Our Team

Ron Zeff founded Carmel in 1996 and is its Chief Executive Officer. Since founding the Firm, Mr. Zeff has been responsible for building the current management team and creating the fiduciary and entrepreneurial culture of Carmel that has led to the successful execution of over $5 billion in multifamily investments.  Mr. Zeff leads the senior team in all aspects of property acquisition, development, financing, asset management, and investor relations.  He also chairs the Investment and Executive Committees.

Previously, Mr. Zeff was with Trammell Crow Residential in their San Francisco office beginning in 1988 and was promoted to Partner in 1989. During his tenure at Trammell Crow Residential he initiated the firm’s entry into the city of San Francisco.  His responsibilities included sourcing, obtaining entitlements, financing and project management for the firm’s efforts in the city of San Francisco.

Mr. Zeff received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Berkeley and an M.B.A degree from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.  He is a member of the National Multi Housing Council and serves on the organization’s Executive Committee.  He is also a Trustee of the California Academy of Sciences.  Mr. Zeff has received numerous philanthropic and industry awards throughout his career including the City of Hope, Spirit of Life Award in 2015.

Michael LaHorgue joined Carmel in 2014 with more than 30 years of institutional and private real estate investment experience. As President of Carmel, Mr. LaHorgue manages the day-to-day activities of the Firm. He is responsible for coordinating the investment and operating teams and for overseeing the implementation of Carmel's strategic objectives. Mr. LaHorgue is a voting member of the Investment Committee and Executive Committee.

Prior to joining Carmel, Mr. LaHorgue was the founder of Seaview Ventures, LLC, a private real estate investment company, which was active in many aspects of multifamily and distressed real estate investment. The firm focused primarily on buying and renovating apartment and condominium properties in Northern and Southern California. Mike also previously spent nine years at Shorenstein Properties, where he served as President of Shorenstein Realty Services, the firm’s property services subsidiary. While at Shorenstein Realty Services his responsibilities included oversight and direction of the day-to-day activities of the leasing, property management, construction, accounting, human resources, and operations groups, as well as the ground-up development team.

Mr. LaHorgue earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley.

As Carmel Partner’s Chief Financial Officer, Dennis Markus has overseen all financial operations and compliance activities since joining the firm in 2012. He also serves as a voting member of both the Investment and Executive Committees.

Mr. Markus was previously the CFO and President of Larkspur Hotels and Restaurants, a fully integrated owner, operator and developer of hotels and restaurants in the Western United States. While at Larkspur, he oversaw the firm’s financial and business operations and honed his disciplined investment policy.

With more than 30 years of experience in the real estate and financial service industries, Mr. Markus has also worked in several key financial and operational roles at Transamerica Corporation and its subsidiaries, including serving as President and CFO of Transamerica Senior Living.

Mr. Markus received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Stanford University and an M.B.A. degree from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Dan Garibaldi rejoined Carmel Partners in 2010 and is responsible for overseeing the company’s development and construction efforts from initiation of site acquisition through project completion. Prior to his promotion to Managing Partner, he was the Senior Vice President of Development and Construction. Mr. Garibaldi is a voting member of the Investment Committee.

Before joining Carmel in 2010, Mr. Garibaldi was Senior Managing Director for Trammell Crow Residential leading all entitlement, financing and development activities in its Northern California Division. He joined TCR in 2004 and helped to broaden its development capabilities beyond apartment communities to include for-sale housing in both suburban and urban markets. Prior to joining TCR, Mr. Garibaldi was a Director at Carmel and led acquisition efforts in the Pacific Northwest as well as the firm’s entry into condominium conversions. Prior to joining Carmel, Mr. Garibaldi was a Senior Associate in U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray’s Investment Banking Division where he held a leadership position managing equity offerings and M&A assignments for companies in the online and financial services industries.

Mr. Garibaldi received a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Italian from The University of Notre Dame and a Master’s in Business Administration from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He is currently a member of the Real Estate Board of New York, the state's first real estate trade association.

