Confirmed Speakers

Neil R. Aaronson, Chief Executive Officer, Hilco Real Estate
Neil brings nearly 10 years of merger, acquisition, disposition, investment and general deal-making experience to The Hilco Organization. During his career, Neil has been instrumental in the successful completion of over $4 billion in transactions. Prior to joining Hilco, Neil had served as Senior Vice President, Business Development, for Cendant Corporation, where he oversaw all merger, acquisition and investment activity for the Company’s hotel and timeshare businesses.
Matthew Anderson, Managing Director, Foresight Analytics (a unit of Trepp, LLC)
Matthew Anderson is co-founder and Managing Director of Foresight Analytics, a division of Trepp, LLC. Based in Oakland, California, Foresight Analytics performs real estate research, focusing on forecasting market conditions, as well as bank lending and credit trends. With a consulting career spanning 20 years, Mr. Anderson has consulted for major commercial banks, global investors, insurance companies, investment banks and hedge funds. His most recent work has centered around distress in real estate markets – on both the residential and commercial sides. Mr. Anderson earned an MBA in 1990 from the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley. He has been quoted in major media, including the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Chicago Tribune, and American Banker, and has appeared on TV and radio.
Albert M. Berriz, Chief Executive Officer, McKinley
Albert M. Berriz is Chief Executive Officer, Board Member and Shareholder of McKinley. Mr. Berriz has extensive experience in the acquisition, financing, management and redevelopment of real estate assets. He is responsible for acquiring and managing assets in excess of $4.0 billion during his career. Mr. Berriz holds an MBA with honors in marketing and finance from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management — Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. He also holds a Bachelor of Architecture Professional degree with high honors from the School of Engineering at the University of Miami.
Sue Blumberg, Vice President, Northmarq Capital
Sue is a Senior Vice President and Managing Director of the Chicago office of Northmarq Capital.  She joined Northmarq in 2006 as a multifamily specialist, after 17-years as Vice President and Head of the Chicago office of Reilly Mortgage Group.  Sue’s expertise in multifamily finance stems from her vast knowledge of Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae and FHA programs, which she has been originating for over 25 years.  Sue has closed loans on over 300 properties during her career, primarily in the Midwest region.
Michael E. Breier, Partner, Shepard Schwartz & Harris LLP
Mike Breier is an audit and consulting partner with Shepard Schwartz & Harris LLP.  His work with clients covers a broad range of audit, accounting, technology, and business operations and management issues.  Mike brings 25 years of experience consulting with privately owned residential real estate developers and investors. In the current economic environment, Mike has been concentrating on investment and tax strategies related to distressed residential properties and construction projects by advising a number of Chicagoland’s largest privately owned homebuilders and construction contractors.
Bill Buhmann, Managing Director, RSM McGladrey Risk Management
Bill Buhmann is a Managing Director in the FDIC resolution support practice of RSM McGladrey, Inc.  Bill oversees RSM McGladrey’s Receivership Assistance Contract with the FDIC. He has in-depth knowledge of how the bank-closing process works and how the FDIC disposes of assets acquired from failed institutions.  Bill has provided on-site direction for the largest/most difficult receiverships that the firm has been involved in. Bill has more than 30 years of experience in directing risk management activities and assisting organizations in complex due diligence. He has also been formally trained as a commercial lending officer.
Michael Carp, Executive Vice President, Berkadia Commercial Mortgage LLC (formerly Capmark)
Owned jointly by Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and Leucadia National Corporation, Berkadia Commercial Mortgage LLC (Berkadia) recently acquired the North American loan origination and servicing businesses of Capmark Financial Group Inc. and its subsidiaries. Berkadia is now a recognized and highly rated special, master and primary servicer managing a portfolio of more than $236 billion.
David P. Cohen, Partner, Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP
David P. Cohen focuses his practice on real estate acquisitions, dispositions, finance and development. Mr. Cohen has broad experience representing developers, lenders and investors in all facets of real estate transactions, with a particular emphasis on multifamily, mixed-use and hotel properties. Mr. Cohen’s practice encompasses all aspects of distressed transactions, including note sales, deeds in lieu, repositioning of underperforming assets, discounted payoffs, sales and refinancings with back-end participation rights, conversions of mezzanine loans to preferred equity, and other recapitalization strategies.
