Meet Our Students
The following students are members of the MIT Center for Real Estate Class of 2013.
MARCELLA BARRIERE
Boston, MA
BA Economics, 1990
University of MA Amherst, LEED AP, 2007
Marcella was born in Southern California and raised on the South Shore of Massachusetts. After graduation, Marcella worked as a Finance Manager in several cities across the country including Los Angeles, Chicago and New York, and returned to Boston in 2000 where she began her career in Commercial Real Estate.
Prior to attending MIT, Marcella held the position of Senior Property Manager and Asset Manager for Paradigm Properties with operational financial responsibility and oversight for 2M square feet of office and industrial assets located from New Hampshire to Pennsylvania.
Ms. Barriere has a broad real estate background with experience in multiple disciplines, including finance, construction, development and sustainability. Before joining Paradigm, Marcella served as Project Manager for Northland Investment Corporation where she oversaw residential and large-scale mixed use developments.
Ms. Barriere holds a BA in Economics from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She is a LEED AP and anticipates completing her Master's Certificate in Sustainable Design at Boston Architectural College in 2013.
While at MIT, Marcella intends to deepen her understanding of real estate development and advanced finance to prepare for a leadership role in sustainable and regenerative urban development.
BONNIE BURGETT
Dallas, TX
BS Management Studies, Boston College, 2005
Born and raised in Dallas, TX, Bonnie has spent the last 7 years working in real estate in Dallas. While completing her undergraduate studies at Boston College, Bonnie interned for The Staubach Company in Boston, sparking her initial interest in real estate. After earning her BS in Finance from BC in 2005, she returned to Dallas to work for Cypress Equities, a merchant developer. Bonnie's experience as an analyst at Cypress included the opportunity to work closely with a small, entrepreneurial team in developing a $1.2B REIT, as well as developing retail and mixed-use projects across the US. Bonnie's career at Cypress culminated in managing a $400M condo-hotel resort development in California, a project which solidified her passion for real estate development.
Most recently Bonnie has been working for an affiliate of a special servicer, C-III Realty Services, managing a team that is responsible for selling REO commercial properties and non-performing commercial mortgages. She completed approximately $300M in sales in less than two years at C-III while also developing a deep and broad understanding of the CMBS market and brokerage process.
In her free time, Bonnie enjoys running, yoga, traveling, oil painting and metal sculpture.
RYAN BUTLER
Bettendorf, IA
BA Economics, Trinity College, 2008
While at Trinity College in Hartford, Ryan concluded a two-year econometric project that modeled how school quality affects the value of surrounding real estate. This introduction to the built environment tied with his fluency in Mandarin ultimately shaped his future career in the China property market with Savills.
For over five years, Ryan lived and worked in Beijing and Shanghai and experienced, first-hand, the incredible growth of the Asian property sector. During his tenure at Savills in Shanghai, Ryan worked on the top investment brokerage team in Mainland and later helped Savills China establish one of the first successful outbound investment programs that focused on assisting Chinese investors and developers expand to foreign markets.
As the outbound market from China evolved and the US property market continued to decline, in 2011 Ryan set off to establish his own venture aimed at investing in the US multifamily sector. Since his departure from Savills, Ryan’s firm, Treetop Properties, has gained strong support from capital partners in Mainland China and he has successfully built a large portfolio of multifamily assets that surround colleges and universities in the US.
While at MIT, Ryan seeks to expand his knowledge of real estate finance and economics and gain a solid foundation in development. Ryan is originally from Iowa and enjoys boating, diving, skiing, golf, tennis and all outdoor activities.
ORIEL EISENBERG
Philadelphia, PA/Israel
BA Management 2009, Open University, Israel
Ori started his professional career with Rassco, among Israel's largest real-estate firms, where he was involved in it's flagship project, King David's Crown. In this position, he took part in the pricing of over 200 high-end units and luxury shops, as well as the purposing of public space. In addition, Ori initiated project wide improvements including culturally-targeted marketing tools and the formation of the client relations team, which produced high-record sales and a more defined brand.