Quinn Barton has led Carmel Partners’ debt investments and debt asset management activities since 2009. He is also a voting member of Carmel’s Investment Committee and has an extensive knowledge of financial markets and innovative investment strategies.

Prior to joining Carmel, Mr. Barton was a Managing Director and head of commercial mortgage-backed securities trading for Bank of America Securities in New York, where he was responsible for loan pricing, new issue CMBS bond syndication, secondary trading, and subordinate B-note and mezzanine distribution.

During his 23-year career in the commercial real estate banking and securities market, Mr. Barton has overseen trading and distribution for Natixis Real Estate Capital worked on the CMBS trading desks at RBS Greenwich Capital and JP Morgan.

Mr. Barton received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Washington and Lee University and an M.B.A. degree from George Washington University with a concentration in finance.

As Senior Vice President of Investments in the Denver office, Mr. Hilberg leads acquisition and disposition activities in Denver, Washington D.C. and New York. He is responsible for identifying and evaluating strategic value-add opportunities, overseeing transactions and spearheading investment efforts and has been a member of the Investments Team since 2004.

Prior to joining Carmel Partners, Mr. Hilberg was a Broker with Marcus and Millichap in Denver, CO and an Asset Manager at Torrey Pines Property Management in San Diego, CA. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Finance from the University of Colorado, Boulder.

As Senior Vice President of Investments at Carmel Partners, Michael Pence has over 23 years of experience and 10 years specifically in multifamily investments.

As Senior Vice President of Investments, Mr. Pence leads acquisition and disposition activities in Seattle, Northern California and Hawaii. He is responsible for identifying and evaluating strategic value-add opportunities, overseeing transactions and managing all investments efforts within his portfolio.

Prior to joining Carmel, Mr. Pence was Senior Director for the IP phone network, Tellme. He spent the first 13 years of his career in marketing and sales roles where he developed an expertise in growing high tech, early stage companies into sustainable businesses with diversified client bases.

He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Dartmouth College.

As Vice President of Investments, Mick Barbee has led the acquisition and disposition activities in Southern California for Carmel Partners for more than 15 years. He is responsible for identifying and evaluating investment opportunities, overseeing transactions and managing all investments efforts within his portfolio.

Prior to joining Carmel, Mr. Barbee was a Development Manager at Avalon Bay for four years where he was involved in the acquisition/renovation of over 2,800 apartment homes. Additionally, he handled all underwriting and coordination of due diligence efforts.

Mr. Barbee earned his Bachelor's in Finance, Real Estate and Law at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona and an M.B.A. from the University of California, Irvine.

Dan Garibaldi rejoined Carmel Partners in 2010 and is responsible for overseeing the company’s development and construction efforts from initiation of site acquisition through project completion. Prior to his promotion to Managing Partner, he was the Senior Vice President of Development and Construction. Mr. Garibaldi is a voting member of the Investment Committee.

Before joining Carmel in 2010, Mr. Garibaldi was Senior Managing Director for Trammell Crow Residential leading all entitlement, financing and development activities in its Northern California Division. He joined TCR in 2004 and helped to broaden its development capabilities beyond apartment communities to include for-sale housing in both suburban and urban markets. Prior to joining TCR, Mr. Garibaldi was a Director at Carmel and led acquisition efforts in the Pacific Northwest as well as the firm’s entry into condominium conversions.

Prior to joining Carmel, Mr. Garibaldi was a Senior Associate in U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray’s Investment Banking Division where he held a leadership position managing equity offerings and M&A assignments for companies in the online and financial services industries.

Mr. Garibaldi received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Italian from The University of Notre Dame and an M.B.A. from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He is currently a member of the Real Estate Board of New York, the state's first real estate trade association.

Kimberly Hoeksema joined Carmel Partners in 2006 and currently manages development execution of new multifamily projects. Coordinating with Carmel’s Construction, Finance and Asset Management teams, Ms. Hoeksema directs the activities of the Development Execution team. During her tenure at Carmel, she has been Senior Vice President of Construction as well as Vice President of Asset Management, overseeing various ownership, construction, and redevelopment activities.

