Culver City State of the Market

Joel K. Mayer is currently Managing Director, Head of Retail for Rockwood Capital, based in its Los Angeles office.  In his role, he leads all of Rockwood’s retail real estate strategy, acquisitions and existing investments throughout the country. Prior to joining Rockwood, he served as a Director at BlackRock Realty.  Mr. Mayer’s responsibilities included sourcing new acquisitions, identifying and working with joint venture partners on new retail investments.  Before joining BlackRock, Mr. Mayer was Senior Vice President of Real Estate and Development for California Pizza Kitchen, Inc. ("CPK") for four years.  In this role he was responsible for managing the national expansion of CPK and its existing real estate throughout the country.  At CPK, Mr. Mayer oversaw site selection, lease negotiation, development and construction of all new units and renovations of numerous other restaurants nationwide during his tenure. Prior to joining CPK in 2003, Mr. Mayer was Senior Vice President of Madison Marquette where he directed leasing and portfolio management of Madison Marquette’s properties in the Western United States.  He joined Madison Marquette in 1998 in conjunction with Madison Marquette's acquisition of Farallon Retail Services.  He had been a partner at Farallon since 1993 and opened their Southern California office. Mr. Mayer is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and the Urban Land Institute (ULI).  At ULI he is Chair of the Commercial Retail Development (Blue) Council. Mr. Mayer earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Michigan.

Tom is responsible for Southern California commercial property development, particularly urban infill and mixed-use development. He also leads Lowe’s national retail redevelopment/reuse platform and is a member of Lowe’s Executive Committee. He is currently overseeing development of Ivy Station, a mixed-use property at the Culver City EXPO station and recently completed the Garey Building, a residential/retail property in the downtown LA Arts District. He is a member of ULI, ICSC, US Green Building Council, and serves as a Board Member of the California Business Properties Association. He is past President of the Executive Board of the Southern California chapter of NAIOP and a current member of the corporate Board of Directors. Tom is a USGBC LEED Accredited Professional. Education: University of Southern California, BArchitecture; University of Southern California, MRED

As Managing Partner and founder of both Geneva Street Partners and Geneva Street Capital Partners, Michael Lowinger is responsible for the strategic direction of Geneva and its affiliates, including acquisitions, development, investment decisions, investor relationships, and operating policy. The company’s primary focus is apartment development and repositioning, and currently owns and is developing in excess of 200 apartment units in four separate projects in the Culver City area: as well as a 228 unit elderly care facility in Encino. Throughout his career Lowinger has been involved in the development and acquisition of over $1 billion of real estate. Prior to and then simultaneous with the formation of Geneva, Lowinger was Managing Director of Hanover Financial, LLC for 19 years, where he identified and oversaw all investments, partner and investor relationships, and asset management. Before Hanover, Lowinger was Executive Vice President – Western Regional Director for Heller Financial, an affiliate of Fuji Bank of Japan (Heller was acquired by G.E. Capital in 2001) that provided bridge debt, mezzanine, and preferred equity capital, as well as joint venture equity. Lowinger is a Los Angeles area native. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Real Estate Finance and Accounting from San Diego State University and a Master of Business Administration from Pepperdine University. He serves as a member of the Real Estate Principals Organization of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, and the Real Estate Division of National Jewish Fund. Lowinger and his wife of 37 years, Cynthia, have five children and four toddler grandchildren, and divide their time between homes in Los Angeles and Denver, Colorado.

Jonathan Watts, AIA is a partner at KFA Architecture in Culver City. He has worked closely with Lowe Enterprises and the City of Culver City for the past six years to create, design, and lead the development of Ivy Station, one of the most significant TOD mixed-use projects in Southern California. Culver City has been a collaborative partner in the design process which has resulted in an important fit between the project and the City. Jonathan has a strong relationship with City leadership and staff, a deep understanding of how the City works in terms of its urban design and is currently working on studies for other interesting sites within Culver City. He has been practicing architecture and land-use planning since moving from the UK to Los Angeles 33 years ago. His passion for great design and livable communities has led to work in many cities and on myriad building types including mixed-use urban infill, multi-family housing, hotel, office, retail, and entertainment. Jonathan has served as Chair of two Urban Land Institute committees; he is the immediate past Chair of the ULI’s Building Healthy Places Initiative, which is an effort to use the ULI’s global networks to improve community health through shaping projects and places.