In 2010, Ori moved to Philadelphia to join the executive department of Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust, one of the first equity REITs in America. At PREIT, Ori served as an Analyst and as the assistant to the President and COO. At PREIT, Ori analyzed the performance of 33M SF of shopping centers located in 13 states. He was the co-editor of the annual business plan, to which he contributed the REITs and Retail sections. In addition, Ori participated in the exploration and examination of PREIT's financing and acquisitions opportunities coming from the capital markets. In his capacity as assistant to the COO, he joined PREIT's dynamic negotiations vis-a-vis equity research analysts, investment bankers, institutional and private investors and private equity funds.
Ori graduated Cum Laude from Open University in Israel in 2009. He was listed on the Dean's Honors List and received a note of excellence for his achievements in finance.
Ori is looking forward to his studies at MIT, during which he is planning to deepen his knowledge of real estate financial analysis and to study the relationship between real estate securities and direct-property investments.
Ori is married to Tamara, a PhD candidate at Penn's History department and is the father of a three year old son. He enjoys traveling, hiking, reading widely and most of all, meeting new people and forming friendships.
KRISTIAN ELONEN
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
MSc, Economics and Business, 2007, Stockholm School of Economics
Originally from Helsinki, Finland, Kristian began his career at BNP Paribas Investment Partners in London in 2007. In early 2009 he moved to the company's Amsterdam-based private real estate team, managing European and Asian private equity real estate funds.
Kristian covered the team's European investments as an associate-analyst until December 2010 when he was promoted to portfolio manager responsible for the European Value Added I Fund with USD $150M of committed equity. The fund invests across Europe in private equity real estate funds and co-investment programs with focus on value-added and opportunistic investment strategies. Kristian has had exposure, as an investor, to over 50 development and re-development projects in over 10 European countries in the office, retail, residential and industrial sectors. His daily responsibilities include managing and monitoring the underlying investments of the fund, representing shareholders' interests in various steering committees and reviewing new investment opportunities.
Kristian gained a Master's degree in economics and business with a major in finance from Stockholm School of Economics in Sweden in 2007. During the last year of his studies he also completed the CEMS Master's Degree in International Management with part of the studies pursued at the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland. In 2011 Kristian was awarded the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation.
Kristian's mother tongue is Finnish and he speaks fluent English, French and Swedish, as well as good German. He enjoys playing tennis, running and snowboarding, as well as traveling.
GRACE (TING TING) FU
Shanghai, China
BS Economics, Xi'an Jiaotong University 2004
Home to 25 million people and coined as China's financial center, Grace was born in Shanghai and has witnessed China's real estate boom firsthand. After graduating from Xi'an Jiaotong University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Trading Economics, Grace started her career at DTZ in the Landlord Services Divisions in Shanghai where she worked on key office leasing projects and gained a deeper understanding of commercial real estate practices in China. After several years of work, Grace was promoted to Manager and transferred to the Global Corporate Services Division, where she was responsible for major headquarter and transactions for multinational tenants in Shanghai.
During 2010, Grace accepted a position as Associate Director for CBRE in the Tenant Representation, Office Services Division. As a core member of CBRE's Shanghai Office, Grace was responsible for delivering transaction management services, advising multinational corporations and managing key leasing projects. Some of her work included office leasing and acquisition, rent reviews and lease restructures, due diligence and financial analysis, as well as strategic consultancy.
With over 8 years of corporate real estate working experience in Shanghai and working on many notable headquarter projects for Caterpillar, Bureau Veritas, Discover Financial Services, Ingersoll Rand, GNC, etc, Grace has become an expert in the Shanghai Office Market and looks forward to the opportunity to expand her knowledge and capabilities in MIT's program.
Grace is a Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (MRICS). In her spare time, Grace enjoys mountain climbing, scuba diving and traveling.
