Long Beach Boom!

Dr. Robert Garcia is an educator and the 28th Mayor of Long Beach. Mayor Garcia is focused on making the City of Long Beach a leader in economic development, sustainability, education, and technology. At age 5, Mayor Garcia immigrated to the United States from Lima, Peru and was raised in Southern California. The Mayor, a college and university educator, holds an M.A. from the University of Southern California and an Ed.D. in Higher Education from Cal State Long Beach, where he also earned his B.A. in Communication. Mayor Garcia currently serves as a Board Member on the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) representing much of the South East County of Los Angeles.

As LA Metro CEO, Washington manages a total balanced budget of $6.6 billion for FY19, is responsible for overseeing $15+ billion in capital projects, providing oversight of an agency of nearly 11,000 employees and transports 1.4 million boarding passengers daily, riding on a fleet of 2,000 clean-air buses and six rail lines. LA Metro is also the lead transportation planning and programming agency for LA County. As such, it is a major construction agency that oversees bus, rail, highway and other mobility- related building projects – together representing the largest modern public works program in North America. Washington was a key leader in the 2016 successful effort to pass a new half-cent sales tax in LA County, which garnered 71.15% voter approval. Measure M will build 40 major highway and transit projects in the first 40 years, create 778,000 jobs and provide $133.3 billion in economic impact. Washington came to Los Angeles from Denver, Colorado, where he was Assistant General Manager for nearly 10 years, prior to being named CEO in 2009. In Denver, Washington implemented the FasTracks program, one of the largest voter- approved transportation expansion programs in the country. Under his leadership, Denver’s West Corridor Rail Line project was completed under budget and eight months earlier than scheduled, and the award-winning Denver Union Station project was completed five months early and is yet realizing tremendous revenue/value capture from the surrounding development. Also in Denver, Washington implemented the first and only $2.2 billion transit Public-Private Partnership (P3), which is still in operation. His emphasis on measuring and managing agency performance led to a nearly 90% on-time bus and rail service, and 96% ADA on-time performance. Washington has had numerous prestigious assignments and honors. In 2007, he was appointed by the Mayor of Denver, to head the Host Transportation Committee for the 2008 Democratic National Convention. In 2009, he was appointed by Colorado Governor Bill Ritter to serve on the State of Colorado’s Workforce Development Council helping the state create a 21st century workforce. Washington was named 2013-2014 Outstanding Public Transportation CEO of the Year in North America by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA). He has testified before U.S. Congressional Transportation Subcommittees and was awarded a White House Transportation Innovators Champion of Change award in 2012. In 2014, he was selected by the editors of Engineering News-Record for special recognition as one of the Top 25 Newsmakers of 2013. In 2016, he was chosen by the National Safety Council as one of the CEOs Who “Gets It” – an honor bestowed on CEOs who demonstrate leadership in safety at the highest levels. In 2017, he was awarded the Judge Harry Pregerson Public Service Award for his service to U.S. military veterans. And, in 2018, he was awarded the Honorable Ray LaHood Award (Former U.S. Secretary of Transportation) by the Women in Transportation Seminar (WTS), for his outstanding contribution in promoting opportunities to advance and advocate for women in the transportation industry. Originally from the South Side of Chicago – the Chicago Housing Projects of Altgeld Gardens – Washington is a 24-year disabled veteran of the United States Army, where he held the rank of Command Sergeant Major, the highest non-commissioned officer rank an enlisted soldier can achieve. He retired from active duty being awarded the prestigious Defense Superior Service Medal for exceptional service to his country. He holds a B.A. in Business from Columbia College, an M.A. in Management from Webster University, and is a graduate of the Harvard University Kennedy School for Senior Executives in State and Local Government. He is also a past chair of APTA.

Ryan Altoon is Executive Vice President with AndersonPacific, LLC, a Los Angeles-based development company focusing on investment, entitlement and development of mixed-use infill projects that are transit-oriented and sustainable, creating livable and walkable communities. Anderson Pacific currently manages/owns over $1 Billion in projects in key Downtown areas throughout California. Mr. Altoon has over 16 years experience in real estate, strategic planning, management and finance. He is responsible for overseeing entitlement and development projects for the firm. Prior to joining AP he worked at George Smith Partners, Inc., a real estate investment bank and financing company, where he was responsible for underwriting debt and equity packages for acquisitions, development and refinancing myriad product types. Prior to GSP he was Managing Director of GFX Center, a design and reprographics firm he founded, serving the international real estate clientele of a professional services firm. Mr. Altoon also served as a Business Manager for Altoon + Porter Architects, LP. Mr. Altoon received an MBA from the University of Southern California, a Certificate of Architecture from the Harvard Graduate School of Design, and BA in Business/Economics and Art History from the University of California, Santa Barbara. He is a LEED AP, ULI-LA Advisory Board member, Chair of the Downtown Long Beach Alliance, and President of the Greater Toluca Lake Neighborhood Council.

