Future of Downtown Denver & Mixed-Use

Tami Door is the CEO of Q Factor, and the former CEO of the Downtown Denver Partnership. She joined the Partnership in 2005 after serving as executive vice president of the Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce, the nation’s largest regional chamber, and as vice president of a five state division of NBD-First Chicago. She is the co-founder of Denver Startup Week and The Commons on Champa. Tami is a recognized leader for her innovative approach to convening, collaborating and innovating to build a strong City. She is the incoming Chairman of the International Downtown Association.

Jeff Hermanson is the CEO of Larimer Associates, the well-known Colorado development company that he founded in 1987. Jeff is the owner and steward of Larimer Square which he purchased in 1993. Through his leadership and place-making experience, the iconic Denver block has evolved into one of the most recognized collections of independently-owned stores and chef-owned and operated restaurants in the state, and consistently ranks as one of Denver’s top attractions. Larimer Square is Denver’s first historic district and Jeff’s strong commitment to its preservation as well as his forward-thinking vision for the block, keeps the offering and experience fresh, ensuring that Larimer Square remains Denver’s most treasured historic asset. A strong proponent of incubating skilled, local talent, Jeff has partnered with a number of Denver’s most notable chefs and restaurateurs including Troy Guard, Jennifer Jasinski and Lon Symensma to create some of the city’s most acclaimed restaurants, including Rioja, TAG, Euclid Hall, Bubu, Bistro Vendome, Cholon and others.

A highly successful senior executive with a thirty year track record managing high-end commercial real estate portfolios and 40+ million sf in assets. Effective team leader who maximizes financial performance, business growth, capital planning and relationships. Consistently demonstrates superior judgment in all decision-making matters and crisis management situations. A proactive community leader combining a strong sense of civic loyalty and authentic interpersonal skills to guide major change initiatives.

Rhys Duggan has been a real estate investor/developer since 1996. Mr. Duggan has served in senior level commercial development roles in Vancouver, B.C., Denver and Nassau, Bahamas. He is currently a Principal and President & CEO of Revesco Properties, a boutique real estate development and investment firm with offices in Denver, CO and Vancouver, B.C. He began his career in West Vancouver B.C. as the Assistant to the Mayor, learning the intricacies of the public permitting and entitlement processes. He then transitioned to the private sector with a large private landowner and developer, The Larco Group of Companies, as a project manager specializing in the development of urban mixed use properties. In 1998, he moved to Denver where he was a Principal with Southwestern Investment Group, LLC, a privately held company specializing in the development of grocery anchored retail centers and master planned residential communities. From 2006 to 2011, Mr. Duggan served as President and CEO of The New Providence Development Company, the largest private landholder in Nassau. In this role, Mr. Duggan oversaw the master planning and development of the Company’s 2,500 acre landholding, as well as the day-to day operations of the Company’s numerous business units. Through his leadership of Revesco Properties he continues to develop and invest in retail, residential, office and mixed use projects, with a focus on the Denver, Vancouver, Phoenix, Houston and Salt Lake City markets. In the Denver market, he is a Principal in, and the Managing Member of the consortium that purchased Elitch Gardens in June, 2015. Rhys currently splits his time between Vancouver and his Denver residence in Lower Highlands.

Kelly’s passion for design spans a variety of project types and sizes including multi-family housing, corporate headquarters, hospitality and mixed-use developments. One of the leaders of OZ’s rise to become one of the largest architectural firms in the region, Kelly’s leadership is also focused on the community through his work on the LoDo Design Review Board, the Fitzsimons Science & Technology Park Design Review Board and the Denver Economic Council Board of Governors. Kelly also regularly mentors architectural interns and participates in University of Colorado student design juries.

Jonathan Tilton specializes in tenant representation in the Central Business District and Southeast Suburban submarkets of metro Denver, although he has worked with numerous clients on transactions throughout the United States. Mr. Tilton works side by side with seasoned commercial real estate broker Tom Lee; together, they have over 45 years of combined experience. Their extensive market knowledge and a strong understanding of economic indicators provide a stable foundation that enables their clients to make strategic and well-educated decisions. A valuable resource for clients, Mr. Tilton provides strong analytical and negotiating skills and an unwavering commitment to exceeding client goals. His background in private banking gives him a strong basis in cash flow and business model analyses, ensuring superior service options and delivery. Partial Client List  Alto Pharmacy  Black Knight Financial  Broadnet  Chicago Title  Dividend Capital  Essex Financial Group  Fidelity Title  Guild Education  Heritage Title  HUB International  Interstate Restoration  LaNacional  MarkWest Energy  MDC Holdings  Morgan Stanley  Salt Lending  SecureSet  SendGrid  ShapeShift  Ticketmaster  Wiley Education  Yardi Systems Affiliations  Member, Denver Metro Commercial Association of Brokers (DMCAB)  Advisory board member, Denver Petroleum Club  Member, Young Professionals Group, Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce  Member, University of Colorado Active Network (UCAN)  Ski instructor, National Sports Center for the Disabled and Special Olympics, 2009– 2018 Education Mr. Tilton received a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics with a minor in business administration from the University of Colorado Boulder.

