Bisnow Multifamily Annual Conference (BMAC) Northern California

Alex Walker represents owners, developers, and real estate investors in complex real estate transactions, including acquisitions and dispositions, joint venture agreements, financing, and leasing of multifamily, office, retail, and mixed-use properties throughout California and the United States. He has experience with ground leases, construction loans, and loan assumption purchases and sales. He is recognized in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in Real Estate (2021-2025) and was recommended by The Legal 500 US (2022). Alex received his J.D., magna cum laude, from New York University School of Law in 2017, where he was elected to Order of the Coif and managing editor of the NYU Environmental Law Journal. He received his B.A. from Reed College in 2012, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He is admitted to the State Bar of California.

Real estate investment industry veteran Robert E. Hart is the founder, chief executive, and president of Los Angeles-based TruAmerica Multifamily, a vertically integrated multifamily investment firm with regional headquarters in Arlington, VA; Seattle, WA and Dallas, TX. Since its founding in 2013, TruAmerica under his leadership has become one of the most active multifamily investors in the United States and today has approximately $10.3 billion of assets under management. Hart is responsible for the phenomenal growth and national expansion of the firm’s value-add investment platform, which currently includes 46,000 units in 14 states. He has led TruAmerica to a top 50 ranking of the largest apartment owners in the United States the past four years by the National Multifamily Housing Council. As CEO, Hart chairs TruAmerica Multifamily’s Investment Committee to skillfully select value-add assets for acquisition, repositioning, and eventual disposition to deliver outstanding risk-adjusted returns for the company and its 30 global institutional partners. With a career that spans nearly four decades, Bob is a recognized leader in the multifamily industry where he contributes his time and energy as a board member to a variety of industry organizations including the National Multifamily Housing Council and the Urban Land Institute. Named one of the most influential business leaders in Los Angeles by the Los Angeles Business Journal, he was also recently recognized by Real Estate Forum as the “Best of the Best Bosses” in the real estate industry. Understanding the value of giving back, Hart also generously gives of himself – both in time, talent and treasure – to a wide variety of charitable and academic organizations, raising tens of millions of dollars to better the lives of others in his community. For nearly 16 years, half as Chairman, Bob has been a member of the board of directors of Chrysalis, a non-profit organization dedicated to creating a pathway for homeless and low-income individuals to find and retain employment in Los Angeles. Recognized for his professional and philanthropic contributions to elevate the human condition, he was celebrated by the City of Hope in 2017 with the Spirit of Life Award. He is also the proud recipient of the Humanitarian Leadership Award presented to him by the Alumni Association of his alma mater Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Hart is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Marlborough School in Los Angeles and a member of Board of Governors of the City of Hope. Prior to founding TruAmerica Multifamily, Hart earned industry accolades as the transformational chief executive of Kennedy Wilson Multifamily Management Group, a part of the NYSE-listed Kennedy Wilson global real-estate concern. Hart envisioned and launched Kennedy Wilson’s value-add apartment portfolio strategy that profitably acquired and disposed of more than 20,000 units in 13 years, with a total transaction value of more than $4.5 billion. Previously Hart was senior vice president of portfolio management for global real estate investment management firm, Heitman Capital Management where engineered the turn-around and disposition of a $500 million property portfolio on behalf of pension funds, endowments and domestic and foreign lenders. Previously, he served as Director of Real Estate Marketing for Executive Life Insurance Company, where he was responsible for the orderly liquidation of more than $1 billion in real estate assets and securities. Hart is a sought-after interview by leading publications, and has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, National Public Radio, Bloomberg, The Los Angeles Times and innumerable industry and trade media outlets for his insights into the real estate markets. Hart holds a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, Massachusetts and continues to serve his alma mater as a member of the Board of Trustees. He earned a Master of Business Administration degree from the Anderson School of Management at the University of California, Los Angeles and where he serves on the leadership board for UCLA’s Ziman Center for Real Estate.

Mr. Pace is co-founder and Vice-Chairman of Pacific Urban Investors, a subsidiary of Marcus & Millichap Companies. He is a graduate of the University of San Francisco and a Certified Public Accountant (inactive). Mr. Pace spent fourteen years with multifamily pension fund advisor SSR Realty Advisors (now BlackRock) and its predecessor configurations (Fox, Metric, etc) culminating in the position of Managing Director, National Acquisitions. Pension advisory clients included CalPERS, CalSTRS, the Alaska Permanent Fund, City and County of San Francisco, Colorado PERA and others. Since 1986, Mr. Pace has been both an investment advisor and principal in the acquisition of apartment communities totaling more than 32,000 units and $8.5 billion dollars. Mr. Pace is a thirty-year member and Executive Director of the National Multi-Housing Council (NMHC), actively engaged in issues impacting the multifamily industry. In addition, Mr. Pace sits on the Multifamily Blue Council of the Urban Land Institute.

