Mayoral Roundtable: Vision for Broward’s Growth and Livability

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  Dean Trantalis

  Dean Trantalis was first elected mayor of Fort Lauderdale in 2018 and was re-elected in Novembe 2020. His 2018 election represented the largest victory in city history for a candidate running for a first term as mayor. The 2020 election was also by landslide proportions and featured the largest turnout ever in a city race. Mayor Trantalis previously served on the City Commission representing District 2 for eight years. As mayor, he represents Fort Lauderdale on the Florida League of Cities, the Broward County Tourism Development Council, the Metropolitan Planning Organization, the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance and the Broward Workforce Development Board. He also served as a member of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ Re-Open Florida Task Force in 2020. Born and raised in Norwich, Connecticut, he attended high school at Norwich Free Academy. At Boston University, he majored in political science and graduated cum laude and with distinction in 1975. He received a Juris Doctorate in 1979 from Stetson University School of Law. Mayor Trantalis was admitted to the Connecticut and Florida Bar Associations in 1980 and has practiced law in Broward County since 1982. He maintains a successful general law practice in Broward County with some emphasis in the areas of real estate, probate, estate planning, bankruptcy, and corporate matters. His long track record of public service in our community began with his involvement in the fight for civil rights. As mayor, he is committed to improvements to the city’s infrastructure, responsible growth, community involvement in development decisions, increased fiscal responsibility in city government and the maintenance of the great quality of life in our neighborhoods. Recognized for his leadership in our community, Mayor Trantalis has received multiple awards and honors. He was an inaugural honoree of the Diversity Honors awards presented by the Harvey Milk Foundation in 2015 and was presented with their lifetime achievement award in spring 2018. He also has been honored as a Community Champion by the Broward County Commission and the Broward County Human Rights Board for his work on behalf of equal rights. In October 2019, he received the Visionary Award from the Gay and Lesbian Business Exchange of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce.

  Fort Lauderdale

  Mayor

  Keynote

  Dean Trantalis

  Mayor

  Fort Lauderdale

• Keynote

  Rex Hardin

  Mayor

  Pompano Beach

• Keynote

  Tim Lonergan

  Mayor

  Oakland Park

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  Josh Levy

  Mayor Josh Levy is honored to be serving in his second term as our city’s mayor. Josh grew up in Hollywood. He graduated from Hollywood Hills High School. He attended the University of Florida, where in 1996, he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. Josh went on to earn a Law Degree from Nova Southeastern University where he graduated with Pro Bono Honors and a Certificate of Concentration in International Legal Practice. Mayor Levy began his volunteerism with the city 24 years ago, when he served as a law clerk in the City of Hollywood City Attorney’s Office. Years later, he was appointed to serve as a member of the city’s Planning & Development Board, a position which Mayor Levy held for twelve years. Mayor Levy is a graduate of the Greater Hollywood Chamber of Commerce Leadership Hollywood program (Class 29) - the Hollywood Police Department’s Citizen’s Police Academy - and is a recipient of the City of Hollywood’s Great Neighborhoods Challenge Community Spirit Award. Today, while serving as mayor, he also serves as a member of: - the Broward County Planning Council, - the Greater Fort Lauderdale CVB’s Tourist Development Council, - CareerSource Broward’s Council of Elected Officials - and also now as an Executive Committee member of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance, Broward County's public-private partnership for regional economic development. Mayor Levy enjoys working together with his colleagues on the Hollywood City Commission as they endeavor to make the City of Hollywood: South Florida’s TOP city to live, learn, work, invest, and play. Mayor Levy thanks his family and the entire community for entrusting him with the privilege of serving as our city’s chief elected official.