Richard C. Mallory is Of Counsel at the Los Angeles law firm of Shumaker Mallory, LLP, and was a founding partner, from 1977 to 2019, with the law firm of Allen Matkins Leck Gamble Mallory & Natsis, LLP. His practice focuses on office, industrial and retail leases. He represents landlords and tenants in a broad range of leasing matters. Rick is a frequent speaker at real estate industry seminars and conventions throughout the country, and has published many articles on the subject of commercial leasing. In addition to being a Fellow of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers and a member of the honorary land use society of Lambda Alpha International, he currently serves on the advisory board of the Practising Law Institute (PLI) and has been the San Francisco chair of the PLI annual Commercial Real Property Institute, for each of its 21 years, beginning in 1998. Since 1984, according to a survey of his peers, he has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America as a leading California real estate attorney. In a 2004 legal newspaper survey, Rick was named as one of the top six real estate attorneys in the San Francisco Bay Area, and in 2006, 2009 and 2010 he landed on Super Lawyers’ list of the Top 100 Northern California attorneys. In each edition of the Chambers & Partners USA Guide he has been recognized for excellence as a California real estate attorney. Rick received his B.S. in Finance and Real Estate from the University of Southern California in 1966, and his J.D. from Stanford Law School in 1969.

Jose is a senior managing director and co-office head in the New Jersey office of JLL Capital Markets, Americas. He joins JLL as part of the HFF acquisition and is a member of the firm’s leadership committee. Jose specializes in investment advisory throughout New Jersey, New York and Connecticut and also oversees the day-to-day operations of the firm’s New Jersey office. During the course of his more than 25-year commercial real estate career, he’s been involved in more than $62 billion of office, industrial, retail, multifamily and land sales. Jose started at HFF in March 2010. Before that, he was the executive director of Cushman & Wakefield’s New York area investment sales group where he spent more than 17 years. He began his real estate career as a real estate analyst at PaineWebber, UBS, Inc.

Rick Moses is the founder and President of RM/d, a full service development company specializing in mixed-use and retail projects. He formed RM/d in 2007 and is currently in development on several projects on the West Coast. Before forming his own company, Rick was the Chief Development Officer for Caruso Affiliated in Los Angeles, heading up development on noteworthy projects such as the Americana at Brand in Glendale, California. This is a groundbreaking development of approximately 900,000 square feet that has set a new standard for retail and residential mixed-use projects in the United States. Prior to joining Caruso Affiliated, Rick was the Senior Vice President of Development for the Western Region of General Growth Properties. He held the same position at Homart Development Company, which was acquired by General Growth. In that capacity he led the development of new ground up projects as well as several innovative shopping center redevelopments. Rick Moses earned his MBA from Northwestern University in 1981 and a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Illinois in 1977.

Leo Grifka founded Grifka Group in 2016 with the intention of building a portfolio of well located and highly curated real estate over several different asset classes starting with a hotel in Culver City. Grifka Group prides itself on developing underutilized and underappreciated properties and transforming them into desired destinations. Prior to this, Leo was brought on as Executive Vice President at HQ Development (aka HQ Creative Office) to facilitate their rapid expansion of high-end creative office developments. Among the many hats that Leo wore for HQ were sourcing new acquisitions, performing due diligence, and overseeing the entitlement and construction process. Expanding the portfolio from three properties to over 13 properties, Leo was instrumental in transforming HQ Development into one of the most significant high-end creative office developers in Los Angeles today. In 2011, Leo founded Grifka Realty, an independent real estate brokerage firm specializing in single family residential properties. In 2009, Leo began his career in the tech world, but shortly thereafter was hired by GK Development to oversee the construction of two medical office buildings in Beverly Hills, where Leo started his real estate career.