Prior to joining Carmel, Ms. Hoeksema was the Vice President of Construction for DR Horton’s multifamily division within the Denver Metro area where she was responsible for all construction, purchasing, and warranty operations. With two decades of real estate and construction experience, Ms. Hoeksema has worked on numerous projects that have received prestigious awards for environmental and design excellence. She is also a member of the Urban Land Institute and the National Home Builders Association.

Ms. Hoeksema earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Construction Management from Colorado State University and an Executive M.B.A. from the University of Denver.

Frank Striegl is responsible for overseeing all execution of major capital projects nationwide.  This includes creation of business plans, asset preservation and management of discretionary capital expenditures.

Prior to joining Carmel Partners in 2004, Mr. Striegl worked as an Asset Manager for HSC Real Estate, a property management company, managing a portfolio of multi-family properties in the Puget Sound Region. From 1997 to 2003, he was a Development Manager for Continental-Bentall, a developer of upscale multi-family properties in the Seattle region. Mr. Striegl's real estate experience began in 1991 when he worked as a Senior Asset Manager for Gentra Capital Corp, a real estate investment firm based in Seattle, managing commercial, industrial and multi-family properties throughout the Northwest and California.

Mr. Striegl received his bachelor’s degree in Economics from the College of William and Mary and he earned a M.B.A. degree from the University of Michigan.

Lee Bloch joined Carmel Partners in 2013 as Vice President of Development and now serves as Senior Vice President of Development. Working in collaboration with the Construction and Development teams to execute comprehensive strategic development plans, Mr. Bloch currently leads the company’s development efforts in the Northeast, specifically in the New York and D.C. metro areas.

With 19 years of industry experience, Mr. Bloch has been involved in both multifamily and retail development. Prior to joining Carmel Partners, Mr. Bloch held various positions including Vice President at Archstone, Development Manager at Kimco Realty Corporation and he also served as both an Analyst and Associate for Time Equities.

Mr. Bloch received his undergraduate degree from the University of Colorado and also holds a Master of Science degree in Real Estate Investment and Development from New York University.

As Senior Vice President of Development, Neils Cotter oversees Carmel Partners’ Southern California development projects with flexibility and creativity. He has 15 years of experience in identifying growth opportunities and executing focused business strategies.

Prior to joining Carmel in 2012, Mr. Cotter was Vice President of Acquisitions and Asset Management for Matteson Companies where he led acquisition, disposition and asset management activities in Southern California, Las Vegas and Denver. He was also the Acquisitions and Development Director for real estate developer, Intracorp Southern California. Previously, Mr. Cotter was a Captain in the United States Air Force.

Mr. Cotter received a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Duke University and an M.B.A. degree from INSEAD.

As Vice President of Development since 2014, Matt Feldman leads all Development Execution in the North East. Ensuring that Carmel’s development projects are completed to the company’s highest design and quality standards, Mr. Feldman oversees all aspects of development projects upon acquisition, through design development, finance, construction and marketing to the final hand-off to asset management.

Mr. Feldman was previously Vice President of Development at Douglaston Development, where he managed more than $1.5 billion in development projects. In his 15 years at Douglaston, he oversaw the successful development of over 2,000 units of residential housing and over 150,000 square feet of commercial space, predominately in New York City. A native of New York City, Mr. Feldman has developed and managed affordable housing for one of Brooklyn's preeminent non-profit organizations, and he has been a Mets fan since birth.

Mr. Feldman earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the State University of New York at Albany, a J.D. from Brooklyn Law School and is admitted to the New York State Bar.

With his focus on new acquisitions, entitlements and design, Vice President of Development Greg Christopher oversees all aspects of the development process for Carmel Partners’ projects in Northern California.

Mr. Christopher has 10 years of experience in multifamily real estate in the Bay Area. Prior to joining Carmel Partners, he worked as Development Director for Equity Residential. He has also managed projects at Avant Housing and Toll Brothers. A licensed architect, Mr. Christopher began his career with Robert A.M. Stern Architects in New York.