SHAUL GOLDKLANG
Cambridge, MA
BArch 2006, Technion, Israel Institute of Technology
Shaul Goldklang was born and raised in Israel. After receiving his BArch in 2006 from Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, he worked for five years in leading architecture offices in Israel, where he was involved in more than forty projects in diverse types and scale, from private houses to master plans.
Currently, Shaul is a candidate for a Master of Science of Architecture Studies (SMArchS) in the Design Computation Group (DCG) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where his main focus is research on the obstacles of employing expressive geometries constructed using mass-customized elements in residential buildings.
As a dual degree candidate with the Masters in Real Estate Development (MSRED) Program, Shaul is eager to investigate not just the technical aspects of fabrication and assembly of mass-customized elements in architectural scale, but also the challenges of raising the initial funding for these types of unique projects.
L. BERNARD HARKLESS
Boston, MA
BS Architecture, University of Virginia, 2007
Dual Degree Candidate, MCP/MSRED, MIT
Originally from San Antonio, Texas, Bernard graduated from the University of Virginia in 2007 with a major in Architecture along with double minors in both Philosophy and Urban Planning. Following graduation, he worked for Clark Construction Group, LLC, one of the largest general contractors in the US. As a Project Engineer, he was responsible for managing the on-site compliance of contractor work which covers a wide spectrum of trades from painting subcontractors to mechanical, electrical and plumbing. Some of his past projects include the Shakespeare Theatre Harman Center for the Arts and the Montgomery College Science Center in Rockville, MD.
Currently, Bernard is a dual degree candidate, concurrently pursuing his MSRED in addition to a Master in City Planning from MIT's Department of Urban Studies and Planning. He's looking forward to synthesizing his education and work experience through the real estate development program.
JAMES HUGHES
Boston, MA
BS Civil Engineering 2007, University of New Hampshire
Originally from Portland, ME, Jim's first job out of college was as a structural engineer at Becker Structural Engineers in Portland. At Becker, he was a part of the engineering and field inspection effort on various high-end residential single family homes along the Maine coast as well as larger commercial buildings such as 84 Marginal Way, an 11 story, 295,000 s.f. office high rise in downtown Portland.
Jim soon moved to Boston, MA to continue his career in structural engineering at McNamara/Salvia, Inc. During his 4 years at McNamara/Salvia, he was involved with dozens of structural design projects. Serving as Project Manager for the past 2 years, Jim has overseen structural design and drafting for many large scale projects including: a 350,000 sf LEED Platinum office building for Boston Properties in Weston, MA, a 17 story dormitory building for Northeastern University, and a 495,000 sf, 11 story office building for Commonwealth Ventures in South Boston.
At MIT, Jim is looking forward to using the knowledge and skills gained to help him transition from his current career as a designer to his goal of becoming a leading developer in the commercial real estate industry.
Jim lives in South Boston and enjoys swimming, golfing and skiing in his free time.
DAN (DONGWOO) KANG
Seoul, South Korea
BArch 2009, Carnegie Mellon University
Dan studied Architecture at Carnegie Mellon University as an undergraduate. After graduation, he pursued his passion in real estate development and joined Shinsegae Chelsea, a 50/50 joint venture of Shinsegae Group in Korea and Simon Property group in the US. In this position, he oversaw the development of outdoor outlet shopping malls, with total development costs of $320M and total GLA of 920,000 sf. His involvement with the three major Premium Outlets projects at the firm enabled him to handle practically every stage of real estate development, from project proposal to pro forma analysis to the obtainment of local permits to tenant improvements and construction. He was also able to fully utilize his educational background to coordinate the architectural design of all three projects in which he was involved.
At MIT, Dan wishes to broaden his practical knowledge in real estate investment and the landscape of the international real estate market. Equipped with such knowledge and an MIT degree, he intends to expedite his vision of developing superb commercial real estate properties in the international market.
Dan is originally from South Korea and has lived in the US since the age of 14. He enjoys traveling, swimming, reading non-fiction books and watching the latest episodes of The Amazing Race.
