers and been lauded for achieving record-setting prices. With more than 30 years of experience in New York real estate, Stephen is recognized as a trailblazer in the brokerage community, known for cultivating genuine partnership, integrity and tenured market knowledge. He is widely quoted in globally recognized media as a market authority including; The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, New York Post and Crain's New York Business, among others. Under his leadership, prominent developers including Toll Brothers City Living, SJP Properties, Savanna, Adam America, The Stahl Organization, L+M Development Partners and The Gotham Organization, have sought his team for their skillful understanding of all stages of the development marketing process - from pre-development planning to turnaround strategies. A graduate of The George Washington University, Stephen serves on the Board of Directors for the school's Center for Real Estate and Urban Analysis. He is the 2012 recipient of The Real Estate Board of New York's Henry Forster Award for lifetime achievement and currently serves as Co-Chair of the New Development Committee. He has also completed five terms on the Residential Ethics Committee, twice as Co-Chairman and four terms as Chairman of the Downtown Committee. A Licensed Real Estate Broker since 1989, Stephen previously owned and operated his own real estate brokerage, management and consulting firm, Herbert H. Kliegerman Associates, Inc. In 1998, the firm, which specialized in the management, sale and leasing of co-ops, condominiums, and lofts in Downtown Manhattan, merged with Terra Holdings. Stephen is a triathlete as well as an avid skier, tennis player and cyclist.

Leslie Wohlman Himmel is founder and co-managing partner of Himmel + Meringoff Properties, a leading owner/operator of New York-based commercial real estate and one of the only privately owned, first generation portfolios of Manhattan office buildings. Founded in 1985 with partner Stephen Meringoff, Himmel + Meringoff currently manages two million square feet of commercial real estate valued in excess of $2 billion. Ms. Himmel began her career as an acquisitions associate at Integrated Resources in 1979 and is today recognized as one of the foremost women leaders of the commercial real estate industry. Focused on creating value through long-term ownership, she is a creative and insightful hands-on owner responsible for the acquisition of property, strategic repositioning of assets and portfolio financing. In 2017, Ms. Himmel was named as one of the 50 Most Powerful Women in New York by Crain’s. She was honored as Harvard Business School Club of New York’s ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ for 2016 and, in 2011, received REBNY’s Mendik Lifetime Leadership in Real Estate Award for exceptional accomplishment and dedication to leadership in New York real estate. Ms. Himmel is a Board member of the M&T Bank Directors Advisory Council, New York City Mortgage Committee and the Harvard Business School Club of New York. In 1992, she founded and continues to co-chair REBNY’s Economic Development Committee which works with New York City officials to support economic development initiatives in the city. A member of REBNY’s Board of Governors since 2001, Ms. Himmel also serves on the Board of the Executive Committee. Ms. Himmel is a member of the Real Estate Roundtable, the UDMUC Red Council of the Urban Land Institute, Young Men’s/Women’s Real Estate Association of New York and YPO/WPO. Dedicated to women entrepreneurs, Ms. Himmel established “The Women’s Student Association Fellowship Fund” in 2008, which awards scholarships to Harvard Business School students. Ms. Himmel is also an early stage investor and Board advisor to Hello Alfred, a successful online concierge service, developed by two women who are recent HBS graduates. Ms. Himmel earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania, graduating Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa and received her MBA with high honors from Harvard Business School.

Kenneth Horn founded Alchemy Properties in 1990 and has been actively involved in development and other aspects of real estate in the metro area for over 30 years. Since founding Alchemy, Kenneth has been directly responsible for the acquisition, strategic development, financing, construction, renovation, marketing and conversion of over 3,000 apartments, including the ground-up or rehabilitation development of more than 25 residential and retail buildings in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens. Kenneth has personally overseen the sale of over $2 Billion of real estate. Kenneth's most notable acquisition to date is the conversion of the tower floors of the National Landmark Woolworth Building. He has lectured at the Yale University School of Architecture, the University of Pennsylvania, the Wharton Graduate School of Business and is a former Professor at New York University's Master's Program in Real Estate. A graduate of Brandeis University and the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, Kenneth is a member of the New York State Bar. He is also a Board Member and former President of The Catalog for Giving, a non-profit organization that distributes funds for after school programs to New York City school children.