Matthew J. Coleman, Co-Head, D. E. Shaw Real Estate Advisors, L.L.C.
Matthew Coleman is a senior vice president in the real estate investment unit of D. E. Shaw & Co., L.P. and co-head of D. E. Shaw Real Estate Advisers, L.L.C. Since joining the D. E. Shaw group in 2005, Mr. Coleman has focused on real estate equity and debt originations and, most recently, workouts and restructurings for the real estate investment unit’s portfolio.
Carlos F. Crespo, President/CEO of the NIGMA Family of Companies
Carlos has over 30 years of experience developing and structuring innovative funding strategies for complex infrastructure, commercial, industrial, and institutional projects. He is a Florida State Certified General Contractor, and a licensed Mortgage Broker/Banker. He has developed over 8 million sq. ft. of commercial and industrial facilities in 17 countries, and developed the financial model for the first airport concession project in the world based on a Build, Operate, and Transfer concept. Carlos specializes in designing integrated development plans and structuring risk management strategies to optimize risk adjusted returns.
Sean Dalfen, Managing Director, Dalfen America Corp.
Sean is a managing director at Dalfen America Corp (DAC), serving as the head of fund operations, which has an annual acquisition mandate of between $500 million and $1 billion. Prior to his current role, Sean was instrumental in creating the company’s self-storage division, Mini Dauphin, now a leading self storage provider in the Montreal
area. Sean also led Dalfen’s Ltd (DAC’s Canadian entity) in the assembly one of the largest contiguous industrial land holdings in the Montreal area. Previously, Sean worked at NAI Commercial, where he was one of the company’s top 10 performers in Canada.
Thomas G. D’Arcy, Senior Vice President, Hines Interests, Limited Partners
Thomas G. D’Arcy joined Hines in 1998, and is a Senior Vice President based in the Midwest Regional Office.  In his eleven years with Hines Tom has worked on projects in Chicago, Minneapolis, Detroit, Columbus, Cleveland, Nashville and Kansas City.  During the last six years, he has assisted in the acquisition of several Chicago-area projects including: One North Wacker, 333 West Wacker, 321 North Clark at Riverfront Plaza, the Harris Bank Building and Westwood of Lisle.  Tom has also worked on Hines development projects in Chicago including: 191 North Wacker Drive, One South Dearborn, and 300 North LaSalle.
Gary K. DeClark, MAI, CRE, FRICS, Managing Director, Integra Realty Resources, Inc.
Mr. DeClark has 28 years of expertise in valuation and counseling of all major types of and interests in real estate. Managing Director of Integra Realty Resources – Chicago Metro, Mr. DeClark has undertaken assignments in counseling and valuation in various real estate investment, office, retail, farm, hotel, industrial, multiple family and single family, residential and special use properties as well as the valuation of businesses.
Tom Eggleston, Principal, Benham REO
Tom Eggleston is CEO, Owner of RENU Management LLC, and operate 23 offices nationally of Benham REO, leading national affiliation of professional REO Brokers representing Lenders and Asset Managers in residential and commercial asset disposal.
Robert Flannery, Chief Operating Officer, JRG Capital Partners, LLC.
At JRG Capital Partners, Mr. Flannery is active in seeking out new acquisitions and partnership opportunities, along with responsibility for asset and project management on a variety of existing JRG investments. Bob has over 20 years of experience in commercial real estate and has worked with many of the industry’s largest players, including Prudential Insurance, First Chicago (now JP Morgan Chase) and Sam Zell’s Equity Office. He has been involved in transactions totaling almost $1 billion and has worked on real estate portfolios in major markets throughout the United States.
Evan Gladstone, Executive Managing Director, NRC Realty Advisors
Evan Gladstone is the founder and Executive Managing Director of NRC Realty Advisors, LLC, which began its operations in 1989 as National Real Estate Clearinghouse, Inc. Under Mr. Gladstone’s guidance, NRC became one of the Resolution Trust Company’s (RTC) major auction and sealed bid contractors selling nearly one billion in commercial and residential real estate from 1990 to 1994. Gladstone began conducting residential real estate auctions in 1982 for Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and HUD, then for the FSLIC and FDIC ultimately selling over 4000 houses by the end of the 1980’s.