MICHAEL KAPLAN
Cambridge, MA
BA Economics and History, Northwestern University, 2005
Dual Degree Candidate MCP/MSRED, MIT
Michael, originally from New Jersey, moved to Hawaii after attending Northwestern. After two years of lounging on the beach and leading guests on zipline tours, he founded and was project manager for a mixed use commercial and agricultural development on the beautiful north shore of Kauai. Phase 1, completed in 2010, includes a miniature golf course with botanical gardens and a park-and-ride. Phase 2, an outdoor amphitheater and movie theater, will begin construction by the end of the year.
Michael has completed his first year as a Master in City Planning candidate in the City Design and Development program from MIT's Department of Urban Studies and Planning, and will concurrently be pursuing this degree along with a MSRED at MIT.
EUNIL (NEAL) LEE
Seoul, South Korea
BA Economics, 2004, Yonsei University
The five years leading up to MIT has been a diverse and colorful chapter in Eunil's career, as he was given the opportunity to work across Southeast Asia on diverse real estate assignments. Eunil's career in real estate began as he accepted a position in the real estate development arm of GS Engineering & Construction, a leading Korean engineering and construction firm. His first responsibility was assessing overseas real estate investment opportunities in Algeria, Poland, Saudi Arabia and Cambodia - for projects ranging from resort to new township developments.
In 2008, Eunil relocated to Kampot, Cambodia, where he was responsible for the project development of a renewable energy production complex. Through his experience in Cambodia, Eunil became aware of the importance of private investments towards the betterment of the world's underprivileged regions, and the vast potential for low-cost housing. Eunil moved on to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, in 2010, where he worked to attract outside investments into GS's multi-billion dollar new township and urban development ventures in the city.
Eunil believes that by establishing a workable model of for-profit low-cost housing, more resources will voluntarily enter the market and create a greater utility level for the society as a whole. He intends to make the best of his time at MIT to deepen his understanding of real estate development, investment and finance, in a bid to realize his belief.
Eunil is originally from Seoul, but has spent many of his early years living in France, Senegal and Belgium. He also speaks French, though rusty due to years of neglect. He is happily married to his extraordinary wife, Hyunjung, for 4 years. Together, they love to travel, ski and bike.
KEITH LEUNG
Vancouver, Canada
B Commerce (Real Estate) 2007, University of British Columbia
Keith has been continuously learning to become a well-rounded professional since graduating from business school. At the beginning of his career, Keith had the opportunity to work as an analyst on the development team of Intracorp Canada. He became proficient with pro formas and pricing for townhouses and condominiums with the help of great mentors at Intracorp.
Keith took on a new challenge by becoming a real estate advisor with the Government of Canada where he was tasked with the acquisition and disposal of politically sensitive assets. Most recently before attending MIT, Keith worked at BC Assessment as a real estate appraiser responsible for the assessments of development land and strata properties.
Keith has completed the Chartered Financial Analyst Institute Level 1 exam and is near to becoming a designated appraiser of the Appraisal Institute of Canada.
On the weekends, Keith is always ready for an adventure and enjoys exploring the world via backpacking, skiing and cycling. He also loves to play hockey, soccer and rugby.
JOHN R. MCDONALD JR.
New York, NY
BA Economics and American Studies (History), Fairfield University
Prior to attending MIT, John enjoyed a successful career in the financial services industry. He was first introduced to the commercial real estate markets in 1983 while working at Lehman Brothers, where he was one of the founding members of the Mortgage Backed Securities Group. Starting in institutional sales, he was promoted to National Sales Manager in 1989, also joining the group's Executive Committee, where he helped oversee the firm's expansion of commercial mortgage trading. In 1993 he moved to London to head up the firm's European Fixed Income Sales effort. Given the additional responsibilities of Asian Fixed Income Sales and European Research, he was named Co-Head of Global Fixed Income Sales and Head of European Fixed Income Research. John retired from Lehman Brothers in May of 2000.