  City of Hollywood

  Mayor

  Keynote

  Josh Levy

  Mayor

  City of Hollywood

• Moderator

  Michael Udine

  County Commissioner

  Broward County

Building Broward: Construction, Development, and the Challenges Ahead

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  Hector Delatorres

  CEO

  Cymbal DLT

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  Bromley Kelley

  SVP, Construction

  Newgard Development Group

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  Jeffrey Ardizon

  Jeffrey Ardizon is Principal at The Estate Companies, a Miami-based full-service, vertically integrated developer, owner and operator of residential communities throughout the tri-county region, and one of the largest and most active multifamily developers in Florida. The firm is best known for its institutionally recognized Soleste brand which features Class A multi-family communities throughout South Florida’s urban core and submarket locations. Mr. Ardizon has been credited for identifying and evaluating off-market opportunities, temporary market dislocations, special workouts, overall capitalization and general overall direction of the firm. The Estate Companies has implemented its strategic plan is to increase its focus on development in Broward and Palm Beach counties, and has many luxury projects in various stages of development including Pompano Beach, Dania Beach, Riviera Beach, West Palm Beach, three projects in Hollywood, two in North Miami Beach, and Spring Gardens, among others. Mr. Ardizon was instrumental in structuring and executing one of South Florida's first opportunity zone transactions, Soleste Grand Central, a 360-unit Class A multifamily project in Downtown Miami. Prior to joining The Estate Companies, Mr. Ardizon was the co-founder and principal of ECI, a real estate investment, management and development firm based in South Florida. The firm focused on providing GP/LP equity and debt for multi-family real estate developments and value-add opportunities across a diverse portfolio of asset classes. During that time, Mr. Ardizon was credited for strategically structuring and creating one of the more notable single-family offices in South Florida. Mr. Ardizon began his real estate career with one of the largest nationally ranked advisory firms in the country, where he led the firm's real estate practice for nearly a decade. He represented some of the largest real estate developers, REIT’s, operators and sponsors in the region. Under his leadership, the firm was awarded the top real estate tax firm by various publications. Mr. Ardizon was a top revenue producer for the firm and quickly gained industry recognition as a leading go-to advisor, advising clients on over $3 billion in transactional value.

  The Estate Companies

  Principal

  Jeffrey Ardizon

  Principal

  The Estate Companies

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  Matthew Maffai

  Matthew leads Marsh’s Southeast Construction Practice. An expert in project specific construction risk, Matthew spend the majority of his time working directly with clients on project strategy, planning and building resources and bespoke market solutions. Highly focused on delivering service excellence, Matthew and his team can provide construction expertise nationally and have extensive experience in high-risk projects as well as a deep understanding of solutions and markets designed for unique geographically challenged exposures across varied project types: multi-family, condominium, master plan communities, SFR/BTR, mixed-use, office, adaptive reuse/renovation, rail/civil infrastructure, airports/seaports, manufacturing, and entertainment venues. Prior to joining Marsh in June of 2021, Matthew led Aon’s Construction Service Group for the state of Florida. A two-time University of Miami graduate, Matthew has called Miami home for the past 24 years.

  Marsh

  Managing Director

  Matthew Maffai

  Managing Director

  Marsh

• Moderator

  Shawn Oden

  Managing Director

  BMO Commercial Bank

Capital Markets Spotlight: Unlocking Opportunities in Broward’s CRE Landscape

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  Nicole Shiman

  Nicole Shiman is a Managing Director and the Regional Head of EDENS Florida Business. Nicole is responsible for overseeing the EDENS Florida portfolio and team and leading all new acquisition and development activity in the state. Nicole joined EDENS in 2016 and has been focused on Florida based real estate for over 10 years. Prior to EDENS Nicole served as Vice President at Miami-based 13th Floor Investments, and worked at The Boston Consulting Group in their Toronto, New York and Miami offices. Nicole is an active member of the South Florida real estate community and sits as an advisory board member for ULI Southeast Florida/ Caribbean and is a Board Member for The University of Miami School of Law LLM program. Nicole received her Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) from Harvard Business School.and graduated with a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from The Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario. Nicole is natively Canadian and grew up in Toronto. She is married with three children, a 6- year old daughter a 4-year old son, and a 2-year old daughter and resides with her family in Boca Raton.