Prior to forming Echo Valley Real Estate, Alex was a Director at Ballast Investments, leading acquisition efforts on over 250 transactions and assisting with the asset management and business plan implementation on a portfolio of over 4,500 residential units across the West Coast. Prior to joining Ballast, Alex spent five years working on the leading multifamily brokerage team in Northern California with over $6 billion or 18,600 units transacted during his tenure while assisting in the valuation of an additional 17,000 units across the San Francisco Bay Area.

In addition to 15 years of experience in real estate development, Mr. Babsin is an attorney and CPA. Mr. Babsin holds a BS in Accountancy from the University of Illinois, a JD from Harvard Law School, and a Master in City Planning from the University of California at Berkeley.

Elaine Breeze leads all community development activities for SummerHill Apartment Communities in the Bay Area. As Senior Vice President of Development, she oversees new community development, including land planning, land acquisition due diligence, architecture and design, budgeting, community engagement, and securing all necessary entitlement approvals. Ms. Breeze has been affiliated with the Marcus & Millichap companies since 1988, starting as a research analyst with Marcus & Millichap Real Estate Investment Brokerage. With affiliate SummerHill Homes until 2008, as Senior Vice President and Managing Director, she oversaw the development of award- winning single family and multifamily for-sale projects throughout the Bay Area. From 1989 to 1990, she was an analyst and project coordinator for Essex Property Company specializing in multi-family investment real estate and retail shopping center joint ventures. Ms. Breeze graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History. She completed post-graduate studies in Real Estate and Architecture at U.C. Berkeley and in Construction Practices at San Jose State University. She is a current member of the SAMCEDA Executive Board and the Home for All San Mateo County Task Force and serves as a stakeholder representing the residential development community on numerous city-led planning initiatives in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties.

Timothy Haley, Architect, is an innovative and client-focused Senior Associate at MBH Architects with over 20 years proven success providing quality designs for multi-family residential projects and mixed use developments. As Technical Director of MBH’s Housing Studio and a leader of the firm’s design technology practice group, he is a strong proponent of leveraging technology to bring about the most creative and expedient solutions to design and construction challenges. Timothy uses his extensive knowledge of design technology to advise on projects across the firm from workspace and laboratory to hospitality and modular housing. Creating projects to meet the clients’ needs by synthesizing program context, technology, and budget, Timothy is recognized for his top performance by repeat client selection and architectural awards of merit

Mark Burri is a labor leader and workforce development advocate in California’s construction industry. He serves as Business Manager of Plumbers & HVACR Mechanics Local Union 467 and Apprenticeship Training Center in San Mateo County and sits on the executive boards of key labor councils. Appointed by Governor Newsom to serve as a Commissioner on the California Apprenticeship Council, Mark brings years of leadership in labor advocacy, policy, and vocational training. Mark holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Construction Management from CSU Chico. With deep roots in both the trades and labor advocacy, Mark brings a balanced and insightful perspective to conversations about the future of construction, workforce development, and industry standards.

Andrea lead’s Eden’s Real Estate Development team and is responsible for Eden’s new business and pre-development pipeline, new construction, real estate acquisition and portfolio renovation efforts. Under her leadership, Eden currently has a pipeline totaling nearly 5,000 homes for lower-income households across California. Since joining Eden’s development team in 2008, Andrea has overseen the development of over 2,500 new units and the acquisition of over 1,500 existing units in six California counties – from Sonoma to San Diego County. She is currently managing Eden’s expansion into new regions in California, with a growing department of 27 development professionals. Andrea has significant experience in construction management, construction litigation and public contracting. She worked as a construction management consultant for Capital Projects of UC Berkeley where she was involved in large rehab and new construction projects – from planning and development through funding and construction. Additionally, she was the lead paralegal in the construction group at Hanson Bridgett Marcus Vlahos & Rudy, a San Francisco law firm. Andrea serves as President of the Housing Leadership Council of San Mateo County (board member since 2013) and is an inaugural board member and Treasurer of SV@Home, a housing advocacy organization in Santa Clara County. Andrea Osgood earned her Bachelor of Arts (BA) with Honors from Pomona College and a Master of Arts in Urban Planning from the UCLA Graduate School of Public Policy and Social Research.