In 2001, John embarked on a new career in alternative asset management, co-founding Metacapital Management, a mortgage backed hedge fund. In 2004, he sold his equity interest in the firm to his partner and founded Hunthill Capital, a brokerage firm specializing in raising capital for alternative investment managers. Between these two ventures, John raised over $3B in assets from a global group of investors for several strategies.
At MIT, John seeks a strong platform to redirect his career by infusing it with granular, industry-specific knowledge based on a foundation of mathematics, science and economics. He is particularly interested in sustainable development and the sustainable redevelopment of global urban centers.
John is the proud father of 18-year-old (girl-boy) twins who will be freshmen this fall at George Washington University and Lehigh University. He enjoys downhill and cross-country skiing, mountain biking, golf and is an avid reader.
SARWESH PARADKAR
Thane, Maharashtra, India
M Tech & B-Tech, Mechanical Engineering, 2009, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay
After completing his graduation from IIT Bombay, Sarwesh joined P&G India as the Project Leader of a $23M Central Warehousing Project in India. During his tenure he championed pioneering ideas in order to execute a fast track savings project. For his exemplary performance in this, he was promoted as the Project Manager of the $126M Central Warehousing Development Program of P&G. He is a P&G Globally Certified Project Manager.
In 2011, Sarwesh, along with his two colleagues, founded his own real estate development & construction company. He worked as the CFO of the company and helped in initial funding for the new venture. He has been deeply involved in the structuring of bids for best value, risk analysis of new projects and development of joint venture deals under leasing as well as profit sharing agreements. Today, his company has an order book of approximately $7M.
In addition to this, Sarwesh has been a professional swimmer for more than 15 years. He was the college swimming team captain and was ranked 8th in India by FINA in 2008. He still pursues swimming in his spare time.
Having a keen interest in development of low cost townships, Sarwesh wants to focus on mixed income housing development at MIT CRE.
CHRISTOPHER PIERCE
Sherborn, MA
BS Civil Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, 1994
From 1998 - 2006, Chris worked at ADP Marshall/Fluor as Project Engineer, Assistant Project Manager or Project Manager on numerous Commercial/Institutional, Governmental and Educational projects valued from under $1M - $326M.
He then worked with The Beal Companies from 2006 - 2010, where Chris was the Construction Manager and Clerk of the Works for construction of The Clarendon, a $200M, 35 story 531,000 sf multi-use LEED Silver Certified building in the Back Bay of Boston. A joint venture with Related of New York, the project included four levels of underground parking, a new Back Bay Post Office, the restaurant Post 390, as well as 176 apartments and 103 luxury condominiums.
Chris has a two-family investment property in West Newton, MA.
At MIT, Chris is excited to expand his knowledge base to include all aspects of project development from concept to design, finance and investment to real estate law, and permitting to construction.
Chris' accolades include: Engineer-in-Training in 1994, as well as a LEED AP in 2009.
Chris is currently studying for his MA Real Estate Salesperson License and MA Construction Supervisor License.
MORGAN PIERSON
Chicago, IL
BS International Affairs/International Economics 2005, The George Washington University
Born in Washington DC and raised in Cohasset, MA, Morgan returned from college to immediately pursue his passion for real estate by investing in property in the greater Boston area. While trying not to lose it all in the recession, Morgan joined the Saint Consulting Group, a management consulting firm based out of Nashville, TN. Over the past seven years he worked as a project manager focused on solving land use and political issues for commercial real estate clients across the country. These projects ranged in size and type from landfills, to wind projects, to shopping centers, to quarries, to casinos, to natural gas and oil refineries, to name a few. Additionally, Morgan is a licensed real estate broker in the state of Illinois.
When not vigorously pursuing his career goals, Morgan enjoys scuba diving, home brewing, traveling and politics.
At MIT, Morgan hopes to broaden his real estate finance knowledge and apply his learning to adaptable reuse and historic preservation throughout the New England area.
F. SAM REICHE
Boston, MA
BA Economics, 2007, Trinity College
Originally from Cumberland, Maine, Sam studied economics and architecture at Trinity College. While in college he also put much of his energy into competitive rowing. After college, Sam went back to Maine to work with a family business, where he focused on maximizing the use of existing real estate and infrastructure, as well as analysis of new development opportunities.