  EDENS

  Managing Director

  Nicole Shiman

  Managing Director

  EDENS

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  Rocco Ferrera

  As Chief Investment Officer, Mr. Rocco Ferrera is responsible for the strategic planning, direction and oversight of all properties owned or controlled by Stiles or its related partnerships. Under his direction, highly specialized professionals handle the acquisition, JV structure, financing, asset management, property management, and disposition of real estate. Stiles’ Financial Services arranges all development and investment capital as well as negotiates all purchase and sale contracts, due diligence, and other legal documents related to any transaction. Mr. Ferrera joined Stiles in 1997 as a Senior Asset Manager and was promoted to Director of Stiles Capital Group in 1998. He spent the previous five years as an asset manager with Lennar Partners in Miami Beach, handling numerous types of commercial real estate assets, underwriting CMBS investments, and coordinating various loan workouts. With Stiles, Mr. Ferrera has successfully directed the financing, sale, and financial analysis/reporting of real estate portfolio, earning him his most recent promotion to CIO.

  Stiles

  CIO and Board Director

  Rocco Ferrera

  CIO and Board Director

  Stiles

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  Alfonso Costa Jr.

  As Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Falcone Group, Alfonso Costa Jr. oversees the development of multifamily apartment communities and condominium projects, leading public-private partnership opportunities as well as the company’s operational and strategic initiatives. His current pipeline of mixed-use development projects includes more than 2,000 residential units and 200,000 square feet of retail & self-storage, with a total value exceeding $1 billion. Such projects include “Block C-East” at Miami WorldCenter, and the “Horizon of Oakland Park,” a mixed-use public-private-partnership with the City of Oakland Park. Prior to joining the Falcone Group, Alfonso served as Deputy Chief of Staff & Opportunity Zones lead for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), where he oversaw policy for the $50 billion annually-budgeted Cabinet agency, which maintains a wide range of housing and community development programs, a $1.3 trillion mortgage insurance portfolio, and approximately 7,000 employees across 57 offices nationwide. As an expert on the bi-partisan Opportunity Zones program, he held the title of Chairman’s delegate and HUD’s lead representative on the Federal Government’s inter-agency Opportunity and Revitalization Council, and for his efforts he was recognized in the Opportunity Zone Magazine’s “Top 25 OZ Influencers” list for both 2020 and 2021. A former 5th-grade teacher as a Teach for America corps member, Alfonso is now an active social advocate through philanthropic & academic volunteer efforts on both the local and national levels. In his home State of Florida, he is the Program Chair of ULI Florida’s Affordable & Workforce Housing Council (AWHC), Advisory Board Member & recent Chair of the Nova Southeastern University Master’s in Real Estate Development (MSRED) Program, recent Member of the City of West Palm Beach Affordable Housing Advisory Committee, Heart & Spirit Society member for the Boca Helping Hands food-giving non-profit organization, and an In Jacob’s Shoes of Hope Hero member for the shoes/socks/school supplies non-profit organization. Nationally, he serves as a Member of the Harvard Alumni Real Estate Board, National Housing Taskforce, Housing Advisory Council Member of the Bipartisan Policy Center, Board Member of the Home Builders Institute, and Full Member of the Urban Land Institute. He earned his law degree from Harvard University, master’s degree from the University of Oxford, and bachelor’s degree from Yale University, where he played both Division-I basketball and Division-I lacrosse while serving as Chair of the Yale Athletic Department’s Thomas W. Ford Community Outreach Committee.

  Falcone Group

  COO

  Alfonso Costa Jr.

  COO

  Falcone Group

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  Camilo Niño

  CEO and Founder

  Linkvest Capital

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  Jonathan Gelman

  Jonathan S. Gelman is a shareholder in the Fort Lauderdale office of Greenberg Traurig and a member of the firm’s Global Real Estate Practice. Jon focuses his practice on the sophisticated structuring, financing, acquisition, and disposition of all real estate asset classes, including shopping centers, office buildings, apartments, hotels, and mixed-use projects. With more than 30 years of experience, he counsels leading owners, investors, developers, lenders, and operators in major transactions throughout Florida and nationwide. Jon has a J.D. from the University of Miami School of Law and a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania, where he also earned a B.S. in economics from The Wharton School.