Smitha Seshadri is Executive Vice President of Development at BRIDGE Housing Corporation and leads the organization’s real estate development activities in Northern California. Smitha brings 20+ years of experience with a strong background in architecture, community development and real estate finance. She has successfully structured several complex multi-family affordable housing developments and is responsible for overseeing the execution of several mixed-use/mixed-income developments for BRIDGE in Northern California, including new construction and acquisition-rehab over the past 5.5 years. Earlier this year, BRIDGE was honored with the “Nonprofit Developer of the Year Award” from the San Francisco Business Times for delivering approximately 1,000 new and rehabbed affordable housing units in the Bay Area over the past 2 years. Her team is currently working on 7 construction projects with a total of 735 affordable housing units and several new construction projects in predevelopment. Prior to BRIDGE, Smitha served as Vice President of Real Estate at Habitat for Humanity, San Francisco and Director of Development for the Santa Clara Housing Authority. Ms. Seshadri holds an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago, Booth School of Business. She serves on the Board of Directors of the Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California and Satellite Affordable Housing Associates.

From her early beginnings in the affordable housing sector to her leadership roles today, Katherine McFadden has consistently exemplified commitment and expertise. Beginning her journey in 1995, Katherine embarked on her career at the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee (TCAC) in Sacramento. As temporary staff, she was instrumental in assisting the TCAC staff, management, and applicants with both 4% and 9% Low Income Housing Tax Credit Applications, in addition to handling Compliance Reporting. Fast forward to today, and Katherine now leads as the Vice President for Northern California at Jamboree Housing, a pivotal role in one of the region's premier endeavors to provide unparalleled affordable housing and vital services. Her career tapestry is woven with varied experiences, each adding depth to her understanding of housing sectors. At Jamboree, Katherine not only shapes strategic directions but also plays an integral role in developing, financing, and managing affordable housing initiatives across Northern California. Her deep-seated understanding of housing finance intricacies combined with strategic vision ensures the seamless realization of housing projects. Her tenure as Vice President of Housing Development at Domus Development bore witness to her unmatched proficiency. Here, she was central to the development and financing of nine significant affordable housing properties throughout California, collectively valued at $225 million. Yet, this wasn't her inaugural large-scale initiative. During her tenure as the Finance Director for USA Properties Fund, Inc., Katherine orchestrated a remarkable $500 million in debt and equity financing, spearheading the development of over 6,000 multifamily rental housing units across California and Nevada. From her early beginnings in the affordable housing sector to her leadership roles today, Katherine McFadden has consistently exemplified commitment and expertise. Beginning her journey in 1995, Katherine embarked on her career at the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee (TCAC) in Sacramento. As temporary staff, she was instrumental in assisting the TCAC staff, management, and applicants with both 4% and 9% Low Income Housing Tax Credit Applications, in addition to handling Compliance Reporting. Fast forward to today, and Katherine now leads as the Vice President for Northern California at Jamboree Housing, a pivotal role in one of the region's premier endeavors to provide unparalleled affordable housing and vital services. Her career tapestry is woven with varied experiences, each adding depth to her understanding of housing sectors. At Jamboree, Katherine not only shapes strategic directions but also plays an integral role in developing, financing, and managing affordable housing initiatives across Northern California. One example is the successful transformation of a former hotel into the vibrant community known as Vista Nueva that is changing lives. Her deep-seated understanding of housing finance intricacies combined with strategic vision ensures the seamless realization of housing projects. Her tenure as Vice President of Housing Development at Domus Development bore witness to her unmatched proficiency. Here, she was central to the development and financing of nine significant affordable housing properties throughout California, collectively valued at $225 million. Yet, this wasn't her inaugural large-scale initiative. During her tenure as the Finance Director for USA Properties Fund, Inc., Katherine orchestrated a remarkable $500 million in debt and equity financing, spearheading the development of over 6,000 multifamily rental housing units across California and Nevada. Katherine’s engagements with public entities like the California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA) and the Sacramento Housing & Redevelopment Agency (SHRA) are a testament to her expertise in public finance and real estate development. Her efforts with CalHFA rejuvenated and expanded affordable housing portfolios statewide, while her role at SHRA catalyzed significant affordable housing ventures that culminated in an impressive $85 million in funding. At SHRA, Katherine worked closely with Jamboree on the renovation of the Hotel Berry which is one of her most rewarding affordable housing projects to date, With contributions to non-profit entities like the Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation (TNDC) and LIFESTEPS, and her for-profit experiences, Katherine presents a holistic and comprehensive approach to housing development. A graduate of Westmont College, Katherine further enhanced her academic credentials with Pre-MBA coursework from California State University Sacramento. Her commitment to sustainability is evident from her certification as a Green Building Professional from Build It Green. Outside of work, Katherine enjoys cooking, music, art and watching her youngest son play baseball. In the evolving domain of housing, Katherine McFadden remains a paradigm of expertise and dedication, synergizing her extensive public and private experiences to ensure Northern California's residents have unfettered access to quality, affordable housing.