After one year working in Maine, Sam moved to Boston to work for general contractor John Moriarty and Associates (JMA). While working at JMA, Sam moved from Field Engineer to Area Superintendent to Pre-Construction Project Manager. Projects included in the $300M Art of the Americas Wing at the MFA, Mitre's Building L Electronics Lab, Russia Warf, Longwood Center, and many others in pre-construction. As a Pre-Construction Project Manager, Sam's role included estimating, design assistance, purchasing and management of client relationships.
Over the past 3 years, Sam has also purchased, renovated and sold two downtown condominiums. Last summer he purchased a dilapidated lodging house in the South End and is currently working to convert it to two large, high-end condominiums. In his free time, Sam enjoys woodworking, skiing, sailing and playing golf.
CHRISTOPHER RHIE
Hartford, CT
BA Political Science, 2007, Yale University
Dual Degree Candidate, MCP/MSRED, MIT
Christopher joins CRE as a dual degree student. He is concurrently pursuing a Master in City Planning degree in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning, with a concentration in environmental design.
Prior to his studies at MIT, Christopher was a program analyst for the City of New York, where he coordinated energy efficiency audits and retrofits at over 300 municipal facilities, including the Bronx Zoo, the New York Public Library and the American Museum of Natural History. Operating under PlaNYC, the city's long-term plan for sustainability, he was the lead analyst on a $100M capital budget and he managed compliance with federal grant requirements connected with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. He has also worked for the City of Oakland on energy management and climate action intiatives, including the development of city policy on property-assessed clean energy finance.
While at MIT, Christopher is focusing on breakthrough strategies for sustainable development. During the summer of 2012, he will be continuing MIT research on clean energy cities and ecological redevelopment of new towns in Beijing and Tel Aviv. Through the MSRED Program, he looks forward to advancing his skills in real estate finance, comprehensive life cycle assessment, and the development decision-making process.
Originally from Hartford, CT, Christopher has lived in New Haven, San Francisco, Brooklyn, and now Somerville. He is a LEED Green Associate and holds additional certifications from the Association of Energy Engineers and the Building Performance Institute.
ZACHARY SHORE
Santa Barbara, CA
BS Biology & Environmental Science, 2006, College of Charleston
LEED AP, 2007
Zac procured his first job in high-end residential construction over a decade ago. This exposed him to superlative construction practices but wasteful design schematics. He became cognizant that these homes were a prodigious waste of resources, energy and land. After operating his own successful building firm, he decided to join Dennis Allen Associates, a well oiled and nationally recognized sustainable building firm based in Santa Barbara, CA. Zac became a partner with the company and began building around the country. Specializing in net-zero energy buildings, he has completed residential, commercial, multi-family, and medical building projects. In 2010, Zac completed the highest rated LEED Platinum multi-family project in the country.
Zac has gained an extensive knowledge of building science and applied it to a diverse array of 50+ buildings in four different climate zones. He has become a strong advocate for self-sustaining buildings and has seen firsthand how important it is to build intelligently.
At MIT, Zac looks forward to immersing himself in classrooms full of like-minded individuals with varying backgrounds and honing his skills in finance, acquisitions, economics and large-scale planning. After MIT, Zac looks forward to embarking on a career focused on infill sustainable redevelopment on an exponentially large scale, having an affinity to make net-zero energy buildings attainable nationwide.
Zac enjoys the outdoors, traveling, reading and meeting new people.
C. TIMOTHY SO
Hong Kong/Fairfax, VA
BS Arch, 2003, University of Virginia
AIA, LEED AP BD+C
Timothy has been working as a Project Architect in David Jameson Architect and David M. Schwartz Architects in Washington DC since he graduated from the University of Virginia. Throughout his nine years of professional experience in design and construction, he worked on a wide range of project types in all project phases - feasibility, study, conceptual design, schematic design, design development, contract document, and construction administration. Highlighted projects include Duke University Central Campus Master Plan, Firewheel Town Center in Garland, TX, Chapman Cultural Center in Spartanburg, NC, Carmel Regional Performing Arts Center in Carmel, IN, Gaillard Center in Charleston, SC, Apple Lane Residence in Moab, UT, and Woodside Residence in Woodside, CA.