An experienced real estate executive with an 18-year track record of delivering superior project investment returns, Tyson Sayles oversees Ensemble’s multifamily group and its commitment in developing inspiring, transformative places that people call home. Previously, Tyson was the Fund Manager for CityView Southwest Multifamily Partners, a fund that purchased and renovated apartments in the Southwestern U.S. Earlier, he worked with the residential division of The KOR Group, overseeing the acquisition, renovation, recapitalization, construction and/or disposition of over 4,000 multifamily units valued at approximately $1 billion. ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES Tyson’s role at Ensemble is focused on urban multifamily and mixed-use opportunities, including re-use acquisitions and new developments. He researches, evaluates and analyzes options and information that will lead to optimal decision-making for real estate acquisitions and development. ACCOMPLISHMENTS Bachelor of Arts in Architecture, Minor in Business Administration, University of California, Berkeley; Chancellor’s Scholar; National Merit Scholar Involved in adaptive reuse of Eastern Columbia, winner of Los Angeles Conservancy’s 2008 Preservation Award; and Pegasus, winner of 2004 American Institute of Architects’ Los Angeles Design Citation Award

Shane is a Long Beach multifamily and 1031 exchange specialist and Director of Marcus and Millichap’s National Multi Housing Group. As a lifelong resident of Long Beach, and alumni of CSULB, Shane offers invaluable knowledge of the local market. His unrivaled work ethic and dedication to providing his clients with the best advisory, research underwriting services available helped him climb the ranks again to be one of the firm’s Top Producers for 2018, and the firms youngest standing First Vice President of Investments. Shane is known for his ability to create unique opportunities for his clients, and maintaining the highest level of integrity and honesty to protect the interest of his clients. He heads a team within Marcus & Millichap’s Long Beach/South Bay office that specializes in multifamily investment properties throughout the Long Beach, South Bay, Los Angeles and surrounding areas. In 2018, their company boasts $46.4 Billion in volume, over nearly 10,000 transactions.

Edward Twining, Jr. is Owner and Chairman of Twining, Inc., one of California's leading engineering, materials testing and inspection companies. He provides strategic leadership to the growth and development of the company. Mr. Twining oversees management practices and provides executive oversight to the leadership team. He has over 40 years of experience in the construction industry. He is the fourth generation of the Twining family to manage the firm. Established in 1898, Twining is the largest testing and inspection company in Los Angeles. It is home to over 350 employees and operates seven state-of-the-art laboratories throughout the United States. Twining, Inc. employs some of the industry's most well-known construction materials experts who perform research, consulting and design to shape the future of construction standard practices.

Jean Paul Wardy began his career in real estate while attending the University of Southern California. Mr. Wardy joined the Alexander Haagen Company in 1990, and by 1993 had been promoted to Vice President, Acquisitions. From 1993 through 1998, Mr. Wardy was the executive primarily responsible for the successful acquisition of over 20 shopping centers. In 1998, Mr. Wardy co-founded CenterOak Properties with Fred Bruning, which became CenterCal Properties in 2004. Since that time, Mr. Wardy has committed his efforts toward creating successful retail driven projects that both enhance and elevate the communities they serve. In the pursuit of his real estate career, Mr. Wardy built upon the solid foundation of his family’s successful retail background in the Amen Wardy Stores and Amen Wardy Home Stores. Mr. Wardy is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers and the Urban Land Institute, and is a devoted husband and father.