Julia Butler (New York) joined KKR in 2017 and is a member of the Real Estate team. Prior to joining KKR, Ms. Butler was an executive vice president at iStar, a publicly-traded REIT, where she was responsible for sourcing and executing new investment opportunities as well as managing a portfolio of assets. Prior to iStar, Ms. Butler worked in the treasury department of The Walt Disney Company in Los Angeles, CA. Ms. Butler earned her B.A. in government, cum laude, from Harvard College.

A member of The Counselors of Real Estate, Kevin Fagan, CRE, is a senior director and Head of Commercial Real Estate Economic Analysis at Moody’s Analytics. He is responsible for research, thought leadership and strategic initiatives with a focus on capital markets and climate risks. He is the member chair of the Commercial Real Estate Finance Council Sustainability Initiative, and also a member of the Mortgage Bankers Association Commercial Real Estate/Multifamily Finance Board of Governors. He has held research roles at ING Clarion and Jones Lang LaSalle, and formerly practiced as a structural engineer, designing large scale commercial buildings in California for nearly 10 years. Kevin holds an MS in urban economics and real estate finance from MIT and a BS in architectural engineering from the University of Texas at Austin.

Mr. Betesh joined Meridian Capital Group in May 2017, where he leads an eight-member team. Prior to joining Meridian, he served as a Director at Cushman & Wakefield Capital Markets and a Director of Capital Services at Massey Knakal Realty Services. To date, Mr. Betesh has financed over 500 buildings across the United States and has closed well in excess of over $5 billion in transactions throughout his career. Previously, Mr. Betesh was a Portfolio Manager at a private family office, where he managed a portfolio of properties in Midtown Manhattan and was principally responsible for restructuring and developing the portfolio, in addition to directly leasing the properties and managing the finances at a corporate level. Mr. Betesh attended Brooklyn College, where he received his Bachelor of Science in Business Management and Finance and was honored with the Brooklyn College Presidential Scholarship.

Jack Conboy is a Partner with the law firm of Windels Marx Lane & Mittendorf. He represents various financial institutions and real estate operators in connection with acquisitions, sales, financing and refinancing of commercial properties. He also counsels landlords and tenants in the leasing of commercial space. In addition, Mr. Conboy has experience in representing clients in the purchase and sale of residential real estate, including condominiums, cooperative apartments, and single and multi-family homes. Jack has been nominated to The Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch in the category of Banking & Finance Law, and has also been named to Super Lawyers - New York Metro Rising Star. He earned a JD from St. John’s University School of Law and a BA from Bucknell University.

Cecilia Kushner is the Executive Vice President for Planning, Development and Transportation at the New York City Economic Development Corporation where she leads large multidisciplinary teams to deliver on some of the most ambitious and complex urban planning and development projects in New York City. As part of her role, Cecilia oversees $1 billion of active projects geared towards delivering infrastructure and amenities and improving quality of life for New Yorkers across the five Boroughs. With 15 years of experience in urban planning, development and resiliency in New York City, London and Paris, Cecilia has dedicated her career to executing significant initiatives that seek to improve global cities. Prior to joining the NYCEDC in May 2015, Cecilia served as the Deputy Director for Climate Resilience at the New York City Department of City Planning where she formulated and advocated for some of the first resiliency land use policies to adapt the 520 miles of New York City coastline. She has also previously served as Director of Special Initiatives at NYCDCP, where her responsibilities included managing all external speaking engagements for the Commissioner and leading change management strategies to revamp the agency’s processes. Other past positions include serving as the NYCDCP lead project manager for the Coney Island rezoning, policy advisor for English Heritage, the leading historic preservation organization in the UK, and urban planner for the City of Paris. Cecilia received her bachelor’s degree from La Sorbonne and holds a master’s degree in Historic Preservation from The Bartlett School of Planning at University College London, and a master’s degree in City Planning from Hunter College, where she has taught planning as an adjunct. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband John and her children Louis and Eva.

