Diversity and Inclusion in CRE with Walker & Dunlop's Jason Golub

In this episode of Real Estate for Breakfast, host Phil Coover discusses diversity and inclusion with colleague and Ice Miller Practice Group Director LaTonya Ellis and Walker & Dunlop Vice President of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Jason Golub. The guests discuss the topics of diversity and inclusion—how those concepts are similar and how they are different—and why more and more real estate companies are hiring diversity and inclusion leaders and placing a greater emphasis on diversity and inclusion for business, moral, ethical and innovation propositions.

Matt Miller, Ice Miller Partner and Chair of the Firm’s Racial Justice Task Force

But first, Phil introduces special guest Matt Miller, Ice Miller partner and chair of the Firm’s Racial Justice Task Force. As Matt details, the Task Force is really expanding efforts beyond diversity and inclusion, which is traditionally internal, to be the outward face of the Firm as it channels Ice Miller’s highly motivated and highly skilled human resources to address issues of racial injustice in the law and in our communities. 

Matthew J. Miller is a partner in Ice Miller’s Municipal Finance Group. Matt has served as bond counsel, disclosure counsel and underwriter’s counsel on over 100 financings, including various short-term and long-term general obligation financings, revenue financings, working cash financings, refunding transactions and special obligation financings issued by states, large municipalities and transit systems, counties, villages, school districts and other special districts. Matt has specific experience in public transportation and airport-related financings.

LaTonya Ellis, Ice Miller Practice Group Director

LaTonya Ellis serves as a practice group director in Ice Miller’s Real Estate and Municipal Finance Practice Groups. She is responsible for overseeing all aspects of administration, management and day-to-day business operations for the Groups.

In her role, LaTonya works closely with Firm leadership to design and implement strategic plans and develop innovative approaches to business operations and development to help execute the Groups’ business plans. LaTonya also is responsible for implementation of synergies, efficiencies and best practices across the practice groups.

Jason Golub, Walker & Dunlop Vice President of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Jason Golub joined Walker & Dunlop in September 2020 as the Vice President of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I). In this new role, Mr. Golub is responsible for accelerating and strengthening the company’s commitment to DE&I. Mr. Golub will develop and execute a strategy that further incorporates a diversity lens into the firm's culture, which includes changes to how the firm innovates, serves clients, helps communities, and supports employees.

He is responsible for improving Walker & Dunlop’s existing DE&I strategies and initiatives, as well as helping to foster an environment in which diversity and inclusion are a central and driving force across the firm. As part of his role, Mr. Golub will focus on diverse leadership development, retention strategy, supplier diversity, multicultural talent acquisition, and corporate initiatives that drive inclusion and create an equitable environment for all employees. As Vice President, he also advises Walker & Dunlop’s Council for Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion, supports and expands the company’s employee resource groups (including the Women of Walker & Dunlop and the Minority Employees Resource Group for Empowerment / Engagement / Elevation), and helps strengthen the company’s external DE&I strategy through organizational partnerships and thought leadership.

Prior to joining Walker & Dunlop, Mr. Golub was a senior leader at GE legal, where he focused on high-risk investigations, workplace culture and training, and compliance, while also serving as a senior member of the company's Diversity & Inclusion Council for five years. Earlier this year, he was appointed the chair of the Police Reform and Re-imagination Task Force in Saratoga Springs, NY, a Governor Cuomo-mandated task force aimed at police reform and reducing racial inequality.

Golub holds a Bachelor of Arts from Connecticut College and a juris doctor from Columbia University, School of Law, where he focused on human rights law.

To learn more, visit https://www.walkerdunlop.com/power-people/diversity/.

To learn more about Ice Miller’s Racial Justice Task Force, visit https://www.icemiller.com/racial-justice-task-force/. To learn more about Ice Miller’s Diversity and Inclusion efforts, visit https://www.icemiller.com/firm/diversity-information/.

Chicago Real Estate and Sale-Leasebacks with Marcus & Millichap's David Bradley

In this episode, host Phil Coover welcomes Marcus & Millichap Regional Manager David Bradley to discuss commercial real estate investment brokerage and financing services in the Chicago market. Phil and David specifically discuss the mechanics of sale-leaseback transactions and how these transactions can be structured to unlock value and benefit the long-term goals of both the buyers and sellers. They also discuss the challenges and rewards of managing a team of ambitious professionals and, of course, the ongoing impact of COVID-19 on real estate.

