Each year of experience that young commercial real estate leaders can rack up is valuable. That being said, 2020 has to be about a decade’s worth.
For those young commercial real estate professionals that not only survived, but thrived during our pandemic-filled 2020, what could compare to what they learned in the past year? Gone was the normal office environment, replaced by remote work, which eliminated the office huddles where advice was solicited and shared by more senior employees to help guide the less experienced.
Normal routines like building tours and planning meetings were all moved online, but business did not slow down in the Greater Phoenix market, thanks in large part to the flexibile and tech savvy young professionals who worked through the problems that the pandemic put in front of them.
These are some of those emerging leaders of the industry who have been tested by one of the more remarkable times in the nation’s history and are ready to shape how the industry looks moving forward.
Jake Baratz and Boston Chauthani
Vice President of Investments (Baratz) and Investment Advisor (Chauthani), Taylor Street Advisors
Baratz and Chauthani have become a formidable, effective team for Taylor Street Advisors. Baratz and Chauthani specialize in the Acquisition and Disposition of both Single & Multi-Tenant Retail assets for Private Capital Clients. Chauthani is 29 and Baratz is 23 and they both lead the Retail Team at Taylor Street Advisors, they have closed a total of $51,785,000 in deals with the majority of that in 2020 during a pandemic. As anyone in Commercial Real Estate knows, retail took one of the largest hits during 2020 and for Baratz and Chauthani to continue to not only close deals but exceed expectations along the way by also assisting a client in restructuring his current leases to successfully get through the pandemic and continue operating is a major stand out to both their peers and competition. They both always go the extra mile for their clients and are creative problem solvers that assist and serve. Originally from Chicago, Baratz grew up in Finance – working with his Father on the Chicago Board of Trade from a young age. Chauthani spent much of his youth in Huntington Beach before relocating to Arizona.
Kyle Campbell
Associate Vice President, Colliers International in Arizona
Kyle was the 2019 NAIOP Arizona Emerging Broker of the Year and has been part of Collier’s No. 1 Top Team in Arizona for 2018-2019. He joined Colliers as a research associate and used that experience to gain valuable market insight that helped guide him as he moved into a broker position. Campbell’s strategic approach to providing value to his clients, especially using advanced mapping and demographic date, has made him an invaluable partner to owners and occupiers of educational space. Kyle has become a national expert in the education space, and it is accelerating his work around the U.S.
Dominique Damerell
Vice President, CBRE
Dominique works in CBRE Phoenix’s Debt & Structured Finance department, where she secures financing options for a variety of multifamily, office, retail and industrial properties as well as new development projects. With relationships spanning numerous domestic and international investors, Dominque creates exceptional outcomes for her clients through close-knit relationships with a wide variety of institutional lenders to procure competitive lending packages. Of Dominique, Rocco Mandala, CBRE Vice Chairman, says, “She is instrumental to our team and one of the reasons for our success. I trust her work without question, and her technical skills provide speed, efficiency and accuracy and instill confidence within the team and with our clients.”
Ann Donnelly
Associate, Senior Designer, McCarthy Nordburg
Donnelly is an experienced interior architectural designer and project manager who focuses on the corporate built environment and workplace strategies. Her depth of experience includes corporate office, medical office, non-profit, professional and technology clients. Her knowledge and skill have allowed her to deliver intelligent solutions with a strategic approach to design. As a project manager, Donnelly is the main point of contact with the building owners, landlord representatives and tenants. She ensures that the parameters of each project are aligned with the specific project goals of each client. Donnelly is a critical thinker who is motivated to learn with a strong work ethic.
Chase Dorsett
Associate, Newmark
Dorsett came to Newmark after graduating Cum Laude in urban planning at Arizona State. For the past two years, he has partnered with Senior Managing Directors Steve Julius and Jesse Goldsmith to specialize in investment sales for multi-tenant shopping centers and net leased retail properties in Phoenix. Chase supports the team with the marketing and disposition of retail properties through existing client relationships, the cultivation of new business, financial underwriting and insightful market analyses. Some of the highlights of Chase’s young career are he secured $17 million in new listings during the pandemic, personally closed five transactions (2020 YTD) totaling roughly $10 million, was part of team that has closed 15 transactions for roughly $60 million.