In his role as President, Travis oversees the firm’s operations and execution of its corporate purpose of helping clients succeed in the New York region and playing a key role in spearheading the successful future of the region. In his career, Travis has been a vital strategic advisor to some of New York City’s most recognized corporate and non-profit brands such as Macy’s, UPS, Times Square Alliance, Rudin Management, Industry City, Friends of the High Line and the Museum of the Moving Image. His efforts and those of the firm have changed the landscape of NYC—creating public parks, raising hundreds of millions of dollars in public-sector funding, creating impactful laws and securing project approvals for major land use projects. Travis has worked closely with hundreds of businesses to help them successfully expand or enter the New York City market. Prior to joining Capalino, Travis worked in management consulting advising Fortune 100 Companies on strategic planning and organizational efficiency, and in the branding and sports marketing fields. He has a B.S. in Business Management and Marketing from Cornell University and is a graduate of Coro Leadership New York. Travis lives in Forest Hills, Queens with his wife and three kids and is a passionate sports fan. Travis sits on the Board of Directors of the Friends of the QueensWay, Coro New York and is on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of the Regional Plan Association. He also is the Chair of the NYC Board of Advisors of PowerMyLearning, sits on the Steering Committee of the Association for a Better New York (ABNY), the Dean’s Advisory Council of the Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Queens Chamber of Commerce Tech Council and the Executive Leadership Forum of BritishAmerican Business.

With over 25 years of project management, Julia’s experience spans different industries including workplace, luxury retail, and hospitality, as well as different continents, including North America, Europe, and Asia. She draws upon the lessons learned from working with retail clients to bring their brands alive through experiential environments applying these concepts to commercial workplace projects by creating amenity spaces that transport the visitors and create a sense of community through a shared experience.

Since joining NFP in 2015, Rick helps business owners gain peace of mind when running and bidding jobs, knowing their companies are protected with appropriate insurance coverage and surety bonds. Rick is an active force in the construction and development sectors, deeply committed to supporting the industry growth. He wears multiple hats, serving on the board of Eastern Contractors Association and as an alternate director for Northeastern Subcontractors Association. His enthusiasm extends to being a young professional committee member for both groups. Rick participates in meetings with the NY Association of General Contractors, Construction Financial Management Association, and Capital Region Building Owners and Managers Association. Beyond the professional realm, Rick thrives on serving his community. He and his wife Alyssa co-founded the Upstate NY chapter of Reverse Rett, raising funds to research a cure for Rett Syndrome. They also started the Barrett Otis Fund for Males with Rett Syndrome, helping underserved males who suffer from Rett. Rick is on the boards of AAA Hudson Valley Auto Club, Lansingburgh Boys and Girls Club, Shaker Ridge at Carondelet, and Holy Cross Club of Eastern New York. He volunteers coaching Lansingburgh Little League and Troy Patriots Football. Rick attended the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics. He was captain of the football team. Rick lives in Troy, New York, with his wife Alyssa and four children, Ricky, William, Annalise and Barrett.

Under Karim’s stewardship, Genesis has fostered community advancement through high-quality multifamily development in urban centers. Prior to founding Genesis, Karim was an investment banker with Merrill Lynch and Goldman Sachs and an investor with General Atlantic, a private equity firm in Greenwich, Connecticut. Karim earned a BA in Economics and Philosophy from Amherst College. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a Master’s degree in Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School. A resident of Harlem, Karim serves as Treasurer of the Trustee Board of the First Corinthian Baptist Church, Trustee of the Citizens Budget Commission, Trustee of the Randall’s Island Park Alliance Board, Board Member of the Citizens Housing Planning Council, the New York State Association for Affordable Housing and a Member of the Leadership Council for Habitat for Humanity NYC. He is married to Luz Elena and has two daughters.