William H. Glazer, President, Keystone Property Group
Mr. Glazer founded Keystone Property Group as a brokerage firm in 1991 and forged Keystone’s growth into an investment firm in 1993, to a development company in 1997, and to a real estate private equity firm that manages capital in 2003. Mr. Glazer’s professional affiliations include the Young President’s Organization, the National Association of Industrial & Office Properties, the Wharton School’s Zell/Lurie Real Estate Center, Tristate Commercial Alliance and the Urban Land Institute and serves as a director on the board of Hyperion Bank, and the Jewish Federation of Philadelphia.
Hon. Alan J. Greiman (Ret.), First District, Illinois Appellate Court
Hon. Alan J. Greiman (Ret.) served on the Illinois Appellate Court for 16 years, and was elected as Chair of the Executive Committee (Chief Judge) for 11 consecutive years. He is well regarded for his integrity, knowledge of the law, and fine temperament. Before coming to the Appellate Court, he served as Law Motion Judge in the Circuit Court of Cook County and presided over numerous jury trials in the Law Division. He served in the Illinois General Assembly for 14 years and as Assistant Majority Leader for eight of those years.
David A. Grossberg, Partner, Schiff Hardin LLP
John Hamilton, SVP Acquisitions & Business Development, Pyramid Hotel Group
John Hamilton is responsible for PHG’s new management assignments, acquisitions and business development. In the past five years, Hamilton and his team have underwritten, financed, acquired and/or taken over management of approximately 50 hotels with over 20,000 rooms. Hamilton has 25 years of experience sourcing, evaluating, underwriting, and executing hospitality real estate and management transactions. Previously a licensed C.P.A., he has been associated with such prominent firms as Lowe Hospitality, Promus Hotels, Carnival Hotels & Resorts, Doubletree Hotels, and Laventhol & Horwath, CPA’s.
Richard A. Hanson, Principal and Founder, Mesa Development, LLC
As founder of Mesa Development, Rich Hanson brings over 30 years of real estate and accounting experience, leading the firm by establishing the strategic direction and investment strategy. His work is grounded by his belief in creating architecturally stunning urban settings located near civic and cultural centers—allowing individuals greater opportunity to contribute to society and enhance their lives. Prior to forming Mesa, Rich spent 16 years as President of Stein & Company and its successor Mesirow Stein Real Estate Inc., where he was involved in many of Chicago’s major developments.
Robert C. Hazard III, VP of Acquisitions and Development, Hersha Hospitality Trust
Robert C. Hazard III, Vice President of Acquisitions and Development, is responsible for sourcing and closing new business opportunities for Hersha Hospitality Trust. Prior to joining Hersha, Mr. Hazard was the chief executive at MetroVision Community Development, an advisory firm specializing in assisting governmental jurisdictions in the development and management of its tourism infrastructure. Mr. Hazard has also held development and acquisition positions at Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Interstate Hotels and has over a decade of industry consulting experience with top hospitality and tourism consulting firms.
Alissa Helgesen, President and Founder, Circle Realty Advisors
Circle Realty Advisors was established to provide institutional-quality commercial real estate investment services to companies seeking entrepreneurial solutions. Drawing on a commercial real estate career spanning more than 20 years, Ms. Helgesen has gained the transaction experience, market knowledge, industry contacts and entrepreneurial drive to lead a successful boutique real estate advisory firm. Previously, Ms. Helgesen was vice president of acquisitions and dispositions for Duke Realty Corporation, where she completed transactions totaling more than $734 million and was a member of Duke’s management committee.
Hon. John Hourihane (Ret.), ADR Systems
Hon. John Hourihane (Ret.) is a skilled mediator, arbitrator and judge, known for his creative settlements in resolving complex matters. Judge Hourihane has extensive experience in complex, multi-party, business/ commercial, contract disputes, insurance, class action, construction and personal injury matters. Since joining ADR Systems of America in 2001, he has served exclusively as a neutral and has successfully conducted over 300 mediations and arbitrations. Judge Hourihane’s 20 year judicial career focused on commercial, civil and criminal litigation and case resolution.