Benjamin Farthing
Associate, CBRE
Benjamin Farthing is responsible for business development and prospecting, managing the team’s deal pipeline, market research, and assisting his team in all aspects of the sale of single- and multi-tenant investment properties in Phoenix and throughout the United States. As an Associate with CBRE’s Net Lease Property Group in Phoenix, Farthing supports the team in the marketing, research and sales of single-tenant and multi-tenant investment properties in Phoenix and throughout the United States. He is passionate about the needs and goals of his clients and enjoys providing thorough economic analysis to support them through the acquisition and disposition process.
Brian Fitzpatrick
Director of Operations, Mortenson
One of Fitzpatrick’s priorities is to break negative perception of a career in construction. To combat this perception, he is active in encouraging students and second career seekers to understand the meaningful career options available in the construction industry. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Phoenix Affiliate of ACE Mentor Program of America, Inc. and has also written a white paper on the topic for Mortenson. When it comes to challenging the status quo, he is a natural leader and never shies away from a challenge. Throughout the past year, Brian was critical in supporting the essential workers on our team and among our trade partners – ensuring their safety, first and foremost.
RoseAnn Linsmeyer
Associate, Interior Designer, Senior Project Manager, Cawley Architects
RoseAnn is Cawley Architects’ longest-tenured Project Manager and their current Interior Designer. With her precise drawings, extensive coordination skills, and interior design talents, RoseAnn has grown to be responsible for creating and coordinating drawing packages for their largest and most complicated projects. Because of her accomplishments, RoseAnn has developed a devoted following among their clients. She is also actively involved with the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) Southwest chapter. She is currently establishing an Interior Design Studio at Cawley Architects to expand their architectural services. RoseAnn’s creativity and ability to connect with her clients to interpret their vision and make it come to life is remarkable.
JP Malham
Business Development, SiteWorks Landscape
A now four-year veteran in the industry, 26-year-old JP Malham specializes in client acquisition and business development for SiteWorks Landscaping. He is an active member in the Building Owners and Managers Association and the International Facility Management Association. In his short time as Director of Business Development for SiteWorks, Malham has been integral in the procurement of various high-profile landscape maintenance contracts, including Phoenix Children’s Hospital and the ASU Research Park and The Esplanade on Camelback. Malham comes from an industry lineage, following in his father’s footsteps. His father, Chris Malham, has worked in the industry since 1975 and is the founding partner of SiteWorks Landscape.
Ashley Zimmerman Marsh
Shareholder, Tiffany & Bosco
Zimmerman Marsh concentrates her practice in Land Use and Zoning. An Arizona native, Ashley represents property owners, developers, and homebuilders throughout the Valley through each step of the zoning and land use entitlement process. Ashley also supports her clients with due-diligence zoning and land use legal opinions to facilitate real estate negotiations and transactions. With each representation, Ashley partners with her clients, and their development and brokerage teams, on strategy and execution while maximizing value for each client. She was selected to serve on the NAIOP Arizona Developing Leaders Steering Committee and has received numerous awards, including Lawyers of Distinction in 2019 and Rising Stars recognition by SuperLawyers.com.
Jessica Morin
Director of Market Analytics, CoStar Group
Jessica Morin is the primary analyst for in-depth analysis and thought leadership requests for Arizona. CoStar is the leading provider of commercial real estate information, analytics, and online marketplaces, conducting ongoing research to produce and maintain the largest and most comprehensive commercial real estate information database. Previously, she served as the Senior Research Analyst at CBRE in Phoenix, where she provided comprehensive research for the local market and supported broader research activities on a national level. While at CBRE, Jessica cultivated deep relationships with economic development organizations, local communities, and business leaders. Earlier in her career, Jessica was the Vice President of Business Expansion at the Arizona Commerce Authority.
Ashley Brenden Nye
Development Manager, Trammell Crow Company
Ashley Nye has more than eight years of experience as a designer/project manager working in both Phoenix and Seattle, WA. Prior to joining Trammell Crow Company, Ashley worked for notable firms Norris Design, Mithun and Smithgroup with an emphasis in landscape design and most recently as a Project Manager for Point B focusing on site acquisitions and due diligence, and managing design, permitting, scheduling and construction activity. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Arizona and a master’s degree in Landscape Architecture from Arizona State University.