Gerard T. Nocera serves as Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Resolution Real Estate Partners. He is responsible for strategic planning, real estate management, leasing and construction; and acquisitions and dispositions. Since the formation of Resolution Real Estate Partners, Mr. Nocera has worked on the highly successful purchase, management and sale of 1372 Broadway with Starwood Capital and the acquisition, redevelopment and sale of 142 West 36th Street and 234 West 39th Street with The Davis Companies. He also worked on the notable asset the Lipstick Building, 292 Madison Avenue and 183 Madison Avenue. Mr. Nocera previously served as Chief Operating Officer for SL Green where he worked for over 16 years. He was primarily responsible for building the company’s management, leasing, construction and marketing departments. He was instrumental in designing and implementing the Company’s transformation from a small side street, Grade B Office Leasing and Management company to the largest publicly traded owner of Manhattan office space. He oversaw an office portfolio in excess of 25 million square feet and led construction projects including major re-positioning of 485 Lexington Avenue, 750 Third Avenue, 100 Park Avenue, 1250 Broadway and 317 Madison Avenue. He also worked on over $7 billion of acquisitions and dispositions. From 1984 to 1989, Mr. Nocera was a broker with the NY office of Coldwell Banker (currently CBRE) and worked as a Landlord Representative for the Cohen Brothers, a prominent New York landlord. Mr. Nocera holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Duquesne University.

Gregory Wolf is part of one of the oldest construction families in NYC (1905) and a fourth-generation leader of Wolf Construction Corporation. Prior to starting in the business, Greg was one of the top United States professional cyclists who lived and competed throughout the world on his trade teams as well as being part of the US National Team/Olympic Long Team. Starting in the business as an assistant superintendent, Mr. Wolf’s abilities to build were noticed early on as he won many awards including the famed AIA award/NY Constructions Best Award for the Trinity School and Hispanic Society Museum and Library. Gregory’s ability to understand and envision projects while working hand in hand with the design team sets the precedent that a client is in good hands. Thinking outside the box is what leads to successful projects and we strive to hold to Charles Wolf’s (2 nd Generation) motto of “a punch list is not acceptable”. A graduate of Pratt Institute’s Construction Management Program (School of Architecture), Gregory is a member of the school’s board of directors. He also holds a spot on the AGC of NY’s Board of Governors and Board of Directors working on guiding the industry into the next 100 years.

Maurizio Anglani represents owners, architects, engineers, construction managers and contractors in a variety of commercial matters, including litigation and contract drafting. His work includes prosecuting and defending commercial cases involving construction issues such as defective construction, delays, breach of contract, negligent design, payment disputes, mechanic’s liens, and suretyship. Maurizio also represents project owners and adjacent owners in the negotiation of license agreements and in RPAPL 881 proceedings. Finally, Maurizio has experience negotiating construction project agreements, including standard form agreements and bespoke agreements. Maurizio is actively involved in several industry organizations, such as the Center for Architecture and AIA New York, where he serves as a member of the Host Committee for their charity and fundraising events, as well as the New York Building Congress. Maurizio is also a member of the New York County Lawyers Association, where he serves as Co-Chair of the Construction Law Committee. Prior to joining Ingram, Maurizio was an associate at Marco & Sitaras, PLLC, where he handled construction cases as well as general commercial litigation and real estate. During law school, Maurizio served as a Student Fellow for the Center for International and Comparative Law and as Articles and Notes Editor for the American Bankruptcy Institute Law Review.