Besides his professional work, Timothy also serves as the Young Architects Regional Director in the Young Architects Forum (YAF), has a leading role in the Young Leader group of the Urban Land Institute (ULI), leads the Emerging Architects Committee of American Institute of Architects (AIA) as the Chairman, and volunteers for the Washington Architectural Foundation by offering various pro bono design services.
At MIT, Timothy is looking forward to expanding his knowledge in real estate finance and development. He plans to focus on sustainable mixed-use development with a strong design agenda to create better places to live and work.
Timothy is a Licensed Architect in the state of New York and a LEED AP specialized in Building Design and Construction. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Architecture from the University of Virginia with High Honor in 2003 and studied in the University of Copenhagen in Denmark for half a year as an exchange student. Originally from Hong Kong, he plans to relocate to Boston, MA with his wife and two children after spending 13 years in Virginia.
JAKOB VON TRAPP
Atlanta, GA
BS Finance, 2005, Boston College
Jake has spent his career working in the multifamily real estate industry specializing in LIHTC financed transactions. Since 2008 he has worked in Atlanta, Georgia for Columbia Residential, a full-service multifamily development company that has constructed, owns and operates over 6,000 units across the Southeast. In his capacity as Project Manager, he was responsible for managing the entire spectrum of the real estate development process, completing more than 700 units during his tenure. Prior to Columbia, he spent two years working for the tax credit syndicator, Boston Capital, as a financial analyst in their Structural Finance group in Boston. While at Boston Capital, he was responsible for the pricing of LIHTC transactions, as well as the structuring and sale of their multi-investor and proprietary tax credit funds.
Jakes holds a Certificate in Real Estate Finance from Boston University and a BS in Finance from Boston College. He is also a graduate of the ULI Atlanta Center for Leadership. While at MIT, he intends to focus on mixed-use urban infill development.
In his free time, he enjoys hiking, camping, cycling and skiing. He is also an avid runner, having completed four marathons. He and his wife Betsy have two spoiled dogs.
MATTHEW WAISNOR
Andover, MA
BS Finance, 2006, Penn State University
After graduating from Penn State University with a BS in Finance in December, 2006, Matt began his real estate career as a commercial appraiser for Joseph J. Blake and Associatesin Washington DC. Building on his experience from an internship at Capmark Financialin the summer of 2006, he spent the next five years appraising existing office, retail and apartment properties, proposed developments and vacant land.
At MIT, Matt is excited to learn aspects of the development process that are unfamiliar to him. His goal is to transition from knowing commercial real estate from a strictly valuation point of view to understanding it from an owner and developer perspective. Upon completion of the program, Matt would like to join or form a commercial real estate company and have near-term impact on the development process.
Matt grew up in Andover, MA, and is excited to be returning to the Boston area. In his free time, he enjoys golf, exercising, watching sports and traveling.
ALEXIS WHEELER
Cambridge, MA
BArch, BS Building Science, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 2002
Born in Georgia and raised in New Hampshire, Alexis received her Bachelor of Architecture (5 year degree) and Bachelor of Science in Building Science from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. After brief stints in Boston and New York City, she moved to Seattle where she worked on award-winning projects that were both smaller, domestic scale and large-scale, international mixed-use developments. Alexis then shifted her efforts to a focus in affordable housing, creating and managing a studio within the firm that catered to such projects. Alexis is pursuing a dual degree as a candidate for a Masters in City Planning (MCP) and the MSRED program.
Volunteer work and working with vulnerable populations have been a major focus, and she would like for her future work to be centered around neighborhood scale design and development of diverse, mixed income housing developments.