David Bradley is the Regional Manager of Marcus & Millichap’s Chicago Downtown office. He joined Marcus & Millichap as an agent in 2004. He held executive positions within the firm in Florida, Washington DC and Virginia before being promoted to Regional Manager of the Chicago Downtown office in November 2016. David graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial and organizational psychology with minors in business, labor relations and dispute management and negotiations.

For more information, please visit https://www.marcusmillichap.com/.

The Hospitality Industry and COVID-19 with Scarlett Hotel Group

In this episode, host Phil Coover and Jay Augustyn of Ice Miller LLP are joined by Zio Pekovic and Rob Sadoff of Scarlett Hotel Group, a hotel owner and operator based in Chicago, to discuss the hospitality industry and its challenges in the face of COVID-19. Despite these challenges, Scarlett Hotel Group maintains a growth mindset, exploring distressed investments and creditor advisory opportunities. Scarlett Hotel Group proactively and transparently implemented procedural and practical changes in hotel operations and infrastructure to safeguard guest and employee health and safety in response to COVID-19.

Mr. Zio Pekovic is a co-founder and principal of Scarlett Hotel Group. During his career, Mr. Pekovic has cultivated strong relationships with owners, brokers and financial institutions throughout the country and internationally, allowing him to identify both on- and off-market opportunities for investors. His focus includes identifying and analyzing potential hotel investments and structuring joint-venture partnerships with private equity funds, endowment funds, family offices and private investors. Mr. Pekovic is also involved in asset management and investor relations and is responsible for third-party management and receivership opportunities.

Mr. Rob Sadoff is a co-founder and principal of Scarlett Hotel Group where his focus is in the investment and development of hotel real estate assets. Since the formation of his new company in 2017, Mr. Sadoff has managed the execution of each transaction for the company’s portfolio of owned hotels. His expertise in deal structuring, franchising, financing and legal oversight provides the team with the confidence to execute and close on each transaction. Additionally, Rob’s strong business reputation of high ethics has been the catalyst for the addition of new capital and joint venture partners.

Jay Augustyn is a Partner in Ice Miller’s Real Estate Practice. He represents clients in all manners of real estate transactions, including acquisitions and dispositions, financing, leasing and joint ventures. Jay also advises investors, developers and entrepreneurs in fund formation and investment matters with respect to the federal Opportunity Zone program and other federal, state and local programs to improve efficiency of project financing.

For more information, visit https://scarletthotelgroup.com/.

The Fulton East Project by Parkside Realty, Inc. Chairman and CEO Bob Wislow

In the latest episode of Real Estate for Breakfast, host Phil Coover is joined by living Chicago real estate legend Bob Wislow. Phil and Bob discuss the properties managed and developed by Parkside Realty throughout Chicago, including the ground-up development of Fulton East – a 12 story commercial building including 5,000 square feet of retail, 3 levels of enclosed parking and 8 stories of office space. The top is crowned with an 8,000 square feet outdoor space. Fulton East is the nation’s first office building designed to deliver health-focused operating solutions for the post-COVID-19 business environment, and is receiving national publicity and attention. Each of the 10,605 square foot floor plans enable flexible, custom planning options to accommodate safe social distancing. State-of-the-art wellness features include a hands-free elevator system and air and surface disinfection systems housed within a beautiful glass and steel grid exterior design that fits the historic district where the property is located.

Bob Wislow is chairman and CEO of Parkside Realty, Inc.

In 1978, Bob Wislow and Camille Julmy founded U.S. Equities Realty which they, together with Nancy Pacher, grew to be Chicago’s largest, privately-owned commercial real estate services firm. U.S. Equities has been responsible for a number of major projects including the development of the Harold Washington Library Center, Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies, Center For Care & Discovery and Comer Children’s Hospital at the University of Chicago, Poetry Foundation and John Stroger Hospital for Cook County; co-development of One Financial Place , Grand Plaza and The Cook County Hospital Headquarters and Clinic Building;  and the redevelopments of the John Hancock Center, Willis Tower, 20 North Michigan, and 840 N. Michigan in Chicago; as well as overseeing the development of Compuware’s Headquarters in Detroit, Bank Boston’s Headquarters in both Argentina and Brazil, 618 S. Main in Ann Arbor, and in partnership with Clayco Centene’s Headquarters in St. Louis.

In Spring 1999, U.S. Equities was retained by Millennium Park Inc., (the group representing the Park’s private donors) to oversee the design, engineering, fabrication and construction of Frank Gehry's Pritzker Pavilion and BP Bridge, Anish Kapoor’s monumental Cloud Gate sculpture and Jaume Plensa’s Crown Fountain. 