Craig joined Marx Realty as its President and CEO in 2017 and has been responsible for growing the company as well as streamlining the company’s strategy by focusing on value-add office investments in three core markets: New York City, Washington D.C. and Atlanta. Craig is also charged with repositioning Marx’s entire portfolio as well as growing the Marx team and profitability. Over his 25-year career, Craig has vast experience in every aspect of the real estate industry and believes in a very hands-on approach. Prior to Marx, he held senior roles at both private equity and private development companies, including redeveloping over 50 assets in major markets across the country with a particular emphasis on NY and DC. Craig’s projects have received various awards from industry groups such as NAIOP, BOMA, Globe St., Crain’s, Washington Business Journal and AIA. He has been interviewed as a thought and innovation leader in several features in the Wall Street Journal, CNN, Bloomberg and on CNBC, and was selected as one of the Real Estate Forum’s Best Bosses of 2019. Craig was named to the 2020 Commercial Observer’s Power 100 List. Craig previously practiced law in the real estate and litigation departments at Skadden before transitioning to the business side of the industry. Craig graduated Cum Laude from Tulane University’s Freeman School of Business (where he currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Advisory Board) and earned a J.D. at Fordham University’s School of Law. Craig serves on the Mixed-Use Council of the Urban Land Institute and on the Strategic Advisory Council of Shadow Ventures, a venture capital firm specializing in PropTech investments.

A founding Partner at Lantern Real Estate, Skye Taylor is a real estate professional with over ten years of experience in retail leasing. Skye’s capabilities and experience have made her a trusted advisor and consultant to tenants and property owners in New York City and nationally. Skye enjoys partnering with brands to develop and execute strategic expansion plans. Throughout her career, she has represented esteemed luxury and contemporary fashion brands such as Canada Goose, David Yurman, LVMH, and Theory as well as some of the most exciting and innovative direct-to-consumer retailers including Allbirds, Casper, Dyson, and Tecovas. Additionally, Skye consults on L3 Capital’s Williamsburg, Brooklyn portfolio. Prior to Lantern Real Estate, Skye was a Director at Thor Retail Advisors for five years and played an integral role in helping to establish the company as one of the industry’s preeminent real estate advisory firms. Skye is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers.

Since joining KPF in 2012, Darina has been instrumental in forming and executing the design vision of some of the firm’s flagship projects. Her interests in exterior walls, organic architecture, detailing, craft, urban design, and civic spaces influence her practice. Darina draws from her diverse academic background in computer science to reimagine the visual plane in myriad aesthetic and mathematical dimensions. An expert in exterior wall design, Darina is interested in how that geometry relates to a building’s interior. As Senior Designer of One Vanderbilt, she saw this core New York City project from concept through completion and led a research collaborative in terra cotta with the fabricator, Boston Valley Terra Cotta. Darina has applied this attention to materiality in her work repositioning existing New York City buildings, including 245 Park Avenue, where new bronze-glazed terra cotta enlivens the façade, and 1211 Sixth Avenue, which brings natural materials and lush planting to transform a dated entry experience. Darina initiated the firm’s involvement in the Architectural Ceramics Assemblies Workshop, leading KPF teams in explorations of architectural terra cotta fabrication techniques. An active member of her architectural community, she has taught as an Adjunct Professor at both RISD and the Harvard Graduate School of Design. In her tenure at KPF, she founded the Young Designers’ Forum and has led Evening Sessions on various topics relevant to architecture.

Professional Experience ▪ Over 34 years of experience working for both public and private companies in the real estate sector. ▪ Industry areas of expertise include real estate tax issues, public and private real estate investment trusts (REITs), opportunity funds, portfolio restructurings, acquisitions and dispositions, partnership taxation and core compliance matters. ▪ Has been involved in a variety of negotiations including structuring and implementing strategic transactions, tax due diligence assignments, mergers and acquisitions and many other special tax and non-tax projects. ▪ Served for more than four years as the director of taxation at a publicly traded REIT where he oversaw the day-to-day operations of the tax department, and more than twenty years working in global and regional public accounting firms. ▪ Former adjunct professor at both New York University’s Schack Institute of Real Estate and Fordham University. Taught partnership taxation and other related real estate topics. Credentials/Education ▪ Licensed Certified Public Accountant in the state of New York ▪ MS, Taxation, Pace University – Lubin School of Business ▪ BS, Accounting, Syracuse University – Martin J. Whitman School of Management Memberships ▪ American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) ▪ New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants ▪ National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (NAREIT)