Thomas G. Jaros, Partner, Levenfeld Pearlstein, LLC
Tom is a partner in the Real Estate & Finance Practice Group. He has experience with a variety of real estate transactions, including commercial and office properties, apartment buildings, shopping centers, vacant land and industrial properties. He represents both eal estate and lending clients in a wide range of real estate matters including acquisitions, dispositions, leasing, financing and tax planning. Tom has particular expertise in single-tenant office properties and representing borrowers in securitized-lending transactions. Prior to joining Levenfeld Pearlstein, Tom practiced at Smith Lodge and Schneider in Chicago.
Yvonne A. Jones, CPM, CCIM, President, Principal, Zifkin Realty Group, LLC
Over the past two decades, Yvonne A. Jones, CCIM, CPM, has built an impressive commercial real estate career that encompasses many different industry disciplines. Prior to joining Zifkin Realty Group, LLC, she was Senior Asset Manager at EIKO International, Inc., a Swiss company with commercial real estate assets throughout the United States. There she represented overseas owners of retail, office, and industrial properties in a wide range of disciplines including asset management, acquisition, disposition, leasing, and finance. She joined the Zifkin organization in 2002 as Executive Vice President in their brokerage group.
James Kaplan, SCSM, Managing Principal, James Kaplan Companies, LLC
James Kaplan serves as Managing Principal of James Kaplan Companies, LLC. a Glenview, IL based Developer/Owner-Manager of shopping centers and retail use properties. He has spent over 30 years trying to figure out the shopping center business in a variety of disciplines related to leasing, management, development and redevelopment. Jim also serves as an advisor and consultant to development firms and financial institutions, a receiver in both circuit and federal courts, and is also active as an educator and advocate for the shopping center industry.
Judge James F. Henry, Of Counsel, Meckler Bulger Tilson Marick & Pearson LLP
Judge James F. Henry retired from the Circuit Court of Cook County Chancery Division after serving almost 20 years as a Circuit Court Judge. He began his judicial career in 1988 in the First and Fifth Municipal Districts, and later moved to the County Division. In that division he presided over election matters, real estate valuation and tax assessments appeals, as well as tax deed petitions. He next sat in the Law division, presiding over an individual commercial calendar handling a variety of business related matters and complex civil litigation, his work there included both bench and jury trials.
Francis L. Keldermans, Partner, Holland & Knight
Frank Keldermans is a partner with Holland & Knight LLP and practices in the firm’s financial services group with an emphasis on lending, workouts, receiverships, foreclosures, and the purchase and sale of loan portfolios. He has significant experience representing lenders with respect to commercial and real estate finance transactions. Mr. Keldermans represents lenders with respect to complex foreclosure proceedings involving all real estate asset classes, including mixed use condominium regimes, for sale housing developments, retail centers, warehouse and storage facilities, apartment projects, and land ventures.
Mike Kelly, President, Caldera Asset Management
Mr. Kelly has over 20 years of real estate experience encompassing more than 200 different transactions of over $4.5 billion covering all asset classes. He has personally acquired, disposed &/or asset managed over $2.8 billion of apartments including 155 properties with 46,000 units in 30 major US cities. Mr. Kelly founded Caldera Asset Management in 2008 with the intent of helping clients with their apartment issues such as loan restructuring, recapitalization strategies, operational and platform reviews. Clients have included lenders, hedge funds, pension fund advisors, developers and private sponsors.
Steven Kisielica, Principal, Lodging Capital Partners, LLC
Steven Kisielica is one of the founding Principals of Lodging Capital Partners, LLC. Mr. Kisielica’s primary role at LCP is to manage the company’s acquisition and disposition program. Prior to starting LCP, Steve was Senior Vice President, Acquisitions and Development of Strategic Hotel Capital Inc. (“SHC”). SHC is an owner and asset manager of luxury hotels and resorts on a global basis. Steve helped build this company from the ground up in 1997, and it quickly became a multi-billion dollar, internationally recognized organization.