Michelle Molina is Managing Partner of Millworks, translated simply as “the work of the mill,” a play on her last name, Molina, in English. Millworks creates socially responsible investment through adaptive reuse, business improvement, and community involvement. Millworks, also known as Sixth & Pine Development, has projects in Downtown Long Beach, Orange & Santa Ana, California and New Orleans, Louisiana, and specializes in what she calls, “extinct, struggling or abandoned, but definitely lovable buildings and businesses”. Completed projects include a couple of entertainment district restaurant improvements and resale, the adaptive reuse of a former Head Start building, and the $60M reuse of the former Press Telegram newspaper and adjacent historic Meeker-Baker buildings, which created over 1,000 new IT jobs and over $2B in community benefit. Projects currently in progress are an auto body shop turned brewery, and the historic Packard car dealership, soon to open as a world-class rock climbing gym. Their next labor of love involves an 1850 single-family home with servants’ quarters in the Arts District in New Orleans perfectly suited for a creative short-term residential unit, artist’s studios and gallery space. Current business improvement projects include a former Crate & Barrel site turned into a hyperlocal gift and art gallery utilizing the loading dock as a welcoming wine & beer bar with live music. This unique location offers craft classes, hosts political debates, and includes a unique venue rental for meetings, parties and weddings. In this 12,500 sq. ft. space, over 200 local businesses benefit from sales of their products, art and talent. As a current City of Long Beach Economic Development Commissioner and member of the Revolving Loan Subcommittee, Michelle serves as the champion for city-wide policy improvements for the entrepreneur, strengthening the local economy, and the value of supporting small business lending. During her seven-year tenure on the Downtown Long Beach Associates Board of Directors, a non-profit dedicated to enhancing downtown Long Beach through clean & safe programs, art & music events, and advocacy, she served as a founding member of HOPA (Historic Old Pine Association) which created many charitable arts and business improvement projects in the north Pine Avenue historic core. Additionally, she is a founding member of the Friends of Lincoln Park, an informal group of citizens helping to make downtown’s largest green space a safe and active space for all. Michelle likes to travel, is a TV and film fanatic, and relishes in sampling local food and craft beverages. She consciously adds art and music incubators to her properties, including funding street art and mural projects and booking live music and theater whenever possible. She’s grateful she has a team who believes that people make the development special, even if they also make it challenging. Her favorite pastime is staying one step ahead of her own people- two successful, caring, and socially conscious teenagers. “I like to think of myself as a peacekeeper. I imagine peace as an artform. It doesn’t mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.”

Principal Taylor Woods co-founded Urban Commons in 2008, and has been instrumental in launching the firm’s portfolio and growing it to an impressive $1 billion in less than a decade. Taylor has an intuitive ability to analyze and engage in investment opportunities with the most up-side potential, which has helped expand Urban Commons’ collection of assets across the United States. Taylor’s 15 years of real estate finance experience has also given him a keen understanding of the inner workings of the industry and a clear path to establishing Urban Commons as one of the country’s leading real estate development and investment firm. From investor relations to generating capital and overseeing governance and structure, Taylor has drawn on his expertise to build out the tentacles of a hearty development operation at Urban Commons. In addition to identifying the most compelling real estate deals, Taylor is passionate about developing properties that will have a positive impact on the surrounding community. Prior to launching Urban Commons, Taylor founded the nation’s leading provider of end-to- end outsourced mortgage services, which he later successfully sold. This company offered a secondary marketing solution and comprehensive mortgage origination to over 50 U.S. banks, and resulted in the origination and sale of billions of dollars of real estate assets. Taylor earned his bachelor’s degree in English and Business from Brigham Young University.

Waterford Property Company is an Orange County-based real estate firm focused on acquiring and managing commercial real estate assets throughout California and Arizona. Waterford leverages its experience, relationships, and superior market knowledge to acquire and manage select real estate opportunities that provide strong risk-adjusted returns to its investors. Waterford looks for opportunities where it can utilize its asset management expertise to add immediate value while also focusing on properties that can be purchased well below projected replacement costs. To purchase its assets, Waterford partners with high net-worth private investors, institutions, and a select group of alternative funding sources. Since its founding in 2014, Stillwater has acquired and been a partner in over $170 million of office and retail assets in Southern California.

Glenn Rudy joined Newmark Knight Frank Retail Capital Markets in 2015 as a managing director in the firm’s Newport Beach, California, office. With more than 20 years of experience in the shopping center industry, Mr. Rudy has participated in the sale or financing of more than 300 properties with an aggregate value in excess of $3.75 Billion. He has transacted on properties for both private, individual clients and large institutions throughout the Western United States including California, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Idaho and Montana. Mr. Rudy joined Newmark Knight Frank after a successful tenure as a director of capital markets within Cushman & Wakefield’s Western Retail Advisors. Since joining his partners, Pete Bethea and Rob Ippolito in 2012, the trio have executed on the sale of over 50 properties totaling nearly $3 Billion. Prior to joining Cushman & Wakefield, Mr. Rudy served as managing director of Capital Real Estate Advisors in West Los Angeles, responsible for overseeing a disciplined acquisition platform for the company’s internal portfolio. Additionally, Mr. Rudy was responsible for managing all lines of its third-party real estate services to the firm’s twelve high-net-worth family offices it represented exclusively. While under Mr. Rudy’s oversight, the firm’s investment portfolio tripled in overall size and value, while its service lines generated an increase of more than 75% of its gross revenues. Mr. Rudy’s professional and personal affiliations include the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), Urban Land Institute (ULI), Jonathan Club, Wilshire Rotary Club of Los Angeles, Children’s Hospital Orange County’s Men’s Guild and Loyola High School Alumni Association. A Los Angeles native, Mr. Rudy attended California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and completed his political science degree at California State University, Northridge. He currently resides in Ladera Ranch with his wife and two daughters.