  Greenberg Traurig

  Shareholder

  Moderator

  Jonathan Gelman

  Shareholder

  Greenberg Traurig

Transforming Broward: Major Developments That Are Shaping the Future

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  Joseph Kavana

  Joseph Kavana is the Founder and CEO of K Group Holdings, Inc. As an active developer and investor in the real estate industry for more than 20 years, Mr. Kavana’s experience spans across different asset classes including land development, commercial/retail, multi-family and industrial. As the driving force and vision of what today has come to be known as Metropica – a premier mixed-use development in the heart of Sunrise – Mr. Kavana has from inception been fully involved with the project. Mr. Kavana is also involved in several other international real estate development projects including YOO Punta del Este, Uruguay and YOO Nordelta in Buenos Aires, Argentina. In the early 1990s, Mr. Kavana was one of the managing partners of Equinvest Marymont Ltd., a multi- family entity that, together with the Ibex Group – representing interests of the Bacardi family, acquired over 2,500 multifamily units in San Antonio, Texas. Mr. Kavana also bought and sold several industrial buildings. In 1980 Mr. Kavana founded Sagaz Industries, Inc., a manufacturing company with operations throughout the United States, Canada, Argentina, Mexico, the Far East and Italy. Sagaz was sold to Pennzoil in March 2000. Mr. Kavana was born in Uruguay in 1949 and has permanently lived in Miami, Florida since 1980. He studied Medicine in Montevideo’s School of Medicine. He has served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation and its Executive Committee. As the previous Chairman for AIPAC in Dade County, Florida, Mr. Kavana actively recruited members for this prestigious organization based in Washington, DC. He is also a member of the AIPAC’s Executive National Council in Washington D.C.

  K Group Holdings

  CEO

  Joseph Kavana

  CEO

  K Group Holdings

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  Patrick Campbell

  Patrick Campbell serves as a Vice President for Related Group. He is responsible for all phases of development on the projects in which he is involved. With 20 years of experience in development and construction, his responsibilities have focused on projects in northern Miami-Dade and Broward counties. Projects he has overseen include Aquazul, Aventura Marina Towers One and Two, Trump Hollywood, and New River Yacht Club in Fort Lauderdale. A Registered Architect in the State of Florida, Mr. Campbell holds a Professional Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture from the University of Miami and is active in South Florida’s architectural community. He is a member of the American Institute of Architects, Miami Chapter.

  Related Group

  EVP

  Patrick Campbell

  EVP

  Related Group

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  Doron Broman

  Moderno is a real estate company focused mainly on the development of residential urban projects and creative commercial spaces in Fort Lauderdale & Miami. Moderno manages over $250 million in development projects, totaling over 1,000 apartment units, 50,000SF of commercial spaces which are under construction or planning stages.

  Moderno Development

  Founder & Managing Partner

  Doron Broman

  Founder & Managing Partner

  Moderno Development

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  Greg Cellamare

  Mr. Cellamare has over 25 years of experience in environmental engineering and is the Office Director for the Boca Raton, Florida office. His focus is growing the office and providing the necessary vision, planning, project execution, and technical direction for success in the Florida region. His responsibilities include collaborating with discipline, office, and market directors across H2M, to further develop H2M’s presence in the local community, to lead and develop a strong discipline team, and to evaluate opportunities in the Florida region and prepare proposals. Environmental engineering experience includes Engineer of Record (PE) responsibilities for several vapor barrier/sub-slab depressurization system designs, and multiple construction dewatering designs. He has particularly extensive experience implementing innovative remedial technologies to facilitate mitigation and remediation. Throughout his years in the industry, he has become extremely well versed in laws and regulations from various states and the Federal government. His experience also includes managing multi- year term contracts for public agencies. Mr. Cellamare’s specific due diligence experience includes the completion of numerous soil, soil-vapor, and groundwater contamination investigations for sites governed by various states’ laws, the USEPA, Federal Superfund, and RCRA. These investigations include delineation and remediation of soil and groundwater impacted by petroleum, chlorinated solvents, and metals. He has supervised underground storage tank removal/closure projects, and the installation, operation and maintenance of various types of remedial systems. He has provided environmental construction management services for numerous “mega-projects.” Construction management experience includes management of spoils classification and disposal, noise and air quality impacts, groundwater treatment and disposal, permitting, and erosion and sediment control.

  H2M Architects & Engineers

  Assistant Vice President

  Moderator

  Greg Cellamare

  Assistant Vice President

  H2M Architects & Engineers