Development & Investment on the Peninsula

Exploring Challenges, Opportunities And Solutions To Spur Demand For Development

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  Michael Van Every

  Michael Van Every is the President and Managing Partner of Republic Urban Properties, the Bay Area flagship of the Republic Family of Companies. Mr. Van Every works with Federal, State, and Local governments on the creation and development of ‘smart growth’ projects, such as master-planned communities near transportation hubs; urban mixed-use projects near major employment centers; and innovative, public-private partnerships. The Republic Family of Companies is known for developing institutional-quality real estate throughout the United States, from land development, to historic adaptive reuse, to shopping malls. In his 25 years of working experience representing major institutional and private real estate developers in the greater Bay Area, Van Every has earned the reputation as a man with the leadership, the knowledge, the experience, and tenacity to see complicated projects through from land acquisition to completion. Under Van Every’s leadership, RUP has gained national attention for its Transit Oriented Development (TOD) projects at key transit stations working as the premier public-private partner with many transit authorities across California. Since 2006, as the managing partner of RUP, Van Every has been involved with the planning, financing, construction, and delivery of 1,238 multifamily units and 145,000 square feet of mixed-use commercial space. In addition to the multifamily pipeline, RUP has approximately 380 hotels rooms, 151,000 square feet of office, and 120,000 square feet of retail in various stages of development. The estimated market value among projects is projected at $1.5 billion in value. A third-generation San Jose native, Van Every holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from California State University at Fresno. Van Every is an active member of San Jose Rotary Club as well as the Silicon Valley Leadership Group. He also serves as a Board Member on Santa Clara County Catholic Charities. Michael is married and lives with his wife Jennifer and Jacob in the Willow Glen Neighborhood of San Jose.

  Republic Urban Properties

  President & CEO - West Coast

  Michael Van Every

  President & CEO - West Coast

  Republic Urban Properties

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  Mollie Ricker

  Mollie is a Partner of Dostart Development Company (“DDC”), one of the Silicon Valley’s premier commercial real estate developers known for its local expertise, for its leadership in sustainability and transit-oriented design, and for the high quality of its projects and tenants. During the past decade with DDC, Mollie has actively managed nearly 1 million square feet of commercial office development and investment in Silicon Valley. Her responsibilities include leading acquisitions, managing city entitlements, directing leasing, construction, financing and asset management. Prior to joining DDC, Mollie was an investor with Francisco Partners, L.P., a technology-focused private equity firm with $5.0 billion under management, where she was involved in identifying, executing and managing investments across a variety of sectors. Earlier in her career, Mollie worked in the Investment Banking Division of Goldman Sachs. Mollie is currently a member of the Urban Land Institute and serves on the national ULI Industrial and Office Product Council as well as on the San Francisco Commercial Local Product Council. She is also a member of NAIOP – Silicon Valley and Stanford Professionals in Real Estate (SPIRE). Mollie also serves as treasurer on the Board of Directors of The Representation Project. Mollie received her M.B.A. from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and her B.A. in Economics and Latin American Studies, with Distinction, from Yale University.

  Dostart Development Company

  Partner

  Mollie Ricker

  Partner

  Dostart Development Company

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  Andrew Turco

  Andrew Turco, Vice President of Sares Regis Group of Northern has been invaluable in the success of many development projects throughout the San Francisco Peninsula and specifically in project entitlements, such as the repurposing of the historic Burlingame post office. Andrew holds a BA in Public Affairs from Princeton University and MS degrees in both Real Estate Development and City Planning from MIT.

  Sares Regis Group

  VP, Development

  Andrew Turco

  VP, Development

  Sares Regis Group

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  Derek Fitzgerald

  Derek serves as Vice President of Preconstruction for McCarthy’s Northern Pacific Region. Since joining McCarthy 8 years ago, Derek plays an instrumental role in overseeing McCarthy's design phase services, bringing unmatched commitment to developing strong teams, leading cost estimating and procurement efforts, and maintaining long-standing partner relationships. During his tenure, he has managed a variety of large commercial projects in all sectors, particularly in life sciences, higher education, and science & technology. He and his team are focused on developing innovative solutions to maximize value for clients. His strong leadership and mentoring skills have made Derek indispensable in his role. Derek has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil/Environmental Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley.

  McCarthy

  VP, Preconstruction

  Derek Fitzgerald

  VP, Preconstruction

  McCarthy

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  Norm Schwab

  Norman Schwab is a co-founder and managing partner of Page Mill Realty. He has over 20 years experience in acquisition, management and construction of commercial, medical and residential properties. He has completed over $200M worth of transactions in office, medical and multi family sectors as a principal working with private and institutional partners. Norman earned his Bachelor‘s of Science Degree in Finance from the Sy Syms School of Business at Yeshiva University in New York.

