Atlanta Retail: Transformation of an Industry

Brandon Ashkouti is an Atlanta native, a graduate of Marist High School, the University of Colorado, and attended graduate school at the Scheller College of Business at Georgia Tech from 2010 to 2012. Brandon’s real estate career began in 2003 with Gryboski, Howe and Gravley Properties, as a development associate locating sites and managing the development of single-tenant retail projects. He went on to form a partnership with his family to focus on the rollout of several national retail and restaurant groups and to start the retail development wing of their multi-generational commercial investment firm. Brandon has specialized in build-to-suit retail, repositioning of commercial assets, land development, and rezoning land assemblages for the past 15 years. He has managed commercial developments from acquisition and design, through construction and disposition. 90% of these projects involve Fortune 500 retailers. Brandon founded Eden Rock Real Estate partners in 2013, and in recent years, Brandon’s projects have grown significantly in scale and complexity. He is currently managing approximately $190,000,000 in commercial development across metro-Atlanta, including industrial-to-retail conversions, multi-tenant retail and grocery-anchored mixed-use with multi-family and townhome components.

As Managing Director, Herbert Ames is responsible for the strategic direction and priorities of EDENS’ Southeast Region and sits on the company’s Investment Committee. With a 19-year tenure, Ames oversees the 2.6 million square-foot Southeast portfolio, as well as future growth through (re)development and acquisitions. He is currently responsible for the 2.5 million square-foot redevelopment of Lulah Hills in Decatur, GA. Herbert is well-recognized for his commitment to the community. He is currently serving as treasurer on the Board of Directors for the Buckhead Community Improvement District and serves on the Board of Directors of the Buckhead Coalition. He is a past member of the ICSC Next Gen Leadership Network and ULI Atlanta Livable Communities Council and was named Chain Store Age magazine’s “10 Under 40 – Ones to Watch.” He previously chaired the Long-Range Planning Committee of the City Center Partnership (CCP), an organization dedicated to reinvigorating Columbia, SC’s urban core and central business district, and served on CCP’s Executive Committee of the Board of Directors. He also co-chaired the Midlands Reality Check for Urban Land Institute-South Carolina. Herbert is a graduate of the Leadership Columbia (South Carolina) Class of 2008, a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers and Urban Land Institute, and a Director of Buckhead Coalition. He received a Bachelor of Science from the University of South Carolina.

Michelle Smart is the Vice President of Leasing for Simon Property Group, one of the world's largest Real Estate companies. She is in charge of leasing two of their most iconic assets, Lenox Square and Phipps Plaza, both located in the center of the Buckhead business district. Michelle is a native of Atlanta, and is a proud graduate of the University of Georgia's Terry College of Business. Michelle currently leases over 2.4 million square feet of retail, with over 350 specialty retail stores, whose combined total sales exceed over $1.5 Billion. Michelle was instrumental in spearheading the Phipps Plaza facade renovations and the $300M+ redevelopment efforts currently underway adding Nobu Hotel, Nobu restaurant and a multi-level Lifetime Athletic and Wellness facility. Formerly a retail leasing director for Eddie Bauer in Seattle, and The Gymboree Corporation in San Francisco, Michelle worked on the initial Gymboree Outlet roll out, as well as expansions of the Janie and Jack, Gymboree and Janeville store concepts. Prior to life in Retail Real Estate, Michelle spent 8 years with Dun & Bradstreet in New York and San Francisco, and 2 years with a Kleiner-Perkins and Sequoia Capital backed e-commerce start up in Silicon Valley, Vividence, which is now part of Keynote Systems. Michelle is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers, and a sustaining member of the Junior League of San Francisco.