In addition to development and project management services the firm provided tenant representation, asset and property management, leasing, real estate consulting, and financial and investment services. Its Chicago headquarters, directly across from Millennium Park, housed original works of art, including paintings, prints and sculpture by over 150 artists. Through its annual Artist in Residence program, the company commissioned artists to create original, limited edition books related to the cities where the firm did projects. 

After nearly four decades of success in Chicago, Wislow and his partners merged their firm into CBRE, the world's largest commercial real estate services firm, in the summer of 2014. At the time, U.S. Equities leased and managed 17 million square feet of Chicago property, including Willis Tower, 2.5 million square feet of office and retail space along Michigan Avenue, Union Station, Metra Market, and six Illinois tollway oases. The successfully merger brought more than 400 U.S. Equities employees under the CBRE flag. 

In August 2019, after five successful years with CBRE, that includes projects like the World’s largest Starbucks Roastery on Michigan Avenue, Wislow and Julmy formed a new, boutique real estate venture called Parkside Realty Inc. The real estate veterans will maintain their portfolio and develop new projects, such as Fulton East, a 12-story, 90,000-square-foot office and retail building under construction at 215 N. Peoria Street, in the heart of Chicago’s Fulton Market.

A native Chicagoan, Wislow is known by friends as a dedicated heli-skier, road biker and fly fisherman, an avid arts supporter and longtime dedicated steward for civic engagement in Chicago. He has, or is serving, on the boards of many organizations and institutions, including the Chicago Public Library Foundation, Rush University Medical Center, Civic Committee, Museum of Contemporary Photography, Civic Consulting Alliance, CHICAGO Symphony Orchestra, Columbia College, North Central College and the Chicago Chamber of Commerce. Wislow has been honored with the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Lifetime Achievement Award, the NAIOP Chicago Award for Excellence, and the Chicago Architecture Foundation (CAF) Legacy Award.  

For more information on the Fulton East project, visit https://fulton-east.com/.

Charlton Hamer, Senior VP of Habitat Affordable Group, on Affordable Housing and The Habitat Company

In this episode of Real Estate for Breakfast, host Phil Coover is joined by Senior Vice President of the Habitat Affordable Group, Charlton Hamer. Phil and Charlton discuss the affordable housing sector of the commercial real estate market, including development, funding and property management and operations. They discuss some interesting projects undertaken by the Habitat Affordable Group, including those in Opportunity Zones, and the impact of COVID-19 on affordable housing and commercial real estate.

The Habitat Company is a full-service real estate company with a people-first foundation and an emphasis on service.

As Senior Vice President of Habitat Affordable Group, Charlton Hamer provides leadership and oversight for all affordable housing clients, both development and property operations. Habitat’s affordable portfolio consists of 13,000+ units located in Chicago, Illinois, and St. Louis, Missouri. Charlton's experience spans development and both asset and property management. His focus on top-level operations sets the stage for portfolio growth in the affordable housing market.

Charlton has served in several leadership roles at real estate firms like Redstone Urban Properties, LLC; VESTA Corporation and Shore Area Community Development Corporation.

Professionally, Charlton is a member of the Urban Land Institute, the American Planning Association and the University of Illinois Alumni Association. Additionally, he served as the chairman of the Bridgeport, Connecticut, Redevelopment Agency.

Charlton holds a Master of Urban Planning and Policy from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Planning from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. He is a licensed real estate broker in the state of New York.

For more information, please visit http://www.habitat.com/.

Willy Walker, CEO of Walker & Dunlop, on Capital Markets During COVID-19

In this episode of Real Estate for Breakfast, Willy Walker, chairman and chief executive officer of publicly traded Walker & Dunlop, joins host Phil Coover to discuss the capital markets and the impact of the Great Recession and COVID-19 on that industry, as well as Walker and Dunlop’s explosive growth over the past 12 years. While discussing the evolution and growth of Walker & Dunlop, Mr. Walker and Phil discuss specific industry sectors such as hospitality and retail from both the landlord and tenant perspective. In addition, they dive into office space and how the need for and use of space may change moving forward. This includes a discussion of working from home and the development of corporate culture. Phil also gets the chance to ask Mr. Walker about the decision to take the company public and the ramifications of that decision.

Willy Walker is chairman and chief executive officer of Walker & Dunlop. Under Mr. Walker’s leadership, Walker & Dunlop has grown from a small, family-owned business to become one of the largest commercial real estate finance companies in the United States. Walker & Dunlop is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and was #17 on Fortune’s 2017 list of “Fastest Growing Public Companies.” The company has also been named a Best Workplace for five of the past six years by the Great Place to Work® Institute. Mr. Walker received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2011 and was named “Financier of the Year” in 2017 by Commercial Mortgage Observer.