Stephanie Oleksa
Interior Designer, SmithGroup
As a Lead Project Designer, Oleksa collaborates closely with each client to set project vision, scope, goals, and most importantly, expectations. She coordinates with consultants and engineers, manages and produces the project’s construction documents, and works with contractors to support each project into fruition. Her client-tailored approach creates well-scaled, inviting spaces that strengthens her customer’s business goals and values. Oleksa has helped lead design include a 500,000 square foot IT Innovation Center for a global automotive manufacturing company in Austin, Texas, the first Headquarters in the USA for an European cyber security company, Kudelski Security, and a national workplace standard for Republic Service’s call centers.
Bob Olson
Project Manager, Ryan Companies US, Inc.
As Project Manager, Bob Olson works with architects, engineers, owners and construction management teams to develop the design of a building and manage the associated costs. Bob is also responsible for scheduling, creating and managing contracts, and maintaining status reports. Olson is an analytical, resourceful problem solver and a valuable support to customers—a true construction professional who utilizes his knowledge and diverse skill set to identify and evaluate situations that deliver quality and value. His passion and curiosity for construction began at a very young age and has proved to be the foundation of what makes him a successful project manager today. Bob brings a level of unparalleled optimism to each project he touches.
Chelsea Porter
Director of Marketing, The Renaissance Companies
Chelsea Porter began her career in the company that her father founded as a project engineer and has slowly transitioned into her current role as director of marketing. Porter has a design background and as director of marketing, she formulates the marketing plan and budget each year, represents the firm at professional organizations, leads market research efforts, prepares weekly project lead updates and prepares monthly reports to the executive team. With the passing of her father and company founder, Craig Porter, in September of 2020, Chelsea will likely step into more leadership duties for The Renaissance Companies.
Charlie Thompson
Project Executive, DPR Construction
Thompson has more than 13 years of experience managing the design and construction of complex healthcare and life sciences projects in Arizona. His successful involvement with multiple healthcare campus additions and renovations reflects a proven track record of delivering efficient and transparent projects that meet the end needs of his clients. Thompson fosters the development of high performing, cross organizational teams throughout the design and construction of multiple $200 million complicated hospital additions and renovations in the City of Phoenix and overall has supported over one billion dollars in hospital projects in Arizona. Through the development and facilitation of the DPR Design Management Academy, Charlie has helped incoming talent improve delivery and integration between design and construction.
Lauren Tomlin
Marketing Coordinator, Ryan Companies US, Inc.
Lauren Tomlin supports strategic marketing plans, public relations activities, the planning and coordinating of special events, and the pursuit process. In under two years at Ryan, Lauren has managed to help win over one million square feet of office, industrial, healthcare, retail, and public sector work. Known for her dependability, skillful creativity, and exceptional relationship-building abilities, Tomlin bridges the gap between what partners expect and reality. She works cross-functionally with construction, capital markets, virtual design and construction, development, and our external partners to provide innovative solutions and increase Ryan’s divisional presence.
Andrew Warner
Associate, Manufactured Housing Specialty Team, NAI Horizon
The 2017 Associate of the Year at NAI Horizon, Warner is a valued member of the team that has closed more than $85 million in mobile home park and RV park investment sales. He and his father, Russ Warner, monitor the manufactured housing and RV park industry not only in Arizona but across the U.S. as well. In 2018, while working toward his CCIM designation, he worked on a deal with a fellow classmate whose family was selling its mobile home park in Idaho. The sale of The Meadows fetched a sales price of $12.7 million. The words fearless, persistent, inquisitive, adventurous and “people person” come to mind when describing Andrew Warner.
Jesse Zwick
Project Engineer, Jokake Construction
Zwick served for three years as an intern with Jokake before finally being brought on board full-time. Shortly after beginning his new role, Zwick completed his first project acting as the sole project manager, was teamed on two multi-million dollar projects, and is maintaining his current client relationships and their project workload. His tenacity and ambition to grow into his role as a Project Engineer is remarkable. He enjoys tackling the high-concept issues and working as a liaison to the client. His ability to independently identify opportunities to learn alongside a Senior Superintendent or Senior Project Manager is exciting and promising as he grows with Jokake. Jesse Zwick’s success continues to develop him into an inspiring up-and-coming construction professional.
