P.B. Bell, Phoenix
April Ramsey • Portfolio Director
Bert Kempfert • Director of Acquisitions
Jennifer Grant • Controller
P.B. Bell announced the addition of two new team members and the promotion of another. April Ramsey joins the team as Portfolio Director, while Bert Kempfert is the new Director of Acquisitions. Jennifer Grant has been promoted from Assistant Controller to Controller.
Ramsey brings more than 18 years of multifamily management experience to her new role. She will be responsible for managing operations, financials, marketing and staff at her communities throughout the Phoenix metro. She began her career as a Leasing Professional with Riverstone Residential Group.
In his new role, Kempfert will be responsible for managing all aspects of acquisitions, including broker relations, underwriting, LOI preparation, contract negotiation and coordination with property management on due diligence, as well as working with the Chief Operating Officer & General Counsel on loan funding and escrow closing.
Grant joined P.B. Bell in 2019 as an Accounting Manager and was promoted to Assistant Controller in 2021. She will be responsible for P.B. Bell’s accounting operations, including overseeing the day-to-day accounting functions for corporate, development and third-party owned assets, managing internal and external property audits and tax coordination of company owned assets.
Yarojin “Roj” Robinson • Senior Vice President • Gilbane Development Company • New York
Gilbane Development Company has hired Yarojin “Roj” Robinson as Senior Vice President responsible for leading the company’s Mixed-Income & Affordable Housing team. Robinson joins Gilbane with extensive financial and leadership expertise, with his most recent role as Managing Director at Goldman Sachs in New York, where he served as a senior leader in the Urban Investment Group, sitting on the Investment Committee as well as the business’ leadership and strategy team. Prior to Goldman Sachs, Robinson worked as a corporate and real estate attorney in New York at Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP and Sullivan & Cromwell LLP.
Elmer Salgado • National Maintenance Director • Liberty Military Housing • Huntington Beach, Calif.
Liberty Military Housing has announced Elmer Salgado has been promoted to National Maintenance Director. Salgado will focus on maintaining and improving the physical conditions of more than 36,000 homes across the country, ensuring they meet Liberty’s high-quality standard of living. Salgado brings more than 20 years of expertise in property maintenance; facilities operations; and health, safety and environmental procedures to Liberty Military Housing. Joining Liberty in 2019, he most recently held the position of Senior Regional Maintenance Director for Southwest Marines, providing maintenance support for over 10,000 homes.
Neil Weisbard • Partner • Seyfarth Shaw LLP • New York
Seyfarth Shaw LLP announced Neil Weisbard has joined the international law firm as a Partner of the Real Estate department in New York. Weisbard brings to Seyfarth extensive experience in land use, zoning and administrative law matters; securing construction permits; and matters for real estate development for both residential and commercial properties. Weisbard was the Chair of the Zoning & Land Use practice at Pryor Cashman prior to joining Seyfarth.
Gail Ruggles • Executive Vice President of Operations • The Bainbridge Companies • Wellington, Fla.
The Bainbridge Companies announced Gail Ruggles has joined the company as Executive Vice President of Operations. In this role, Ruggles will oversee the daily performance of Bainbridge’s property management portfolio for its owned and managed assets and will be responsible for driving financial performance at each community. With over 30 years of experience, Ruggles most recently served as Senior Vice President of Operations at RADCO Residential and Steadfast Living, overseeing assets throughout the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic. Previously, she spent 23 years with Gables Residential where she was responsible for its third-party operations. Ruggles attended Ball State University, is a member of the Atlanta Apartment Association and is an active fundraiser for the Sarcoma Foundation of America.
CRG, Chicago
Mark Crawford • Chief Investment Officer
Joe Hawkin • Senior Vice President of Portfolio Mangement
Isaac Lau • Vice President of Acquisitions
CRG announced it has hired the leadership team responsible for acquisitions at Duke Realty, recently acquired by Prologis. Mark Crawford, former Senior Vice President and Head of Acquisitions at Duke, joins CRG as the Chief Investment Officer; Joe Hawkins, the former Senior Vice President - Legal and Deputy General Counsel at Duke, will serve as a Senior Vice President of Portfolio Management for CRG’s investment management platform; and Isaac Lau, previously the Vice President of Acquisitions at Duke, will be Vice President of Acquisitions for CRG’s Western Region. Crawford and Hawkins will split their time between CRG’s new Indianapolis office and its Chicago headquarters, while Lau will join the firm’s Southern California office.
Stephanie Shipe • Vice President, Property Management • Alta Housing • Palo Alto, Calif.
Alta Housing announced the addition of Stephanie Shipe as Vice President, Property Management. Shipe brings 15 years of affordable housing property management experience and most recently served as the Director of Portfolio Management for the Housing Authority of the City of Alameda, Calif. As Vice President, Property Management at Alta Housing, Shipe will manage over 1,000 units and a team of 35 professionals. Shipe has also served as the Director of Operations at MidPen Housing and was appointed to the City of Alameda Housing Authority’s Board of Commissioners. As a Board Commissioner, she assisted in the development of the five-year strategic plan for the city.
WPM Real Estate Management, Owings Mills, Md.
Jennifer Torres • Regional Director of Business Development
Matt Sugg • Regional Director of Business Development
WPM Real Estate Management announced Jennifer Torres has expanded her role within the company to serve as Regional Director of Business Development for the firm’s Maryland and Pennsylvania regions, Matt Sugg has joined the company as Regional Director of Business Development for its Mid-South Region.
Torres will retain her responsibility for an active portfolio of properties in Pennsylvania, leading a team of 18 associates and managing the operations for these communities. Torres began her career as a Resident Service Manager with EDR Trust and was recruited by Asset Campus Housing and Campus Apartments to serve as a Property Manager. In 2014, she was awarded Property Manager of the Year by her local National Apartment Association (NAA) affiliate and obtained her CAM (Certified Apartment Manager) certification.
Sugg brings 17 years of industry experience. In this new role, Sugg will be responsible for growing WPM’s presence in the Mid-South region as well as overseeing daily operations of multifamily property management for WPM’s Virginia properties. He will be based out of WPM’s satellite office in Richmond, Va. Prior to joining WPM, Sugg was owner and principal of J&H Capital. Sugg is active with the Virginia Apartment Management Association (VAMA). He also currently holds the CAM and Certified Apartment Portfolio Supervisor (CAPS) credentials from NAA.