Brian Klebash, Director of Events, GreenPearl Events
Brian Klebash is the Director of Events at GreenPearl Events where he has launched the Distressed Real Estate Summit Series, the Multifamily Investment Summit and the Medical Office Real Estate Symposium. Prior to GreenPearl, Brian worked with the RealShare Conference Series/GlobeSt.com and its parent company ALM, where he helped to launch and produce industry-leading events in the student housing and medical office sectors, as well as a popular annual event for hedge fund attorneys. Brian has worked in business-to-business events since 2006. His background also includes media production and on-air positions in radio and TV stations in New England and New York.
Lori Kohn Neiman, Special Assets | Commercial Real Estate, Northern Trust
Dennis Langley, Co-Founder, Montclair Hotel Investors, Inc.
Dennis Langley co-founded Montclair Hotel Investors for the purpose of owning and managing hotel properties. Prior to founding Montclair, Langley was Senior Vice President – Hotel Investments for VMS Realty Partners. Langley developed and implemented a workout strategy for a hotel portfolio of over 60 hotels valued in excess of $3 billion. Prior to VMS, Langley spent seven years in hotel operations with Westin Hotels & Resorts.
Spencer Levy, Senior Managing Director, CBRE Restructuring Services
As Senior Managing Director in Capital Markets, Spencer Levy is responsible for overseeing and coordinating the activities of more than 300 investment sales and debt/equity finance professionals in the Eastern region of the United States. Prior to joining CBRE, Mr. Levy was a Principal at Stifel Nicolaus (formerly Legg Mason Capital Markets). As Principal, he was responsible for leading overall execution of several major merger and acquisition assignments. As well, Mr. Levy played a significant role in the initial public offering of six REITs as well as dozens of other public and private capital-raising transactions.
Eric Lindner, Managing Director, Helios AMC, LLC
Mr. Lindner is a founder and Managing Director of Helios AMC, LLC a rated commercial mortgage special servicer. He was formerly President of GMAC Institutional Advisors and Executive Vice President, GMAC Commercial Mortgage Real Estate Services Group. Mr. Lindner has more than 30 years of experience in real estate finance and asset
management. Mr. Lindner was a principal and co-founder of the Hanford/Healy Asset Management Company from its formation in 1991 until its sale to GMAC Commercial Mortgage in September 1996.
Gail L. Lissner, CRE, SRA, Vice President, Appraisal Research Counselors

Gail L. Lissner, CRE, SRA is a Vice President of Appraisal Research Counsel¬ors and has been with the firm since 1975.  Ms. Lissner’s valuation specialties include an emphasis in condominium housing in urban markets – both traditional and loft style product.  Consultation services include site evaluation for new developments, input on building design/floor plans and evaluation of pricing and marketing programs.  She has been retained as a consultant on numerous condominium development projects to determine market demand and price points for new product.  Additional experience includes multi-family rental property.

Scott R. Maesel | Executive Managing Director, Sperry Van Ness | Commercial Real Estate Advisors
Scott R. Maesel serves as Executive Managing Director for Sperry Van Ness, LLC, specializing in the sale and leasing of retail investment properties. With over 17 years of industry experience, Maesel has secured more than 500 transactions totaling in excess of $400 million. Licensed in 1991, Maesel started his real estate career as a leasing agent with Glascott & Associates in Lincoln Park. While practicing real estate, he simultaneously began an entrepreneurial venture in the hospitality industry by owning a restaurant and bar in Lincoln Park for over five years.
Jules H. Marling, III, Managing Director, Real Estate Research Corporation (RERC)
Jules Marling serves as managing director of Real Estate Research Corporation (RERC) and is active in real estate consulting, as well as real estate investments, transactions and developments. He has supervised or personally completed over 7,000 real estate consulting assignments encompassing virtually all property types in most areas of the United States and several foreign countries. He specializes in assignments involving complex real estate strategic planning and problem solving for both individual assets and real estate companies.