Matthew (Matt) Ahrens leads Rising's acquisitions activities, including sourcing, underwriting, financing, and closing transactions. Since joining Rising, Matt has closed more than 4 million square feet of opportunistic investments in Southern California with a total capitalization of nearly $1 billion. Prior to joining Rising, Matt worked for Principal Real Estate Investors, the real estate investment subsidiary of the The Principal Financial Group. While at Principal, Matt was involved in the securitization of more than 200 commercial real estate loans with a total loan balance of more than $1 billion. In a subsequent role, Matt provided investment credit analysis on a $7 billion portfolio of commercial mortgage backed securities. Matt has Bachelor of Science degrees in Finance and Accounting from Iowa State University, and a Master's Degree in Real Estate Development from the University of Southern California. Matt is an active member of NAIOP and the Pension Real Estate Association.

John Moore is a Senior Vice President for, and serves as the JE Dunn Construction Company’s Regional Director of Client Solutions. In his role at JE Dunn, Moore oversees business development activities in JE Dunn’s West Region with offices in Denver, Portland, Phoenix, and Colorado Springs. Moore joined JE Dunn in March 2017 after spending virtually his entire career at Martin/Martin, Inc., a Colorado based civil and structural engineering firm. Moore is a member of many organizations, and was appointed in September 2018 to a two-year term as a co-chair of the Metro Denver EDC Executive Committee. Today he holds several executive committee positions. A Colorado native, he received his B.S. in Civil Engineering from Colorado State University and is a registered engineer in the state of Colorado.

Jon Buerge is the President and Partner at Urban Villages, Inc. In this capacity, Jon is responsible for operations, real estate development, and strategic positioning for all real estate assets. He also manages the research and analysis of new company acquisitions and corporate growth strategies. Jon currently serves as the Chair of the Denver Business Improvement District and is on the Board of Directors for the LoDo District. He is also a member of Denver’s Public Realm Committee and 16th Street Mall Redevelopment Steering Committee.

Donna brings more than 25 years of experience in executive leadership, real estate development, property management and asset management of high-profile commercial office, retail and mixed-use projects to Pacific Retail. In her role, she will be guiding the strategic growth of the company, supervising the company’s daily business operations and leading key initiatives. Previously, Donna was the Chief Operating Officer for Continuum Partners based in Denver, CO. There she was involved in overall business operations and strategic oversight of their Block A, 9th & Colorado and Market Station development projects. While in Colorado, she served on the Civic Ventures Board for the Downtown Denver Partnership, as well as the Upper Downtown Task Force, 16th Street Mall, Development Council and the Urban Exploration Steering Committee. Prior to joining Continuum, Donna served as Senior Vice President, Portfolio Management at Pacific Retail and oversaw the KKR-owned portfolio of shopping centers in New York and Illinois. She was responsible for over $100 million of capital improvements and new tenant development initiatives and worked with municipalities to create entitlement opportunities for new dynamic walkable-livable environments. Donna’s previous experience includes development roles for Meadowlands Xanadu, a 2M square foot retail, restaurant and entertainment mixed-use project developed as a Public/Private and for Tishman Speyer Properties, where she oversaw over $100M of public space, retail, common areas and tenant improvements related to the redevelopment of Rockefeller Center. Donna resides in Denver with her husband, Tim. She has two college-aged sons, Andrew and Christian. She enjoys outdoor adventures including hiking, skiing, rafting and biking and loves to explore new cultures, art, dining and music through her travels throughout the United States and internationally.

Daniel is responsible for the vision, design, entitlements and execution of new and existing real estate developments, and strategic positioning of all real estate assets. Previously, Daniel was the Senior Principal and Practice Leader for the Stantec Buildings and ViBE groups in Colorado, where he oversaw the vision, design and execution for multiple life sciences and healthcare facilities, mixed-use developments, sports and entertainment districts, arenas, urban districts, shopping experiences, nationally and in over 15 countries. He has over 20 years of experience in visioning, planning, urban design, architecture, interior design, branding and graphic design, environmental graphics and wayfinding, sustainable design, and placemaking. Daniel earned a Master of Architecture and Healthcare Design from Texas A&M University. He received his Bachelor of Architecture degree in from the Instituto Superior de Arquitectura in Mexico City, and the Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, in Haifa, Israel. He serves on the Colorado University LEEDS Real Estate Center International Advisory Board, the ULI’s RETL Council, and the Better Boulder Board of Directors. For Daniel, delivering captivating, relevant, sustainable, and exceptionally unique projects is the status quo. He designs and develops places where people elect to spend their time. He finds connections and meaning; creating beautiful design, focused on the experience.

Tyler is an experienced preconstruction expert who has worked exclusively in the Colorado marketplace on a variety of project types, ranging from speculative and build-to-suit office developments to innovative collaborative spaces, hotels and mixed-use developments. He brings more than a decade of experience, benefitting clients and project teams with reliable budget development so that preconstruction services transition to construction without issue. Tyler holds both a Bachelor of Science and Master of Civil Engineering from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and joined Swinerton in 2018. As a national general contractor, the mixed-use and commercial market is a core focus for Swinerton. Locally, Swinerton is building the Block 162 office tower in downtown Denver, and several office campuses and mixed-use developments for firms moving to or expanding in the greater Denver area.

Jeremy uses in-depth financial analysis to demonstrate a business case for sustainable and energy efficient strategies on individual projects and across real estate portfolios. Utilizing stok’s Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) and Sustainability Financial Impact Analysis (SFIA) tools, he highlights the importance of identifying a project’s economic value drivers and demonstrating how sustainable design can support them. With a BA in Financial Management, a Masters in Urban Planning with a thesis focused on Life Cycle Costs of Passive House buildings, and substantial, rigorous industry research, Jeremy helps clients realize financial benefits from high performance buildings at scale. Most recently, Jeremy developed a framework for quantifying the external benefits of high performance buildings, including productivity, retention, and occupant health and wellness.