Mr. Walker received his master’s degree in business administration from Harvard University and a bachelor’s degree from St. Lawrence University. He currently serves on the boards of Children's National Medical Center and the Mortgage Bankers Association, and he is a member of the Real Estate Roundtable. Mr. Walker is an avid runner, skier and cyclist, and has run the Boston Marathon in 2:36.

For more information, visit https://www.walkerdunlop.com/.

Raising Equity in a COVID-19 World with Jay Soave and Matthew Burskey of Cadence Capital Partners LLC

In this episode, host Phil Coover is joined by Jay Soave and Matthew Burskey of Cadence Capital Partners LLC and Jay Augustyn of Ice Miller LLP. The Cadence team shares its approach to raising equity and placing debt for sponsors and developers to facilitate their real estate projects. Cadence employs a proprietary data-driven scoring system that evaluates and weighs deal vitals, demographics, trends and risk probability for its sponsor clients and capital sources. The discussion includes an insider’s look at how COVID-19 has impacted the retail and hospitality sectors and investments in Opportunity Zones.

Jay Soave, Cadence Managing Principal

Jay Soave in a Managing Principal at Cadence and leads the Chicago office with responsibility for sourcing debt and equity for all asset classes nationwide, focusing on the Northeast, Midwest and Southeast. Jay has structured, negotiated and closed sophisticated transactions for 16 years, representing over $15 billion in gross value. Before joining Cadence, Jay worked in Tishman Speyer for nine years as a Managing Director in the Transactional Tax Group based in New York. Before Tishman Speyer, Jay worked as an attorney in the Chicago offices of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, Kirkland & Ellis, and Baker & McKenzie where he represented clients in mergers and acquisitions, private equity transactions, restructurings, and fund formation.

Matthew Burskey, Cadence Partner

Matthew Burskey is a Partner at Cadence and is responsible for the firm’s directional strategy and sourcing equity for all asset classes nationwide. Matt has established himself as an expert in the art of opportunity zone capital raises, yet his experiences spans all aspects of the capital raise spectrum.

Jay Augustyn is a Partner in Ice Miller’s Real Estate Practice. He represents clients in all manners of real estate transactions, including acquisitions and dispositions, financing, leasing and joint ventures. Jay also advises investors, developers and entrepreneurs in fund formation and investment matters with respect to the federal Opportunity Zone program and other federal, state and local programs to improve efficiency of project financing.

For more information, visit the Cadence Capital Partners website: https://cadencerec.com/.

Tenant Needs in a Post-Pandemic World with Christian Beaudoin, JLL Managing Director of Research and Strategy

In this episode, host Phil Coover is joined by JLL Managing Director of Research and Strategy Christian Beaudoin and Ice Miller partner Jay Augustyn. As we all know, COVID-19 has caused an abrupt shift in workplace operations, many of which may have a lasting impact on how we work. For example, as we return to the office, we can expect a hyper-focus on health, wellness and safety. Post COVID-19, tenants and landlords will be looking for space designs that offer greater privacy and separation from others, as well as opportunities to collaborate and concentrate. We can expect flexible work schedules and locations, and our workplaces will need to accommodate these flexible needs. The amenities we expect from our workplaces will be different in a post COVID-19 world.

Christian Beaudoin is a Director of Research and Strategy for JLL in the Americas. He manages a team of analysts and consultants covering market dynamics in office, industrial, multifamily, and retail properties. He is nationally recognized as a leader in site selection, and he drives industry-leading analysis on economics, real estate development, and market conditions. He has led several publications on cities and planning, and real estate strategy and trends.

Christian advises many of the world’s largest organizations across multiple industries—including banking, consumer products, high-tech and government—on real estate strategy and development. Most recently, Christian led site selection project for Toyota in its decision to move its corporate headquarters from California to Texas and to locate its next generation auto plant in Huntsville, Alabama. He currently serves as an Advisor to the Obama Foundation on the planning, design and development of the Obama Presidential Center. He has presented at ULI, CoreNet, IFMA and related real estate association events and authored published papers on real estate trends, innovation and strategy.

Learn more about Christian at www.joneslanglasalle.com.