  Page Mill Realty

  Managing Partner

  Norm Schwab

  Managing Partner

  Page Mill Realty

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  Faraaz Mirza

  Faraaz Mirza leads DLR Group’s San Francisco office. He has 25 years of experience working in the Bay Area with a large focus on multifamily housing. He is a recognized leader in the design of high density, urban infill projects. His award-winning projects capture and reflect the dynamism and culture of the Bay Area. His projects include Arterra in Mission Bay, Marlow and Rockwell on the Van Ness corridor, and Vida in the Mission District.

  DLR Group

  Principal

  Moderator

  Faraaz Mirza

  Principal

  DLR Group

The Peninsula Life Sciences Landscape

Trends Impacting CRE Decision Making And Meeting The Demand For Lab Space

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  Cyrus Sanandaji

  Cyrus Sanandaji is the founder and managing principal of Presidio Bay Ventures, a commercial real estate investment and development firm focused on the design, construction and long-term operation of a diverse set of product types for private and public sector tenants across the United States.

  Presidio Bay Ventures

  Managing Principal

  Cyrus Sanandaji

  Managing Principal

  Presidio Bay Ventures

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  Brian Hecktman

  Brian Hecktman is the Founding Principal and Chief Executive Officer of Graymark Capital. He has over 25 years of direct experience investing as a principal and working with institutional partners. Mr. Hecktman has completed over $3 billion of acquisitions in the life sciences, R&D, office, industrial and multifamily sectors. Since 2012, Mr. Hecktman has led Graymark Capital’s growth into a $2 billion real estate investment company with over 30 properties and 4 million square feet in major markets in the western United States. The company has focused on institutional quality life sciences, creative office and R&D projects appealing to today’s modern tenants. Major holdings are in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, San Diego, Seattle, Portland and Austin. Prior to Graymark Capital, Mr. Hecktman served as the Senior Vice President of the Commercial Division for Fowler Property Acquisitions. Mr. Hecktman started the commercial division, building it into a 25-property, $400 million commercial portfolio in the western United States. Mr. Hecktman has a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Chicago and a Bachelor of Science in accountancy and finance from the University of Illinois. He is an active member of ULI and NAIOP and has served a number of community organizations, including Hands On San Francisco, Project Homeless Connect and SF Moderates.

  Graymark Capital

  Founder & CEO

  Brian Hecktman

  Founder & CEO

  Graymark Capital

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  Nick Cassaro

  VP, Head of Life Sciences Development

  BGO

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  Kevin Norman

  Since joining DES over 35 years ago, Kevin has focused on technically challenging, cutting-edge life science laboratories, workspaces, and campuses. A natural problem-solver, he leads by example and takes a hands-on, active role in project work, yet prioritizes an open mind and listening to others before taking action. These qualities make him an excellent team builder and serve him well as DES Life Science Sector Leader. Kevin finds inspiration in supporting groundbreaking scientific research at any scale. Beyond his professional contribution to building communities, Kevin is actively involved in several organizations shaping a better future for all. He is Past President of the local American Institute of Architects (AIA) and Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) chapters, is an Executive Board member of the San Leandro Improvement Association (SLIA), participates in the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, and currently serves on the board of the San Francisco/Bay Area Chapter of the International Society of Pharmaceutical Engineers (ISPE). Kevin's multifaceted contributions to the architecture and life sciences industries and his dedication to community engagement reflect his unwavering commitment to driving positive change and fostering innovation in the built environment.

  DES Architects

  Managing Principal

  Kevin Norman

  Managing Principal

  DES Architects

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  Sherif Eldash

  Master’s graduate in Civil Engineering with over 13 years of experience in pre-construction for commercial tenant improvement projects, specializing in the life sciences industry. Extensive expertise in cost estimating, value engineering, subcontractor bidding, contract negotiation, bid leveling, and cost analysis. Proven ability to lead and manage preconstruction departments and teams of estimators, ensuring all tasks are completed efficiently and bids are submitted without scope gaps. Skilled in overseeing and driving the success of preconstruction phases to deliver well-coordinated, cost-effective project outcomes.

  GCI General Contractors

  Preconstrution Manager

  Sherif Eldash

  Preconstrution Manager

  GCI General Contractors

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  Andy Giessner

  Director

  Dome Construction

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  Ed Wood

  As President and COO of CoBUILD Construction Services, Ed Wood has developed the most EQ-focused construction team serving the Bay Area and Colorado Front Range. Ed co-founded CoBUILD after more than 25 years as a general contractor and client representative for national developers. He saw that collaboration, creative problem solving, and a willingness to embrace new technologies were the keys to fulfilling CoBUILD’s mission of creating environments for people to succeed. He enjoys working with the mix of scientific innovations, diverse organizations, and natural resources Colorado has to offer to make unique construction projects come to life

  CoBuild Construction Services

  President

  Moderator

  Ed Wood

  President

  CoBuild Construction Services