Lisa has a strong background in audit services within the Real Estate and Hospitality sectors. She is responsible for planning the engagements, supervising staff, and coordinating all fieldwork. Other responsibilities on these engagements include determining audit scope, selecting procedures to be applied, establishing budgets, reviewing work papers, identifying audit issues, communicating with clients, and preparing financial statements or reports. Lisa’s client experience includes private equity investors, residential developers, hospitality owners, management companies, multi-family residential and tax credit investment funds and nonprofit organizations. Lisa has extensive experience having worked with many nonprofit organizations, several of which are local housing organizations that are required to follow Uniform Guidance. Within the residential real estate sector, she has experience with Funds, Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, Cost Certifications, HUD, CalHFA/HCD, RD and various other state agencies. Lisa takes pride in establishing meaningful relationships with clients to deliver an exceptional experience. She provides a high degree of involvement in her engagements to ensure her services exceed her clients’ needs and expectations. Her dedication to the Real Estate and Hospitality industries coupled with her extensive knowledge in the trends and challenges facing each industry, enables Lisa to be a valuable resource for her clients.

Jeff Smith joined Sares Regis in 1998. Jeff serves as Project Executive for major residential development projects, overseeing feasibility, entitlements, financing, design, construction, marketing, and sell-out/lease-up. He is a member of the Senior Management Team for the Residential Division.

Geoff is the owner and founder of Winder Gibson Architects with a focus on visioning, leadership, and mentorship. Under Geoff’s guidance, WGA has developed a strong reputation for design quality, technical execution, and excellent project management with a client-centric approach. WGA has grown in staff, structure and project size, with expertise in creative infill as well as large scale multifamily architecture, while maintaining a boutique approach and a team-oriented collaborative culture. Geoff has presented at numerous conferences, AIA tours, and local design schools and has been featured in local media frequently. Geoff received his architectural degree from McGill University in Montreal and has practiced in San Francisco for 25 years. He formerly taught architectural design at the Academy of Art University for many years. In a cooler past life, Geoff was a DJ, playing house and techno music at clubs and festivals. Winder Gibson Architects designs projects that bring beauty into the world through a poetic sense of space and light, the careful use of materials and detailing, and by embracing the reality of practical needs and the daily lives of those who inhabit them. Our unique strength is understanding how the social flow of a building works—the pattern of living—and how we transform this knowledge into a beautiful and inspiring finished project. We focus on real people and their real-world needs, understanding and serving our clients through careful listening and clear communication. Continue here to read more about our Multifamily Values: https://www.archsf.com/posts/boutique-to-large-scale/

Mark Schwettmann is a nimble problem-solver who thrives on multidimensional challenges. His international portfolio spans a wide range of building types including civic, commercial office, and life sciences, with a particular focus on the development of efficient and sustainable high density multi-family residential. Driven to create inspiring spaces and to improve urban life, he is known for delivering impactful projects that overcome stringent economic, regulatory, and functional constraints. A lifelong resident of the Bay Area with extensive ties throughout the West Coast, Mark draws inspiration from the energy of our cities and their unique relationships to the surrounding natural landscape. His recent projects in San Francisco are a testament to his urbanist sensibilities. At One Steuart Lane and 1550 Mission, Mark actualized an enlivening vision for high-density residential design rooted in qualities of place. The Moscone Center Expansion transformed a black box into a civically engaging landmark and through comprehensive sustainability measures, became the nation’s first LEED Platinum-certified convention center. 49 South Van Ness, also LEED Platinum, brought the City of San Francisco’s departments of buildings, planning, and public works into a single streamlined facility. Current work on the boards includes multiple residential towers in San Francisco, Seattle, and San Diego. Outside of the studio, Mark is also SOM's firmwide practice leader for the multifamily residential practice, coordinating and facilitating the design of thousands of units across the globe. He is also an active member of many organizations committed to sustainability and equity in our environment, a photographer, a cyclist, and a father.