Mr. Christopher has an M.B.A. in Real Estate Finance from the Columbia Business School and a Masters in Architecture from Columbia University GSAPP and he earned his Bachelor of Arts at Colby College.

With 18 years of experience, Tom Juenger joined Carmel Partners in 2014 as Vice President of Development and is in charge of land acquisition for development of multifamily and mixed use projects. He evaluates zoning for preliminary design, outlines the steps of the entitlement process and performs property level and market due diligence.

Prior to joining Carmel, Mr. Juenger worked for SRM Development in Seattle where he was in charge of acquiring and developing multifamily properties across the entire west coast.

Mr. Juenger graduated from the University of California at Davis with a Bachelors of Arts degree in International Relations and also earned his M.B.A. degree from the University of Southern California.

Steve Martinelli joined Carmel Partners in 2015 and currently oversees East Coast Construction operations as Vice President of Construction.

Specializing in construction management and value engineering, Mr. Martinelli has a diverse technical and leadership background and 23 years of experience navigating the complexities of large-scale urban development.

Prior to joining Carmel, Mr. Martinelli directed construction at LCOR where he contributed to several multifamily, commercial and mixed use developments in the New York City area, most notably the Chelsea Stratus in Chelsea, one of the area's most sought after luxury condominium buildings. Prior to LCOR, he worked as Senior Project Manager at Morse Diesel International (now AMEC), one of the largest Construction Management firms in the country.

Mr. Martinelli earned a Master of Science in Real Estate at New York University’s Schack Institute of Real Estate, and he holds a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Technology from New York Institute of Technology.

Bob Robinson has been Vice President of Construction at Carmel Partners since 2011. Closely involved in every aspect of construction management, from day-to-day operations to maintaining strict budgetary standards, Mr. Robinson currently oversees Carmel’s Southern California Construction Group.

For more than a decade Mr. Robinson has worked for a number of multifamily owners and builders. Prior to joining Carmel, he served as Project Executive at both the Hanover Company and Swinerton Builders. He spent the first portion of his 25-year career in the Commercial General Contracting sector building a wide variety of complex public and private projects including office, multifamily, hospitality, health care and infrastructure.

Mr. Robinson has a Bachelor of Science in Construction Management from California State University, Chico.

Leo Brown has worked for Carmel Partners and its legacy company, Carmel Companies, for a total of 40 years. Starting out as a framer on single-family developments in the Greeley, Colorado area, he joined CDM Construction shortly after graduating from the University of Northern Colorado in 1977. He is currently Vice President of Construction at Carmel Partners in Denver.

From foundation to Certificate of Occupancy, Mr. Brown is instrumental in managing Carmel’s new development projects through completion.

Mr. Brown has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Northern Colorado.

Since joining Carmel Partners in 2014, Duane Carlson has managed construction activities for all new ground-up development projects. He provides long-range planning, strategic direction and supervision for the Construction Management team.

In his 15 years of experience in the industry, Mr. Carlson has also worked with Avalon Bay where he managed the company’s construction operations in the Pacific Northwest and the San Francisco Bay Area. A member of the San Francisco Building Industry Conference Board and the Association of Building Contractors, Mr. Carlson has managed a range of projects in both Chicago and San Francisco for Orix Real Estate & Capital, Heitman Properties and Trammel Crow Commercial.

His expertise is evidenced by his management of several award-winning properties, most notably the 2014 Multihousing News Silver Award for Most Tech-savvy Community and the 2014 Pillars of the Industry Best High Rise Award for his work on 55 Ninth Street in San Francisco.

Mr. Carlson earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Building Construction from Michigan State University.

Since joining Carmel Partners in 2015, Jim Howard has provided direct supervision for the portfolio's business plans and operating strategies. In addition to overseeing the company's relationship with third-party property managers, Mr. Howard also supports underwriting and due diligence for the Development team and Investment Committee. Mr. Howard is a voting member of the Investment Committee.

