Portland Restaurant & Retail Forum!

David Zimel, a native Oregonian, attended Jesuit High School and the University of Oregon, where he received a BS in Finance in 1977. He has worked at Mercury Development since graduation, starting as a retail leasing agent. He progressed to Director of Leasing, Vice President of Development, and in 1990 he assumed his current position of President and CEO. He has extensive experience in development, redevelopment, and acquisition of retail properties. David also has served as a board member for several companies including Pan Pacific Retail Properties, Rentech Inc. and locally with Shari’s Restaurants and R & H Construction. David has participated as an ICSC panelist, moderator, State Program Committee Chairperson and State Director. He has also taken the position of General Manager of Rock Creek Country Club since 2010, another asset of the Partnership.

Fred Bruning began his real estate career as legal counsel for Sears, Roebuck and Company in 1977 and was responsible for their real estate portfolio in the west which consisted of over 500 assets. After leaving Sears in 1983, Mr. Bruning served as Vice-President of Development for the Torrance Company in Torrance, California, then as Vice-President of Development for the John Price Development Company in Salt Lake City, Utah. In 1985, Mr. Bruning joined the Alexander Haagen Company as a development partner. In his 13 years there, he was the key executive in charge of the acquisition and development of over 40 retail projects. Mr. Bruning was also instrumental in taking the company public in 1993, serving as the Wall Street spokesperson. In 1998, Mr. Bruning along with his partner Mr. Wardy, formed their own development company, CenterOak Properties, LLC, and in 2004 became CenterCal Properties, LLC. In his career, he has been actively involved in over 150 major retail developments in the western United States. Mr. Bruning is a member of the California Bar Association, the International Council of Shopping Centers and has served on several corporate and charitable boards. He received his Juris Doctor from Loyola University in Los Angeles and his Bachelor of Arts degree from Pomona College in Claremont, California. His hobbies include travel, archaeology, and flying his antique Stearman biplane. Fred is married forever to his wife Brandace, who has had a very successful career in retail marketing, fashion and modeling.

Heather Personne is a Principal with Point B, a national real estate development, management consulting and venture capital firm. Heather oversees Point B’s growing real estate development business, focused primarily on small-scale ground-up and adaptive mixed-use redevelopment in urban areas. Ms. Personne has over 20 years of experience in real estate acquisitions, development, management and dispositions. Throughout her career, she has spearheaded the development of more than 100 retail, office and multi-family properties throughout the western United States. Prior to joining Point B, she held roles as a Retail Partner with Phoenix-based commercial development and investment firm ViaWest Group and as a Principal with Evergreen Devco, Inc., a regional retail and multi-family developer. Ms. Personne graduated Summa Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Arizona Honors College and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and French. She is heavily involved with the Urban Land Institute, having served as Membership Chair, founding member of the Arizona Chapter of the Women’s Leadership Initiative and Technical Advisory Panel Moderator. Ms. Personne currently serves as Chair of the ULI Arizona Trends Day Conference, the largest ULI event in the district council system, and Vice Chair and founding member of the national ULI Place Making Product Council. She is also a member of ICSC, the Arizona chapter of CREW and sits on the board for the Phoenix Center for the Arts. In addition to her professional commitments, Ms. Personne also participates on the alumnae board of the Phoenix chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta and is a founding board member of the Roadrunner League of Boys Team Charity, a civic organization focused on encouraging philanthropic commitments among young adults. Ms. Personne resides in Scottsdale, Arizona with her husband Matt and three children. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, snow-skiing and traveling.

Brian Peters is a Principal/Owner at Woodblock Architecture, a fast-growing Portland firm with extensive experience in the retail, industrial and commercial space. He has over 15 years of experience and was named as one of 2017’s ICSC Rising Retail Leaders Under 40. He graduated from NDSU in 2002 and went on to spend his first decade with a global firm focused on big box retail. During the last 5 years he has partnered with 3 other principals to create the growing success that has been Woodblock. Focusing on a wide variety of retail projects he is currently responsible for designing the new multi-phased Modern Times brewery, completing a six-building ground up site development inclusive of all TI and has worked extensively on multiple restaurant projects both standalone entities as well as roll out franchises. Brian currently lives in SE Portland with his wife Corie and their two boys Anderson and Declan. He enjoys a good craft brew, great food and pretty much any car built before he was born.

Strategist and system creator who builds and manages ‘A’ teams. Creative thinker with a business brain. Master of muc; high EQ management, marketing and communications expertise, public speaker and writer. Short, loud, and correct. Past life: Actor, Singer, Playwright and Theater Producer

Chef/Owner - Headwaters, Imperial, The Crown & Paley’s Place Critically-acclaimed chef and accomplished restaurateur Vitaly Paley has cemented himself as both a leader and a trailblazer in the American culinary scene. Through his award-winning food, creativity, and deep-rooted passion, it’s no wonder he is referred to as “The Dean of Chefs,” by the Portland, Ore. food community. With more than 25 years’ experience, a 2005 James Beard Award for “Best Chef Pacific Northwest,” and an April 2011 winning battle on Food Network’s “Iron Chef America” under his belt, the Russian-born and French-trained chef explores the historical significance of food and his heritage through diligent research. In February 1995, he and his wife Kimberly realized their dream when they opened Paley’s Place. Vitaly opened Imperial in downtown Portland in 2012, where he launched his popular Russian pop-up dinner series DaNet, where he cooks the cuisine of his roots. In October 2016, Vitaly, along with his wife and partner, Kimberly Paley, opened Headwaters inside the historic Heathman Hotel. In 2017, Vitaly opened The Crown, a bar serving up New York style pizzas inspired by his adoration for the city.

Rob’s 20+ years of real estate development work have taken him from his first project in Washington, D.C. to Spokane, Portland, and Seattle. Rob has focused on both the renovation of historic buildings and ground-up development. Rob’s projects have twice won the State of Washington’s top historic preservation award (2001 Holley Mason, 2009 Arctic Club Hotel). Rob has served on the board for the Spokane Chamber, Spokane Symphony, and the Mayor’s Economic Task Force. Rob graduated from Santa Clara University in 1992 and went on to work for U.S. Senator Patty Murray in Washington, DC. He spent most of 1995 in Cerro Punta, Panama working for AMESCONDE/ Conservation International rebuilding school houses, clearing paths through a National Park and started an arts cooperative for native Panamanian women artists. He attended business school at the University of Washington in 1995 and 1996. In addition to Cerro Punta and cities in the U.S., he’s lived in Leon, Mexico and Vienna, Austria. Rob implements directions from the Advisory Board, makes high-level decisions regarding the company’s operations, researches real estate opportunities and directs site planning and vision, travels to project sites, works with real estate brokers/agents for the purchase, sale and leasing of real estate, directs staff, and runs daily conference calls, and all monthly, quarterly and annual meetings. Additionally, Rob develops and maintains relationships with lenders, investors, architects, engineers, etc. As InterUrban expands, Rob’s focus will be developing new lending, equity and tenant relationships.