Revitalizing & Redeveloping New Jersey

Nicole Kushner Meyer has been a partner and owner in all of Kushner Companies real estate investments since 1985. Her investment portfolio at Kushner Companies include ownership interests in over 15,000 multifamily units and 10 million sqft of commercial space. As an owner and member of the board, she has been involved in monitoring the portfolio as well as new projects and investments. In 2015, Nicole took a more active role in Kushner Companies as Principal, where she focuses on new developments and retail portfolio management. Kushner is currently planning and coordinating over 10 million sqft of new construction within New Jersey and Brooklyn and currently manages a retail portfolio that consists of over 3 million sqft.. Nicole’s responsibilities also include acquisitions and she is involved in the assessment of new opportunities. Nicole graduated Phi Beta Kappa from NYU in 2004 with a degree in Architecture and Urban Design, and received a Masters in Urban Planning from the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service in 2006.

For over two decades, Mr. Ladyman has developed world-class destinations and environments for marquis corporations throughout the world. From planning, architecture, product design, attraction and brand environments, Mr. Ladyman has directed the master planning, design, development & construction and operation of commercial, entertaining and educational experiences that are unique and compelling. Currently, Ladyman is the Executive and Project Director for Madison Marquette’s multi-million dollar, 32+ acre, 1 mile-long oceanfront mixed-use re-development of Asbury Park, NJ overseeing Development Management & Construction, Leasing, Property Management and Business Operations across the project. The ‘project’ is comprised of: Retail, Dining, Hospitality, and Residential components as well containing Live Entertainment venues which play host to over 600 concerts and experiences each year. The project is home to the world-famous Stone Pony, and Stone Pony Summer Stage, Wonder Bar, Paramount Theater and Convention Hall performance venues. When totally complete the project will contain ~550,000sf of RD&E (Retail, Dining and Entertainment) space with a total of 8 Live performance / cultural venues, and multiple Hotel and Residential units. Prior to joining Madison Marquette, Mr. Ladyman was an International Director & Managing Director for JLL (Jones Lang LaSalle). Ladyman worked on a variety of projects including the redevelopment of the 86th floor Observatory and associated areas at the world-famous Empire State Building, 350 Fifth Avenue; the redevelopment of the West Side Rail Yards for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority/Long Island Rail Road, the renovation of the historic Apollo Theater in Harlem, NY, Lincoln Center, NY, among others. Mr. Ladyman advised/represented the New York City Opera during its search for a new location and development of its planned mixed-use performing arts complex in NYC. Mr. Ladyman also oversaw Real Estate - Projects for Time Warner. In addition to the Time Warner Center, Mr. Ladyman oversaw asset development, architecture, planning, and ride & show design for all Six Flags’ properties throughout the United States as well as advising Warner Bros. Movie World Themeparks worldwide. Mr. Ladyman holds a Masters of Business Administration from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business, NY; B.S. in Industrial Design from Art Center College of Design, Pasadena, CA; and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR.

Kevin Polston joined North American Properties in November 2017 as Project Executive for Riverton, a 400-acre mixed-use community in Middlesex County. In this role, Mr. Polston helps oversee the entitlement, programming, design and development of the former NL Industries site, located on new exit 125 off the Garden State Parkway at the Raritan River crossing. With over two miles of river frontage and direct access to GSP, US9 and Route 35 at the gateway to the shore, Riverton represents an unparalleled opportunity to combine residential, retail, entertainment, office and hotel components, along with a variety of public gathering spaces, in a fully-integrated and pedestrian-friendly format. Prior to joining North American Properties, Mr. Polston held senior positions in leasing, development and asset management with publicly traded REIT’s Mid-America Apartment Communities, Post Properties and Cousins Properties, focusing on retail, office and mixed-use projects. He began his career practicing law with the firm of Arnall Golden & Gregory and in-house with Equitable Real Estate. Kevin is a graduate of Terry College of Business at University of Georgia and Cornell Law School.

Mr. Meyer is currently Director of Development for the Hugo Neu Company, a diversified recycling, manufacturing and real estate enterprise founded and operated on the principles of economic, social and environmental sustainability. The company has been one of the nation's largest value-added developers of industrial real estate, developing more than 9 million square feet of industrial properties in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and California. Currently the company is planning the re-design and redevelopment of approximately 3 million square feet of flex office and light industrial space in the historic ship building campus known as Kearny Point, a 130-acre facility on the Hackensack River in South Kearny, NJ. Prior to Hugo Neu, Mr. Meyer served as Director of Real Estate and Housing for the City of Newark, and was a leader in advancing a development pipeline of over $2 billion, including new residential development, parks, community facilities, and public and private infrastructure. Mr. Meyer managed public lending and grant-making to more than two dozen private and non-profit developers to capitalize development projects totaling more than $500 million in value. From 2002 through 2006, Mr. Meyer was the Assistant Director of Housing in the City of San Jose, the capital of Silicon Valley and one of the most expensive housing markets in the country. In that role, Mr. Meyer was responsible for developing and implementing programs to address the affordable housing crisis in the valley, including a five-year $400 million housing investment program, resulting in the construction of over 11,000 new units of affordable housing in over 80 projects and a critically acclaimed Teacher Homebuyer Program, providing over $30 million in down-payment assistance loans to over 560 public school teachers to promote teacher retention. From 1993 to 2002, Mr. Meyer was a senior executive at the New York City Housing Authority, the largest owner and manager of residential properties in North America, serving for several years as Deputy General Manager for Capital Projects. In that role, Mr. Meyer supervised five departments comprised of approximately 400 technical, professional and administrative employees with an average annual capital budget of $300 - $400 million. Under his leadership, NYCHA completed over $1.4 billion of improvements to kitchens and bathrooms, elevators, structural repairs, lighting and grounds and other critical upgrades. Mr. Meyer has a M.P.P. from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, an M.A. from the University of Wisconsin.