Prior to joining Carmel, Mr. Howard was a Vice President and Senior Asset Manager at GE Capital Real Estate where he was responsible for strategically managing a diversified portfolio of commercial real estate equity and debt assets. He also worked for Sares-Regis Group, managing accounting operations for a large portfolio of multifamily properties in the Western United States.

Mr. Howard started his career at Kenneth, Leventhal & Co., where he worked in both the auditing and management services sectors of the business and gained extensive experience in the multifamily sector with a focus on office, retail and industrial properties.

Mr. Howard received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from the California State University, Long Beach and holds a CPA license (inactive) from the State of California.

Michael Holst has over 15 years of experience in portfolio and asset management of multi-family, single-family and commercial assets and as a Vice President is currently responsible for overseeing Asset Management responsibilities within his West Coast portfolio.

Prior to joining Carmel Partners, Mr. Holst served as Vice President of Asset Management and also Vice President of Portfolio Management at BlackRock. Mr. Holst also gained valuable industry experience while working at Prudential Real Estate Investors at both the director and associate levels.

He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin at Madison with a concentration in Real Estate and Finance.

Joining Carmel Partners as Vice President of Asset Management in 2013, Rick Lapidos manages the business strategy for a multitude of assets as well as acting as the owners’ representative for his portfolio. He is responsible for formulating and executing business plans for luxury, market rate and affordable rental and condominium properties on the East Coast and in Denver. He also underwrites new acquisition and development projects sourced by Carmel’s investment team and drafts initial business plans.

Formerly Director of Real Estate Acquisitions and Asset/Property Management at The Dermot Company, Mr. Lapidos directed a property management organization with 50 professionals and executed acquisitions and sales totaling more than $1 billion of value.

Mr. Lapidos has a Bachelor of Science in Economics with dual concentrations in finance and management from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

An integral part of the Asset Management team since 2014, Gabi Franco identifies business strategies for a large number of Carmel Partners’ assets on the West Coast. He oversees third-party multifamily and retail management efforts, optimizing asset performance, and leads department initiatives to better enhance processes and procedures within the company.

Prior to joining Carmel, Mr. Franco worked in New York as a third party Asset Manager & Development Associate for LCOR, Inc. He managed legacy assets for Lehman Brothers, overseeing a national portfolio concentrating in capital improvements & dispositions, while sourcing and underwriting new development opportunities in the Northeast.

Mr. Franco earned his Bachelor of Arts in International Security & Conflict Resolution at San Diego State University and a Master of Science in Real Estate Development at Columbia University.

As Vice President of Asset Management for Carmel Partners, Stephanie Martling has more than a decade of multi-family experience at Carmel Partners and is currently responsible for executing the business strategy on the San Diego, Los Angeles and Student Housing portfolios.

Ms. Martling creates value through driving the property business plans and finding operational efficiencies, developing comprehensive annual property investment plans and  overseeing operating and capital budgets.

Joining the company in 2005, she began her tenure with the Finance & Capital Markets Group before before advancing to her role as Vice President with the Asset Management Group.

Ms. Martling has a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Economics from University of California, Berkeley.

As Senior Vice President of Capital Financial, Aaron Stevens is a real estate capital markets professional who brings twenty years of experience to Carmel Partners.

Previously Mr. Stevens headed the capital markets team at Starwood Waypoint Residential Trust where he was responsible for all equity and debt capital market activities for the firm, including mortgage-backed securities, syndicated debt, credit facilities, convertible securities and interest rate derivatives.

Before joining Starwood Waypoint, Mr. Stevens co-founded The Acadian Group, a New York-based financial technology firm. Prior to Acadian, he spent eleven years with Related Capital Company, a New York-based real estate investment firm, where he held positions in real estate development, acquisitions and fund management.

Mr. Stevens received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors and distinction from Iowa State University and an M.B.A. with honors from Columbia Business School.

As Vice President of Capital Markets, Jennifer Eskildsen manages lender relationships and leads the origination process for project level financing, sourcing debt to finance portfolio investments.