John F. McKinney, President, JF McKinney & Associates Ltd
Jack McKinney is President and founder of J.F. McKinney & Associates, Ltd. Jack’s innovative and comprehensive marketing strategies have resulted in J.F. McKinney & Associates’ outstanding list of successful repositionings including Prudential Plaza, One North Franklin and the Chicago Title & Trust Center. Over the last 17 years, Jack has overseen the leasing of nearly 16 million square feet of vacant space and has secured such notable anchor tenants as Baker & McKenzie, Goldman Sachs, Mayer Brown Rowe & Maw, Andersen Consulting, Peoples Energy Corporation, Amoco Corporation and the American Hospital Association.
Hon. Clifford L. Meacham (Ret.), Cook County
Hon. Clifford L. Meacham (Ret.) is a retired Cook County judge with substantial complex case management experience. He has settled or adjudicated numerous significant cases and handled all manner of construction and real estate cases. More recently, he has been Supervising Judge of the Mechanics Lien/Mortgage Foreclosure Section of the Chancery Division, and has overseen the expansion of the Section to deal with the challenge of 44,000 new mortgage foreclosure filings per year.
Daniel Owen Mee, Executive Director, Tremont Realty Capital
Scott Miller, Managing Director, Development and Asset Strategy, Jones Lang LaSalle
Mr. Miller has over 20 years of real estate experience in markets throughout North America. He has facilitated over $1 billion of real estate transactions, and is a Managing Director leading the Development and Asset Strategy (DAS) Group’s Chicago office. Mr. Miller helps clients to acquire assets, or to reposition owned vacant or underutilized assets in order to drive value to the overall organization. His corporate real estate work includes highest & best use analysis and creating thoughtful strategies around functionally obsolete or environmentally challenged assets.
William G. Mitchell, Managing Director, Holliday Fenoglio Fowler LP
Mr. Mitchell is a Managing Director in HFF’s Chicago office and sources debt and loan sale opportunities for HFF with a focus on distressed debt. He has over 20 years experience in real estate banking, investment banking and advisory. Mr. Mitchell joined HFF in 2007. Prior to that time, Mr. Mitchell was the founder and principal in Lake Forest Advisors (“LFA”), which advised buy-side clients on loan purchases and structured lending. In four years, Mr. Mitchell sourced and closed in excess of $250 million of debt and equity financing and loans.
Cherin L. Mooradian, MAI, ASA, Director, Duff & Phelps, LLC
Gerald Lee Nudo, Principal, Marc Realty
Mr. Nudo became a principal of Marc Realty in 1990 and has served as Senior Vice President overseeing the acquisitions, dispositions, and financings for the Company portfolio. Prior to joining the Company, he was a prominent and successful mortgage banker in Chicago and served as a director for three publicly traded Real Estate Investment Trusts. Mr. Nudo was a licensed Real Estate Broker in the State of Illinois and a Certified Public Accountant.
Ted Parris, SVP, Portfolio Restructure Group, Chapter 11 Consulting, Grubb & Ellis
Ted Parris is a Senior Vice President in the Grubb & Ellis Retail Services Group, assisting property owners, retailers and investors. Specializing in Chapter 11 Portfolio Restructure, he has worked with several clients in addressing their real estate needs throughout the country. Since 1988, Parris has brought his experience to bear from retail, office and industrial markets, having completed over 10 million square feet of transactions valued at over $5 billion. Prior to joining Grubb & Ellis, Parris was a Principal of Staubach/Tanguay-Burke-Stratton, where in addition to transaction services, Parris was involved in retail development.
Todd S. Rich, Managing Director Asset Management, Tishman Speyer
Todd Rich is the head of asset management for Tishman Speyer in Chicago, with oversight over 13 million square feet of prime office real estate. Previously, Mr. Rich was based in London focusing on asset management for Tishman Speyer’s UK and European properties. He also worked in Tishman Speyer’s New York and Washington, DC offices. Prior to his career in real estate, Mr. Rich worked for JP Morgan Partners in NY. He is a member of the ULI Young Leaders Group and serves both on the BOMA/Chicago Labor Relations Committee and as a Trustee of the Joint Security Officers Training Fund.