Camille has served in property management for over two decades specializing in operational excellence, asset management, and team development. Currently serving as Vice President of Operations at Avenue5 Residential, Camille oversees strategic initiatives and operational efficiencies across the San Francisco Bay Area, leveraging her expertise to deliver exceptional results and elevate organizational performance. Prior to her current role, Camille held the position of Regional Director of Operations at Berkshire, where she managed multifamily assets across diverse markets, including San Francisco Bay Area and Denver, for over seven years. Her career also includes eight years as Senior Regional Director at Monogram Residential Trust, where she led operations in key markets such as Dallas, Portland, Southern California, and Las Vegas, honing her skills in property management, team leadership, and market strategy. Earlier in her career, Camille held leadership roles at Riverstone Residential Group as Associate Vice President and at Fairfield Residential as Regional Manager. Across these roles, she demonstrated a consistent ability to enhance operational processes, optimize property performance, and foster collaborative team environments. Camille's career is marked by her commitment to excellence, her ability to navigate complex markets, and her passion for delivering outstanding results in property and asset management. With a proven track record of success across multiple regions, she is a trusted leader in the real estate and property management industry.

Cynthia is responsible for an annual budget in excess of $60 million and ensuring the short and long term financial, regulatory and physical sustainability of the assets in service to the communities in which we work. Cynthia’s various executive roles in affordable housing have given her direct oversight of a range of strategic planning and supervision of multiple departments. She is known for building strong teams with a mission-centered approach and for establishing systems to achieve efficiencies and accountability within and across teams. Cynthia was born in Mexico and immigrated to the US when she was eight years old. She graduated, with honors, from UC San Diego with a BA in Political Science and then attended Stanford University’s PhD Political Science program from 1995 – 1999, on a full merit scholarship.

As Senior Vice President of Development, Mr. Simsik oversees all aspects of development and financing for Related California's market rate and mixed-income communities throughout the state. He also leads the West Coast development for Related's Senior Living platform, which acquires and develops the luxury senior living brands of Coterie and Ellore. Since joining Related in 2015, Mr. Simsik has managed over $1 billion in development, including landmark projects such as: The Avery, a 5-story, 548-unit, mixed-use, mixed-income, residential tower in San Francisco; Coterie Cathedral Hill, a 208-unit, luxury, senior living community in San Francisco, and Ellore Santa Clara, a 176-unit, luxury senior living development in Silicon Valley. Prior to joining Related, Mr. Simsik served eight years as a United States Army Aviation Caption and Chinook helicopter pilot with multiple combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. Mr. Simsik holds a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Real Estate from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Science from the United States Military Academy at West Point.

Asheshh Saheba is a Partner at architecture firm Steinberg Hart. With over two decades of experience as a design architect, Saheba's work strives to connect the creation of a design concept to the craft of construction. Asheshh has gained professional experience at firms in San Francisco, New York, Boston, Atlanta and Houston as well as groups based internationally in Italy and India. By tackling multiple project types in various cultures, Asheshh has molded a unique design aesthetic tuned through his global perspective. Most recently, he was responsible for the design of the award-winning Ellore Senior Living, a unique senior living tower catering to individuals needing memory care or life guidance, those in assisted living, and those in respite, or post-operative care.

Jacob Adiarte is the Director of Organizing at the Northern California Carpenters Union (NCCU), where he assumes leadership responsibilities for the largest Organizing Department within the organized labor landscape. In this capacity, he manages a team comprising field organizers, strategic campaigners, and labor compliance investigators. With a career spanning over 15 years, Jacob has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to fostering employment opportunities for more than 37,000 carpenters. His efforts play a crucial role in building fruitful partnerships within the development and construction community. Jacob's professional journey commenced in 2002 as an apprentice out of Carpenters Local Union 713 where he remained dedicated to becoming a journey-level carpenter. In 2008, he was entrusted with the role of Organizer for the NCCU Organizing Department. Since then, Jacob has consistently excelled in this capacity, contributing significantly to the department's success and advancement.

Simon Herrmann is an accomplished leader in sales, business development, and investor relations, with a focus on real estate, fintech, and proptech sectors. He is currently spearheading business development for PearlX, an energy infrastructure capital company. In this role, Simon helps drive investments across California and has overseen significant developments and projects. Prior to joining Calvera, Simon served as Senior Vice President of Global Sales at RedSwan CRE, where he was instrumental in driving a 300% revenue increase by onboarding $7 billion of real estate using blockchain and Web3 technologies. His leadership helped RedSwan CRE become a top platform for commercial real estate tokenization, securing capital for key real estate projects and leading a team of account managers. With over two decades of experience in managing multifamily property sales, Simon has also held senior positions at Greystone, Cushman & Wakefield, and CBRE. His expertise spans real estate advisory, sales management, and strategic investment, with a solid track record of brokering multimillion-dollar deals.