Patricia McCaul, AIA, LEED AP has practiced Interior Design and Architecture for over 20 years. Ms. McCaul has been an Associate Principal with the international architecture and design firm Rottet Studio since its inception in 2008. Patricia has worked on a wide breadth of project types. Her work for hospitality, workplace, and multifamily residential clients includes renovations and ground up construction. She leads the national workplace practice for Rottet; helping clients who are looking to establish a new brand, to refresh their existing company, or just simply find more efficiency in their current workplace. Patricia and Rottet Studio have a strong focus on big thinking, thoughtful planning and attention to detail that has helped the firm to create over 35 million square feet of successfully built projects. Patricia has a Master’s Degree in Architecture from UCLA and a Bachelor’s of science from Drexel University. As a Culver City resident, she spends her free time riding the Ballona Creek bike path, taking yoga classes and dinning in downtown Culver City.

Sean Kim, CID, IIDA Associate, AIA Associate. Sean is a Vice President and the interiors studio leader for Corgan's Los Angeles office. Sean is charged with stewarding client relationships, project management and design leadership. He is driven by a passion to help clients to flourish and works collaboratively and strategically to deliver the highest level of focused service. With more than a decade of experience designing for the largest names in the commercial healthcare, education, and aviation sectors, Sean holds deeply rooted insights into the Los Angles marketplace and carries a fresh, bold approach to bringing the client story and brand culture to life. Corgan designs places that inspire and delight while adding real value for our clients. Our strengths in research, user experience, and design empower us to foresee and respond to emerging technologies and lifestyle changes. From our work on the 880,000 square feet at LAX’s Midfield Satellite Concourse to the design of our new offices in Culver City, we elevate the process to provide data-driven, human-centric solutions that minimize risk, create flexibility, and maximize longevity.

Ryan has been with Hackman Capital Partners since 2012 and is responsible for acquisition, development, leasing and asset management for Western US assets. Ryan has overseen numerous marquee projects while at the company, including the development and leasing of The Culver Studios, The Culver Steps and the Beats Campus; and has negotiated lease transactions with Apple, Amazon, Macys and other Fortune 500 tenants. He has acquired and managed company-sponsored investments with over $1B of market value. Prior to joining Hackman Capital, Ryan worked for ten years in acquisitions and asset management for The Archon Group, a fully-owned subsidiary of Goldman Sachs. During his tenure at The Archon Group, he worked on the growth and management of its portfolio in the Western region of the United States. Following his time at The Archon Group, Ryan was Senior Vice President of SCI Properties and was responsible for the sourcing and acquisition of nearly $2B of product. Ryan most recently served as Director of Asset Management at TriCal Commercial Investments, where he was responsible for leasing and asset management of the company’s portfolio throughout the Western United States. Ryan received his Bachelor of Science from the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California, with a double emphasis in Finance and Marketing.

Perry Pound is the Founder and CEO of Cambridge Pacific Ventures, a real estate and green technology investment firm focused on solving the housing crisis and the climate crisis. Cambridge Pacific invests in the creation of sustainable, innovative, mixed-use, transit-oriented housing communities. While beginning his career in politics and government, Perry developed his affinity for smart growth as a way to preserve open space, reduce pollution, and create a better quality of life for residents. Perry has to-date, developed more than 5,000 homes in 30 communities, and created more than 5,000 jobs. Prior to founding his own company, Mr. Pound opened the Greystar Southern California Development Division and transformed Greystar into the LA market leader. Perry sourced, negotiated, acquired, financed, and developed a $1.5+ Billion pipeline of ten new developments totaling approximately 2,500 new multifamily housing units. Prior to Greystar, Mr. Pound led the Southern California acquisition and development efforts for Alliance Residential, JPI, BRE Properties, and The Olson Company, for a total investment of an additional $1 billion. Mr. Pound received a Masters in International Finance from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, and completed his second year in Real Estate Finance and Development at Harvard Business School. He received his B.A., cum laude, from Pepperdine University, where he was Student Body President. Mr. Pound currently serves as an Adjunct Professor at Pepperdine Business School, a mentor for real estate technology accelerator Moderne Ventures, and a member of the Urban Land Institute, the National Multi Housing Council, and the Los Angeles World Affairs Council.