Prior to joining Carmel in 2011, Ms. Eskildsen was Vice President of Capital Markets at Acacia Capital Corporation where she oversaw all financing activities and investment dispositions. During her eleven year tenure at Acacia, her roles in Acquisitions and Asset Management included all aspects of the investment process, from new product development, to investment due diligence, project financing, portfolio optimization, and disposition.

Ms. Eskildsen received a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration with distinction in Management from Whittier College.

Brian Smith has been with Carmel Partners since 1998. As Chief Compliance Officer and Senior Vice President of Accounting, Mr. Smith is responsible for maintaining Carmel’s SEC Compliance program. In addition, Mr. Smith is responsible for the direction and oversight of the company’s accounting, audit and tax functions, including budgeting, insurance, and treasury services.

Before joining Carmel, Mr. Smith worked as an accountant at Seiler LLP for four years, primarily doing tax work for real estate investments and high net worth individuals. He also performed audits for real estate and non-profit organizations.

A Certified Public Accountant and California Real Estate Broker, Mr. Smith received both Bachelor of Science in Accounting and a Master of Accounting degrees from Brigham Young University.

Diem manages the fund accounting team in the corporate office located in San Francisco. Working closely with the construction accounting team and third party property managers, her team consolidate and prepares the fund financials for investor reporting.

Prior to joining Carmel five years ago, Ms. Nguyen worked at Rockwood Capital in real estate project accounting and also at PwC as an audit associate focused on clients in the real estate industry.

She graduated Cum Laude from the University of California at Los Angeles with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications and a minor in Accounting.

As Vice President, Corporate Accounting, Jenny Zhang oversees the accounting, financial reporting, budgeting and forecasting for multiple Carmel businesses including Fund Management, Development and Construction. She manages the Corporate Accounting team in the corporate office located in San Francisco.

Before joining Carmel three years ago, Mrs. Zhang was Assistant Controller at Northern California Presbyterian Homes and Services ('NCPHS'), a San Francisco-based nonprofit organization providing homes and services for healthy living to seniors. Prior to NCPHS, she worked over seven years in public accounting, primarily performing audits on clients in a variety of industries such as investment, real estate, health care, and non-profit.

A Certified Public Accountant from Massachusetts, Mrs. Zhang graduated from Suffolk University with a Master of Science degree in Accounting.

Since joining Carmel Partners in 1999, Deanna Johnson has held various positions and has been instrumental in building and developing the Job Cost Department. As Vice President of Job Cost Accounting, Ms. Johnson is responsible for leading and providing strategic direction to the construction accounting team to ensure accurate and timely delivery of draws and financial reports.

Prior to joining Carmel, Ms. Johnson worked at a full-service commercial real estate firm in Boulder for four years, bringing with her a depth of experience of our industry.

As Vice President of Financial Planning and Analysis, Jono Swanson leads the team that oversees the quarterly valuation process, calculates fund related returns, and handles investor reporting including capital account activity and preparation of fund quarterly reports.

Prior to joining Carmel in 2011, Mr. Swanson worked as an auditor at CBIZ MHM, LLC for four years, where he acquired diverse business and accounting experience while working with clients in the software, venture-funded, and manufacturing industries.

A Certified Public Accountant, Mr. Swanson graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of San Diego with a Bachelor's of Science in Accountancy and a Masters in Accountancy and Financial Management.

Liz Tennican joined Carmel in 2016 and is a Senior Vice President and Head of Investor Relations, Marketing and Research and brings over 20 years of experience in those areas.

Prior to Carmel, Ms. Tennican was a Managing Director and Head of Investor Relations and Business Development for Watershed Asset Management, a credit oriented hedge fund. Previous to Watershed she spent 7 years with Barclays Global Investors which was acquired and became part of BlackRock. She headed the Institutional Consultant Relations Group and then spent five years as Head of U.S. Institutional Sales for the iShares division where she built the U.S. marketing strategy and sales team. Prior to that, she was with two hedge funds where she held various leadership roles including CFO and COO. Ms. Tennican spent 7 years at Robertson, Stephens where she was in investment banking and institutional sales and helped found a capital markets desk.

