Rockabill Development Promotes Taft to VP
Rebekah Taft has been elevated to vice president at Rockabill Development, where she will oversee a variety of transactions, ranging from the preservation and construction of supportive housing to the rehabilitation of shelters.
Since joining the firm 18 months ago, Taft has led several notable projects, including the $38 million transformation of an illegal New York City hotel into permanent supportive housing in partnership with Goddard Riverside Community Center and the $20 million preservation of the city’s first supportive housing project with St. Francis Friends of the Poor.
Prior to joining Rockabill, Taft was a senior project manager at Neighborhood Restore HDFC, a New York-based nonprofit focused on transitioning properties from financial and physical abandonment to responsible third-party ownership.
The Millennia Cos. Announces Chief Administrative Officer
Michael Pico has returned to The Millennia Cos. as chief administrative officer.
Pico will provide oversight of the administrative operations within the company and leadership to various departments, including human resources, learning and development, internal audit, information technology, safety and security, and communications.
Additionally, Pico will work closely with the executive team to implement strategic initiatives to increase efficiencies and achieve operational goals.
He previously served as the chief human resources officer for the organization.
Headquartered in Cleveland, Millennia is a leading development and property management firm with a portfolio that includes more than 280 multifamily housing communities in 26 states.
Hudson Valley Property Group Promotes Seven
Hudson Valley Property Group (HVPG), a leading, national affordable housing preservation company, has promoted seven individuals across its various teams.
In asset management, Jennifer Lee has been promoted to associate director. With 20-plus years of real estate asset management experience across multiple asset classes, she will focus on financial and operational oversight of HVPG’s stabilized portfolio and will work closely with the asset and portfolio managers as well as third-party property management companies.
Hayley Levy, also within the asset management team, has been promoted to senior asset manager. She will handle oversight of HVPG’s pre-stabilized assets, working on the firm’s new projects starting at due diligence from the lens of asset management through transition into HVPG’s portfolio. In addition to working closely with the company’s asset and portfolio managers and members of the acquisitions team, she will collaborate with agency partners and third-party property companies.
In acquisitions, Craig Sudan and James Chang have both been promoted to senior acquisitions manager. They will lead complex HVPG acquisitions, including low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) projects and large portfolio transactions and will liaise with HVPG’s various internal teams. They will also work closely with the firm’s debt financing partners, equity investors, sellers, agency partners, and local municipalities.
Within HVPG’s design and construction team, Arielle Talasazan and Russell Sang have both been elevated to senior assistant project manager. They will lead various components of renovation projects from initial physical diligence and vendor selection through project planning and active construction. They will liaise with general contractors, architects, relocation specialists, and on-site teams, and focus on executing a variety of sustainability and green improvement initiatives.
In accounting and finance, Drew McKessey has been promoted to assistant controller of development accounting and will oversee property-level development accounting and all property financial and tax reporting across HVPG’s portfolio. With 23-plus years of development and construction accounting experience, he will work closely with the HVPG team as well as the firm’s lenders, LIHTC investors, general contractors, and external accounting and legal teams.
Cinnaire Promotes Vassar
Lucius Vassarhas been elevated to chief legal officer and corporate secretary at Cinnaire, a community development financial organization and LIHTC syndicator.
He will serve as the liaison for executive leadership, the board of directors, outside legal counsel, and regulatory agencies as well as continuing to drive the organization’s equitable engagement efforts.
Vassar joined Cinnaire in 2018 as Detroit market lead and was soon promoted to corporate counsel and executive vice president, equitable engagement.
He has more than 30 years of legal, government, and advocacy experience. Deeply engaged in Detroit, he holds leadership positions with the Detroit CDFI Coalition and Community Development Advocates of Detroit.
Effler to Become CEO of Bellwether Enterprise
Bellwether Enterprise Real Estate Capital has announced that president DJ Effler will succeed Ned Huffman as CEO, effective July 1. Huffman will remain a special adviser to the national commercial and multifamily mortgage banking company.
Effler has served as president since 2020, leading multiple company initiatives with a focus on production, talent retention, and recruitment efforts along with overseeing the Columbus, Ohio, office and numerous investor relationships. He previously served as an executive vice president and built the Columbus team from 2011 through 2020 while consistently ranking as a top producer in the firm.
JPMorgan Chase Adds to Community Development Team
Charlie Fenton, executive director, recently joined the Dallas community development banking team at JPMorgan Chase.
He brings more than 17 years of relationship management experience, most recently serving as senior vice president at Hancock Whitney, where he was responsible for the management and expansion of middle-market relationships. Fenton, a senior commercial banker, returns to JPMorgan Chase after a prior nine-year tenure in various roles at the company.
Additionally, he has more than 20 years of military leadership experience and is a member of the Air National Guard with the U.S. Air Force.