Joel is the President and Founding Partner of KPRS Construction Services, a Southern California based, ENR Top-400 general contractor. Having completed over $4 Billion in projects throughout California and nationally to date, KPRS has also become an integral part in constructing some of Culver City and the Westside’s most notable office, mixed-use and multi-family developments. A few Culver City projects include C3, Culver Steps, and recently started the Entrada and Building Y projects. Prior to founding KPRS, Joel was the Vice President and Territory General Manager of the Los Angeles region for Kajima Construction, Vice President of Construction for Maguire Thomas Partners, and with Turner Construction, based in the Southern California marketplace. For over 30 years, Joel has compiled a resume of some of Southern California’s most complicated and significant projects, such as Playa Vista, The Great Park in Irvine, The Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, Pac Bell Park in San Francisco, Library Square and The Gas Tower in Los Angeles.

With over two decades of commitment to his craft, South African-born Trevor Abramson strives to promote the art of architecture by evoking a deeply felt emotional and spiritual response from clients, critics and the public. His creative architecture stands proudly across North America, promoting soulful complexity in the communities it inhabits by striking a balance between known and new. Pragmatic and purposeful in his design decisions, Abramson employs subtle and stripped-down shapes to allow simplicity of mass and material to govern. Of the two dozen Culver City projects his multi-faceted firm has completed, the most notable is Runyon Group’s 220,000 sqft flagship PLATFORM Complex. The project converted a blighted area into an eclectic development that Fast Company heralded as “The LA Mall that’s Defying the Retail Apocalypse”. His team has experience with corporate offices, family clinics, parking facilities, and showrooms in Culver City's most desirable precincts, such as the Blackwelder Complex, Hayden Tract, as well as the West Washington and West Adams Neighborhoods. A few ongoing projects in Culver City include the 90,000 sqft Synapse tech office (PLATFORM Phase II) and the contextual- inspired 85,000 sqft “Brick and the Machine” office building which engages the creative energy and collaborative spirit of its cutting-edge inhabitants by providing two distinct office environments., the “brick” and the “machine".

Alex W. Bergeson is a Managing Director with Newmark Knight Frank in the company's West Los Angeles office who specializes in both landlord and tenant creative office leasing throughout the greater Westside and Downtown Los Angeles submarkets.

One of the few LEED accredited attorneys in California, Elizabeth Watson is a member of Greenberg Glusker's Real Estate Group, where her practice encompasses transactional matters, including sales and acquisitions, leasing, financing, entity structuring and title issues, with special expertise in the land use arena. With Liz’s skill in navigating a broad range of issues involving governmental agencies and the legislative and regulatory process, which require an in-depth understanding of the public sector, she assists entrepreneurial clients on a daily basis. Her strategic advice and experience extends to agency enforcement actions, eminent domain, the Coastal Commission, Caltrans, utilities, organized community opposition, ballot box battles, threatened litigation, Air Quality Management Districts, Water Quality Boards, historic preservation, property disputes, sustainability standards, entitlements management, excessive fees and exactions, code requirements, permit revocation actions and overreaching governmental requirements. Liz has guided high-profile development projects of all types through the zoning, planning, entitlements and CEQA labyrinth. Additionally, she is frequently quoted in business publications from the Wall Street Journal to Globe Street on land use and real estate topics.

Almost since the moment he walked in the door in September 2006 (Keith was interviewed, hired and on the job within 3 business days!), Keith has been a dynamic force in our corporate and retail sectors. He’s overseen design, project management and construction administration on major projects, including 50+ with CVS Health and dozens with Simon Properties. A ready collaborator with marketing, business development and office management, Keith may be our studio’s MVP (Most Versatile Person). He is involved with professional organizations, including American Institute of Architects, Boston Society of Architects and the Society of Marketing Professionals. Deeply involved in design, drafting and CAD while still in high school, Keith pursued his Bachelor’s of Architecture (plus an influential minor in History of Art & Architecture) at Roger Williams University, graduating in 2006. He also studied abroad at the Institute of Fine and Liberal Arts at Palazzo Rucellai in Florence, which allowed him to explore Italy extensively, as well as travel to Prague, London, Munich and Amsterdam. His love of travel and architecture has also brought him to Barcelona and all over Ireland. Outside the office, Keith is a regular competitor in the NH State Amateur Golf Championship and carries a 4 handicap.