As Principal-In-Charge of Bohler Engineering's New Jersey offices, Grayson has over 20 years of experience in site development consulting and project design for redevelopment projects ranging in size and sector. With an extensive knowledge of the regulatory processes in the State of New Jersey, he has consistently guided prominent projects in the commercial, industrial, retail, and residential industries from due diligence through construction. Grayson’s project team is currently managing multiple award winning redevelopment projects within the state, including The Crossings at Jefferson Park, a highly anticipated 525,000 SF office redevelopment in Whippany and Kearny Point, the two million SF revitalized corporate campus located on the Hackensack River.

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.

Eugene R. Diaz is the founder and principal partner at Prism Capital Partners. Prism, began in 2002 with a mission of strategically investing and developing solely in the Tri-State area, across a broad spectrum of asset classes and transaction sizes. Today, the firm employs more than forty (40) professionals providing construction, development, investment, and property management services to its many institutional partners and investors. Through his stewardship, the firm remains one of the state’s most active and respected redevelopers focusing on adaptive re-use and repurposing of excess corporate facilities and turn of the century industrial buildings. The firm actively develops from the ground up for multi-family, office, industrial and retail investments as well, and purchases both stabilized and un- stabilized income producing assets. The firm has exhibited a strong investment discipline and a corresponding track record that attracts joint venture equity capital from some of the most venerable global investment management firms. Prism is leaving an indelible mark on the New Jersey landscape with such notable redevelopments and adaptive reuses project like Parkway Lofts in Bloomfield, NJ, the 361 unit apartment conversion of the former 100 year old GE BoilerWorks Building on the Garden State Parkway, as well as the 333 unit apartment conversion of the 100 year old historically designated Thomas A Edison Battery and Invention Center in West Orange, NJ and the redevelopment of the 116 acre former Roche Pharmaceutical headquarters known as ON 3, which houses the prestigious Hackensack-Meridian Seton Hall College of Medicine. Previously, Diaz worked for Cushman & Wakefield and held several leadership positions at Gale & Wentworth, including chief investment officer responsible for directing and overseeing all aspects of the company's investment activities. During his tenure he grew the firm's owned investment portfolio from 500,000 square feet to more than 12 million square feet in eight states. Throughout his career, Diaz has been responsible for the acquisition and capitalization of more than 20 million square feet of commercial real estate with total transaction value in excess of $2.5 billion.. He is frequently quoted in many industry publications as well as topical pieces in the New York Times and Wall Street Journal. He earned a master's degree in Real Estate Investment & Development from New York University, where he has frequented as a guest lecturer and stand-in professor. Diaz received undergraduate degrees in Economics and Political Science from Northwestern University. Early in his career Diaz was honored by Commercial Property News as one of their "Stars to Watch." and is regularly ranked by NJBIZ as one of New Jersey’s most influential real estate people ranking him 3rd out of the 75 most influential leaders. He is a past member of the Board of Trustees of Englewood Hospital and an Honorary Foundation Board Member of the Bergen Performing

CECILIA I. LASSITER focuses on real property matters, with a particular emphasis on redevelopment, state and local incentives, and zoning and land use. Ms. Lassiter has extensive experience in redevelopment matters, including the designation of areas in need of redevelopment or areas in need of rehabilitation, and the negotiation and preparation of complex redevelopment agreements, purchase and sale agreements, easements, licenses, lease agreements and occupancy agreements. Ms. Lassiter has worked on several large-scale mixed use redevelopment projects throughout the State of New Jersey, including Teachers Village in Newark, ON3 Campus – the 118-acre former Hoffmann-LaRoche site located in Nutley and Clifton, and the 89-acre parcel known as Parcel B in the now-closed Fort Monmouth military base. Ms. Lassiter has extensive experience in the Grow NJ Program and has been successful in obtaining several multi-million dollar tax credits awards for clients. In addition, she has experience in the Economic Redevelopment and Growth Grant Program, Long Term Tax Exemptions and Redevelopment Area Bonds. Ms. Lassiter currently serves on the Rutgers Center for Real Estate – Emerging Leaders Council, the Board of Trustees of the Foundation for University Hospital and the Commercial Real Estate Women of New Jersey – Sponsorship Committee. S i l l s C u m m i s & G r o s s P.C. Mr. Lassiter was identified as one of “New Jersey’s Rising Stars” 2018 by New Jersey Super Lawyers®* published by Thompson Reuters under Real Estate: Business.