Please review the JLL article on this topic at:  https://www.us.jll.com/en/trends-and-insights/research/2020-first-look-navigating-post-COVID-19

The Return to Work During COVID-19 with Antonia Cardone of Cushman & Wakefield

In this episode of Real Estate for Breakfast, Antonia Cardone, Americas Lead of Total Workplace for Cushman & Wakefield, joins Phil to discuss the return to work following the COVID-19 pandemic and stay-at-home restrictions. Cushman & Wakefield has helped numerous businesses return to work in China and across Asia, and Antonia brings that experience and knowledge to this discussion. Antonia and Phil discuss how businesses can prepare now to return to work in the future and think about what the future at work will be like and what we know now about people working from home. They discuss the “6 Feet Office” and other considerations as we go back to our offices, including maintaining social distance, minimizing touch points and managing any contamination. The return to work will be gradual and businesses can prepare the building, workforce and organization now for that transition. In the long run, technology will be key. The role of the office and how we create community and culture will change and evolve.

Antonia Cardone is Americas Lead of Total Workplace for Cushman & Wakefield. In this role, she supports clients and accounts challenged to create work environments that best support their people and business goals. Antonia’s specialties include innovative workplace strategies, activity based work settings, dynamic facilitation skills, sensitive change management, effective occupancy strategies and focused project management. She and her team serve clients by creating strategic plans to optimize space utilization; create dynamic, flexible work environments; and support change and future-ready spaces and portfolios. As well as providing stand-alone advisory services, the team has strong synergies with other services already available to Cushman & Wakefield clients, in particular, portfolio strategy, project management, brokerage and facilities management.

Visit cushmanwakefield.com for access to a range of online collateral including: podcasts, infographics, guides and articles.

COVID-19 Stimulus and Relief Packages with Brian Crist and Josh Christie of Ice Miller LLP

In this episode of Real Estate for Breakfast, Phil is joined by two of his Ice Miller colleagues: partner Brian Crist and partner Josh Christie. Phil, Brian and Josh discuss the ongoing economic impact of COVID-19 across a variety of sectors and the hot topics surrounding stimulus and relief packages. They also discuss legislation and federal stimulus packages including: the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, the Paycheck Protection Program, the Economic Stabilization program, the Main Street Lending Program, the Fannie-Freddie Mortgage Forbearance Program and other available programs. In addition, they discuss what landlords and tenants are doing in the current situation. The impact of various state and federal orders to suspend or stay rent and tax collections, evictions and mortgage payments is also explored.

The purpose of this podcast is try to wrap our arms around the various stimulus and legislative packages at play, provide some practical tips and guidance from practitioners who are living this on a daily basis and see how businesses are responding at this current time.

Brian Crist is a partner at Ice Miller and concentrates his practice in business, real estate, environmental, public/private partnership and privatization law. He represents and counsels clients on all aspects of the acquisition, disposition, redevelopment, leasing and financing of commercial real estate assets across the country.

Brian has provided counsel to an international real estate development company on numerous transactions related to its Shari'ah compliant real estate investment funds, including serving as lead counsel with respect to a $100 million acquisition of leasehold interests in two office parks in Boca Raton, Florida in a multi-tiered ground lease structure owned by several municipal entities. He has also represented publicly-traded real estate investments trusts and privately held developers over a sustained period of time with respect to the development, acquisition, sale and financing of single property and portfolio transactions throughout the country.

Brian also has provided counsel with respect to properties with environmental problems commonly called "brownfield redevelopment projects." His legal practice also includes extensive experience in advising clients with respect to public/private partnerships and public infrastructure transactions.

Learn more about Brian Crist: https://www.icemiller.com/people/brian-c-crist/.

Joshua Christie is a partner in the Firm's Business Group. Josh primarily focuses his practice on mergers and acquisitions, corporate transactions, commercial agreements, general corporate matters and financing transactions including commercial lending transactions. Josh's practice also includes advising clients, including governmental entities, municipalities, bidders and developers, in public-private partnerships. His P3 experience involves a number of jurisdictions, projects and industries.

Josh has assisted clients in the analysis, negotiation, documentation and consummation of a variety of transactions, including the acquisition and sale of assets and equity, equity issuances, financing and re-financing, mergers and joint venture formations. Josh also has experience representing borrowers, lenders and investors in financing transactions. He has assisted entrepreneurs in entity formation and other legal matters related to starting new businesses.

Josh also assists clients in the preparation, drafting and negotiation of commercial agreements, including the sale, purchase, supply, distribution and manufacture of products and services. His experience in this area also has touched a number of areas, including the manufacturing, distribution, logistics, chemical, life sciences, food products and consulting industries.

In addition, Josh helps clients navigate and make informed decisions with regard to general corporate matters, including entity formation, the sale and issuance of securities, advising boards of directors and other corporate governance issues, including fiduciary duties of directors and officers and corporate policies and procedures.

Learn more about Josh Christie: https://www.icemiller.com/people/joshua-l-christie/.