Daniel E. Rosenberg, Vice President, Capital Markets, Cohen Financial
Jeffrey Rothbart, Founder, Superior Street Capital
Superior Street was formed in 2009 by Jeffrey Rothbart. Prior to forming Superior Street, Mr. Rothbart was a co-founder and Principal at Boulder Net Lease Funds, LLC. During his tenure at Boulder Net Lease Funds, Mr. Rothbart raised over $175 million in equity to acquire, on a nationwide basis, office and industrial assets. At Boulder, his responsibilities included capital and fund formation, acquisitions, asset management and dispositions. Prior to forming Boulder Net Lease Funds, Mr. Rothbart practiced real estate and tax law at a Chicago-based law firm and worked in the legal department of Related Midwest
Dana C. Rowan, Managing Director, Paradigm-Exeter Advisors
Dana Rowan has over 25 years of experience in commercial and residential real estate workouts, investment and development. Mr. Rowan’s company is based in Boston and specializes in providing workout, restructuring, recapitalization, disposition and bankruptcy advisory services for debtors, creditors and court-appointed receivers involving large, complex real estate assets and portfolios. Mr. Rowan and his three partners, each have worked out, restructured and recapitalized in excess of $1.0 billion of assets, both in New England and across the US.
Jonathan Schultz, Founder, Onyx Equities, LLC
As Co-Founder and Managing Principal of Onyx Equities, LLC, Jonathan Schultz oversees the organization’s investor capital raising initiatives, strategic planning, portfolio management, investor relations and business development. Onyx Equities has purchased three quarters of a billion dollars of suburban office, retail and industrial properties. Jonathan is also a senior member of the firm’s investment committee where his 22 years of experience were instrumental in establishing the firm’s rigid commercial real estate underwriting criteria which has resulted in the firm’s successful deployment of capital for its Phalanx family of funds.
Dave Schumacher, President & Chief Underwriter, Tax Title Services
Robert Shakman, Principal, Regents Park, LLC
Don Shapiro, President/CEO, Foresite Realty Partners, L.L.C.
Don Shapiro spearheads the company’s strategic initiatives and oversees all financial aspects of the company. In addition, Mr. Shapiro is responsible for the following day-to-day business practice groups which include: court appointed receiverships and bankruptcy work, turnaround consulting, and development as well as manages deal structuring for the following types of transactions: sale-leasebacks, 1031/TIC tax-deferred exchanges, installment sales, buyout-lease terminations and rent reduction negotiations.
Michael S. Shechtman, JDI Realty
Since 1991, Mr. Shechtman has been the president of Fidelity Capital Corporation, a company that specializes in commercial mortgage brokerage and commercial mortgage lending. Since 1999, he has also been the President of Fidelity Capital Investments, LLC, which specializes in equity investments in commercial real estate. From 1986 through 1991, Mr. Shechtman was self-employed as a real estate investor and broker. From 1983 through 1986, he served as Vice President of Heitman Financial Services, Ltd.
Brian Shniderson, Managing Director, B&A Capital Partners
Brian Shniderson is an entrepreneurial business leader with broad experiences in restructuring and building companies. Over his 20 years of corporate life, Brian has created and sold several businesses in the service, technology, manufacturing and distribution industries. Twice Brian has landed his companies on the INC. 500’s Fastest Growing Companies List – Both awards were achieved before the age of 30. Most recently Brian was a partner in a commercial real estate development company where he was responsible for financing and investment activities, including overseeing the underwriting and risk management functions.
Matthew P. Sigel, Chief Investment Officer & Senior Vice President of Acquisitions and Portfolio Management, Keystone Property Group
As Senior Vice President of Acquisitions, Matthew Sigel manages the acquisitions and dispositions of Keystone’s portfolio. Mr. Sigel oversees a team of Acquisition Managers who are directly responsible for the acquisitions of specific markets. Mr. Sigel previously spent six years with The Rubenstein Company, L.P. as Vice President and Portfolio Manager. At Rubenstein, Mr. Sigel was involved in the acquisitions/dispositions of assets in excess of $500 million in Atlanta, Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Pittsburgh markets.
