SoCal Student Housing

Mr. League serves as Executive Director of Land Use and Planning for the University of Southern California Real Estate and Asset Management Department. His responsibilities include supervision and oversight of all discretionary and legislative land use permits, property acquisitions and dispositions, acceptance of real property gifts and the university’s Faculty Staff Housing Assistance program. Prior to joining USC, League served over 15 years as a municipal land use planner and housing administrator for the City of Los Angeles, Glendale and Pasadena. During this time he worked in planning, economic development and housing functions. League is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP), the American Planning Association (APA). He has both a master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning and a master’s degree in Construction Management from the University of Southern California and a Bachelors Degree from Occidental College.

Pete Angelis is Assistant Vice Chancellor of UCLA Housing & Hospitality Services and has served in his current position since 2007. In his current capacity at UCLA, he oversees a service driven auxiliary enterprise that generates over $330M in annual revenues and employs approximately 2700 team members. The operation houses more than 17,000 students, faculty and staff and serves roughly 30,000 meals daily. The hospitality division includes the 4 star Meyer & Renee Luskin Conference Center, UCLA Guest House and Lake Arrowhead Conference Center; Bruinwoods Resort. Prior to his appointment as Assistant Vice Chancellor, Pete worked in the hospitality industry for more than 20 years with industry leaders working with industry leaders such as Hyatt Corporation and Hilton Worldwide Hotels. Pete received his B.A. in Economics at the University of California, Berkeley and completed the Executive Program at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management. Pete and the UCLA Housing & Hospitality Services team are focused on continuing a tradition of excellence in providing premier residential housing, dining, and other hospitality services for students, visiting conference guests, and UCLA faculty and staff. Under Pete’s leadership, the H&HS team has consistently achieved top customer and team member satisfaction scores, while funding well over $1 billion dollars in housing developments and renovations that are either underway or in the early planning stages.

Brinkman spearheads ACC's the public-private partnership initiatives. He has participated in the award or development of approximately $4 billion of public-private partnerships across the country. One of his key responsibilities involves helping institutional leaders determine whether a partnership model is a viable alternative to develop purpose-built student housing and how institutions can leverage the private sector to deliver the types of housing that today’s student consumers demand. In his 21 years with ACC, Brinkman has served in a variety of capacities, including market analyst, director of development, and vice president of on-campus development. He is an active participant in numerous industry conferences, such as NACUBO, ACUHO-I, SCUP, AOA and NACAS. He graduated summa cum laude from Texas State University with B.B.A.s in marketing and finance.

Andy Plumley is currently the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Auxiliary Services within the organization of Business & Administrative Services at the University of California, Riverside. Andy came to the University of California, Riverside in 1977 as an undergraduate and never left. He has worked in housing and dining almost his entire time at UCR, starting as a student dining worker to his current position as Assistant Vice Chancellor, which he has held since Fall 2007. The departments included in Auxiliary Services include: Housing Services, Dining & Hospitality Services, Transportation & Parking Services, Early Childhood Services, Fleet Services, Card Services, Mail Services, Logistics Services, Printing & Reprographics, and the Bookstore. UCR currently houses over 7,000 residents on-campus, and has an enrollment of over 23,000 students. Housing Services consists of eleven housing communities (3 Residence Halls, 7 Campus Apartment Complexes and 1 Family Housing Community.) The dining program provides both residential and retail services to the entire campus through two large residential restaurant programs, a central food court and other venues at the student union, the Barn dining and entertainment venue, and various stores and emporiums. UCR is currently preparing for significant growth which will increase enrollment to 30,000 students and adding up to 8,000 housing beds in the next ten years. This doubling of housing is planned to be done through public private partnerships. In addition to his work at UCR, Andy has been an active member of the Western Association of College and University Housing Officers (WACUHO.) He has served on various committees, including being on the Executive Committee for 5 years, serving as President in his final year. He received the Charles L. Miller Leadership and Service Award in 2010. He has also been involved in UCR’s Staff Assembly, serving as President in 20114/15, which included representing the Riverside campus on the system-wide Council of UC Staff Assemblies.

