With almost 20 years in the construction industry, Cartier serves as President and CEO of Jokake Construction - overseeing and managing their local and regional construction operations. Cartier is the champion of Jokake’s stakeholder model, which includes expanding opportunities with and providing opportunities to related industry partners, including architects, developers and construction managers. His strategic vision for Jokake focuses on two fundamental aspects – providing leadership and growth opportunities for the company’s team members and elevating Jokake’s reputation as a sophisticated builder and player in the commercial real estate market.

Laura Ortiz is a Managing Principal and oversees the firm’s retail developments and its Development Managers. Her responsibilities also include new client development and relationship management, tenant lease negotiations, and developing and implementing tools and systems for the management of Evergreen’s projects. Laura graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance & Economics from the University of Arizona. She has been with Evergreen since 1994.

Joe Ihrke serves as Senior Vice President for Trammell Crow Company in Phoenix. He has more than 25 years of experience in all facets of the commercial real estate industry including acquisitions/dispositions, development, leasing, asset management, and property management of office, industrial, and retail properties.

Previously, Joe had responsibility for operations on 4.8 million square foot portfolio in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Phoenix, Arizona, for Carlson Real Estate Company. Joe also served on Carlson Real Estate’s Executive Team.

Megan Creecy-Herman serves as Vice President, Market Officer for Prologis. With over 15 years of commercial real estate experience in the Southwestern US, Ms. Creecy-Herman was previously responsible for oversight of Liberty Property Trust’s portfolio in the Arizona region including leasing, development and acquisition activities. Creecy-Herman is a former President of the NAIOP-Arizona Chapter and a recipient of NAIOP’s national award for Chapter President of the Year.

John drives investment and development across the GCP and Classic hospitality portfolio of properties. As CEO and Creative Director, he leads all aspects of project conception, design, branding, programming, and positioning for long-term stewardship of each asset.

His 20 years of experience in real estate development combine expertise in design-forward and environmentally conscious hospitality, office, aged care, affordable housing, and high-quality housing developments in markets ranging from San Francisco, CA to Sydney, Australia. John is an active member of Young Presidents’ Organization and serves as a Trustee of Idaho Rivers United and Climate Ride.

Crel brings 20 years of sales and marketing experience to Polaris Pacific clients. He oversees Sales Managers and sales teams throughout Arizona while managing key lender and client relationships in the region. In 2016, he was nominated for Sales Manager of the Year by both the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the Building Industry Association (BIA). Crel graduated from Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona

As a Director at Jokake Construction, John Parnell is responsible for overseeing operations for the company’s ground-up construction projects, as well as providing full-service solutions as part of his commitment to client service. Parnell’s 10+ years of experience in construction have infused in him a passion to providing a better pre-construction experience through a collaborative, creative process so as to address his clients’ real estate challenges on a macro versus micro level. John received his Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management from California Polytechnic State University – San Luis Obispo.

Mr. Hiemenz is the President and Chief Operating Officer, responsible for oversight of company operations nationwide. Prior to his role as President, Mr. Hiemenz served as Chief Financial Officer, responsible for raising debt and equity capital for the firm’s investments. Since company inception, Mr. Hiemenz has raised roughly $15B worth of multifamily capital.

Mr. Hiemenz joined Trammell Crow Residential in 1990, expanding his key executive duties in the 1997 merger with BRE. He served as BRE Builder’s Chief Financial Officer and Managing Director of Capital Markets as well as Chief Operating Officer for Alliance Residential Property Management. Preceding the BRE merger, he was Chief Operating Officer, TCRS – Southwest, where he oversaw operations and value-add implementation strategies of approximately 8,000 units within the southwest United States. Mr. Hiemenz also served on the management board. Prior to joining Trammell Crow Residential, Mr. Hiemenz was a consultant for Ernst & Young, based in Dallas, TX, in their real estate consulting practice.

Mr. Hiemenz has formerly held the designations of CPA, CIA and CPM, is an executive board member of the National Multi-Housing Council (NMHC) and is a member of the Urban Land Institute. He has spoken at numerous industry functions, including events sponsored by the Wall Street Journal, Multifamily Executive, National Multi-Housing Council and ULI. He graduated with honors from Texas Christian University with a BBA in Accounting.

Bryce Hall is an accomplished architect and executive with more than 20 years of experience in residential architecture. As the President of KEPHART, he guides the strategic vision and direction of the firm, providing support for eight additional Principals who help drive KEPHART’s success. Bryce’s contagious passion and deep knowledge of the industry inspires his peers to pursue continuous growth and education.

Bryce attended the University of Colorado, where he earned master’s degrees in both architecture and business administration, allowing him to understand the industry more comprehensively from the perspective of both an architect and a developer. His enthusiasm for these two interests, combined with his deep understanding of client needs, have helped solidify KEPHART as the architect of choice for many national developers.

Bryce’s exemplary skills and leadership have earned him recognition as the President of one of Denver’s Best Places to Work, and as a leader in the field of architecture on ColoradoBiz’s 2025 Architects Power List. Bryce also represents and shares KEPHART’s thought leadership on a national stage at events like the National Multifamily Housing Conference and the Pacific Coast Builders’ Conference.