Jim Irwin is the President of New City, LLC and directs the company’s real estate development and consulting operations, as well as new business pursuits. Over the course of his career, Jim has been responsible for over $500 million of new investment around the United States. Prior to founding New City, Jim served as a Senior Vice President at Jamestown Properties, leading the development of Ponce City Market, a 2.1 million square foot former Sears, Roebuck & Co. distribution facility that was originally constructed in the 1920’s. During its redevelopment, the project was one of the largest and most significant historic renovations underway in the United States. Jim began his career in real estate working for Atlanta-based Barry Real Estate Companies. Among other projects, Jim managed the development of a FBI Regional Headquarters, a $60 million-build-to-suit project in Minneapolis, and Harrison Square, a 16 acre mixed-use development in Fort Wayne, Indiana, anchored by an 8,000 seat minor league ballpark associated with the San Diego Padres. Since it opened to the public, the ballpark has been named “best overall minor league baseball experience” in the country four separate years. Jim earned a Bachelor of Arts from Dartmouth College, where he played football for four years. After college, he served as a legislative aide to two U.S. senators and a U.S. representative before returning to Atlanta to pursue a MBA with a concentration in real estate finance at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School. Jim and his wife, Elisabeth, have three young children.

As President of Ackerman Retail, the retail division of Ackerman & Co., Leo Wiener directs the growth of the group’s national services platform, spearheading developments, acquisitions, leasing and property management. With industry leadership experience spanning more than 25 years, Leo has made numerous strategic staff additions to strengthen Ackerman Retail’s comprehensive services and deliver solid results to its growing roster of local and multi-market clients. To date, the Ackerman’s Retail division has completed nearly 10 million square feet of transactions valued at more than $1 billion. Prior to joining Ackerman, Leo was a Principal and Partner of Glenwood Development Company, concentrating on retail development and redevelopment in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic; and Managing Director at an Atlanta-based boutique real estate firm. Deeply involved in the community, Leo is Chairman of the Board of the Gwinnett Place Community Improvement District, a board member of the High Point Civic Association and the lead Advisor to Sweetwater Growers.

Phil Mays is a principal of RocaPoint Partners. Mr. Mays has more than 20 years of experience in real estate investment, development, land use and zoning. Prior to RocaPoint, Mr. Mays was the Director and Chief Legal Officer for EverBank's commercial special servicing division. Mr. Mays formed and managed EverBank's Commercial Special Assets Department containing more than $1.3 billion in underperforming CRE-backed debt. Prior to EverBank, Mr. Mays acquired and developed real estate in Florida and metro Atlanta for more than a decade. Mr. Mays was Corporate Counsel in charge of real estate for Racetrac Petroleum from 1994-1996 and an associate at McCalla, Raymer et al in Atlanta from 1992-1994. Mr. Mays received his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Florida and a Leadership in Financial Organizations certification from Harvard Business School. Further, Mr. Mays served as gubernatorial appointment to the St. Johns County, Florida Board of County Commissioners from 2008-2010.

Harold V. Shumacher is president of the Shumacher Group, Inc., an Atlanta based real estate company specializing in restaurant and retail site selection. The company was founded in 1991 and currently has five employees. The company represents a wide variety of regional and national restaurant chains ranging from fast food to formal, sit down dining establishments. Prior to starting the Shumacher Group, Harold worked as an Associate Broker with The Shopping Center Group, operated a restaurant consulting company, was training director for the Atlanta Hilton and Towers Hotel and an internship coordinator at Georgia State University. From 1979-1984 he was the restaurant critic and a feature writer for the Atlanta Constitution. Harold is the author of two restaurant guidebooks and has written numerous free lance articles on food, hospitality and restaurant trends. A long time Atlanta resident, Harold originally moved to Atlanta in 1970 and was employed as an Atlanta Public School system teacher.

Mr. Dubovsky is a Managing Director at The Ardent Companies with a focus on creating value across Ardent’s existing retail platform, underwriting and acquiring of retail assets, and integrating retail into development or redevelopment projects. Prior to Ardent, Mr. Dubovsky was a Managing Director at The Shopping Center Group (TSCG), where he oversaw a 20+ person leasing advisory team assigned to 27 million square feet of retail across Georgia and Florida. He has over 15 years of experience in managing a retail leasing advisory platform focused on existing and development projects that covered a large spectrum from single tenant buildings, strip centers, neighborhood/community centers, power centers to mixed-used projects in both urban and suburban markets. Prior to TSCG, he was at Deloitte Consulting, where he managed technology and management consulting projects for Fortune 500 companies. Mr. Dubovsky received a B.B.A from the Terry School of Business at the University of Georgia and in 2000 completed a Master’s in Information Technology. He is a past president of YPO Atlanta and co-founder of the ChainLinks’ Retail Leasing Council. He has been published in numerous retail periodicals, and has a passion for giving back.