Ron’s career has been dedicated to higher education, student housing and sustainable design. He has successfully completed higher education projects throughout the United States, and his work has been recognized with many design awards. Ron has led the design of more than a dozen LEED certified buildings. Ron is a founding board member for the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), and is currently part of the Advisory Council. He presents nationally on green design topics such as Biophilia, high performance buildings and sustainable master planning. Ron has a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Oregon and studied Art History and Spanish at the Universidad de Santiago de Compostela.

As part of the new generation of leadership at KTGY, David Senden is instrumental to the expansion and increased design profile of the firm. Mr. Senden specializes in urban infill residential and mixed-use developments, with work across the United States and internationally. In addition, he has a substantial portfolio of campus housing and specialty projects including affordable developments and recreation facilities. Since joining KTGY in early 2002, he has led teams in each of KTGY’s offices and often travels where needed to contribute to the firm’s most challenging design opportunities. As member of KTGY’s Board of Directors, Mr. Senden is responsible for setting the big picture, strategic vision for the firm, increasing the firm’s profile and ensuring work at the highest levels. He was named to Building Design + Construction magazine’s list of the industry’s top 40 under 40 and has designed numerous award-winning projects from coast to coast. Mr. Senden is a frequent speaker at various national and regional industry events and has written and contributed to countless articles touching on all aspects of design and the building industry. A lecturer and critic at several universities, Mr. Senden emphasizes the connection between the profession and the academy and values mentorship as key to developing talent and integrating the most current design thinking.

Fred Pierce (“Pierce”) is CEO of Pierce Education Properties (“PEP”), a leading national student housing investment, development and operating company that was listed amongst the Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies in America (2018 & 2019). Mr. Pierce was selected a “Student Housing Pioneer” by Real Estate Forum Magazine (2013), received Ernst & Young’s San Diego Region “Entrepreneur of the Year®” Award for the Real Estate & Construction Industry (2012), named one of “50 Influential Leaders in San Diego” by the San Diego Daily Transcript (2017–2019), included in “San Diego 500 Influential Business Leaders” by the San Diego Business Journal (“SDBJ”) (2018–2023), named finalist for the “Most Admired CEO” by SDBJ (2018- 2019) and received the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce’s “Moving San Diego Forward Award” (2019) on behalf of “Friends of SDSU”, for his work on the successful SDSU West Ballot Initiative (Nov. 2018) that has become San Diego State’s (“SDSU”) Mission Valley Campus and Snapdragon Stadium (opened Fall 2022). Fred was twice awarded SDSU’s “Distinguished Alumni Award” by the Alumni Association (2022) and Fowler College of Business (1999), he being one of six alumni to have won that award twice in the last 25+ years. Since 2007, PEP has completed $1.3 billion in student housing acquisitions and operated more than 34,000 beds serving 34 universities in 19 states, ranking it among the leading buyers and managers of student apartments in the country during that period. PEP was ranked by Student Housing Business Magazine (“SHB”) in 2023 amongst the “Top 25 Owners” of student housing in the U.S. and has been listed by SHB as an “Industry Titan” every year since 2016. PEP has ranked #6 nationally amongst student housing companies in J. Turner’s “Online Reputation Assessment (ORA) Power Rankings”. For 10+ years, the firm served as master developer of the award-winning, 131-acre, multi-billion-dollar College Community Redevelopment Project at SDSU together with SDSU Foundation (now known as SDSU Research Foundation). PEP has earned numerous national and international awards for its development projects including three “Gold Nugget Awards of Merit” from the Pacific Coast Builders Conference and the “Award of Excellence” as The Outstanding University Real Estate Project in the country from the Association of University Real Estate Officials. Previously, Fred was a principal and CFO of Los Angeles-based Platt Companies where he directed the acquisition and financing of $400 million in real estate assets. Prior to that, Fred was West Region Director of Real Estate Consulting for Price Waterhouse (now known as PwC), and Director of Real Estate Investment Consulting for KPMG Peat Marwick/Goodkin Group (now known as KPMG). Fred is Chairman of the NMHC Student Housing Research Fund Board, Chairman-Elect of The Campanile Foundation Board (SDSU’s Endowment), Vice Chairman of Beta Theta Pi Foundation Board, and Executive Committee Member of SDSU’s Corky McMillin Center for Real Estate Board. He is a Member of the Franklin Pierce University Board of Trustees (immediate past Chairman), SDSU Fowler College of Business Board (immediate past Chairman), SDSU Mission Valley Campus’ Residential Advisory Board and Public Art Advisory Board, Sonoma State University Wine Business Institute Board and University of Georgia Residential Property Management Board. Mr. Pierce is a Trustee Emeritus of the 460,000-student, 23-campus California State University (CSU) System Board and Past Board President of the City of San Diego’s Pension Fund (SDCERS, $10.6 Billion AUM), where he also chaired its Real Estate Investment Committee. Fred is a former Board Member of INVESCO’s $350 million Real Estate Fund I, and Past President of the CSU Alumni Council, SDSU Alumni Association and Poway Unified School District Foundation Board. Fred completed real estate finance studies in the MBA program at SDSU, and earned a bachelor’s degree in finance, cum laude, from SDSU. Prior to founding PEP, Fred was a principal and chief financial officer of Los Angeles-based Platt Companies where he directed the acquisition and financing of $400 million in real estate assets. Prior to that, Fred was Western Regional Director of Real Estate Consulting for Price Waterhouse, as well as Director of Real Estate Investment Consulting for KPMG Peat Marwick/Goodkin Group. For six years (1999-2004), Fred served as a Trustee of the 23-campus, 460,000-student California State University (CSU) System, where he chaired the Institutional Advancement, Audit, and University and Faculty Personnel committees. Fred is also Past President of the Board of Trustees of the City of San Diego’s Pension Fund ($4+ Billion), where he also chaired its Real Estate Investment Committee. He is currently Chairman of SDSU’s Fowler College of Business Board and Executive Committee Member of SDSU’s Corky McMillin Center for Real Estate. Mr. Pierce is also a board member of Sonoma State University’s Wine Business Institute and The Aztec Club at SDSU. Fred is a former board member of INVESCO’s $350 million Real Estate Fund I, and Past President of the CSU Alumni Council, SDSU Alumni Association and Poway Unified School District Foundation. Fred completed real estate finance studies in the MBA program at SDSU, and earned a bachelor’s degree in finance, cum laude, from SDSU.