Ms. Tennican received both a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and M.B.A. degree from Stanford University.

As Senior Vice President of Investor Relations, Rich Bennion is responsible for investor communications, fundraising and reporting. Prior to assuming this position he was the Vice President, Asset Management and was responsible for overseeing the financial performance of a portfolio of 33 properties located in Colorado, Arizona and Texas.

Prior to joining Carmel Partners in 2007, Mr. Bennion worked for HG Capital where he was engaged in all phases of equity investment for residential and commercial real estate projects located in the Western United States. Previous to HG Capital, Mr. Bennion worked for The Carlyle Group where he assisted with the successful redevelopment of condominium conversion projects in Washington, D.C. He also worked for the development division of Foulger Pratt Companies where he conducted research on office, residential, and mixed-use properties in Maryland and Northern Virginia.

Mr. Bennion received his Bachelor of Science degree in Manufacturing Engineering from Brigham Young University and an M.B.A. degree from Harvard Business School.

Melanie Flaherty joined Carmel in 2013 where she oversees branding, creative strategy and digital marketing with a focus on Carmel’s multi-family portfolio.

As Vice President Marketing at Archstone, Ms. Flaherty led brand strategy and online marketing for 180+ luxury apartment communities in major metropolitan markets, including a pipeline of over 50 new development projects. Prior to real estate, Ms. Flaherty spent 13 years in brand management in the food industry. Ms. Flaherty headed Marketing for Gardenburger (Wholesome & Hearty Foods) where she built the strategic plan and new products pipeline. Ms. Flaherty also spent 8 years with ConAgra Foods, where she led the Hunt's brand revitalization including new products, new positioning, new website and a comprehensive loyalty program.

Ms. Flaherty received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business from the University of Colorado, Boulder and an M.B.A degree with honors from Thunderbird School of Global Management.

Bob Hernandez joined Carmel Partners in 2003 and is currently Senior Vice President of Research.

Previously, he oversaw lender relationships and debt transactions as the head of Capital Finance. With experience in many facets of the industry, Mr. Hernandez has been involved in negotiating and closing more than $6 billion in financing for Carmel. He currently leads the company’s research department where he plays a key role in developing market strategies and the underwriting of new acquisitions.

Previously holding asset management and financing positions with boutique multifamily specialists in the San Francisco Bay Area, Mr. Hernandez has over 30 years of real estate experience.

Mr. Hernandez earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley.

Brandy Fulton joined Carmel Partners as Senior Vice President of Human Resources in 2016 and is responsible for attracting, engaging and developing our greatest asset--our talented people.

An accomplished global business leader, Brandy has over 25 years of experience building high-performing teams and delivering data-driven, customer-centric HR solutions and services. Prior to Carmel, she served as VP, HR Operations at Citrix, where she joined Product Development Operations in 1998. Experienced in leading organizations through every stage of maturity, she is committed to developing great leaders and teams as a strategic, sustainable, competitive advantage.

Brandy holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from the University of Maryland.

As Senior Vice President of Information Technology for Carmel Partners, Erik Rogers is responsible for the development and oversight of the information technology strategic vision and implementation with a focus on flexibility, security, and reliability.

Prior to working at Carmel, Mr. Rogers worked with businesses in multiple industries to enhance their ability to utilize data and technology to improve business functionality; including non-profit medical research, hardware distribution, and the public school system. In his 9 years at Carmel, he helped established the Revenue Management department and has worked closely with property operations.

Mr. Rogers graduated from the University of Denver with a Bachelors of Arts degree in both English and Art History and also earned a Master of Arts degree in Digital Media Studies.

As Vice President of Information Technology for Carmel Partners, Dan Meyer is responsible for aligning the company’s security initiatives with enterprise programs and business objectives, ensuring that information assets and technologies are adequately protected.

Prior to working at Carmel, Mr. Meyer gained extensive experience working for a publicly-held REIT that specialized in commercial real estate and data center solutions.

Mr. Meyer received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with an emphasis in Information Systems from the University of Texas, San Antonio.