Ryan Slack, CEO, GreenPearl Events
Ryan Slack is the CEO of GreenPearl Events and GreenPearl.com, as well as the founding CEO of PropertyShark.com, a real estate data company recently sold to Yardi Systems. GreenPearl Events organizes premier real estate events, including the Distressed Real Estate Summit series, Multifamily Investment Summit, and Medical Office RE Symposium. GreenPearl.com is a real estate business-to-business network for investors, brokers, lenders, and service providers looking to network and do deals. Ryan holds an MBA from Stanford Business School.
Joel Solomon, General Counsel, ST Residential, LLC
Joel Solomon is General Counsel of ST Residential, LLC, which is managing member of Corus Construction Venture, LLC, a joint venture of the FDIC and a consortium of private equity investors. ST Residential manages the commercial real estate portfolio formerly owned by Corus Bank, N.A, which was seized by the FDIC on September 11, 2009. Prior to the creation of ST Residential, Solomon was General Counsel of Commercial Lending at Corus Bank, where he supervised the origination of more than $20 billion of commercial real estate loans, with an emphasis on condominium and other multi-family construction loans.
Jeff Sondgeroth, Principal, West Oak Partners

Jeff Sondgeroth is a principal of West Oak Partners, a Chicago-based firm that provides both direct and third party lending products to commercial real estate investors, with a focus on highly specialized, unconventional capital solutions.  West Oak Partners represents specific private equity firms, hedge funds, and bridge lenders that are active in the Chicago market.  Jeff began his career in commercial real estate lending, most recently at US Bank. Prior to joining West Oak Partners in 2007, he served 6 years as Finance Manager for a Chicago-based real estate development firm. Jeff attended the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign where he received a bachelor of science degree in Finance.
Marc Swerdlow, Executive Vice President /General Counsel, Waterton Associates
Marc joined Waterton Associates in April of 2001 and serves as Executive Vice President and General Counsel, and is a member of the Executive Committee. Mr. Swerdlow has been involved in real estate investment since 1982. Prior to joining Waterton, Marc was a Senior Investment Manager with GE Capital Real Estate where he was responsible for structuring and closing structured debt and joint venture transactions. During his tenure at GE Capital he was directly involved the origination and structuring of over $600 million of debt and $120 million of equity investments with a total value of $1.1 billion.
Bill Tennis, EVP and General Counsel, DiamondRock Hospitality Company
Bill Tennis recently joined DiamondRock. Previously, Mr. Tennis served as Senior Vice President responsible for the Global Asset Management Group at Marriott International, Inc. In this role, Mr. Tennis was involved in numerous hotel restructurings and transactions with various hotel owners and lenders. Mr. Tennis joined the legal department of Marriott in 1992 after practicing corporate law in New York where he focused on mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyouts and other corporate finance transactions with the law firm of Richards & O’Neil.
Susan Tjarksen, Managing Partner, Stabilized Asset Resources
With 25 years of proven real estate experience, Susan Tjarksen has planned, designed, built and delivered projects totaling over $1.5B in revenue and $1B in costs. Working with private clients and institutional firms, she has successfully zoned, built, sold and financed over 12,000 residential units, 1,200 hotel rooms and over 1 million square feet of retail space. Susan has acted as an asset manager and/or receiver for residential, hotel and mixed use projects totaling over $250M and has handled foreclosure work totaling over $300M for banking and private capital clients.
Jon Winick, President, Clark Street Capital
Jon Winick leads the management team as President of Clark Street Capital. With prior stints at GE Capital and Zions Bank, Winick has been both a leading seller and purchaser of owner-occupied commercial real estate loans. As the National Marketing Director for Zions Bank, a $53 billion bank headquartered in Salt Lake City, Winick was responsible for purchasing first mortgage loans from more than 500 financial institutions. In his role, Zions National Real Estate was the leading owner-occupied commercial real estate wholesale lender as well as the largest SBA 504 lender, funding more than $1.3 billion in new loan volume.

Details and Bios Coming Soon…

John J. Butler, Managing Member, Durango Real Estate Investments
Scott Krone, Principal of Developing/Consulting, Coda LLC
W. Seth Martin, Managing Director, Pritzker Realty Group, L.L.C.
Ursula Moncau, Senior Vice President, Advantage Bank