Kim Wright has more than fifteen years of experience directing and performing market analysis, financial analysis, and strategic planning for clients in the public, private and nonprofit sectors. Her more recent engagements have entailed student housing master plans and feasibility analyses for on- and off-campus housing, strategic planning for institutions that are considering first-time on-campus housing or an expansion of existing housing, institutions in housing markets with high barriers to entry, and public-private partnership advisory services. An area of focus for Ms. Wright is community colleges where she has assisted a significant number of clients, performed extensive research, and presented at industry events and conferences. She directs Scion’s west coast office. She has an extensive national and international background in general real estate, including multifamily and mixed-use housing, transit-oriented development, and retail. This includes creating innovative development and revitalization strategies for real estate investors, developers, public agencies, universities, business improvement districts, and non-profit organizations Kim is a member of the Association of College and University Housing Officers International (ACUHO-I), Community College Business Officers (CCBO), and the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO). Ms. Wright’s most recent speaking engagement includes the Community College Business Officers (CCBO) annual conference. Ms. Wright earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Urban Policy from Canisius College in Buffalo, New York. As part of her undergraduate studies, Ms. Wright studied at the University of North London in the England. She earned a Master of Public Management with a specialization in Public Sector Financial Management from the University of Maryland at College Park.

Mark is the President and Founder of MJW Investments. After beginning his career as an attorney, Los Angeles native Mark J. Weinstein founded MJW Investments in 1983 when he discovered the potential of real estate investment and development through several successful ventures. Under his leadership MJW has acquired approximately 1 billion dollars of real estate holdings in all asset types. He also spearheaded the adaptive reuse of Santee Village, one of Los Angeles’ largest adaptive reuse projects of over 800,000 sqft. of mixed-use in the Fashion District of Downtown Los Angeles. Mr. Weinstein’s passion for, and expertise in property repositioning has been a guiding factor in the company’s growth and success. Mark is the majority owner of the firm’s $800MM diversified real estate holdings. More recently, Mark has led the firm’s strategic growth into student housing and has amassed a portfolio of student housing properties at Michigan State, Washington State, Brigham Young University, UC Santa Barbara, Texas Tech, University of Illinois and University of Oregon. The firm continues to expand its Southern California multifamily portfolio. Throughout his career, Mr. Weinstein has maintained active associations and leadership with numerous civic and philanthropic groups. These include a three year term as Chair of the Jewish Federation’s Real Estate Construction Division; and active associations with the Young Presidents Organization (YPO), the Guardians, an agency dedicated to serving the elderly, and the Jewish Venture Philanthropy fund. Mr. Weinstein holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California at Santa Barbara (summa cum laude), and a Juris Doctorate from Loyola Law School (dean’s list).

Mr. Vaz founded AMCAL in 1978 and has led the company’s dramatic growth, developing $750 million in residential and mixed-use projects throughout California. A highly regarded leader in the affordable housing field, Mr. Vaz has spearheaded the building of 7,000 affordable apartments, raising more than $700 million in tax credit financings. AMCAL housing has changed thousands of lives by providing quality apartments and partnering with local non-profit organizations to empower residents through education and supportive services. Seeing the massive need for affordable housing in fast-growing Texas, Mr. Vaz expanded AMCAL’s operations into that market in 2012. Mr. Vaz serves on the Board of Directors for the California Housing Consortium, an organization dedicated to advancing affordable housing and community development. He is also a member of the Southern California Association of Non-Profit Housing and the California Redevelopment Association. Entering the student housing field in 2012 to serve California universities that face a housing crisis, he quickly become a recognized expert and AMCAL a preferred builder. He is a frequent speak on affordable and student housing and urban redevelopment at major forums including Urban Land Institute, Pacific Coast Builders Conference, National Housing Conference, Building Industry Association, University of Southern California, Bisnow and numerous affordable housing groups.

Based in Solana Beach, Mr. Vasbinder’s primary responsibilities include identifying, negotiating and acquiring development opportunities throughout the Western US. Since joining the company in 2008, he has been responsible for the acquisition and development of over 3,200 residential units with a valuation over $1.2B. He is currently active in a number of markets, including Los Angeles, Santa Monica, San Diego and Austin. He is a member of the San Diego Building Industry Association and the Mission Valley Planning Group.

Brian Shirken has over twenty years of real estate, finance and investment experience and deep-rooted relationships with developers, investors and financial institutions. He has led the acquisition of properties with total value in excess of $300 million and has directed the acquisition of mezzanine loans and preferred equity positions totaling more than $200 million. He has also restructured over $120 million of debt. Prior to co-founding CPP, Shirken held senior management positions with a real estate company with varying types of properties in 10 states and assets exceeding $300 million in value. Prior to this, he fulfilled auditing, accounting and advisory service responsibilities at a national accounting firm where his client base was primarily in the real estate industry. Mr. Shirken holds a Bachelors of Commerce & Accounting degree and an Honors Graduate Degree in Finance and Management Control Systems from the University of Cape Town. He is a California CPA (inactive) and a California Licensed Real Estate Broker. Mr. Shirken is the former Chairman of the United Jewish Fund Real Estate Division, General Partner of the Los Angeles Jewish Venture Philanthropy Fund, and is a Wexner Fellow.

Shiraz Tangri is Of Counsel in the Los Angeles office of Meyers Nave. He focuses his practice on real estate development, infrastructure and energy projects. Shiraz fills a specialized niche within Land Use Law, advising on mixed-use, transportation and urban in-fill projects in Southern California, including housing, cultural and academic institutions, and transit-oriented development. He is experienced and well-versed in the most challenging Land Use issues, including green building, adaptive re-use, air quality and permitting, renewable energy, sustainable development and transportation planning. Shiraz’s expertise is recognized through his inclusion in the “Litigation – Environmental” category of the 2015, 2016 and 2017 editions of The Best Lawyers in America. Shiraz has also been named to the Daily Journal’s “Top 50 Development Lawyers” list (2014), Super Lawyers Magazine’s Southern California Super Lawyers list (2013-2017), and Los Angeles Business Journal’s “Who’s Who in L.A. Real Estate Law” list (2013). In 2012, Shiraz was listed in the Daily Journal’s “Top 20 Under 40 in California” and “Top 30 Real Estate Lawyers in California” lists, as well as being named a “Rising Star” by Super Lawyers Magazine the same year. In 2011, he was named to the Daily Journal’s list of California’s “Top 25 Land-Use Leaders.” In 2010, Shiraz was one of only ten environmental lawyers nation-wide named as a “Rising Star” by Law360.